Rural Education (SCQF level 11) CPD Award
Course code: X32RR
Study mode: You take fewer course units/modules per week compared to full time.
Course type: CPD Award
International: Not eligible for international students
Study at: Inverness
Start in: January
Learning mode: You access classes and/or materials digitally.
Duration: Part time: 12 weeks
How: You attend classes at scheduled times, shown on your timetable., You complete course tasks independently. These may be set by your lecturer or chosen by you.
What is special about this course?
Could you explore how education connects with place, wellbeing, and social justice? Do you want to examine the challenges and opportunities facing rural schools in Scotland and around the world?
Our CPD Rural Education (SCQF Level 11) is for education professionals who want to create meaningful change in rural communities and shape more inclusive, sustainable learning experiences.
Engage critically with rural education through the lens of social justice, exploring policy, practice, pedagogy, sustainability, and wellbeing in local and international contexts. Develop insight into how rurality shapes educational experiences and apply theory directly to professional practice through critical reflection and enquiry.
Discover ethnography as a research approach that helps you investigate lived experiences, understand communities, and evaluate the evolving role of rural education across past, present, and future contexts. Learn alongside teachers, lecturers, and education professionals who share an interest in rural schools and place-based learning.
Study flexibly through a fully online learning experience that fits around professional commitments. Connect your learning to the GTCS Standard for Career-Long Professional Learning and take your first step towards our MEd Education programme, via the MEd Education (Rural Education) pathway, or complete the award as a standalone qualification that supports your ongoing professional development.
Special features
- Fully online, flexible delivery
- Place‑based focus on rural education in Scotland and internationally
- Emphasis on ethnographic research methods
- Counts towards MEd Education (Rural Education) pathway
- No prerequisites: open to a wide range of education professionals
- 2:1 Honours degree or equivalent professional qualification
- Applicants with a 2:2 Honours degree or below, an ordinary degree, or a DipHE in a relevant subject, plus relevant professional experience may also be considered
- You will require experience of, and ideally access to, an educational setting
- You may also be required to complete an admissions essay which is marked at SCQF level 10
You will study the following core modules:
- Rural Education
How will I study my course?
- Part-time
- This course is mainly delivered online with scheduled sessions and tutorials
- Some sessions will be recorded and can be accessed online at any point from anywhere in the world after the scheduled class
- Online study will be done via the university's virtual learning environment (VLE), with support from your tutors
- You will take part in a mandatory online induction in the January before your course starts
How long will my course last?
- Part-time: 12 weeks @ 17 hours per week
The number of hours per week indicates the total number of hours you should dedicate to the course, which includes time spent on online material as well as individual study and research.
- Inverness
- This fully online course can be studied from anywhere in the world. You will be enrolled and supported by staff at UHI Inverness
Start date
- January
Fees
For information on costs of this course please contact the campus where you wish to study.
Funding
UHI has a number of scholarships, bursaries, awards, and discretionary fund opportunities available to new and current students. Please use the A-Z of funds or use the filter to see which ones may be relevant to you. All students are welcome to apply.
Further information on funding your studies is also available, please see the attached link or contact the relevant UHI partner.
What can I do on completion of my course?
Once you have successfully completed this course, you might like to consider careers in:
- Educational support or inclusion officer in rural contexts
- Policy or advisory roles in education, sustainability, and community development
Can I progress into further study?
You may wish to progress from this CPD Rural Education (SCQF level 11) to study on our MEd Education at PgCert, PgDip or MEd level, particularly the Rural Education pathway at PgDip level.
Apply for Rural Education (SCQF level 11) CPD Award
We are delighted that you are thinking about studying at the University of the Highlands and Islands. We operate a fair and open admissions system committed to equality of opportunity and non-discrimination. We consider all applications on merit and on the basis of ability to achieve, without discrimination on grounds of gender, age, disability, ethnicity and socio-economic background. We welcome applications from all prospective students and aim to provide appropriate and efficient services to students with disabilities.