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Continuing Professional Development

Post Graduate Certificate in Academic Practice (PgCAP) and Level 7 Academic Professional Apprenticeship (APA)

The University of Suffolk Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice has recently been reaccredited by AdvanceHE, and responds to current sector agenda, including Access and Participation and the University pedagogy, including focus on block and blend, inclusive and liberated curricular and the embedding of employability, enterprise and entrepreneurship. There is also a parallel programme, the Academic Professional Apprenticeship. These programmes are open to any staff involved in the teaching and the support of students’ learning across the University of Suffolk and its partners. PgCAP is aligned to Descriptor 2 of the UKPSF, meaning that upon completion and achievement of all learning outcomes you will receive both the PgCAP and Fellowship of HEA (FHEA). 

Entry requirements

To be eligible for the programmes, we ask that you are leading, teaching on our supporting the teaching of modules, for at least 10 hours per year, at FHEQ Level 4 or above. There are additional entry criteria for the apprenticeship route. AdvanceHE are the awarding body for the APA.

Course information

The PgCAP and APA consist of three 20 credit modules at Level 7 (FHEQ). These are:

  1. Learning, Teaching and Curriculum Design
  2. Research and Evidence Based Practice
  3. Enhanced Learning and Teaching

Below you will find the course handbook and the module handbooks, and you can also access here the course reading list, aligned with the UKPSF and with the different units of content.  

The programme also includes peer review and enhancement of learning and teaching activity, and also, the completion of additional activity between study blocks such as

  1. Digipaths 1 and 2
  2. Personal Academic Coach
  3. Join a relevant academic or professional practice network
  4. Contribution to the annual Learning and Teaching conference. 

The course is delivered as block and blend, and learning sessions are typically on a Wednesday. For this academic year, the PgCAP taught sessions are scheduled on one Wednesdays from 2-4 pm on a fortnightly basis. Also, there are a series of hands-on / practical skills workshops scheduled some Wednesdays from 4-5 pm. Participants can find information about course schedule in Brightspace and their student calendars.

If you have any questions, please refer to the programme and module handbooks below, or contact the Programme Lead, Dr Javiera Atenas: j.atenas@uos.ac.uk