MSc/PGDip Deaf Education / Entry requirements

Year of entry: 2025

Academic entry qualification overview

You must hold qualified teacher status (QTS). The course is also available to those who are qualified to work in further education who have evidence of Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills (QTLS). Applicants should have at least one year'€™s teaching experience. However other relevant experience may be considered in discussion with the programme team.

For those applicants with teaching qualifications outside of the UK, applicants must evidence that their teaching qualifications are recognised in their home country.

Applicants who have teaching qualifications from outside of the UK also need to apply for equivalency of their qualifications in order to gain QTS. Routes to gaining QTS as an international applicant are explained here in our information for international deaf education applicants.

You must also hold a relevant honours degree from an approved higher education institution or evidence of previous advanced study, research or professional experience that the University accepts as qualifying you for entry. This is reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

PGDip Deaf Education holders wishing to take the additional research unit to gain an MSc should have undertaken the PGDip at Manchester within the last three years. For students joining the course on this basis, the duration will be one-year part-time.

English language

International students must demonstrate English proficiency through a secure and approved testing system.

We ask for English language proof if you are from non-majority English speaking countries (a list of majority English speaking countries, as defined by the UK Home Office, can be found on the GOV.uk website ).

Specifically, we require a minimum of:

  • IELTS: 7.0, including 7.0 in the written section
  • TOEFL 100, including 25 in the written section
See further information about requirements for your country.

English language test validity

Some English Language test results are only valid for two years. Your English Language test report must be valid on the start date of the course.

Professional entry qualification

Applicants are required to complete an enhanced DBS check upon entry to the programme.

Applicants are required to complete a Criminal Record and Code of Conduct Self-Declaration before registering for the programme. Upon joining the course, you are required to complete an Enhanced Level search by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).

We will assist you in the completion of these forms in Semester 1. The Criminal Record and Code of conduct Self-Declaration is repeated upon entry to Year 2 of the programme (for part-time learners).

Health questionnaire and screening

The University of Manchester is mindful of the health of both its students and of the public, with whom students come into contact on placement.

Teacher of the Deaf training requires all applicants to complete a pre-acceptance health questionnaire which is returned to the University's Occupational Health Service having been checked and countersigned by your GP. The University of Manchester is committed to providing equality of opportunity for disabled students and where possible all reasonable support will be provided to enable you to complete the course, however, we need to ensure that you will be able to fulfil the competency standards of the course. For this programme, the core competencies are defined by the Specification for Mandatory Qualifications for specialist teachers of children and young people with hearing impairments (Department for Education, 2023). The Education (Health Standards) (England) Regulations 2003 also requires teachers to have the health and physical capacity to carry out certain activities required of their role.

Fitness to Study/Practice

The Deaf Education course is covered under the Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health Fitness to Study and Fitness to Practice Procedures.