Program Overview
The Secondary Religious Education at Birmingham City University is a Postgraduate Certificate programme in Education over 12 months, delivered On-campus. This programme equips graduates with advanced knowledge and practical skills for professional and academic careers in the field.
Students gain a rigorous grounding in both the theoretical foundations and applied dimensions of education. The programme combines coursework, research components, and practical projects that develop critical thinking, problem-solving, and specialist expertise relevant to industry and research needs.
Graduates of the Secondary Religious Education programme are well-prepared for careers in academia, industry, government, and the private sector across United Kingdom and internationally. The programme provides an internationally recognised qualification within the Bologna higher education framework.
Key Program Features
- Duration: 12 months
- Language of instruction: English
- Study mode: On-campus
- Tuition: GBP 12,000 (Tuition (Year)) — International students; GBP 9,250 (Tuition (Year)) — EU/EEA students
- Location: Birmingham, United Kingdom
Career Opportunities
Graduates of the Secondary Religious Education programme are prepared for diverse careers in education:
- Teacher / Lecturer
- Educational Consultant
- Curriculum Designer
- School Administrator
- Education Policy Researcher
- Training Specialist
Program Curriculum
This postgraduate course takes place over one year full-time. Note that all PGCE with QTS courses commence teaching in the first week of September.
This course aims to produce highly skilled graduate teachers who have an in-depth knowledge and understanding of teaching and learning, which will enable them to demonstrate the highest levels of professional practice.
By the end of the course, you will be confident, reflective and accountable practitioners, able to deliver a rich and diverse curriculum in a contemporary cultural context.
You will be able to accept responsibility for determining and achieving professional goals and exercise professional judgements, based on an informed understanding of education and subject pedagogy.
This is an intensive and demanding course, which offers superb preparation for anyone who is committed to educating young people.
Central to the curriculum is the study of education, pedagogy and professional practice from both generic and subject-specific perspectives, which is delivered using a combination of workshops, lectures, seminar groups and individual study.
To complement this is a programme of subject knowledge and enhancement that supports the development of subject pedagogy. Specialist subject knowledge is up-dated throughout the course to ensure trainee teachers are fully conversant with curriculum requirements.
You are expected to take on significant responsibility for their own progress and development. This system of professional development profiling is welcomed particularly among those who have completed the course because it sets you apart from their peers in their first year of teaching.
Lead school partners
The lead school partner approach enables multi-academy trusts, or groups of schools, to offer teacher education courses offered in collaboration with a university partner. You may prefer to apply to a lead school partner if, for example, the range of schools where you could be placed for your teaching practice, better suits your circumstances. You spend the same amount of time on school placements and will study on campus with us for most if not all your taught sessions. You will also have the same access to a personal development tutor and all the resources we offer.
Our lead school partners for this PGCE Secondary course are (see links for details such as location maps and contact details):
Placement locations
Our students are asked to complete some forms for placements around whether they will be living, access to private transport etc., however, you must be prepared to travel around 90 minutes. Where you have one placement that is around this 90-minute mark, we will always try to make your other placement much closer for you, depending on availability.
For PGCE Secondary courses, we have over 100 placement providers across 14 local authorities including:
- Birmingham
- City of Wolverhampton
- Coventry
- Derby City
- Derbyshire
- Dudley
- Leicester City
- Sandwell
- Solihull
- Staffordshire
- Telford and Wrekin
- Walsall
- Warwickshire
- Worcestershire
Admission Requirements
Academic Requirements
UK students
EssentialYou must have a good degree (minimum 2:2 but 2:1 or 1st preferred) from a UK higher education institution or equivalent, of which at least 50 per cent should be in religious education.
You must also have a GCSE grade C or above (or equivalent) in both English language and mathematics prior to enrolment.
If you do not already have GCSEs in English language and mathematics, or their equivalent, and are not registered to take them, you should visit\xc2\xa0Equivalency Testing.
It should be noted that applicants taking the equivalency tests need to have passed prior to enrolment.
For entry onto a teaching course from September 2014 you will also be required to pass the\xc2\xa0Skills Tests in Literacy and Numeracy
Pre-Interview School Experience
For secondary teacher training there is an expectation that you will have had some general experience of working with secondary age students in a school setting.
In preparation for the selection interview stage of the recruitment process you are required to engage in a teaching episode, observed by an experienced qualified teacher.
It will support your application to undertake this teaching episode prior to enrolment and in advance of your interview.
Please read our\xc2\xa0guidance document\xc2\xa0before downloading the\xc2\xa0Pre-Interview School Experience Report\xc2\xa0which you will need the qualified teacher observing you to complete.
Selection Interview
The selection interview will assess your subject knowledge and personal qualities such as the potential to relate well to secondary age students, enthusiasm, sensitivity, communication skills and robustness and resilience for teaching.
You will also take a written test to assess your standard of English.
Applicants must meet The National College for Teaching and Leadership requirements for Initial Teacher Training, which means being medically fit and successfully completing an enhanced disclosure via the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).
Tuition & Financial Information
Tuition Fee
GBP 12,000 (Tuition (Year)) — International students; GBP 9,250 (Tuition (Year)) — EU/EEA students
Tuition fees: GBP 12,000 (Tuition (Year)) — International students; GBP 9,250 (Tuition (Year)) — EU/EEA students
Financial Aid & Scholarships
Contact Birmingham City University directly for scholarship, grant, and financial aid information for this programme. Many European universities offer merit-based and need-based funding for international and domestic students.
About Birmingham City University
Birmingham City University
Birmingham, United Kingdom
Birmingham City University is a distinguished institution of higher education committed to academic excellence, innovative research, and preparing students for leadership in their chosen fields....
University Profile- Start Date September 2026
- Language English
- Duration 12 months