MSc Academic Professional Apprenticeship (APA) with Postgraduate Certification of Learning and Teaching in Higher Education PgCert

To be accepted on to an apprenticeship course you must have support from your employer and meet the course entry requirements.

Standard University postgraduate entry criteria applies, plus:

> apprentices must demonstrate that they are currently teaching or supporting learning on HE level provision (minimum 50 hours per academic year)
> contracted for a minimum of 30 hours per week.

Eligibility
Apprenticeships starting from August 2021
Apprentices will continue to be eligible for an apprenticeship in England if they meet the eligibility requirements in place at that time, including that:
• they were living in the EEA or Switzerland on 31 December 2020
• they have been living in the EEA, Switzerland, the UK or Gibraltar for at least the last three years before starting an apprenticeship
• they have lived continuously in the EEA, Switzerland, the UK or Gibraltar between 31 December 2020 and the start of their apprenticeship
• they will spend at least 50% of their working hours in England during their apprenticeship
• the apprenticeship starts before 1 January 2028.

Apprentices' children are also eligible for an apprenticeship in England on the same terms even if they are not themselves UK nationals.

For apprentices aged 16-18 on the first day of their apprenticeship, a level 2 English and maths (GCSE grade 4/C or level 2 functional skills) remains mandatory before completion.

For apprentices aged 19 and over, the level 2 English and maths requirement is now optional. English and maths training can be included where agreed by the apprentice and employer.

Developing Academic Practice

This module enables a range of higher education professionals who have a role in supporting learning and teaching to advance their knowledge in their own area of practice in order to contribute to a high-quality student learning experience.

It develops apprentices' knowledge, understanding and critical awareness of current drivers, for example TEF, NSS and UKPSF, university strategies and issues in higher education.

The learning and teaching strategy supports apprentices to focus on an educational issue of relevance to you, negotiated with the tutor, and apply learning from contemporary academic theory, pedagogic research and/or scholarship to develop a project to enhance higher education practice. Apprentices are expected to seek out and take advantage of additional opportunities to address their identified professional development needs.

Facilitating Learning in Higher Education

Apprentices develop knowledge and understanding of, and skills in, their role as a teacher in higher education. The module prompts them to engage with institutional and external drivers, in particular university academic strategy and the United Kingdom Professional Standards Framework for Teaching and Supporting Learning in Higher Education, as well as the Teaching Excellence Framework, and to reflect upon their impact on learning and teaching in higher education.

The module employs the concept of the ‘informed, reflective and competent practitioner’ as a framework to enable apprentices to interpret and apply knowledge and understanding to their own practice as educators. Stemming from this, apprentices undertake a critical and analytical appraisal of the academic role across a selection of core learning-and-teaching activities.

An important part of the module is promoting continuing reflection on teaching practice, for which a teaching-observation component is one of the main triggers.

Modules offered may vary.