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For over 40 years, the Postgraduate Diploma in Outdoor Education, and for almost 20 years, the MSc in Outdoor Education, have been the world’s foremost graduate programme in the field, providing a broad base for a professional career in outdoor education.
There are three possible exit levels: Certificate (60 credits), Diploma (120 credits), or Masters (180 credits). The Certificate programme provides a broad theoretical coverage of the field of outdoor education. The Diploma extends this with further academic study and a Professional Development Programme (involving field courses, such as a canoe descent of the River Spey, winter hillwalking, a teaching placement/practicum, and an expedition), which provides a broad base for a professional career in outdoor education. The Masters extends this further still with a dissertation and associated research methods course.
The emphasis — whether Certificate, Diploma, or Masters — is on developing the knowledge, understanding, and judgement necessary to facilitate meaningful learning in, for, and through the outdoors.
You will develop your intellectual skills through critically assessing theoretical, professional, and academic issues surrounding outdoor education, while honing transferable skills such as environmental literacy and oral communication. You will also expand your understanding and personal practice of outdoor education through a range of professional development activities.
Courses take place at our Edinburgh campus and the University’s two residential outdoor centres in the highlands of Scotland, from where you will journey by boat or on foot to live and learn in the outdoors.
Learning will take the form of lectures, seminars, group discussions, student presentations, field courses, self-study, and work experience/practicum.
For the Postgraduate Certificate you will complete the following courses:
For the Postgraduate Diploma, in addition to the above courses, you will complete:
For the Masters, in addition to the above courses, you will complete:
For the Masters and PG Diploma you will also complete several field courses (including open canoeing, hillwalking mountaineering, sea kayaking; approximately 20 -25 days total), a four-week professional placement/practicum, a two-day specialist first aid course, and an 'Outdoor Education in Practice' or Expedition practicum project. While not strictly compulsory, this CPDP is vitally integral to the programme. Further optional courses are available.
The Masters and Diploma programmes can be taken on a full-time or part-time basis. The Certificate is by nature a part-time programme of study.
To facilitate and broaden direct experience of teaching outdoors, course members undertake a 4-week professional placement. The placement occurs at a stage in the programme when students are able to make a useful contribution to the agencies they choose to work with and are able to relate their experience to theoretical material covered in class. Placement agencies range from those focusing on environmental education, to inner city projects, special needs organisations, management training, outdoor education centres, and many more.
Our graduates have been employed throughout the world in all aspects of the sector, such as residential outdoor education centres, organisations working with marginalised young people, management development, wilderness expeditions, environmental education programmes, and school, college, and university outdoor education programmes.
While the programme does not offer a formal teaching qualification, recent graduates have been successful in gaining accreditation by the General Teaching Council of Scotland to teach Outdoor Education in schools. In addition, you will develop highly transferable skills, such as communication and project management, which can be applied in any field.
Completion of the MSc degree also enables you to continue onto advanced research, and a possible academic career.
Unique in Europe, and one of only a few in the world, this internationally respected MSc programme offers you the chance to develop a holistic approach to outdoor education with a specific emphasis on environmental and sustainability education. This programme will prepare you for a career in which you will facilitate learning that focuses on themes of environmental, sustainability, and ecological education.
There are three possible exit levels: Certificate (60 credits), Diploma (120 credits), or Masters (180 credits). The Certificate programme provides a broad theoretical coverage of the field of study. The Diploma extends this with further academic study and a Professional Development Programme (involving field courses, such as a canoe descent of the River Spey, introduction to group leadership and navigation techniques, a teaching placement/practicum, and a group project), which provides a broad base for a professional career in outdoor environmental and sustainability education. The Masters extends this further still with a dissertation and associated research methods course.
The emphasis — whether Certificate, Diploma, or Masters — is on developing the knowledge, understanding, and judgement necessary to facilitate meaningful learning in, for, and through the outdoors. You will consider a range of connected subject areas as well as the particular demands for teaching these in a variety of settings, from schools, residential centres, and Ranger sites, to charitable/not-for-profit organisations.
You will develop your intellectual skills through critically assessing theoretical, professional, and academic issues while honing transferable skills such as environmental literacy and oral communication. You will also expand your understanding and personal practice of educating outdoors through a range of professional development activities.
Courses take place at our Edinburgh campus and the University’s two residential outdoor centres in the highlands of Scotland, from where you will journey by boat or on foot to live and learn in the outdoors.
This programme is affiliated with the University's Global Environment & Society Academy.
Learning will take the form of lectures, seminars, group discussions, student presentations, field courses, self-study, and work experience/practicum.
For the Postgraduate Certificate you will complete the following courses:
For the Postgraduate Diploma, in addition to the above courses, you will complete:
For the Masters, in addition to the above courses, you will complete:
For the Masters and Diploma you will complete a four-week professional placement/practicum, a five-day canoe descent of the River Spey, a three-day land-based group leadership and navigation course, a two-day specialist outdoor first aid course, and a weeklong ‘Environmental Education in Practice’ practicum project. While not strictly compulsory, the CPDP is vitally integral to the programme. Further optional courses are also available.
The Masters and Diploma programmes can be taken on a full-time or part-time basis. The Certificate is by nature a part-time programme of study.
To facilitate and broaden direct experience of teaching outdoors, course members undertake a 4-week professional placement. The placement occurs at a stage in the programme when students are able to make a useful contribution to the agencies they choose to work with and are able to relate their experience to theoretical material covered in class. Placement agencies range from those focusing on environmental education, to inner city projects, special needs organisations, management training, outdoor education centres, and many more.
This industry-recognised qualification will allow you to take on roles in outdoor environmental and sustainability education in a variety of settings from schools, to community education, private organisations, or charitable/not-for-profit organisations.
Completion of the MSc degree will enable you to continue onto advanced research, and a possible academic career. However, you will also develop highly transferable skills, such as communication and project management, which can be applied in any field.
Degree: Master of Arts and Social Science (60 credits) with a major in Education (with emphasis Outdoor Didactics).
Teaching language: English
The master’s programme in Outdoor and Sustainability education provides students with knowledge and understanding of how outdoor studies can enhance learning and contribute to better health, a sustainable development and an active citizenship.
The programme focuses on experiential learning based on nature, culture and society. Teaching includes outdoor field-related experiences and learning in and via natural and cultural landscapes. The advanced courses in educational science will help teachers and other educators to understand learning processes and how the society, nature and the cultural landscape can be used as resources for learning and understanding. The programme focuses on experiential learning based on nature, culture and society, using the natural and cultural landscapes in the outdoors as resources for learning and understanding.
As a student you will:
Students pay for trips, food and lodging during the excursions included in the programme.
Theoretical studies of outdoor education are combined with applied work in authentic learning situations using experiential learning as the basis, and the local environment as a resource. The use of extended classrooms for learning also include visits to local museums, school yards, science centres and recreation areas.
In addition to classroom lectures and seminars, students work in pairs or groups with weekly assignments in outdoor natural and cultural landscapes. All program courses also include individually written assignments, which combine theoretical knowledge with practical experiences and critical reflection. Students are also expected to collect their own empirical data for their theses, using qualitative or quantitative or mixed research methods.
This course will not only prepare you to teach Physical Education (PE) across the 11-16 age range with post 16 enhancement in secondary schools, but will provide you with valuable knowledge so you develop into an effective classroom practitioner. Providing you with a solid foundation of professional awareness and understanding, the course will foster and develop your competence and confidence in imparting your subject knowledge to young people. Newman can offer you a rich diversity of partnership schools, through a combination of supportive school experiences and active teaching and learning sessions you will develop as a teaching professional.
Students are encouraged to develop into reflective teachers; practitioners who can respond effectively to the learning needs of young people in school and apply imaginatively the principles underpinning a broad and balanced physical education programme.
A significant part of the course will be spent in schools obtaining valuable classroom experience under the supervision of trained mentors and Newman lecturers. The rich diversity of partner schools ensures a variety of school contexts within which teaching skills can be developed. Nationally recognised sports coaching courses are also available to students studying this course at Newman.
The Teaching Agency has set out professional standards for qualified teacher status (QTS) in relation to:
• Professional Values and Practice
• Knowledge and Understanding
• Teaching.
In addition to developing knowledge of the secondary PE curriculum you can also expect to focus on classroom management, lesson planning and assessment techniques, learning and teaching styles and strategies. Newman University’s international links in both Europe and South Africa have developed thriving partnerships that have produced a wealth of resources that allows PE trainees to incorporate an international dimension into their teaching e.g. the Create to Innovate programme (developed in through links with learners in South African townships). As a student studying this course, you will also have access to nationally recognised sports coaching courses which will enhance your PGCE.
Teaching experiences take place in two blocks of 7 and 12 weeks respectively. Students are placed in a number of local schools so as to gain as much experience as possible. During the PGCE year you are offered a variety of other experiences including working in primary schools, outdoor education sessions and special educational needs (SEN) schools so as to further develop your skills and knowledge.
You will gain experience of teaching in at least two secondary schools and acquire high level skills in the application of new technologies in teaching and learning. School-based learning includes observation of experienced teachers, a structured programme of group and whole class teaching and a series of directed activities to explore whole school issues. In addition there is the opportunity to develop your own professional interests through individual experiences. You will be encouraged to explore further aspects of PE education with groups of pupils across the age and ability range, including those with special educational needs.
For further information go to the knowledge base information page
This course will help you to better understand and promote physical education as a lifelong process that can benefit individuals, communities and society as a whole. It aims to develop professionals who are capable of making a valuable contribution to the experiences of young people within physical education.
You will develop a critical understanding of contemporary curriculum practice, enhance your knowledge and experience, and engage with different pedagogical models in the teaching of physical education and school sport.
If you are working in schools as a teacher or teaching assistant, are employed in a youth sport role or are a recent graduate, this course provides a strong academic base to enhance your professional development or develop your career your career prospects. It is also an ideal stepping stone should you want to train to be a physical education teacher or have ambitions to progress your studies and expertise to PhD level.
You will study three core modules, two elective modules, one research module and a major independent research study/dissertation. For your dissertation you are encouraged to research in detail an area of physical education that is of particular interest to you, providing the opportunity to focus on your career path.
Research Excellence Framework 2014
Research Excellence Framework 2014: 59% of our research submitted was assessed as world leading or internationally excellent.
Studying a postgraduate course in physical education can enhance your job prospects in teaching allowing you to take control of your career.
The Carnegie School of Sport at Leeds Beckett University has an excellent reputation of delivering quality sport and physical education courses for more than 75 years.
COURSE DELIVERY
You can study this course full-time for one year or part-time over two years. To suit your full-time work schedule we offer the part-time option mostly in the evenings between 5pm-7pm.
Core modules
Option modules
Core modules
Option modules
Core modules
Option modules
There is an increasing need for highly qualified physical education specialists to work with children and young people within schools and the wider community. As well as being able to pursue or enhance a career in physical education, your expertise will leave you well placed to take up opportunities in sports club administration, with governing bodies, in community sport and in higher education.
Over recent years, the Government has prioritised the expansion of physical education as a specialism in the primary sector. We will develop you as a future leader in the teaching of physical education, giving you the knowledge and skills to really promote, shape and develop the subject within a primary school setting.
We are an established sports education provider with a rich sporting pedigree. You will be able to immerse yourself in a supportive learning community informed by the latest research in the field and with vast experience of training the next generation of PE teachers.
We have been identified as one of the leading teacher training providers in England. We are one of only 25 universities to have had their initial teacher training allocations confirmed for the next three years, an acknowledgement by the Department for Education of their excellent provision.
We will lay the foundations for an exciting and rewarding career as a well-rounded primary school teacher, with specialist training in teaching physical education.
As part of your training, you will be placed in primary schools that have a particularly strong focus on physical education, providing the perfect setting for you to apply your theoretical knowledge and hone your practical skills while learning from experienced teachers with a specialism in PE.
We will develop your understanding of core and foundation subjects such as maths, English and history so that you can also confidently teach these subjects at primary level. At the same time, we will build your knowledge of how children learn so that you can create tailored and effective lessons.
The most effective teachers not only possess strong teaching skills but see themselves as researchers, constantly looking at new practices and assessing their own teaching methods. Self-analysis will be a fundamental aspect of your training. You will observe and evaluate different learning environments develop your understanding of diverse teaching practices and techniques. This critically reflective approach will be embedded in all aspects of your training, and should proof a useful tool to use throughout your teaching career.
We will develop your understanding of how a school functions outside of the classroom so that you are not only able to manage your class but also contribute to the successful running of the organisation.
Most trainees go on to be offered full-time positions with the schools where they completed their placement.
You can choose from two different training models.
University-led: You will develop your theoretical knowledge at our Headingley Campus, which offers a superb learning environment, modern facilities and excellent resources. Your learning will be informed by the very latest research and the expertise of our supportive teaching staff. We will organise your extensive school placements so you can apply your knowledge in a classroom setting and your placements will be timetabled to fit with your taught seminars on campus.
School Direct: For the vast majority of your course, you will be based in your provider school or schools, learning on the job while being supported by experienced teachers and mentors. You will attend our Headingley Campus one day a week (usually a Friday) for key module seminars.
School Direct lead school and alliance:
Meadowfield Primary School, Temple Newsam Learning PartnershipTo view our full range of PGCEs, and for more information, please visit our teacher training pages .
We have more than 100 years' experience of teacher training and you'll be supported by an experienced course team determined to see you flourish as an innovative primary school teacher who specialises in physical education. You will become part of a supportive teaching and learning community, where you will be able to pick up advice and tips from your course tutors and share ideas on lesson plans and classroom experiences with your fellow students.
Helping you to develop your confidence, identity and style through a critically reflective approach to your practice will form a fundamental element of your training.
To help with your preparations for your course, you will have the opportunity to attend an outdoor experience during induction, where you will meet your tutors and fellow trainees, start to develop your support networks and discover how the outdoors can be used to inspire physical education and your teaching.
Regardless of which training model you follow, you will gain substantial training in a school environment. Many of the partnership schools involved in the delivery of your course are located in and around Leeds to ensure your travelling is limited and you will have the maximum time to prepare your lessons. You will complete three teaching placements in at least two contrasting schools, receiving support from your school mentor and University tutors.
You will learn from lecturers who have been practising teachers and are now active in educational research, benefiting from their practical experience and theoretical knowledge.
We provide ongoing training for all newly qualified teachers. On successful completion of your course, you will be able to enrol on our Newly Qualified Teacher module, providing you with another valuable element of support and coaching as you start your teaching career.
There's lots of support available to help you fund your teaching training. Depending on your degree class, the subject you want to teach and the training programme you follow, you could be eligible for a bursary, scholarship or even a salary.
For more information, visit the National College for Teaching & Leadership website.
Completing this course will enable you to be recommended for Qualified Teacher Status. Subject to ratification by the Department for Education, You will then be qualified as a primary school teacher, with a specialism in physical education.
The Masters in Outdoor Practice is designed to enable those working in the broad professional environment of the outdoors to engage with postgraduate study. It is delivered by a team of practitioners, educationalists and researchers in the outdoors. The first year of the course involves taught modules which are delivered at weekends, with subsequent modules providing the opportunity to specialise in your own field of practice through research and/or innovation. A special feature of this innovative course is the flexibility to accommodate a diverse range of interests and promote learning through a portfolio of assessments that appropriately meet the needs of students. Thus, the ethos of the course is to enable students to follow their interests and design their own pathway through a master's programme.
YEAR 1: PGCert
YEAR 2: PGDip/MA
The course team have strong relationships with a diverse range of organisations in the outdoor industry, including: Plas y Brenin (National Mountain Centre), Outward Bound Trust, the Institute for Outdoor Learning, Mountain Training, British Canoeing, Royal Geographical Society, and British Exploring Society.
The course team are all active practitioners in the outdoors holding a range of high level outdoor qualifications, as well as being research active. For example, areas of expertise include Coaching; Education; Teaching and Learning.
The first year of the programme is taught over weekends, the first of which will include an introduction to the course, the team and the resources. The taught weekends will make use of a wide range of teaching and learning strategies, for example: lectures, seminars, discussions, presentations, tutorials and practical as appropriate, in addition, elearn/ online platforms will also be used. Year two will make use of face to face and online tutorials to support you through your chosen pathway.
Each module is assessed via a Portfolio, this allows you to construct your own pathway through the modules and choose the most appropriate assessment methods for you and your topic area. Assessment strategies might include essays, reports, presentations, critical discussions, practical and artwork.
The programme is designed to allow you construct your own pathway through the course, depending on your own practice, your interests and future careers. It is expected that a wide range of practitioners will access the course, including teachers, outdoor instructors, coaches as well as those from other areas of the outdoor industry.
The programme is designed so that you can exit at PGCert, or PGDip, or complete a master's. From there you may wish to access a Level 8 course such as a Doctorate.
Masters programmes in Education and TESOL – Scholarships available for outstanding candidates
