Course Details
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Brief Description
About you
If you are considering a career in teaching and have a minimum 2:2 Level 8 background in Business, Languages, Mathematics, Music, Physical Education, Science or Technological Education, this may be the course for you. This two-year programme attracts students who are passionate about their subject(s), have excellent communication skills, and are highly motivated about teaching future generations.
Why you should consider applying for a place on the PME at UL.
- The Professional Master of Education (PME) is a two-year full-time course of study designed to enable graduates to become second level teachers.
- You will have a Level 9 degree on completion of the programme.
- You will be recognised to teach across a range of areas including second level education, further education and community settings.
- The PME at UL caters for a number of subject pathways including: Business, Languages, Mathematics, Music, Physical Education, Science and Technological Education.
- You can take two separate pathways if you have the necessary Level 8 credits.
- The PME comprises four semesters. You will be on campus for Semester 1 and 4. You will be off campus in Semester 2 and 3 while you take online classes and complete School Placement.
- UL organises your School Placement for you.
- The School of Education at UL is ranked Top 100 Worldwide in the QS Global Rankings. We pride ourselves on the high quality of learning and teaching.
We encourage you to explore this website to learn about the different aspects of the PME at UL and the application process. We also have a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section in which you will hopefully find answers to some questions you might have.
If you wish to make contact with our PME team at UL, you will find details for the discipline Course Directors in the table below. For general enquiries about the PME, you are welcome to contact the Programme Director Dr. Diarmaid Lane – PME@ul.ie.
Discipline Contacts & Interview Details for 2024/25
| Discipline | Director | Applications Deadline | Anticipated Interview Dates |
| Business | Dr Dan O'Sullivan | 28 March 2025 | Ongoing |
Languages (French, German, Irish, Japanese, Spanish, English as a second language) | Bláthnaid Breslin | 28 March 2025 | March / April 2025 |
| Mathematics | Dr Patrick Johnson | 28 March 2025 | March / April 2025 |
| Music | Jean Downey | 28 March 2025 | March / April 2025 |
| Physical Education | Dr Antonio Calderón | 28 February 2025 | March / April 2025 |
| Science | Céren O'Connell | 28 March 2025 | March / April 2025 |
| Technological Education | Dr Diarmaid Lane | 28 March 2025 | March / April 2025 |
The Professional Master of Education is a two-year full-time initial teacher education programme designed to qualify post-primary teachers in the following disciplines:
- Business (Accounting, Business, Economics)
- Languages (French, German, Irish, Japanese, Spanish, English as a Second Language (ESL) – Note: those studying one language only must take ESL; ESL is not available with a non-language discipline.
- Mathematics
- Music
- Physical Education
- Science (Agricultural Science, Biology, Chemistry, Physics)
- Technological Education (Engineering, Technology, Construction Studies, Design and Communication Graphics)
For all disciplines (except Mathematics, Music and Physical Education), students are required to specialise in TWO subject areas. Students can specialise in subjects in different disciplines if they have the necessary Level 8 credits. For example: Biology with French or Physical Education with Business.
Please note that a minimum number of students are required before a discipline will run.
PROGRAMME AIMS
The aims of the Professional Master of Education (PME) are to ensure those successful graduates:
- To foster a vision of professional practice among prospective teachers who view the development and human flourishing of all pupils within the context of a changing world.
- To develop knowledge of learners and their development in social context, teaching, subject pedagogy (business, languages, mathematics, music, physical education, science and technological education) and curriculum goals (including national priorities).
- To foster social justice- and sustainability-oriented critical engagement by prospective teachers in the context of classrooms, school, wider society and the globe/planet.
- To cultivate an openness to engaging critically, including from a research-informed stance, with reforms in teaching, learning and assessment in schools, i.e. reform readiness.
- To develop prospective teachers to have the requisite knowledge, skills, and dispositions as adaptive experts to proactively engage as learners within their immediate and wider professional contexts.
- To enable prospective teachers’ development to include an agentic vision of self as teacher informed by reflexivity, engagement with professional literature in educational studies, their subject disciplines and experiences on school placement.
- To prepare prospective teachers who are curious and open to professional learning and development across the continuum of teacher education from ITE to induction and onward to learning across the professional life-cycle.
- To foster the professional values of trust, care, respect, integrity, and social justice both as a basis for, and as valued aspirations worthy of further cultivation within the teaching profession.
- To develop critical understanding of the enduring, contesters and changing nature of the aims of education so programme graduates are well prepared to engage with the professional role of teacher in school and system contexts.
| YEAR 1 | |
| Semester 1 | Semester 2 |
PEDAGOGY 1A PEDAGOGY 1B |
PEDAGOGY 2A PEDAGOGY 2B |
| YEAR 2 | |
| Semester 3 | Semester 4 |
|
PEDAGOGY 3A PEDAGOGY 3B |
Content of modules can be found by using the search option on the book of modules
Applicants must possess a relevant primary degree at 2.2 honours level or higher (Level 8 - National Qualifications Authority of Ireland or equivalent) or be about to graduate with such a degree. In line with Teaching Council and HEA protocol, when applying for a place on the Professional Master of Education programme, the PME Applicant is required to make a formal declaration, using a Subject Declaration Form, that he/she:
- Holds/will hold, by the date of commencement of the PME programme, a level 8 honours degree
- Has studied the relevant number of ECTS credits in the relevant subject area(s) as part of their degree
- Has studied higher-level degree content related to the subject area(s) in year 3 or 4 of their degree
- Has covered, as part of their degree, the mandatory topics/subjects as set out in the Teaching Council subject requirements
It is the applicants responsibility to ensure that his/her primary degree meets the requirements of the Teaching Council of Ireland for the purposes of teaching their chosen subject(s). Any successful application to join the course is subject to the individual applicant having established and declared for himself/herself that he/she has met this requirement.
Candidates will be required to attend an interview for all subject pathways as part of the selection process.
Languages: As the professional practice of language teaching involves teaching through the target language, applicants are expected to evidence competency in this regard in the selection process (screening, shortlisting, and interview partly conducted through MFL, Gaeilge and ESL as appropriate).
Short-listing
- Within each subject area, interview priority will be given to candidates who meet the full Teaching Council requirements (content and credits)
- Physical Education: All applications will be screened and shortlisted for interviews considering four criteria: (1) Education and awards (undergraduate, postgraduate and respective awards); (2) Relevant work or voluntary experience (subbing, shadowing, etc.); (3) Personal statement (see below); and (4) Application quality (CV format / structure and Subject Declaration Form correctly submitted)
Please have the following documents ready to upload with your application: please note your application will not be processed without these required documents
- Fully and accurately completed ‘Subject Declaration Form(s)’ in those subjects you believe you will be qualified in. Please ensure that the pages in your Forms are combined into one file for each subject.
- Curriculum Vitae
- Personal Statement
This should include:
Brief background (undergraduate and postgraduate programme(s) done and key learning points in relation to teaching your subject area(s).
Evidence of knowledge of the Teaching Council requirements.
Evidence of experience shadowing, or voluntary work related to your subject area(s).
Considering points 1, 2 and 3, arguments to deserve a place in the programme.
2 pages maximum (Times New Roman 12pt 1.5 line spacing)
- Qualification transcripts and awards/certificates
- A copy of your birth certificate or passport
- If your qualifications have been obtained in a country where English is an official language this will suffice. If this is not available, the following additional documents must be provided:
- English translation of your qualification(s)/transcripts AND
- English language competency certificate
- Please click here for Further Information on English Language Requirements
- Vetting is also required for this programme for successful applicants.
EU - €5,600 per annum*
Non- EU - €10,100 per annum*
*Please note year 2 fees are subject to change
Further information on fees and payment of fees is available from the Student Fees Office website. All fee related queries should be directed to the Student Fees Office (Phone: +353 61 213 007 or email student.fees.office@ul.ie.)
Graduates from this course are enabled to teach a wide range of subjects across a number of programmes. Since its inception, there has been a consistently strong demand for teachers with this qualification. The majority of Professional Master in Education graduates opt for teaching in second-level schools. Others have secured employment in the further education sector, the international education sector, alternative education sector, community education and adult education settings.
Laila Jedir – PME Music (Graduated August 2021)
I was thrilled to complete the professional master of education in music in university of Limerick in 2021. It opened up many opportunities for me and most importantly gave me skills to pass down music education in efficient, informed and positive ways. Jean Downey also helped me build the skills to start a choir which I am now leading in a secondary school in London, which is a fantastic opportunity. I cannot recommend the qualification more.
Anthony O’Leary – PME Physical Education (Class of 2023)
I found it daunting returning to education in later life to pursue a change in career. However the staff on this PME course have been incredibly supportive and have made the whole experience very much worthwhile. My knowledge and perspective around physical education, teaching pedagogies, assessment methods and conducting research has been broadened immeasurably through a mixture of lecture, practical, and tutorial classes. The course is taught using state of the art teaching and research facilities with small class sizes which allow students to receive individual attention from highly qualified staff. I would recommend this course to anyone looking to take the next step into teaching.
Steven Giffney – PME Technological Education (Graduated August 2022)
After studying for 5 years to become a mechanical engineer and entering the working world, going back to full-time education was not an easy decision. However, from early on, my doubts in committing to the PME were allayed largely due to the quality of teaching and the highly relevant module assessment. The programme is structured to make the most of the four semesters of teacher training. The two distinct blocks of teaching practice provided the opportunity to apply the learnings from taught semesters while giving the space to reflect and develop. The result was a programme in which I developed my drive for learning, my respect for the profession and a real confidence in my capacity to teach. Through the challenges of online teaching and learning, the PME staff reacted to ensure that the integrity of the programme was maintained while crucially also supporting students to meet the high standards expected.
The engaging module content was brought to life by the passionate lecturers and tutors whose expertise was obvious. As student teachers, we were empowered to take ownership of our teaching while out on teaching practice, and the feedback and support I received from my tutors was invaluable. I am now a full-time teacher of Technology and Robotics at St. Josephs C.B.S. in Fairview. I am preparing to submit my final-year research article for publication. Though intensive and challenging, I found the PME in Technology incredibly engaging and have no hesitation in recommending it to anyone looking for a comprehensive course for modern-day teaching.
Conor McGowan, PME Science
When I left secondary school teaching was not on my radar. All I wanted to do was study science and understand more about the world around me. However, when I was nearing the end of my undergraduate degree in UCD, I wanted to find a job that gave me variety every day and had a significant purpose. During the Covid pandemic I wondered was there something I could do to help people understand science more, to make equip people with the skills needed to engage in scientific debate. That led to the Professional Master of Education in my hometown at the University of Limerick. I still remember the nerves ahead of my interview for the programme. The nerves were all worth it and choosing to return to study at UL has been one of the best decisions I made.
The PME completely challenged my views about science, education and how the two disciplines interact with each other. The lectures and tutorials opened a whole new way of thinking to me and the diversity of expertise within the School of Education at UL meant that over the two years my thinking was continuously challenged. Throughout the programme I was supported to become the teacher I wanted to be, by my School Placement Tutors and Course Director. The small class sizes in the Science PME were a huge benefit and allowed us to engage with material and ask questions of each other and the lecturer. UL also takes the pressure off finding a school for you by having a dedicate school placement team that secure and support you throughout placement.
The two years of the PME flew by and it takes a lot of hard work and dedication to succeed but I would do it all over again because I entered the classroom with the skills and confidence needed to teach up to 30 teenagers at time which is no easy task! I also met some great friends along the way which is just as important as the academic side of things.
Enya O’ Callaghan, PME Business
Completing the Professional Masters of Education at UL has been a journey!. I would highly recommend anyone interested in the profession of teaching to apply to this course. Over the two years , my knowledge, skills and abilities were developed and nurtured by highly knowledgeable and passionate lectures and tutors. The PME is a strong cohort of individuals who are extremely passionate about education. The expertise and guidance they provided were invaluable, and I am grateful to have had the opportunity to learn from such inspiring educators. The coursework Is challenging yet engaging, and the practical components allowed us students to apply our learning in real classroom settings over the course of two school placements. I would whole heartedly recommend this program to whomever is passionate in pursuing a career in the field of education.