Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE International)

The Post Graduate Certificate in Education – PGCE (International), PGCE (Int.) - is a postgraduate level teacher training course offered, through a collaborative partnership, by Durham University UK (www.dur.ac.uk) and the International School of Geneva.  After a selection process by Durham University with input from the International School of Geneva, places will be offered up to fourteen trainees who wish to train to teach Primary or Secondary students in an international context. The course will run for one academic year and the next intake of students begin their studies in September.

The PGCE (Int.) is composed of three modules, a professional module and two academic modules at Masters level.

The Professional Module:

The professional module consists of a set of standards linked to tasks which the students must show evidence of having successfully completed.  This part of the course will be primarily school-based, centred at the Campus des Nations, but with students observing, and being on 'school experience', on all three campuses of the Foundation and other local partner schools. As part of the professional module there are seminars, workshops and a number of professional training weeks, linked to a variety of subjects including planning, EAL (English as an additional language), classroom management and assessment.  Workshops and lectures covering such topics as Special Needs, ‘Third Culture kids’, International Education and writing reports also form part of the professional module.

There are two main periods of 'school experience' placements: one in the first term of six weeks and one, in the second and third terms, of 10 weeks.  During these times students, working at all times under the supervision of the regular class teacher, teach up to a maximum of 50% of timetable in the first placement and 75% in the second.

The Academic Modules:

Durham University delivers the academic part of the course. Each student will be linked to an academic tutor in the School of Education at the University, who will be responsible for subject specific tasks and guidance for the two Masters level modules. There will be regular contact with the academic tutor in the form of e-mail or phone conversations. The students will have access to Durham’s online teaching facility, DUO and the Durham University Education Library.  The two Masters modules will be primarily delivered through the annual Teaching and Learning Conference held in Durham each January, which PGCE (Int.) students will be expected to attend. (Cost for travel and accommodation, which will be in one of the colleges, is not included in the course fee).  These two modules form part of a Masters degree which can then, if the student desires, be completed, in Durham or Geneva, part time over the two years following on from the end of the PGCE (Int.) course.
 

Assessment of the Course:

In order to be awarded the PGCE (Int.), the student is required to be successful in assessed school practice observations, and to have passed the two Masters level modules and the professional module.  At the end of the course, the successful student will be awarded a PGCE (International).
(Note that this PGCE cannot be awarded with QTS, English Qualified teacher status, as school experience will not have taken place in England. However, the students will have gathered a portfolio of evidence to demonstrate that they have met a set of agreed professional competencies).

ICT and Library Facilities:

Students on the course require a laptop which can be provided if necessary by the school, for use during the year of the course. Apart from the Durham University Education Library students will have access to a collection of books, database, in school relating to the course and will also be able to use the University of Geneva Education library.

Course Fees:

The fee for this course is divided into 2 parts: the professional fee and the academic fee
The professional fee payable to the International school of Geneva for 2013/14 is 18,500CHF, payable in three instalments:

• 1st instalment 50%   9,250CHF   payable by July 1st 2013
• 2nd instalment 30%   5,550 CHF  payable by December 31st 2013
• 3rd instalment 20%    3,700 CHF  payable by March 31st 2014

Details concerning the academic fee payable to Durham University for 2012/13 can be found at http://www.dur.ac.uk/postgraduate/finance/tuition. This is payable directly to Durham, also in three instalments and his is a flat fee for all students regardless of country of origin.

How to Apply:

Places remain on the PGCE (International) secondary programme. Those interested in applying should be well qualified graduates, have a mother tongue level of English and be able to demonstrate a proven interest in teaching. All applicants must have Maths, English and Science to GCSE level grades A-C, or equivalent.

Interested applicants with appropriate qualifications are invited to apply on-line to Durham University at www.dur.ac.uk/postgraduate/apply.  Applicants are also asked to send a personal statement detailing their professional experience thus far and their reasons for wanting to enter the teaching profession, along with a curriculum vitae, to the Director of Professional Studies at pgce.fdn@ecolint.ch.

Further information:

Further questions about the programme should be addressed to the Director of Professional Studies for this course: Alison Ball (e-mail: alison.ball@ecolint.ch).

Information about applying to the programme should be addressed to: