This Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) course will prepare you to teach young people aged 11 to 16 within the UK’s National Curriculum for Art and Design framework (Key Stages 3 and 4). 

You’ll also get the chance to learn about teaching the subject to students aged 16 to 19. 

As you build on your existing knowledge of art and design, you’ll learn teaching theory and the  techniques for helping young people to: 

• express their ideas in creative works
• develop their ability in drawing, painting, sculpture and other techniques
• evaluate creative works using the language of art, craft and design
• learn about great artists, craft-makers and designers
• understand the historical and cultural development of art forms 

Through university sessions and placement practice you’ll also learn essential skills such as: 

• managing the classroom
• monitoring and assessing pupils
• teaching inclusively 

You'll put theory into practice through placements at 2 schools in or near Southampton. You'll spend at least 120 days on placement, observing lessons and working with small groups of young people. When you are ready, you’ll then be introduced to whole-class teaching. You’ll have the support of a school-based mentor throughout this time. 

The rest of your time will be spent at the University, where we'll prepare you for your placements, evaluate your school-based work, and develop subject-specific skills and good practice. You'll spend some of your time at Winchester School of Art, our art and design institution. 

Talk to a tutor

Looking for more information?Send your question to one of our PGCE tutors.

Course lead

Your course leader is Susan Fishlock, a Senior Teaching Fellow in the Southampton Education School. She has a background teaching Art and Design in secondary schools, most recently in a school within the city. ReadSusan's staff profile to find out more about her work.

Accreditations

Ofsted

Department for Education

Download the Course Description Document

The Course Description Document details your course overview, your course structure and how your course is taught and assessed.

You’ll need: 

• a 2:2 degree (UK honours degree or equivalent) in art and design or a related subject
• strong subject knowledge
• GCSEs (minimum grade 4/C) in English language and maths 

If you don't have the required GCSEs we'll ask you at the offer stage to take equivalency tests. You'll need to cover the cost of the tests yourself.

Find the equivalent international qualifications for your country.

Secondary school classroom experience may strengthen your application. 

Before applying, you should read theUK National Curriculum for Art and Design and the standards for the award ofQualified Teacher Status. 

We do not accept IELTS in lieu of the English Language GCSE requirement.

English language requirements

If English isn't your first language, you'll need to complete an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) to demonstrate your competence in English. You'll need all of the following scores as a minimum:

We accept other English language tests.Find out which English language tests we accept.

If you don’t meet the English language requirements, you can achieve the level you need by completing apre-sessional English programme before you start your course.

Pre-masters

If you don’t meet the academic requirements, you can complete a pre-master's programme through our partnership with OnCampus.Learn more about the programmes available.

Got a question?

Please contact us if you're not sure you have the right experience or qualifications to get onto this course.

Email: enquiries@southampton.ac.uk
Tel: +44(0)23 8059 5000

This Art and Design PGCE course is full-time, running from September to July and including breaks at Christmas and Easter. You’ll divide your time between the University and 2 placement schools. Typically, this involves:

• 120 days of training and teaching experience in 2 placement schools
• 20 days of intensive training shared between the University and key partner schools
• over 20 days focused on subject-specific training at the University
• additional professional studies training and enrichment sessions at the University

Your main placement begins in late September. An experienced mentor at your school placement will guide you through your professional development. By July, you’ll have the skills to manage an early-career teacher's schedule. You’ll also gain experience from teaching in a contrasting school to understand different teaching approaches.

We have strong collaborations with schools in Southampton, as well as throughout Hampshire, Wiltshire, Dorset, and the Isle of Wight. For teaching trainees in Salisbury, we’ve built a long history of effective partnerships to provide excellent placements. We consider your location and transport options, alongside your training requirements, when arranging placements.

This PGCE Art and Design course is made up of 4 compulsory modules. These are assessed at Masters level, leading to the award of a PGCE.

Want more detail? See all the modules in the course.

Learning

The learning activities for this course include: 

• workshops and seminars
• tutorials 
• group activities 
• directed study 
• independent study and research
• conference days
• guest speakers

Assessment

We’ll assess you using: 

• written assignments
• a presentation
• a portfolio 

Academic Support

We'll assign you a personal academic tutor, and you'll have access to a senior tutor. 

You’ll have the support of a school-based mentor during your practice placements.

The employability and enterprise skills you'll gain from this course are reflected in the Southampton skills model. When you join us you'll be able to use our skills model to track, plan, and benefit your career development and progress.

Work experience opportunities

We are a top 20 UK university for employability (QS Graduate Employability Rankings 2022). Our Careers, Employability and Student Enterprise team will support you. This support includes: 

• work experience schemes
• CV and interview skills and workshops
• networking events
• careers fairs attended by top employers
• a wealth of volunteering opportunities
• study abroad and summer school opportunities 

We have a vibrant entrepreneurship culture and our dedicated start-up supporter,Futureworlds, is open to every student.

Your career ideas and graduate job opportunities may change while you're at university. So it is important to take time to regularly reflect on your goals, speak to people in industry and seek advice and up-to-date information from Careers, Employability and Student Enterprise professionals at the University.

Tuition fees

Fees for a year's study:

• UK students pay £9,535.
• EU and international students pay £25,400.

Checkfees for other versions of this course.

What your fees pay for

Your tuition fee covers the full cost of tuition and any exams. The fee you pay will remain the same each year from when you start studying this course. This includes if you suspend and return.

Find out how to pay your tuition fees.

Accommodation and living costs, such as travel and food, are not included in your tuition fees. There may also be extra costs for retake and professional exams.

Explore:

• accommodation costs
• living costs
• budgeting advice
• fees, charges and expenses regulations

10% alumni discount

If you’re a graduate of the University of Southampton, you could be eligible for a10% discount on your postgraduate tuition fees.

Funding, bursaries and scholarships for teacher training

There is a variety of government funding available for teacher training, including bursaries, scholarships and other financial support.

Find out more and check your eligibility on theDepartment for Education website.

Other postgraduate funding options

A variety ofadditional funding options may be available to help you pay for your master’s study. Both from the University and other organisations.

Funding for EU and international students

Find out aboutfunding you could get as an international student.

You mustapply for this course on GOV.UK. You’ll need to create an account in order to submit your application.

Application deadlines

The deadline to apply for this course is early July 2025. 

We advise applying early as applications may close before the deadline if places are filled. We allocate places on a continuous basis from October 2024 until the course is full.

 VisitGOV.UK for the latest information on PGCE course availability.

Supporting information

GOV.UK processes applications for this course. When you apply, they’ll give you details of any supporting information or documents you’ll need to supply.

Academic and employment history

We require all applicants to provide a full breakdown of their previous employment and academic study, including career breaks, from age 16 (GCSE) up to the point of their DFE application.

Original documents

You'll need to provide copies of your original academic qualifications, for example GCSE, A Level and degree, during the application process.

If you join the course, you will also need to provide your original documents in person during induction. Please allow enough time to order replacement certificates if you no longer have your originals.

We will only accept certificates or a final official Statement of Results from the awarding body. We do not accept Candidate Statement of Provisional results and we are also unable to accept letters from educational establishments/schools or colleges as confirmation of results. For evidence of undergraduate education, we will accept a certificate and/or official transcript.

What happens after you apply

After applying through GOV.UK you’ll hear from us by email. We have 40 days to respond, but most applicants hear back much sooner.

If you get through to the next stage we’ll invite you to an interview with tutors, where we’ll assess your suitability for training and teaching. We’ll also ask you to give a short presentation and carry out a written task.

We’ll then decide whether to offer you a conditional place. The decision will be uploaded to your GOV.UK application within 5 working days.

All offers are conditional onenhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and health checks. You will need to pay for these checks.

If you have spent time outside of the UK, you will also need to obtain criminal record checks from the countries you have lived in.

Equality and diversity

We treat and select everyone in line with our Equality and Diversity Statement.

Got a question?

Please contact us if you're not sure you have the right experience or qualifications to get onto this course.

Email: enquiries@southampton.ac.uk
Tel: +44(0)23 8059 5000