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Is the Professional Masters in Education from DCU less valuable?

  • 10-11-2013 2:58pm
    #1
    DylanII
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,102 ✭✭✭


    Hi,

    Due to the grades I received last (2nd) year it is unlikely that I will be accepted into the PDE at NUI, Maynooth and so I am considering DCU or Trinity as they don't only take grades into account whereas Maynooth (and others too) require a 1st class or close to it to be accepted with my subjects.

    Would DCU be seen as a lesser qualification when applying to schools for a job once I am finished?

    The other options I have are to either take a year out and be accepted into NUIM the following year or complete a masters during that year and then continue onto NUIM.

    I am not really interested in doing it in the UK.

    What would be the best route to take?


Comments

  • #2
    Crazyteacher
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,438 ✭✭✭Crazyteacher


    Nothing wrong with the DCU PME. Its recognised by the department of education same as as any teaching qualification. Get applying to all of them :) Dont discredit colleges from Northern Ireland either. Queen's and UUlster both have very reputable PGCE's.


  • #3
    donegal11
    Closed Accounts Posts: 689 ✭✭✭donegal11


    Crazyteacher wrote: »
    Nothing wrong with the DCU PME. Its recognised by the department of education same as as any teaching qualification. Get applying to all of them :) Dont discredit colleges from Northern Ireland either. Queen's and UUlster both have very reputable PGCE's.

    So long as you don't plan to teach in the republic (probation and recognition of degree 1yr vs 2yrs or 60crts vs 120crts)


  • #4
    DylanII
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,102 ✭✭✭DylanII


    Crazyteacher wrote: »
    Nothing wrong with the DCU PME. Its recognised by the department of education same as as any teaching qualification. Get applying to all of them :) Dont discredit colleges from Northern Ireland either. Queen's and UUlster both have very reputable PGCE's.

    I know that it is recognised by the department of education, but do principals look on it as a lesser qualification, being part time and from one of the less well regarded Universities?


  • #5
    whiteandlight
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,359 ✭✭✭whiteandlight


    DylanII wrote: »
    I know that it is recognised by the department of education, but do principals look on it as a lesser qualification, being part time and from one of the less well regarded Universities?

    part time?


  • #6
    DylanII
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,102 ✭✭✭DylanII


    I'm sorry, but I was not being very clear!

    I mean no disrespect to DCU, I know it is a good college, its just that when I have spoken about it, the reaction that I got was similar to the reaction that would be expected if you're talking about something like Hibernia College.

    I know that in most areas DCU is considered a good University.

    And the course was meant for those who want to do it part-time. They only have lectures on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings and you can teach for any 4 hours during the week.

    Its not a full time course.


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  • #7
    teacherhead
    Closed Accounts Posts: 666 ✭✭✭teacherhead


    I would never personally look at where the dip was done only that a teacher has it.

    Its all down to your references after that if youregood at your job you will get a good reference and possibly land a job.

    You can have first class honours coming out of your ears from trinity, if thats what you think is a good college, and it won't make you a good teacher.


  • #8
    Miss Lockhart
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,639 ✭✭✭Miss Lockhart


    All the courses are TC accredited so that should be all that matters. There is no guarantee that individual principals etc won't have their own preferences though. In my own experience I have come across some negative opinion towards Hibernia and significant negative opinion toward Trinity, believe it or not. I'm sure negative opinion could be found toward any and all the colleges though. All of them produce both excellent and not so excellent teachers. Once you get some teaching experience that will be much more important.


  • #9
    DylanII
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,102 ✭✭✭DylanII


    teacherhead wrote: »
    I would never personally look at where the dip was done only that a teacher has it.

    Its all down to your references after that if youregood at your job you will get a good reference and possibly land a job.

    You can have first class honours coming out of your ears from trinity, if thats what you think is a good college, and it won't make you a good teacher.

    Thanks,

    I just want to point out that I would definitely NOT consider trinity to be the best college (to be honest I hate the place)

    I just want to be sure that I am making a mistake, with the job market being so bad right now for teachers, I don't want to make it even worse for myself by choosing the wrong college.


  • #10
    whiteandlight
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,359 ✭✭✭whiteandlight


    Miss Lockhart wrote: »
    All the courses are TC accredited so that should be all that matters. There is no guarantee that individual principals etc won't have their own preferences though. In my own experience I have come across some negative opinion towards Hibernia and significant negative opinion toward Trinity, believe it or not. I'm sure negative opinion could be found toward any and all the colleges though. All of them produce both excellent and not so excellent teachers. Once you get some teaching experience that will be much more important.

    I think Trinity's TP is the cause of the poor perception of the course. There's a massive difference between the NUIM assessors literally appearing in your school with 5 minutes notice versus Trinity where (depending on your examiner) you could have over a weeks notice of which exact class they will be attending.

    Are you sure about the lectures in DCU? That seems like very little in comparison to NUIM anyways. Or is it a part time DIP? I thought the only part time one was hibernia but I stand corrected if this is the case


  • #11
    Miss Lockhart
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,639 ✭✭✭Miss Lockhart


    Yes DCU is part time. It has always taken 2 years instead of 1 to complete. Not sure what the story will be now with the new longer course as standard.


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  • #12
    TheBody
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,633 ✭✭✭TheBody


    Miss Lockhart wrote: »
    Yes DCU is part time. It has always taken 2 years instead of 1 to complete. Not sure what the story will be now with the new longer course as standard.

    Last year, they renamed the course as a fulltime and didn't change anything. It will still take 2 years to complete.


  • #13
    Miss Lockhart
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,639 ✭✭✭Miss Lockhart


    TheBody wrote: »
    Last year, they renamed the course as a fulltime and didn't change anything. It will still take 2 years to complete.

    Really? I can see there being some credibility issues with that!


  • #14
    TheBody
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,633 ✭✭✭TheBody


    Miss Lockhart wrote: »
    Really? I can see there being some credibility issues with that!

    I did the course and the whole thing was a joke. It was embarrassing how unprofessional the whole course was/is. When I did it, the class rep made an appointment to meet the coordinator and chair of the course to complain about a LONG list of items. Neither of them bothered to show up to the meeting!!


  • #15
    DylanII
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,102 ✭✭✭DylanII


    TheBody wrote: »
    I did the course and the whole thing was a joke. It was embarrassing how unprofessional the whole course was/is. When I did it, the class rep made an appointment to meet the coordinator and chair of the course to complain about a LONG list of items. Neither of them bothered to show up to the meeting!!

    What kind of problems did yous have?


  • #16
    TheBody
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,633 ✭✭✭TheBody


    DylanII wrote: »
    What kind of problems did yous have?

    Cancelled classes. Tutorials rarely took place. Poor content in most modules. Inconsistent standards between optional modules. There were many others.

    I really hated that I was working crazy hours to pay big fees for a course that I was learning nothing on.


  • #17
    DylanII
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,102 ✭✭✭DylanII


    TheBody wrote: »
    Cancelled classes. Tutorials rarely took place. Poor content in most modules. Inconsistent standards between optional modules. There were many others.

    I really hated that I was working crazy hours to pay big fees for a course that I was learning nothing on.

    So would you recommend I go to another university?


  • #18
    TheBody
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,633 ✭✭✭TheBody


    DylanII wrote: »
    So would you recommend I go to another university?

    If you want convenience, DCU is probably best. If you want to learn something, I would not recommend DCU. I couldn't imagine any course being as bad as the one in DCU.


  • #19
    trihead
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 442 ✭✭trihead


    As with any course research you need to get feedback from several people. No course is perfect... I have seen posts on here giving out about the Hip dip in UCD and also about issues with the Trinity one also. I thought the DCU course was good when I was there a few years ago but accept things could have changed.

    I would suggest that you aim to get accepted on several courses before you start choosing which one is best. I know a few people who didn't get the course they really wanted and were left very disappointed... in other words don't put all your eggs in one basket. Keep all your options open.

    DCU course was originally set up for Teachers already in the system...many were teaching several years and most had full 22hrs hence why the course was two evenings a week. I know they later changed this requirement so this could have had an impact on the course and student's expectations. The fees have also increased over the years too so this too can cause people to really question what they are getting for their money which most are paying for themselves.


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