Undergraduate & honours qualifications

Postgraduate Diploma in Psychology of Education

Qualification code: 90163
NQF level: 8
Total credits: 120
SAQA ID: 111442
APS/AS: 60
Rules:
It is a requirement for students who intend on registering for this qualification to already be professionally qualified as a teacher. This Postgraduate Diploma is not a PGCE (Postgraduate Certificate in Education) and, therefore, is not a teaching qualification. NB: This qualification will not be recognised by the Department of Higher Education and Training should you NOT be in possession of an approved 4 year professional teaching qualification. Students who are already in possession of a completed Honours BEd in Psychology of Education (or a cognate specialisation) cannot be admitted to the Postgraduate Diploma in Psychology of Education as this qualification will not be recognised by DHET (Department of Higher Education and Training) for salary purposes or for an additional REQV level. It is the responsibility of the student to consult with the relevant Education Department districts or Provincial Education Departments on how to upgrade to additional REQV levels. Students may be allowed to, on the completion of a Postgraduate Diploma, be recognised as meeting the minimum entry requirements for a cognate 180 credit Level 9 Master of Education on the condition that holders of Postgraduate Diplomas successfully complete the required research modules namely Research in Education (RSE4801) and Research Project in Education (HREDU82) with a total of 48 credits for Non Degree Purposes to meet the HEQSF research requirements of at least 30 research credits to obtain admission to a Master of Education degree. This is in addition to the prescribed admission requirements for the Master of Education degree.
Purpose statement:
The purpose of the Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) in Psychology of Education is to develop and strengthen the teachers' knowledge in educational psychology and to understand the role educational psychology can play in teaching and learning and the support that needs to be given to learners. The qualification will enable teachers to undertake reflection and development by means of engaging with current thinking practice. Educational psychology teachers and practitioners have an important and fundamental role to play in diverse teaching and learning environments. This qualification therefore aims to contribute to this role by enabling teachers to: ﾕ Develop and consolidate in an integrated way appropriate disciplinary, practical, pedagogical and situational knowledge. - Deepen commitment to the principles of quality education for all. - Create awareness about uniqueness of each learner and be able to provide reasonable support. - Understand the role of learner development and the impact of development on the classroom level. - Engage with theories relevant to practice and to incorporate these theories in innovative ways in the classroom. - Understand the impact of psychosocial barriers and how to manage this within the classroom. - Use research to inform and enhance teaching and learning. - Undertake reflection and apply acquired knowledge to a related professional field of practice. - Acquire an understanding of certain areas of specialisation and apply this in their own context. - Develop learners as active citizens and enable them to develop the dispositions of citizenship in their learners. - Promote and develop the dispositions and competences to organise learning among a diverse range of learners. It is envisaged that teachers who achieve the Exit Level Outcomes will become innovative in the field of educational psychology. The action research method learned from this qualification will enable the qualified teachers and practitioners to conduct their own research and interpret research findings to improve practice. The qualification will use a practical, scholarly teaching approach in strengthening and deepening the teachers' knowledge in educational psychology and opening more career pathways.
This qualification will be presented via distance learning mode.

Who can register?

  • Applicants (new applicants & Unisa students who applied for admission to a new qualification) may only register if they have received an offer of placement from Unisa and have accepted the offer online. Unisa reserves the right to not process and / or to cancel your registration if it is found that you were incorrectly admitted to a qualification. 
  • Re-registering students may register for the 2024 academic year once the registration period opens.

Please note: Should you wish to start a new qualification, please apply online for the alternative qualification during the prescribed application period.


How to choose your modules

Each Unisa qualification is structured in such a way that you need to pass a certain number of NQF level credits within a certain amount of time in order to graduate.

  • Co-requisite: Module A is a co-requisite for Module B. You want to register for Module B, but have not yet passed Module A. You must then register for both Modules A and B simultaneously. You may NOT cancel your registration for Module A unless Module B is also cancelled.

  • Pre-requisite: If Module A is a pre-requisite for Module B, you must pass Module A before you may register for Module B.

You may not register for more than the allowed maximum number of credits / modules per academic year and / or semester: 60 credits per semester or 120 credits per academic year.

The maximum number of credits do not include supplementary and / or aegrotat examinations from a previous semester. Modules taken for non-degree / non-diploma purposes also count towards the maximum number of credits allowed.

You must take your available time into consideration when choosing your modules, as this will impact your academic performance. You need approximately

  • 6 to 8 hours per week for semester modules.
  • 4 to 6 hours per week for year modules.

Click here for more information on managing your studies.

Curriculum for this qualification

While you are deciding on the modules for which you will be registering, write down the module names and codes so that you have something to refer to when completing your registration.

Please click on the modules below to see further information (eg semester/year module, NQF level)

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