Equip yourself with the skills and academic grounding to support learning and teaching in professional healthcare and education settings.
The Postgraduate Certificate in Practice Education is a professionally focused qualification that equips you with the essential skills and academic grounding to support learning and teaching in contemporary professional and healthcare settings.
Delivered in partnership with Buckinghamshire New University (BNU), this programme blends theoretical knowledge with real-world application, allowing you to tailor your studies to your specific professional context. Upon completion, you will hold a recognised Level 7 qualification that opens pathways to further postgraduate study and professional recognition.
This programme is designed for working professionals who have taken on training, supervision, or educational responsibilities within their practice setting.
Nurses, midwives, therapists, and other clinical professionals supporting learners in practice.
Social work professionals with responsibilities for practice-based learning and assessment.
Those working in adjacent education or professional development roles seeking formal recognition.
Mentors and supervisors looking to deepen their understanding of learning theory and assessment.
Assessment focus is negotiated with your tutor so your work is directly relevant to your practice.
Engage with peers and lecturers in rich professional conversations that broaden your perspective.
Regular one-to-one professional conversations with an experienced member of the course team.
Credits count towards further study, including the MA Education at BNU.
The curriculum covers the fundamental elements of learning and teaching in practice, with inclusivity and contemporary professional issues at its core. You will study three 20-credit core modules:
Explore the theory and practice underpinning inclusive approaches to learning, teaching, and assessment. You will evaluate your existing knowledge and design effective learning experiences informed by evidence.
Consider methods for evaluating effective practice and engage critically with quality assurance policy. You will undertake a Plan-Do-Review project to reflect on your own professional impact.
Bring together prior learning and experience to articulate and showcase your excellence as an education professional, with a focus on CPD and professional identity.
The programme is delivered via a blended learning model that combines live, online sessions with flexible self-directed study – allowing you to continue working whilst you learn.
Asynchronous activities via BNU's Virtual Learning Environment let you engage at your own pace.
Observed teaching sessions, presentations, and professional conversations — all negotiated to your context.
Full access to BNU's library, e-journals, and an apps-anywhere service for remote working.
Applications are welcomed from a range of professional backgrounds. The following routes are available:
An undergraduate degree (typically 2:1 or above) alongside relevant, ongoing professional experience in practice education or an adjacent field.
Significant professional experience and evidence of readiness for Level 7 study may be considered. For example, nurses who qualified before the degree requirement was introduced.
Prior learning – academic, professional, or vocational – may be recognised through the Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL) process, potentially allowing exemption from certain modules.
The PGCert Practice Education is a recognised Level 7 qualification that positions you for both continued academic study and expanded professional responsibility.
Join the next generation of education leaders. Complete your details below and our admissions team will contact you within 2 working days.
