Postgraduate Diploma in Professional Studies in Education
Online United Kingdom
Postgraduate Diploma
DURATION
4 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time, Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
TUITION FEES
GBP 5,440 *
STUDY FORMAT
Distance Learning
* total cost: £5,375–£5,440
Key Summary
This professional Postgraduate Diploma in Professional Studies in Education qualification explores the field of education within your chosen specialism. You’ll choose from a selection of modules that encourage you to draw on your own experiences and undertake enquiry in your own context. You’ll have the flexibility to change your specialism at Stage 2 if you want to diversify your study area.
This diploma is also the second stage of a study programme that progresses to a master's degree; this gives you a choice to step off with a Postgraduate Diploma in Professional Studies in Education or continue studying towards the MA or MEd in Education.
Key features
- Offers a rich diversity of specialisms to choose from to suit your professional requirements, experience, and interests.
- Has an emphasis on professional development through collaborative learning, though alternate ways of working can be facilitated.
- Develop and consolidate advanced scholarship and independent learning in the context of your own practice.
- Is a stepping stone towards the MA or MEd in Education.
- Gives you the option to count your previous study towards this qualification, helping you pay less and finish sooner.
How long it takes
The minimum time to complete is one year, and the maximum time to complete is four years.
The qualification provides opportunities for you to develop and demonstrate knowledge and understanding, qualities, skills and other attributes in the following areas:
Knowledge and understanding
On completion of this diploma, you will have knowledge and understanding of:
- Key concepts and themes in education and their application to practice in a range of contexts
- Concepts, current debates and issues in the studied route and their relationship to wider political, economic and social developments
- The different disciplines and discussions that contribute to writing and practice in the chosen route
- Approaches to the practice of applied research and ethical issues relating to research and enquiry.
- The processes entailed in carrying out a practice-based enquiry
- Links between theory and practice, such as would enable the student to undertake enquiry in an area that is of interest.
Cognitive skills
On completion of this diploma, you will be able to:
- Define and appropriately utilise key terms, concepts and theories in applied research
- Identify and articulate a personal perspective on learning in response to understanding new ideas and encounters with relevant studies
- Critically analyse and evaluate current themes and issues in education, using appropriate concepts and research evidence
- Interpret, assess and deploy research methodologies and their evidence
- Engage critically and creatively with debates relevant to the development of own professional thinking.
Practical and/or professional skills
On completion of this diploma, you will be able to:
- Begin to plan, design and analyse a research proposal or a small-scale investigation within a professional or practice-based setting to develop or enhance the understanding of practice
- Work independently and collaboratively in a range of modes to address cognitive problems and design solutions
- Reflect critically and constructively, in the light of ideas and frameworks presented in the course, on your own thinking, practice and organisational impact and how these might be developed
- Produce original texts to communicate ideas concisely and effectively in written work which shows clear expression and coherent structure
- Take personal responsibility to complete an extended and varied programme of learning which requires sustained and independent application
- Use information and communication technology appropriately for information retrieval and communication purposes.
Key skills
On completion of this diploma, you will be able to demonstrate the following skills:
- Independently source and read academic publications with confidence
- Appraise, review critically and reflexively formulate arguments relevant to the area of study
- Critically reflect on the area of your practice
- Produce and present written text employing a suitable writing style appropriate to a specific academic genre that uses and cites source materials correctly and appropriately.
To gain this qualification, you need 120 credits as follows:
Stage 1
60 credits from:
- Educational Leadership: Concepts, Change, and Challenges (EE841)
- Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justice in Educational Practice (EE844)
- Learning and Teaching: Educating the Next Generation (EE830)
Or, if you have successfully completed EE806, you may count this module towards Stage 1 of this qualification. Alternatively, subject to the rules about excluded combinations, the discontinued modules EE811, EE814 and EE817.
Stage 2
60 credits from:
- Learning and teaching: understanding your educational practice (EE831)
- Exploring educational leadership: values, context and strategy (EE842)
- Social justice, equity and equality: inclusive practice for all (EE845)
- Language literacy, and learning1 (EE818)
At Stage 2, you may choose to study the same specialism as you chose in Stage 1, or you can change to a different specialism. However, if you intend to progress to the MA/MED, your choice of Stage 2 here will commit you to that specialism as your Stage 3 dissertation topic.
1This is only available to students who have completed Stage 1.
You should note that the University’s unique study rule applies to this qualification. This means that you must include at least 40 credits from OU modules that have not been counted in any other OU qualification that has previously been awarded to you.