Teaching for Postgraduates at Aberystwyth University (TPAU)

This programme, aimed at Postgraduate Research Students, has been running since 2016, and 10 cohorts and over 150 people have completed the programme. The programme will develop the teaching skills of postgraduate students who are already teaching in their departments. This will give you a grounding in the good practice of teaching and expand your knowledge and expertise in a range of core teaching areas. The programme is accredited through the Advance HE, those who complete the programme will become an Associate Fellow (Descriptor 1).

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Entry Requirements and Registration

The programme is open to postgraduate research students who teach. We recommend that participants be engaged in 20 hours contact teaching time over the duration of the programme - to enable peer observation and reflection on teaching practice.

Information about the 2025-2026 TPAU cohort will be available shortly.

 

TPAU 20 hour teaching requirement

The Teaching for Postgraduates at Aberystwyth University programme recommends that participants are engaged in 20 hours of teaching during the year they undertake the course. Participants need to be engaged in enough teaching hours to have three peer observations of their teaching and able to reflect on their practice, and integrate suggestions from these and from their CPD back into their teaching. This requirement is in line with other institutions in the sector which run comparable programmes leading to the award of an Associate Fellowship. TPAU is designed to align with LTEU’s other teaching programmes, that are aimed at Aberystwyth University staff. TPAU has been authorised by Advance HE, in alignment with the PSF 2023. It is a flexible and light touch professional teaching qualification aimed at PhDs who are already engaged in teaching. If you are interested but currently not teaching, the Graduate School run an introduction to teaching workshop. 

TPAU Entry Competition

Entry to the TPAU programme is competitive – there is a finite number of places and usually a large number of applicants, so application doesn’t guarantee being given a place. The programme is aimed at PhD students, and in this form approved by the Advance HE, so priority is given to this cohort (though AU staff engaged in supporting academic provision are welcome to apply). Authorised by the Advance HE, TPAU is designed to be a professional teaching qualification aimed at PhD students who have, and will continue to be, actively engaged in teaching at HE level. Applicants need to detail the HE teaching they have undertaken in the past and the teaching they are expecting to deliver in the coming academic year. The Application Panel looks for evidence of previous experience of such teaching and for enthusiasm in applicants for developing their existing teaching skills, and awards places to those who demonstrate this the most in their applications.