Postgraduate Certificate in Education
Engineers Teach Physics
Overview
Course overview
Continue your engineering career and train to become a secondary Physics teacher and gain recommendation for Qualified Teacher Status.
- Prepare for an inspiring career in secondary Physics teaching, with training that leads to a PGCE and recommendation for QTS.
- Study at Manchester and benefit from extensive classroom experience with support from subject-specialist University tutors and school-based mentors.
- Develop your teaching style through training that helps you connect your knowledge and skills as an Engineer with classroom practice.
- Study Education at a university ranked in the top ten in the UK for Education (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026).
Our students. Real experiences. Visit the page to hear from our students as they share what it’s really like to study here.
Open days
If you’re considering studying Teacher Training at ĢƵ, there are a range of ways you can connect with us to find out more, such as:
- Live virtual events hosted by PGCE academic staff
- Get Into Teaching events
- Guided campus visits
Please see our for available dates. The form will be updated regularly throughout the cycle with the event schedule.
The University holds regular events throughout the year, including webinars and the annual on-campus Master’s Expo, all of which offer the opportunity to find out more about our facilities and courses from our academic and admissions staff.
We also attend a number of education fairs both in the UK and overseas throughout the year.
For more details on how you can meet us, visit out events page: /study/masters/meet-us/
Contact details
- School/Faculty
- Contact name
- PGCE Admissions Team
- Telephone
- +44 (0)161 306 0970
- pgce@manchester.ac.uk
- School/Faculty overview
-
See: .
Courses in related subject areas
Use the links below to view lists of courses in related subject areas.
Entry requirements
Academic entry qualification overview
- Minimum 2:2 Honours degree in engineering or material science degree. If your degree is not engineering or a related subject, please apply to our Physics course.
- Grade B in Physics at A-level (or equivalent) and at least one other science or maths. We may consider grade C if you hold further study in the field such as Masters or PhD.
- Further study in Science at Masters level or above may be considered if you hold suitable Level 3 qualifications that are not A Levels.
- Minimum Grade C or 4 at GCSE (or equivalent) in English Language and Mathematics.
All places are subject to availability. Due to increased competition, please be advised that there is no guarantee an offer will be made, even if you meet the minimum entry requirements.
English language
In addition to a grade C at GCSE in English Language, applicants whose first language is not English are required to meet the following language requirements:
- IELTS 6.5 overall, 6.5 in writing, no sub-section below 6.0, or
- TOEFL iBT overall score of 90 with a minimum score of 22 in writing and 20 in the other sub-sections (Old version) or 4.5 overall, 4.5 in writing and 4.0 in other components (new version)
- Pearson PTE overall score of 70 with a minimum score of 70 in writing and 64 in the other sub-sections, or
- Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English (CAE) or Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE) overall score of 176 or above, with 176 in writing and no sub-section below 169
IMPORTANT NOTE: We cannot accept Home/ Online versions of English tests, such as IELTS Online or TOEFL Home Edition.
English language test validity
Relevant work experience
Professional entry qualification
Fees and funding
Fees
Fees for entry in 2027 have not yet been set. For reference, the fees for the academic year beginning September 2026 were as follows:
-
PGCE (full-time)
UK students (per annum): £9,790
International, including EU, students (per annum): £24,700
Additional expenses
Travelling to placement will incur additional costs for trainees. Significant effort is made to place trainees so as to minimise these costs. In addition, travel bursary payments covering part of the cost are available to all trainees who do not have a government bursary. Further information can be found in the University's . (PDF document, 91KB).
Policy on additional costs
All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme. Any unavoidable additional compulsory costs totalling more than 1% of the annual home undergraduate fee per annum, regardless of whether the programme in question is undergraduate or postgraduate taught, will be made clear to you at the point of application. Further information can be found in the University's (PDF document, 91KB).
Scholarships/sponsorships
We know that student finance can be complicated. The links below provide further information to help guide you.
- Learn more about - student finance options for UK students .
- Learn more about - fees and finance for international students .
- Graduates of ĢƵ and Manchester Metropolitan University can receive a 10% discount on their master's degree tuition fees as part of our Manchester Alumni Loyalty Discount scheme.
There are three types of Government funding available for teacher training:
- tax-free bursary or scholarship;
- tuition fee loan and maintenance loan;
- extra financial support if you're a parent or have an adult dependant or a disability.
Depending on your circumstances you could receive all three.
Application and selection
How to apply
Advice to applicants
You must apply through . Applications or CVs sent directly to the University will not be considered.
You must submit the following with your completed application form:
- Contact details for two referees who can provide a written reference supporting your suitability for teaching
- A personal statement which should be between 500-1000 words in length in a good standard of written English. Here are some examples you could write about (they are just a guide, you do not need to write about all of them):
- Skills you have that are relevant to teaching
- Your reasons for wanting to teach your particular subject
- Any experience of working with young people
- Your understanding of why teaching is important
- Any activities you’ve done that could be relevant to teaching, like first aid courses, sports coaching or volunteering.
We recommend that you submit your application as soon as you are able to, once applications open. It is possible that we may need further evidence of qualifications in order to make a decision on your application, so please ensure that all relevant documents are available on request.
Before submitting your DfE application, please make sure that the information you enter regarding your qualifications is correct and accurate. We have the right to cancel your application if we determine, or have a reasonable belief, that your application contains false information.
Interview requirements
Your application will be assessed by our admissions team. If successful, we will invite you to an online interview. The interview process includes the following:
- Identity and qualification checks - please have available photographic ID
- An introduction from University lecturers
- A personal interview with one of our tutors and possibly a representative from our school partnership
- You may be asked to prepare a short presentation or plan a teaching episode.
Maths and English skills
You will need to demonstrate your comprehensive knowledge and skills in Maths and English by the end of the programme.
Fitness to practise / health requirements
If your application is successful, we will require you to comply with a confidential health screening check as advised by the Department for Education. We ask that you return this as quickly as possible.
Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check
If your application is successful, we will require you to comply with an enhanced check through the DBS as advised by the Department for Education. You must also meet the University's suitability requirements for the safeguarding of children.
Course details
Course description
Develop the knowledge, skills and classroom experience to teach secondary Physics.
Our PGCE Secondary Engineers Teach Physics course prepares you to teach Physics across the 11 to 16 or 11 to 18 age range.
The course is designed to help you teach the National Curriculum, including GCSE and A-level. Successful completion leads to a postgraduate qualification and recommendation for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).
U University-based sessions give you space to reflect on teaching methods and engage critically with the science curriculum, including drawing on your experience in Engineering. You will learn with PGCE tutors, experienced teachers and visitors from exam boards and the Institute of Physics.
You will also benefit from sessions linked to the University’s science departments and Manchester’s learning resources, including Manchester Museum and the Museum of Science and Industry. This helps connect subject knowledge, curriculum thinking and practical classroom teaching.
Special features
- Benefit from dedicated support to enhance your subject knowledge and teaching skills.
- We have links with more than 200 schools, academies and colleges, and you will benefit from significant school-based teaching experience.
- Our leading experts in education have trained more than 5,000 teachers in the last 15 years.
- Our Ofsted (2024) inspection report noted that “through exceptional centre-and school-based training experiences, trainees are fully equipped with the knowledge and skills that they need to successfully develop and refine their classroom practice. Trainees across all routes thrive.”
- Contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goal for Quality Education by helping to expand access to high-quality learning and inspire future generations.
Teaching and learning
Important notice: factors affecting fieldwork and placements
The School of Environment, Education and Development (SEED) recognises the value of fieldwork and placements. However, the safety and well-being of our students and staff remains our priority.
The School will assess on a regular basis the viability of any travel and fieldwork and communicate any significant changes to our students at the earliest possible opportunity. SEED will consider:
- Changes to the rules and guidance on travel and activities implemented and published by the UK and overseas governments
- A risk assessment conducted by or on behalf of the University identifying unmanageable risk
- Changes that enhance the educational value and student experience of the activity
- Changes to the situation of a placement provider (for example, which cause them to be unable to accept students)
- The unavailability of appropriate insurance cover
- The unavailability of appropriate travel and accommodation and any significant changes to their financial costs
- Where fieldwork and placements are a compulsory element of the programme, they will be replaced with something academically similar
- Where a trip or placement is not a compulsory element of the programme, it may not be replaced.
We will consult with affected students at the earliest possible opportunity and explore the options available to them.
The duty of students
Attendance at preparatory classes is a compulsory prerequisite of the fieldwork and placements to ensure safety and learning outcomes are met.
Students who do not attend the compulsory preparatory classes may be prevented from participating in the fieldwork or placement. It is the duty of students to discuss any attendance issues with the field course or placement convenor.
Students are representatives of the university during their fieldwork or placement. Behaviour deemed by the convenor to be unacceptable may result in students being sent home.
Where a student is unable to attend or complete the fieldwork or placement (e.g. due to mitigating circumstances), is prevented from attending due to absence from compulsory preparatory classes, or due to poor conduct, a suitable alternative assessment will be offered (as appropriate) to ensure that the programme ILOs are met, and that the student is not academically disadvantaged.
The University accepts no responsibility for any costs incurred by the student in relation to the fieldwork or placement.
Coursework and assessment
Your school and University experiences are formally assessed. Both your mentors and tutors will help you to record your achievements and set targets from week to week and from placement to placement.
During each placement, a University tutor will observe you teach and discuss your progress with you and your mentor.
At the end of each school experience, you will receive a progress report from your mentor. The report will provide clear feedback and targets in the following areas:
- subject and curriculum knowledge;
- planning and teaching;
- Գ;
- wider professional responsibilities.
These reports, together with your record of achievement and development, facilitate your progression as a teacher.
The written assignments will allow you to gain a maximum of 60 master's-level credits, and guidance and support to complete these assignments will be available from your University tutors.
Course content for year 1
You will:
- develop a critical awareness of lesson and curriculum planning, spending time on each with school-based mentors and University tutors;
- develop skills and knowledge in inclusive Science teaching, considering how to include marginalised narratives in the curriculum;
- develop pedagogy and gain an understanding of a range of different teaching strategies in the Science classroom, and in activities beyond the classroom;
- develop subject and curriculum knowledge for KS3, KS4 and KS5 Science.
Facilities
Disability support
Practical support and advice for current students and applicants is available from the Disability Advisory and Support Service. For more information, please email:
Careers
Career opportunities
Career opportunities
Completing a PGCE is one route to becoming a qualified teacher. This course is suited to graduates who want to gain recommendation for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) and teach Physics in secondary schools. QTS is needed to teach in state-maintained or special schools in England and Wales.
The PGCE also gives you a postgraduate qualification and can count as 60 of the 180 credits required for a master's degree if you choose to continue your professional development in Education.
Careers support
As a PGCE Engineers Teach Physics student, you will be supported to prepare for your next steps in teaching and education. At Manchester you will have access to a number of opportunities to help boost your employability , such as careers fairs, employer presentations, and workshops through the University's dedicated .
As a student at Manchester, you would have full access to this service during your studies and for two years after you graduate.
Regulated by the Office for Students
ĢƵ is regulated by the Office for Students (OfS). The OfS aims to help students succeed in Higher Education by ensuring they receive excellent information and guidance, get high quality education that prepares them for the future and by protecting their interests. More information can be found at the .
You can find regulations and policies relating to student life at ĢƵ, including our Degree Regulations and Complaints Procedure, on our .
