Postgraduate Diploma in Education

Differences from 2014/15 to 2022/23

  • 1. Candidates for the Postgraduate Diploma in Education shall be qualified teachers in the United Kingdom, or recognised by the Graduate Studies Committee as being of equivalent status overseas. They shall normally have had not less than three years' educational experience acceptable to the committee. The committee may in exceptional cases admit to the examination candidates with other qualifications.

  • 2. Each candidate for the Postgraduate Diploma in Education will follow a course of study approved by the Graduate Studies Committee. Each candidate shall be required to follow one of the following options:

    • (a) A full-time course involving a programme of study of three terms in duration which will consist of: an introduction to research methods; an individual programme of study leading to the submission of the dissertation; and a common programme of studies embracing topics from amongst the following areas of study upon which hethey will be required to submit essays; the development of the educational system of England and Wales; the nature and control of the curriculum; the organisation, administration, and management of schools; contemporary work in sociology and psychology in relation to the practice of pedagogy in schools; assessment in education; teacher education; comparative education.

    • (b) A course involving a programme of study of three terms in duration in which each candidate will spend at least 40 per cent of the days of these terms in university-based study, and the remainder of these terms working in his or hertheir own school or local education authority and engaged in a research and development project. Each programme of study will consist of an introduction to research methods, a research and development project concerned with a signficantsignificant aspect of educational practice, which will lead to the submission of the dissertation, and a programme of studies which shall be equivalent in weight to the common programme of studies indicated in 3(a) above, which shall incorporate part of that common programme and which shall be related to the research and development project being undertaken by the candidate. The whole programme for each candidate shall be approved by the Graduate Studies Committee, which shall satisfy itself that the programme is suitable in its standards and scope for the Postgraduate Diploma in Education and is practically viable for the candidate for whom it is proposed. Application for approval of programmes is to be received not later than six weeks before the beginning of the term in which the course starts. The Committee, having considered a proposed programme, will inform the candidate of its decision not later than two weeks before the beginning of that term.

    • (c) A course extending over a minimum period of two years and a maximum period not normally exceeding three years from the beginning of the term in which the candidate is admitted for the Postgraduate Diploma course, with no requirements for full-day attendance, but otherwise involving the same requirements as those prescribed in 3(b) above.

  • 3. Each student for the Postgraduate Diploma in Education will be assigned to a supervisor, who will be responsible for directing the student's course of study, including the dissertation. The title of the dissertation is to be submitted to the examiners for approval. The examiners shall notify candidates of the date by which the title must be submitted for approval.

  • 4. All candidates for admission as students for the Postgraduate Diploma in Education and must apply to the department not later than two weeks before the start of the term in which the Postgraduate Diploma Courses start.

  • 5. Every candidate for admission to the examination must apply to the Graduate Studies Committee for entry to the examination by the first day of Hilary Full Term in the academic year in which hethey wisheswish to take the examination. Candidates for the Postgraduate Diploma in Education must, at the same time, state the subject on which hethey or she proposespropose to submit the dissertation. 

  • 6. Candidates for the Postgraduate Diploma in Education must offer a dissertation of between 15,000 and 20,000 words. Two typewritten copies of theThe dissertation must be delivereduploaded to the PostgraduateUniversity Diplomaapproved Examiners,online Departmentassessment of Education, 15 Norham Gardens, Oxford, OX2 6PY, platform not later than noon on 30 September after the completion of the course of studies. Candidates wishing to submit dissertations later than 30 September must obtain the approval of the Departmental Board by the last day of the preceding Trinity Term, but no dissertation may be submitted later than noon on 30 September in the year following, unless the Departmental Board approves a later date for submission. One bound copy of the dissertation of each candidate who passes the examination shall be retained by the department for deposit in the departmental Library.

  • 7. Candidates for the Postgraduate Diploma in Education may also be required to attend an oral examination.

  • 8. The examiners for the Postgraduate Diploma in Education shall also consider, as part of the examination, reports on the candidate's work submitted by his or hertheir supervisor. Reports shall be submitted at the end of each Full Term except that, in the term in which the candidate takes the examination, a report shall be submitted by the end of the seventh week of Full Term.

  • 9. Candidates for the Postgraduate Diploma in Education who fail the examination may be re-examined on not more than one occasion which normally shall be within one year of their initial failure.