Welcome to a new era for the Professional Master of Education – Physical Education (PME-PE)! Exciting things are happening and we offer thanks!
Six years ago the “Grad Dip” transitioned to a two-year programme resulting in a professional master’s degree and the necessary content to receive a qualification to teach physical education. During this time the programme was successful. We routinely achieved our quota of highly qualified students. We challenged them to think of physical education differently through the new Junior Cycle Wellbeing Framework, the Physical Education Short Course, the Senior Cycle Physical Education Framework, and Physical Education Leaving Certification. At the same time, they challenged each other and us as staff to grow as the best teachers and teacher educators possible. Even more importantly, the graduates of the PME-PE programme are teaching throughout Ireland the Middle East — and they are teaching Physical Education! In fact, the entirety of the graduating class of August 2018 is employed teaching Physical Education.
Despite the success of the programme, we thought it time to offer more options. To that end, beginning with intake for the 2019-21 programme there is the opportunity to add a second teaching subject to the PME-PE qualification. The potential second disciplines include:
- Business (Accounting, Business, Economics)
- Languages (French, German, Irish, Japanese, Spanish,
- Mathematics
- Music
- Science (Agricultural Science, Biology, Chemistry, Physics)
- Technological Education (Engineering, Technology, Construction Studies, Design and Communication Graphics)
To be eligible to add the second discipline an applicant would need to ensure that his/her primary degree meets the requirements of the Teaching Council of Ireland for the purposes of teaching both subjects. See the relevant section on the TC website www.teachingcouncil.ie. Any successful application to join the course is subject to the individual applicant having established and declared for himself/herself that he/she has met this requirement. Please see: https://www.ul.ie/graduateschool/course/professional-masters-education for information about the new programme or contact Missy Parker at missy.parker@ul.ie.
I also want to take this opportunity to thank Professor Mary O’Sullivan for her 
contributions to the PME-PE since her return to the PESS Department after serving as Dean of EHS. Mary, deservedly “retired” in October (no one can argue with that). Her insightful and provocative teaching will be missed by all of us. You pushed us to see the “bigger picture” and provided a beacon to guide our thinking. We wish you well!!
Dr Melissa (Missy ) Parker is Course Director for the Professional Masters in Education (Physical Education) programme at the Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences in the University of Limerick. 
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