Course details

Summary

Education is a multidisciplinary field of study with a focus on three core areas: learning, child and adolescent development and health, and social and cultural studies.

Students of Education gain a thorough understanding of human development across the whole lifespan and of teaching and learning processes. A breadth of study takes you from discussion on sociological perspectives and social justice issues in education to the exploration of inclusive education, adult learning, adolescent well-being and more.

This postgraduate diploma is ideal for graduates wishing to undertake advanced study in a humanities or social science specialisation. Like its sister programme, the Postgraduate Certificate in Arts, the PGDipArts is very flexible; students can choose between a number of course combinations, and it offers a convenient taught pathway to other postgraduate study opportunities.

A graduate with a Postgraduate Diploma in Arts will have an advanced level of knowledge in one discipline or area of specialisation cultivated over a full year of study or equivalent. During this time they will have developed such skills as:

• the ability to analyse and evaluate academic literature in that area
• the ability to synthesize information and communicate their findings in both oral and written form
• self-directed learning and intellectual independence.

Qualification structure and duration

A student must complete at least 120 points from taught courses, as approved by the Head of Department and the Dean of Arts.

Our intellectually challenging courses are designed to introduce students to in-depth, discipline-based knowledge of the social world as it applies to education. There are three broad streams of educational study offered at UC:

• Learning: using the findings of behavioral science, cognitive science and new research into how the brain works, you will address questions such as how we learn, and what the necessary conditions for learning are.
• Child and Adolescent Development and Health: explore the theory, concepts and processes of infant, child and adolescent development within multiple contexts. It also considers the impact of health on children and adolescents.
• Social and Cultural Studies in Education: examine the broader social context in which educational systems operate, looking at factors such as history, politics, social class, ethnicity, gender, disability and inequality, and their impact on education.

Further study

Postgraduate Diploma in Arts graduates are well positioned to continue their studies. Subject to the approval of the Dean of Arts (and provided the courses fall within the time limits for the higher award), a student may transfer PGDipArts courses passed with a B grade or higher to:

the Bachelor of Arts with Honours

the coursework section of a master's degree (there are a number of taught master's operated by the College of Arts).

UC also offers a research-based Master of Arts and the Doctor of Philosophy.

Career opportunities

Postgraduate study can bring many career benefits eg, specialist skills and enhanced knowledge, entry into specific occupations, higher starting salary/progression rates, research capability/achievement and evidence of high academic attainment/self-discipline.

Entry criteria

Candidates must have qualified for a Bachelor of Arts or an equivalent degree and satisfied the prerequisites for the subject concerned. Prerequisites vary between departments, but normally good grades in 300-level courses in that subject are required.

Other English language requirements: TOEFL PBT with a minimum score of 575 and TWE with a minimum score of 4.5; CCEL EAP Level 2 with a minimum B+ grade; CAE or CPE score of 176 with a minimum of 169 in reading, writing, listening and speaking; Pearson Test of English (Academic) - PTE with an overall score of 64 and no PTE communicative skills score below 58.