Education - Primary Teaching

Programme Overview

The Professional Master of Education (Primary Teaching) is a two-year, full-time Level 9 postgraduate professional teacher education programme designed to qualify graduates as primary teachers. A key element of the PME is practice-oriented inquiry where students interrogate experiences and forge new understandings, integrating educational theory and practice through structured reflection and research applications. The programme is designed to equip student teachers with the cognitions and competencies necessary to develop creative and flexible approaches to teaching in different contexts and settings embracing pupils with diverse and often complex needs.



Key Features

Thematic in nature, the programme focuses iteratively on students’ role as learner, teacher, researcher and leader. In addition to the established broad range of curriculum and foundation studies areas studied traditionally within ITE programmes at MIC, this programme contains a strong focus on research methods. Students undertake practitioner based research while on their extended school placement and complete a Taisce portfolio combining their research in the final semester.



This course provides students with the opportunity to spend two Tréimhse Foghlama sa Ghaeltacht across their two years. These two modules are usually undertaken within the first year of the programme and between semesters; in early January and during the Summer break between first year and second year.



A range of assessment modes are employed across the two year programme, comprising written examinations and course work including group presentations.

Year One

Semester 1

Semester 1 provides a strong foundation in many curricular areas and foundation disciplines as well as introducing students to School Placement. Blending subject-specific pedagogies with modules which interrogate contemporary issues in education in a context of campus-based and school-based learning opportunities, students will be enabled to achieve deep insights into teaching and learning early in the programme. Students are introduced to the Taisce module in semester one which is the development of an e-portfolio combining a number of strands including research. Between semester 1 and semester 2 students attend the Gaeltacht for two weeks. The Gaeltacht placement takes place in early January ahead of Semester 2 commencing.



Semester 2

Semester 2 builds on and extends the knowledge, skills and understanding gained in Semester 1. Semester 2 culminates in a prolonged school placement offering students an opportunity to apply learning in practice. Research Methods is a core feature of semester 2 where the students develop a literature review to support their practitioner based research that they will undertake while on extended placement in year 2. During the Summer of Year 1 the students undertake their second Gaeltacht placement for a two-week period.



Year Two

Semester 3

Semester 3 builds on the knowledge, skills and attitudes gained during Year 1 through curricular areas, foundation disciplines and research methods. Inclusive and Special Education is a discrete focus of this Semester through both a taught module and a specific school placement. Students will develop their research focus for their extended school placement by planning and preparing the lesson content that they will teach, aligned with the literature review completed in Semester 2. A significant element of Semester 3 will be the parallel focus of teaching, learning and research highlighting the multi-faceted nature of the role of the teacher and the teaching profession.



Semester 4

Semester 4 is primarily devoted to prolonged school placement and the application of knowledge, skills and attitudes acquired through Semesters 1, 2 and 3. A key feature of Semester 4 is the completion and presentation of the Tasice professional portfolio which reflects the professional learning, practice and research experiences gained by the student over the course of the programme.

For September 2026 entry, the Leaving Certificate minimum requirements for the PME are as follows:

Irish - H4

English - H7 or O4

Maths - H7 or O4



TEG Oral Irish Exam for 2026

Applications for the TEG B1 Oral Irish exam are now open. Full details on www.teg.ie. The closing date for receipt of applications for TEG is 2 January 2026.



The exams will take place in various locations on 23/24 January 2026 and 6/7 February 2026.



The Oral Irish Exam requirements for 2026 entry are detailed below.



Applicants wishing to apply for the PME Programme are required to take an Oral Irish exam before applying to MIC for the programme.



Applicants are required to take the Teastas Eorpach na Gaeilge (TEG) Meánleibhéal 1 (B1) Irish-language oral examination. Full details on the oral exam are available at: https://www.teg.ie/



A minimum of 65% must be obtained in the B1 Oral TEG exam to be eligible to apply for the PME Programme.



Applicants must upload their results from TEG Level B1 Oral Irish exam as part of their application to MIC for the PME programme.



A successful result in the TEG oral will be valid for two years before the test needs to be retaken. Applicants who have achieved a minimum of 65% in the TEG oral exam in the last two years are eligible to apply.



The following TEG certificates from 2024 and 2025 will be accepted for 2026 entry:



TEG Meánleibhéal 1 (B1) with a mark of 65% or higher/ a pass or higher at TEG Meánleibhéal 2 (B2) (min 50%)/ a pass or higher at TEG Ardleibhéal 1 (C1) (min 60%).



Additional marks are awarded for students who complete the TEG Oral Examination at a high level.



• Up to 6 additional marks may be awarded for students who successfully complete the TEG B1 oral examination at a high level and these marks will be added to their score. Applicants achieving from 90-100% receive 6 additional marks, applicants achieving from 80-89% receive 3 additional marks.



• Applicants who complete the TEG oral examination and obtain 65-79% receive no additional marks, but are deemed to have passed the test and are eligible for the programme.



• Applicants who have passed higher levels of TEG (B2, C1 and C2) receive 6 additional marks.



An interview is now no longer part of the selection process for Mary Immaculate College, and is replaced by a points scoring system. Details available in the How to Apply section.

How to Apply

It is hoped to open applications for 2026 entry in January 2026.



To apply, please see "Application Weblink" above.



Please note: Upcoming TEG B1 oral examination registration deadline is the 2 January 2026.



This programme is not open to applications from non-EU countries.



Contact

MIC Admissions Office

061 204348/ 205137

Admissions@mic.ul.ie

2 years full-time. Delivery Mode: Face-to-face.

Professional Placement & Career Opportunities

The students have the opportunity to undertake a number of school placement experiences across a range of classes over the course of the two years and assessment and mentoring supports the student during this process. Assessment of school placement and micro-teaching is also a core component of this programme.



On successful completion of the course, graduates are qualified to teach all classes in the primary school.