Information on H. Dip. Education Secondary Teaching please!

Mermers

I am very interested in applying for the H. Dip in Education 2011/12, but I have a few questions I need answered first.
I graduated form NUI Galway in 2005 with a 2.2 in English and History. Do I have much of a chance of getting a place on this course with my degree?
I don't have any teaching experience although I would be very open to gaining some experience before the course starts, is this a necessity?
Do I need a reference form my current employer even if it is not related to education?
Also when can I apply for the 2011 course?
Lastly, what preparation would you recommend me to do in the meantime?

Any answers to my questions or general advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

claire h

Not an expert but would suggest applying for other qualifications (masters or other graduate diplomas) as well to boost your points - seems to be a 2:1 that's needed. (It seems like a mad way to go about it, but I do know people taking that route - some masters will take you on with a 2:2, if you show an interest in the particular course.) Teaching experience no longer counts towards entry points.

http://www.pac.ie/pgdeinfo/points.php?inst=pe <-- Points for 2010
http://www.pac.ie/pgdeinfo/PointsCalc.php?inst=pe <-- How points were calculated for 2010 entry

The deadline for entry in September 2010 was 1 December 2009, so expect something similar this year - you should be able to apply within the next few months.

Hope that's somewhat useful...

pathway33

What end of the 2.2 scale are you at? There's a 4 point difference between 50% and 58%. If you are at the higher end of the scale, a masters should get you into the H.Dip (PGDE). Even if you are at the lower end of the scale, a masters might swing it for you as points may drop in the future with the possible 8 points for teaching practice eliminated. Either way, you can do it

bubblies

just had a luck at the points, I'm really interested in secondary teaching and I have a 1.1 in Business but I didn't get 49 points I don't think... does anybody know if anyone got into the business course with 46/47 points and if the quotas are stayin in place for 2011???

thanks

claire h

Quotas should be staying in place - lot of aspiring business teachers out there it seems, it's not a new thing. Those points do seem mad, but I suppose there are people going in with postgrad qualifications as well, and as has been pointed out, once the teaching experience stuff stops counting, the points may well go down a bit.

guirilinda

Hey guys, I was just wondering with the points-are places awarded to people with the highest points or is it like medicine where everyone above a certain threshold (45 or whatever) are selected randomly? I have 57 points so should that be enough to secure me a place? Also, with the PAC system do people still have to do interviews?

thanks,

Aoife

dory

No interview in PAC system. It's like the CAO. If the points is say, 45, everyone above that will get in. If there's a star next to it, then those on 45 will be randomly selected.

MQH

Hi,

I have a 2.2 in Accounting and Finance and also have a professional qualification from ACCA. Do you know if the ACCA qualification qualifies for any points?

peanuthead

Just an aside re: teaching experience. Its not counted towards points but in my opinion its a must if you can get it. Teaching seriously isn't for everybody and the PGDE is an unnecessary waste of time money stress and a place for someone more deserving if you end up not wanting to teach in the future.

peanuthead

dory wrote: »

No interview in PAC system. It's like the CAO. If the points is say, 45, everyone above that will get in. If there's a star next to it, then those on 45 will be randomly selected.

Apart from the pac system http://www.pac.ie which looks after UCD NUIM NUIG UCC (and I see WIT, TCD and DCU on their page???) You can also apply separately to Trinity which is interview and application based, and DCU. DCU is a part-time, 2 year course.

Mods - I asked for a Sticky on PGDE/HDIP questions/answers a while back. IMO it would save some of us on here repeating ourselves 5 and 6 times. Most of the answers to new posters questions are here, they just can't find them. Any chance of this?

Nedermeyer

I was on the trinity website today and their applications also go through PAC - but seperately to applying for the NUI's .

I would also whole-heartedly support a sticky or FAQ thread for PGDE queries !

dory

peanuthead wrote: »

Apart from the pac system http://www.pac.ie which looks after UCD NUIM NUIG UCC (and I see WIT, TCD and DCU on their page???) You can also apply separately to Trinity which is interview and application based, and DCU. DCU is a part-time, 2 year course.

Yea, I was going to add that about the others and their interviews, but as you said, we've written the same thing over and over in recent times.

peanuthead

Nedermeyer wrote: »

I was on the trinity website today and their applications also go through PAC - but seperately to applying for the NUI's .

I would also whole-heartedly support a sticky or FAQ thread for PGDE queries !

Oh, wow, that must be a new thing. Hate the way trinity insist on doing their own thing but also think the interview is a very good idea.

Nedermeyer

Yeah the interview is good alright, the website did say that they would interview "selected candidates" - so i'm not sure if this implies that not everyone gets an interview ?

Toto Wolfcastle

Sticky about PGDE/HDip here. All future threads will merged into it.

fakearms123

Hi guys, I know this thread is old now but I have also applied for the hdip in education for this september. I have UCC as my first choice.

I finished college last May with a 1.1 in Mathematical Sciences in DCU. I took a year out to work, not teaching related but I have thought about offering maths grinds to leaving cert honours. I think I have 49 points, I got a 74% average.
Does anyone know how my chances are and also if I should do grinds or is too late to get counted?

claire h

49 should get you in - you're non-Business-Studies - unless there's been an absolutely huge surge in applications.

Last year's points: http://www.pac.ie/pgdeinfo/points.php?inst=pe

fakearms123

When I was filling in the pac application back in November I accidently filled in the professional experience with non-teaching related work experience, do you think this will affect my offer? I contacted PAC help and they said that it will be ignored but do you think that my application will be looked down on for filling in information that should otherwise have been blank. I felt as though it was an easy mistake to make.