Art & Design subject entry requirements

We expect you to have a strong allegiance to the subject of art and design. You should have a good first degree or graduate equivalent in the area of art and design, including fine art, craft, design and the history or theory of visual culture, or a substantial element of one or more of these in combination with another subject. If you are an art history or cultural studies graduate, you will need to provide evidence of your practical ability.

Biology subject entry requirements

You should have a good degree in biology or biology related subject (including psychology), or a joint degree with biology as the major component (ie at least two years of biology studies at undergraduate level). We expect you to have a good basic knowledge of biology, chemistry and physics, and be willing to learn more.

We normally expect you to have an A level in biology and one other science subject at minimum grade D, or the equivalent. Applicants without these qualifications may be accepted if they have acquired knowledge through other routes (e.g., work experience). You must have good practical skills and technical know-how. We particularly welcome applicants who have worked with young people in a variety of settings.

We expect you to have at least observed science lessons in secondary schools before your interview.

Business Subject entry requirements

• A good degree (2.2 and above) in business or a related subject
• Business experience is a considerable advantage, and applicants / career changers with such experience are particularly welcome
• Information technology skills are essential and there is ample opportunity to enhance them further during the programme
• A broad outlook on business and education matters and a commitment to relating the disciplines to young people’s lives
• An advanced subject knowledge in business.

Chemistry subject entry requirements

You should have a good degree in a chemistry-related subject (including geology, chemical engineering or pharmacy), or a joint degree with chemistry as the major component (ie at least two years of chemistry studies at undergraduate level). We expect you to have a good basic knowledge of biology, chemistry and physics, and be willing to learn more. We normally expect you to have an A level in chemistry and one other science subject at minimum grade D, or the equivalent. Applicants without these qualifications may be accepted if they have acquired knowledge through other routes (eg, work experience; a subject knowledge enhancement course).

You must have good practical skills and technical know-how particularly in chemistry-related practical work. We particularly welcome applicants who have worked with young people in a variety of settings. We expect you to have at least observed science lessons in secondary schools before your interview.

Citizenship Subject entry requirements

You should have a good first degree, ideally with a substantial element of social studies, UK politics or law. Applicants with other relevant degrees, relevant masters degrees or work experience in a related field will also be considered. It will be beneficial for you to have recent experience of working with young people, especially in an inner-city setting. This experience is often gained through voluntary work in schools or youth clubs and organisations. We expect you to have at least visited secondary schools recently. You should also have a genuine interest in education, good communication skills, a commitment to teaching as your chosen career, a willingness to take responsibility for your own learning, and the ability to work within a team responsible for curriculum development.

Computing with ICT subject entry requirements

You should have a first degree at 2:2 or above in an ICT or computing-related subject. This covers a broad range of courses including computing, business ICT, multimedia and games design. We may also consider you if your degree is not in ICT, but if you have considerable practical ICT or computing knowledge and experience of ICT training or teaching. A general basic knowledge of ICT applications is not sufficient. You should have some recent experience of working with children or young people in a formal context or have spent a few days observing ICT or Computing in a secondary school. Appropriate experience may include volunteering, sports coaching, or work as a teaching assistant or youth worker. If you do not have such experience, we may offer you a place on condition of a period of school observation. Where this is the case, we may be able to offer help in finding a school willing to support this.

Design & Technology (Salaried route only)

You should have a good first degree or graduate equivalent in the area of Design Technology. There are four distinct areas of knowledge: Resistant Materials, Textiles, Electronics and Food. You should have expertise in at least two of these areas unless you are a Food specialist. You should have an understanding of Information Technology, including CAD CAM, and be aware of current developments in the Design Technology curriculum.

Previous experience of working with children and young people in school or other contexts is a considerable advantage. We are interested in your ability to communicate clearly and effectively, to be well organised, to be receptive, and to work as part of a team.

Economics Subject entry requirements

• You should have a good first degree in economics or a related subject
• Commercial/business experience is a considerable advantage, and applicants with such experience are particularly welcome
• Information technology skills are essential and there is ample opportunity to enhance them further during the programme
• It is important for you to have a broad outlook on economics and commercial/business matters and a commitment to relating the disciplines to young people’s lives
• Preference will normally be given to applicants with upper second-class honours (2:1) or above, or to those who have supplemented their lower second-class first degrees with a masters or doctoral qualification
• You should be aware of current educational policies and issues
• Experience of working with children or adults in an inner-city context is an added advantage.

English Subject entry requirements

You should have a degree in English literature, English language, linguistics or a combination of these. If you have another qualification, we will consider you if English has been a substantial part of your undergraduate or postgraduate studies. If your degree is in another subject, you should have substantial work experience relevant to teaching English (such as teaching English as a foreign language). Previous experience of working with children and young people in school or other contexts is a considerable advantage. We are interested in your ability to communicate clearly and effectively, to be well organised, to be receptive, and to work as part of a team. You should have an interest in young people and be able to share your enthusiasm for the subject.

We are looking for adaptability and the ability to work well under pressure. We will need to judge whether, by the end of the programme, you will be able to reach the required standards. These cover professional values and practice; subject knowledge; knowledge of theory and research; lesson planning and recordkeeping skills; classroom management; your understanding of assessment and pupil progress; and the ability to reflect critically on your own practice and progress.

Drama (Salaried Route only)

You should have a degree in drama or a degree in a related subject (such as English and Drama, or World Performance, or English) with substantial work experience relevant to teaching drama.  All applicants must have practical experience of leading drama with young people. We are interested in your ability to communicate clearly and effectively, to be well organised and receptive, and to work as part of a team. You should have an interest in young people and be able to share your enthusiasm for drama. We are looking for adaptability and the ability to work well under pressure.

You will need to be diplomatic, flexible, and willing to make a substantial commitment to the extra curricular drama work in the school. We will need to judge whether, by the end of the programme, you will be able to reach the required standards. These cover professional values and practice; subject knowledge; knowledge of theory and research; lesson planning and recordkeeping skills; classroom management; your understanding of assessment and pupil progress; and the ability to reflect critically on your own practice and progress.

Geography Subject entry requirements

You should have a good first degree in geography or a closely related discipline, including environmental science, planning, geology, development education, and geographic information systems (GIS). An A’ Level at grade C or above will be required where the degree is a less closely related discipline, such as architecture or international development.  Previous experience of working with children or young adults is an added advantage.

History subject entry requirements

You should have a good first degree in history, or be able to demonstrate that at least 50 per cent of your undergraduate studies were in history. Preference will normally be given to applicants with upper second-class honours, or to those who have supplemented their lower second-class first degrees with a masters or doctoral qualification. We are also looking for evidence of your commitment to, and enjoyment of, working with children and young people. This may be through voluntary work with young people and ideally some experience in schools. Our minimum expectation is that you will have made a recent visit to a state maintained school history department before applying. We expect you to be confident in the use of information and communications technology (ICT), and willing to extend your abilities in the use and application of technology in your teaching.

Languages subject entry requirements

You must have a good first degree in the main language that you want to teach. If you do not have a degree in that language, then you should be a native speaker. You should also normally have spent a significant amount of time in a country where the foreign language you would like to teach is spoken. We place great importance on your spoken and written fluency, and you will be asked to demonstrate this in your interview. All applicants must have French at A level or the equivalent as a minimum. Unless you have very recent experience of languages teaching and learning in UK schools, you should carry out a visit to a languages department in a secondary school, ideally for five days.

European languages

You will specialise in French, German or Spanish, and undertake subsidiary study and school experience in French, German, Spanish or Italian. French A’ Level at Grade C or above (or equivalent) is normally required for this pathway.

Mandarin Chinese with a European foreign language or EAL

You will specialise in Mandarin Chinese and undertake subsidiary study and school experience in either French, Spanish or German or in EAL.

Mathematics Subject entry requirements

It is essential that you enjoy mathematics yourself and that you can explain mathematics in a clear way to stimulate pupils’ interest and self-confidence. You must have some recent experience of at least one urban state school. This will ideally include a visit and lesson observations across the age and achievement range. Good spoken and written English are also essential, and previous experience with children and young people is desirable.

Entry requirements for the Salaried and the Tuition Fee routes differ due to programme delivery structures:-

Subject Entry Requirements for Salaried Route

Profile 1 We expect you to have a degree (a first, 2:1 or 2:2 with relevant experience) in mathematics and ideally you will have studied a broad range of topics beyond A level, such as: calculus, vectors, matrices, sequences and functions, quantitative methods, randomness and sampling distributions, probability, testing hypotheses, estimation, proof, differential equations, mechanics, abstract algebra, complex analysis, graphs and networks, optimization, metric space theory, waves, diffusion, computer algebra, chaos, mathematical methods, fluid mechanics, quantum physics and electromagnetism.   Degrees which contain a minimum of 50% mathematics such as mechanical engineering, physics and statistics will also be considered.  Applicants with this profile will normally be selected for interview if other criteria are met and will not be referred to subject knowledge enhancement courses.

Profile 2 Applications will also be considered from candidates who hold a first, 2:1 or 2:2 in degrees with more than 40% mathematics for example some chemistry degrees and some economics degrees, which include specialist mathematics topics as outlined in the list in Profile 1.   Candidates with this profile must also hold a grade A at A level mathematics.  Degrees such as for example Business Administration, Business Studies, Finance and Accounting will not normally have the required level of mathematics to meet the entry requirements for this profile. Should an offer be made, it may be conditional on completion of a suitable subject knowledge enhancement course nominated by UCL IOE.

Music Subject entry requirements

You should either have an undergraduate degree in music/music technology, or ideally should have spent at least 50 per cent of your undergraduate studies in the study of music. We will consider different subjects providing music has been a significant part of your undergraduate or postgraduate qualifications. You should also be able to demonstrate awareness of current issues in education, evidence of having worked with young people, a high level of practical musicianship and musical interests and an openness to expanding your personal musical knowledge and skills. You should be able to share your enthusiasm for music as a subject, be well organised, and have the ability to communicate clearly and effectively, be receptive and work as part of a team.

Physics Subject entry requirements

You should have a good degree in physics or engineering subject, or a joint degree with physics as the major component (i.e.at least two years of physics studies at undergraduate level). We expect you to have a good basic knowledge of biology, chemistry and physics, and be willing to learn more.

We normally expect you to have an A level in physics and one other science subject at minimum D grade, or equivalent. Applicants without these qualifications may be accepted if they have acquired knowledge through other routes (e.g. work experience; a subject knowledge enhancement course). You must have good practical skills and technical know-how. We particularly welcome applicants who have worked with young people in a variety of settings. We expect you to have at least observed science lessons in secondary schools before your interview.

Primary (KS1/KS2 and EYFS/KS1)

You should have a first class or upper second degree classification in a relevant area. Applicants with other classifications may be considered if it is judged that your experience in other areas compensates. Third class degrees will not be considered unless superseded by an additional and relevant postgraduate qualification.

You must have a GCSE pass (grade A to C) in English language, mathematics, and in a science subject, or in approved equivalent examinations, by the time they start the programme. We accept GCSE results from Equivalency Testing. For more information, please visit the company’s website: www.equivalencytesting.com

You should demonstrate a passion for the teaching and development of young learners through reflective critique of time spent in school.

Primary Maths Specialist

Degree. We give preference to people with first degrees at second class or above.

A levels. You must have three A levels at grade C or above (or the equivalent) one of which must be in mathematics (at grade B or above). If you hold other Level 3 qualifications (e.g. Access or BTEC), you will need to send a copy of your certificate or transcript to Recruitment and Admissions as soon as you have completed your application to assess eligibility.

GCSE. You must have a GCSE pass at grade A* to C in English language, mathematics and a science subject by the time you start the PGCE.

We give preference to applicants who have spent some time in a primary school.

Psychology subject entry requirements

You should have a degree in psychology and priority is given to candidates with upper second-class honours (2:1) or above. You should have a good grade at A level in your main social science subject, plus one other relevant A level, ideally in another social science or otherwise in a humanities subject. You should be aware of current educational policies and issues. Substantial experience of working with children in secondary schools is an added advantage.

PE (Salaried route only)

You should have a degree in physical education or a related subject such as sports science, sports studies or coaching or a combination of these areas of study.  It would be most useful if aspects of your studies have seen you working with young people or that added to your application you can show that you have had some experience of working with young people in a physical activity setting. You should also be aware of the physical education national curriculum and the relationship of your first degree with the curriculum aims.

RE subject entry requirements

You should have a good first degree in religious studies, theology, philosophy or a closely related discipline. We normally give preference to applicants with upper second class honours or above. You may be asked to acquire an additional breadth and depth of religious knowledge (including philosophy and ethics) through other routes, and you should be prepared to develop your knowledge of the major world religions, philosophy of religion and ethics as an essential part of the PGCE. We will look at the relevance of your undergraduate studies and your experience of working with children aged 11 to 16, particularly in an inner-city context. You will need to spend at least five days in the RE department of a secondary school before applying, as this will give you a valuable insight into the teaching and learning of RE. You should have a genuine interest in education (and particularly RE), good communication skills, the ability to take on the role of a professional, a commitment to teaching as your chosen career, a willingness to take responsibility for your own learning, and the ability to work well within a team. We expect you to be confident in the use of information and communications technology, and willing to extend your abilities in the use and application of technology in your teaching.

Social Science subject entry requirements

You should have a degree in sociology or psychology or a combination of these social sciences. Priority is given to applicants with upper second-class honours (2:1) or above. You should have a good grade at A level in your main social science subject, plus one other relevant A level, ideally in another social science or otherwise in a humanities subject. You should be aware of current educational policies and issues. Substantial experience of working with children in secondary schools is an added advantage.