PDE-FE Frequently Asked Questions

How many hours of observation and teaching practice need to be completed in the programme?

All students must complete 30 hours of observation and 100 hours of teaching practice. Full-time students complete this requirement in one year, and part-time students complete this requirement over two year of study.

Module Title	ECTS	Required Number of Hours	When Completed
Educational Placement 1	5	Observation Hours (15 hours) Educational Practice (34 hours)	Semester 1 for full-time students Year 1 for part-time students
Educational Placement 2	5	Observation Hours (15 hours) Educational Practice (66 hours)	Semester 2 for full-time students Year 2 for part-time students

Do all educational practice hours need to be completed with the same venue/centre?

No, students do not need to complete all teaching hours in one venue/centre. Rather, they are permitted to split their hours across multiple centres, and are encouraged to do so where possible.

What level of course do I need to observe and/or teach?

Students should be completing their observation and teaching hours in State approved Further Education providers, on QQI Level 3,4,5 or 6 programmes.

What type of educational centre should I complete my placement in?

All educational placements must be completed in State approved providers of Further and Adult education on Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) courses. This includes colleges of further education, community education centres, post-leaving certificate courses (PLCs), and organisations such as Youth Reach.

Are educational placements typically paid or unpaid?

Educational placements are typically unpaid positions for the purpose of completing the educational practice requirements.

Do I need to register with the Teaching Council before starting placement?

Students do not need to register with the Teaching Council before starting placement. However, those who meet the degree requirements set forth by the Council may be eligible for conditional registration. For more information, please contact the Teaching Council directly, or click here.

Do applicants need to have secured an educational placement at another institute of further education at the time of application? Is it the sole responsibility of the student to secure a placement?

It is the sole responsibility of the student to secure a placement. Applicants do not need to have their educational placement secured at the time of application to the PDE-FE, but we encourage applicants to start the process of securing a placement as soon as they receive confirmation that they have been accepted onto the programme. MIE must also approve all placements before the student can commence their observation and/or teaching hours.

The website states that the programme is taught using a “blended learning” approach. What does this mean?

The blended approach to learning means we combine face to face lectures, with online learning, and practical educational placements (i.e. teaching practice).

What are the entry requirements for the PDE-FE?

The entry requirements for the PDE-FE are the same as those required for registration with the Teaching Council of Ireland as a Further Education teacher:

An Honours Bachelor’s Degree at Level 8 or higher on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) which has a ECTS credit weighting of at least 180 credits

An Ordinary Bachelor’s Degree at Level 7 on the NFQ which has a ECTS credit weighting of at least 180 credits a minimum of three years’ experience in a workplace or instructional setting which is relevant to the qualification.

Is it possible to work full-time while completing the full-time one year course?

We strongly advise students who are working full-time to consider applying to the part-time two-year programme, as the workload on the full-time programme is substantial and feedback from graduates has affirmed the same.

Approximately how many hours of work are required for the full-time one year course?

The PDFE course is 60 ECTS in total. The chart below outlines the number of hours of study associated with each module. In addition, you also have to complete 30 hours of observation and 100 hours of educational placement (i.e. teaching practice), which accounts for another 15 ECTS.

Module Title	ECTS	Course Contact Time	Directed Study	Self-directed Study	Assessment	Total Student Workload
Historical and Philosophical Understandings of Education	5	20 hours	40 hours	40 hours	20 hours	120 hours
How Adolescents and Adults Learn	5	20 hours	40 hours	40 hours	20 hours	120 hours
Contemporary Issues in Education	5	20 hours	40 hours	50 hours	20 hours	120 hours
Approaches to Teaching, Learning and Special Education	10	40 hours	80 hours	80 hours	40 hours	240 hours
Module and Programme Design and Evaluation	5	20 hours	40 hours	40 hours	20 hours	120 hours
Communication and Technology in Education	5	20 hours	40 hours	40 hours	20 hours	120 hours
Group Management and Organisation for Learning	5	20 hours	40 hours	40 hours	20 hours	120 hours
Development of a Reflective Stance in Specialised Area	5	20 hours	40 hours	40 hours	20 hours	120 hours

How does the application process work for the PDE-FE?

The application process for the PDE-FE is completed through the MIE website, and applications typically open in the Spring. If you would like the admissions office to notify you when the application process for this programme reopens, please send an email with your contact details to [email protected]

In addition to submitting the application and supporting materials, all applicants will be asked to participate in a short interview where they will be asked about areas such as their motivation/reasons for wanting to teach adults, their subject areas of expertise, and previous relevant experience.