About our programmes

A summary of the three professional development programmes that are accredited by Advance HE: the Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice (PgCAP), the Introduction to Academic Practice (IntroAP), and the Edinburgh Teaching Award (EdTA).

Academic Development offers three professional development programmes that are accredited by Advance HE (similar to a professional body for teachers and those supporting teaching in higher education). These three programmes are: the Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice (PgCAP), the Introduction to Academic Practice (IntroAP), and the Edinburgh Teaching Award (EdTA). A fourth programme is offered by staff in the College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine – the Postgraduate Certificate in Clinical Education (PgCCE).

The programmes we offer are mapped against the Professional Standards Framework 2023 – which is a set of knowledge, activities and values that those who teach or support learning at the University need to demonstrate in order to successfully be awarded Associate Fellowship, Fellowship, Senior Fellowship or Principal Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy. Advance HE used to be called the Higher Education Academy but they have retained HEA in the Fellowship award names.

The three programmes provided by Academic Development offer you flexible pathways for your continuing professional development.  

More about the accredited professional development programmes we offer

The programmes we offer, provide you with a range of great opportunities to develop as a teacher or as a colleague who is supporting teaching and learning. They all also lead to different categories of Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy. Becoming a Fellow of the HEA provides national, and increasingly international, recognition of your commitment to professionalism in teaching and learning in higher education.

Summary overview of the professional development programmes: 

 

 Introduction to Academic PracticePgCert in Academic PracticeEdinburgh Teaching Award
Categories of FellowshipAssociate Fellow (AFHEA)Fellow (FHEA)Associate (AFHEA), Fellow (FHEA), Senior (SFHEA), Principal (PFHEA)
Who can participateNewer teachers, those with narrower teaching and learning support responsibilities, e.g. tutors, demonstrators, technicians who teach, professional support colleaguesThose developing breadth and depth of teaching and assessment experience e.g. lecturers, learning technologists.All roles involved in teaching or support for learning from those new to teaching through to educational leaders.
Time commitment and time to completion~50 hours and 4-6 months to complete~600 hours and 18-24 months to completeDepends on category and circumstances. All colleagues have up to 2 years to complete a submission. Word count of submissions is 1300-6600 words. Hours range from 20-80 hours.
Teaching methodsOnline or face-to-face workshops and asynchronous learning

Fully online in varied formats, synchronous and asynchronous elements.

3 x 20 credit compulsory courses

Online workshops, individual writing and support from a mentor. Individual mentorship or some group mentorship available.
SCQF levelNot credit bearingSCQF Level 11

Not credit bearing

 

Get in touch

For questions about the Introduction to Academic Practice, email: IntroAP@ed.ac.uk 

For questions about the Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice, email: PgCAP@ed.ac.uk 

For questions about the Edinburgh Teaching Award, email: EdTA@ed.ac.uk

For questions about choosing the right CPD option, please get in touch with the Head of Academic Development and Head of the CPD Framework  – Professor Catherine Bovill. Email: catherine.bovill@ed.ac.uk

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