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Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education (Online)

Study Method Online
Provider Falmouth University
Start Date September 2026
Falmouth University

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Course overview

Gain the expertise to support and enhance your work in digital and face-to-face teaching and learning contexts with our online Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education (PGCHE). This is an internationally recognised qualification designed in consultation with education professionals and external bodies to give you the skills to succeed in teaching at undergraduate and postgraduate level.

You’ll engage with peers and through academic scholarship to develop as a creative, competent and committed practitioner in higher education (HE). Through our ‘learning by doing’ approach you’ll push the limits of your practice, trying new initiatives and taking risks within a safe, supportive environment and building confidence in your ability to respond to the rapidly evolving university sector and its growing emphasis on the student experience.

Who's It For?

As the sector places increasing emphasis on the student experience, effective teaching and learning practice is taking centre stage. This creates a need for both academic and support staff that are confident and qualified in the teaching they deliver.  

You may be:  

  • Starting a teaching career within HE and looking for an award that is increasingly considered mandatory for applicants to jobs in the sector 

  • Moving into HE from another industry  

  • New to teaching at a university   

  • New to e-learning and wishing to gain the knowledge and skills required to teach through blended and online approaches  

  • An experienced teacher looking for the time, space and support to reflect upon and evaluate your practice  

  • Working in a support/subsidiary role that is increasingly student facing, with elements of teaching  

  • Teaching in an institution outside the UK, looking to gain an internationally recognised qualification. 

Job outcomes

  • Teaching Roles

Want to see more job outcomes and how your future could change?

What you'll learn

Across two modules you will investigate current theories, concepts and practices within higher education, and explore and develop the ways you support student learning in a variety of different learning environments.

You will cover areas of planning, teaching, learning and assessment that are current in HE, as you reflect on and develop areas of your own practice. You will engage with the design, implementation and evaluation of the use of technology to enhance learning as part of a blended or online learning approach. Through reflection and discussion, you will consider strategies for curriculum design for supporting flexible, inclusive learning in online and/or blended learning environments.

By the time you finish the course, you will be confident in critically reflecting on your practice to inform your continuing professional development.

Course structure

You will need to complete two 30-credit modules (60 credits in total). Both modules are compulsory and must be passed to complete the award.

From module information to course aims and assessment criteria, discover the full course details for the PGCHE.

Study method

  • Online Online info icon
    Online delivery - online course content with the exception of assessments and work placement
  • Blended Blended info icon
    Blended delivery - both online course content and partial face to face requirements
  • In-class In-class info icon
    In class delivery - predominately face to face course content conducted at a specific location
  • Virtual Virtual info icon
    Virtual Delivery - Live and interactive classroom-style learning conducted completely online
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Duration study load

1 Year

Based on the total learning time for the Postgraduate online courses, an average study week can be up to 25 hours. As our online courses are intended to be flexible, the time required to study will vary based on the level of study, the module week, and individual learning pace

Delivery

You'll learn through a blend of recorded learning content, learning activities, guest talks, tasks and discussion forums, which you'll access via our dedicated virtual learning environment. This is also where you'll find all key documentation, get course announcements and access extensive learning resources. 

Course features

Why study this course at Falmouth?

  • Develop your ability to critically evaluate your practice in the light of pedagogical research, scholarship and wider developments in society and the HE sector  

  • Benefit from studying alongside HE professionals from different countries, disciplines and backgrounds and by interacting with new perspectives   

  • Gain the confidence, knowledge and pedagogical fluency to be able to effectively explain your approach to colleagues and students   

  • Learn how to prepare applications for recognition from various professional bodies, for example Fellowship recognition (FHEA) from Advance HE   

Resources and support

  • Dedicated easy-to-use virtual learning environment (VLE)

  • Accessible online audio / visual content

  • A Student Advisor to support you throughout your studies and access to our Student Support Services

  • Access to our Employability Service

  • 24/7 access to Falmouth's extensive online library of contextual books, journals and resources

  • Access to online software tutorials at LinkedIn Learning

  • Students' Union community

  • Optional in-person events

  • Invitation to attend alumni events

Assessment

All assessments are taken and submitted online.   

You will be assessed through written coursework and practical activities, such as: 

  • Work-based assignments that are grounded in your current teaching and learning practice where you apply pedagogical scholarship and best practice to develop it  

  • Written assessments where you design and critically evaluate your curriculum  

  • Practical assessments where you plan, deliver, and evaluate learning activities with your learners, in both face-to-face and online/blended learning contexts. 

Payment options

Funding for online study is different to on-campus study. Download a course guide for information about both tuition fees and how you can fund your online study.

Find out more about the payment options for this course

About Falmouth University

Level up your career with a transformational online degree from Falmouth University. With over a century of art school history behind us, creativity is the foundation of everything we do. But we’re always pushing forward, fusing creativity with technology to forge new disciplines and invent the industries of tomorrow. All online courses are studied 100% remotely, enabling you to achieve your creative ambitions at a time and place that suits you. Studying online at Falmouth University means you can: Join our global community of creatives defining the future. Study with a platform developed by award-winning learning designers - and with the same expert standard of teaching as our on-campus degrees. Get taught by successful industry professionals and inspiring guest lecturers. You can work while studying online The design of our online degrees at Falmouth means you can access your course content anytime, anywhere. You can also study part-time, making it possible for you to study while working. All recorded learning content can be replayed at any time, so it can fit around work or lifestyle commitments. Get supportive, rigorous degree-level teaching online Studying online is the ideal option for those looking for flexibility while elevating their creative career prospects. Our online degrees have all been designed from the outset to be taught and learned online. This means that they're crafted specifically for you to study remotely. Through a combination of recorded learning content, learning activities, tutorials, and collaborative work, you'll be encouraged to push your limits, explore your creativity, and develop professional skills and expertise that make you ready for industry. Creative collaboration Here at Falmouth, we encourage open innovation throughout your online studies. This might mean participating in stimulating discussions with your fellow students or working together on projects to develop your teamwork skills. It'll give you the chance to push each other's creative boundaries and connect with your global learning community. In-person events We offer optional in-person events for our online students that usually happen twice a year. They're great opportunities to meet your peers and tutors and to explore course-related topics through additional activities and discussions. You'll hear from industry experts, offering professional contexts for your learning and a deeper insight into your chosen industry.

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