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Graduate Diploma in Education (Secondary)
The Graduate Diploma in Education (Secondary) is a 100 credit point course, taken in 1.25 years full-time (usually taken within one calendar year) or two years part-time, designed to prepare secondary teachers to meet the requirements for teaching in Catholic, independent and government schools. The course aims to produce teachers who:
- continue to think deeply and critically about the ends and means of education and the social, political and cultural contexts that shape schools;
- are committed to their continuing professional and ethical development; and
- are committed to working justly and collaboratively to make a positive difference in the lives of their students, and to shape a more just and equitable society.
The Graduate Diploma in Education (Secondary)/Graduate Certificate in Religious Education is the combination of the Graduate Diploma in Education (Secondary) and the Graduate Certificate in Religious Education courses, specifically designed to assist students to gain skills and knowledge for teaching Religious Education in Catholic schools, with their other teaching areas.
Summary
Domestic Students
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International Students
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Available at these campuses |
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Course Duration |
1 year full-time or equivalent part-time. |
1 year full-time |
Deferment |
No deferment available. |
Yes. See Defer your offer. |
Delivery mode |
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Commencement date |
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Course Costs |
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Important Note on Fees |
All costs are based on current rates. A student's annual fee may vary in accordance with their choice of major and electives. The University reviews fees annually. | Tuition fees may increase by up to 3 percent each year for the minimum duration of the course as provided on your electronic Confirmation of Enrolment (eCOE). No guarantee is made for tuition fee increases beyond the minimum duration. |
Credit Points |
100 |
100 |
Applying for Admission |
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Domestic Students |
International Students |
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Eligibility |
An applicant must also comply with the Admission Rules. New South Wales/ACT Other campuses To be eligible for admission to the course, an applicant must have completed a three-year post-secondary degree or equivalent, including the required background studies in either two curriculum and teaching study areas or one double curriculum and teaching study area according to the local state registration authority requirements and relevant to the subject specialist areas available within the course. In NSW, when seeking admission to a graduate entry initial teacher education program at ACU you must meet the NSW Institute of Teachers' subject content requirements which will be assessed upon application. For further information, visit: www.nswteachers.nsw.edu.au |
Applicants must have an overall academic IELTS of 7.0 (with a minimum of 7.0 in all tests) and an Australian three-year Bachelor's Degree or equivalent. Students must also nominate two subject areas for which, based on their Bachelor studies, they believe they are qualified, to teach. The School of Education will assess students' suitability for these methods during the admissions process. |
How to Apply |
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Direct Applications |
Select your study location and fee-type option:
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Description
The Graduate Diploma in Education (Secondary) is a 100 credit point course, taken in 1.25 years full-time (usually taken within one calendar year) or two years part-time, designed to prepare secondary teachers to meet the requirements for teaching in Catholic, independent and government schools. The course aims to produce teachers who:
- continue to think deeply and critically about the ends and means of education and the social, political and cultural contexts that shape schools;
- are committed to their continuing professional and ethical development; and
- are committed to working justly and collaboratively to make a positive difference in the lives of their students, and to shape a more just and equitable society.
The Graduate Diploma in Education (Secondary)/Graduate Certificate in Religious Education is the combination of the Graduate Diploma in Education (Secondary) and the Graduate Certificate in Religious Education courses, specifically designed to assist students to gain skills and knowledge for teaching Religious Education in Catholic schools, with their other teaching areas.
Career Paths
The Graduate Diploma in Education (Secondary) course is designed to prepare secondary teachers to meet the requirements for teaching in Catholic, independent and government schools.
The Graduate Diploma in Education (Secondary)/Graduate Certificate in Religious Education designed to assist students to gain skills and knowledge for teaching Religious Education in Catholic schools, with their other teaching areas.
Professional Experience
The professional experience program consists of a minimum of 9 weeks of teaching practice, usually broken into two block placements. Students must complete professional experience units during which time they are required to be available full-time.
Part-time students do not usually commence the professional experience program until the second year of the course.
Professional experience covers all school and community-based experience designed to help students develop professional competence and personal commitment, in accordance with the expressed Catholic philosophy of the University. The professional experience units apply skills, techniques and processes taught in the foundations studies and professional studies units.
Professional experience units are planned as a specific sequence allowing for progressive development of both classroom-based proficiency and an understanding of the relevance of theory to practice and practice to theory. The practicum will be supported by other forms of in-school experiences, such as school-based tutorials and workshops.
Certain prerequisite or co requisite units are required before students are placed in schools. For example, Effective Teaching and Professional Practice and the two or three teaching methods (curriculum and teaching units) must be either completed before undertaking a teaching round or are concurrent units with the teaching round unit.
Other Prerequisites to Undertaking this Course
Employment Screening/Police Check
Students accepting a place in this course are required to participate in a number of professional experience placements throughout their program. In order to participate in professional experience it is the responsibility of each student to ensure that they are able to successfully complete the child protection screening required in their state. Students who are not cleared for working with children, and therefore not be able to be placed in a compulsory professional placement, will not be able to complete their course.
Requirements for working with children: All students enrolled must have the appropriate approvals before they may enter a classroom. These are: Blue Card (Qld), Working with Children Check (ACT, Vic) and Prohibited Employment Declaration (NSW).
Course Strands
Education Studies
In the education studies strand, an integrated approach is taken to what has traditionally been described as foundation studies (for example, psychology, philosophy, sociology, Catholic schooling) and pedagogy, (for example, classroom management, planning, teaching in diverse settings, literacy and numeracy across the curriculum, adolescent health and well being). Some units have field-based and technology components associated with them.
Curriculum Studies
Normally, two curriculum units are selected from areas such as commerce/business studies/accounting, English, mathematics, science, personal development and physical education, creative and performing arts, economics, geography, history, humanities, computing, technology, religious studies, legal studies, social sciences, languages other than English, religious education and visual arts. Please note that in some states, curriculum areas (eg science, mathematics, religious education, music and visual arts) may have double majors where students study four curriculum units in the one specialisation. Not all curriculum subjects are available on all campuses. For a list of available curriculum studies check the Course Enrolment Guide for this course.
There are different pathways to qualify to teach religious education:
(a) students with previous studies in theology are able to enrol in Religious Education Curriculum and Teaching units as part of the Graduate Diploma in Education (Secondary) course;
(b) students without previous studies in theology seeking to teach religious education as their second teaching method take the two theology units from the Graduate Certificate in Religious Education and undertake the two religious education units from the Graduate Diploma in Education (Secondary) course. (Awards: Graduate Diploma in Education (Secondary) and Graduate Certificate in Religious Education);
(c) students seeking to have religious education as a third teaching method are able to enrol in the four units of the Graduate Certificate in Religious Education (two theology and two religious education). (Awards: Graduate Diploma in Education (Secondary) and Graduate Certificate in Religious Education).
English Language Requirements
Applicants who do not have a pass in Year 12 English (any) in Australia, may fulfil the English requirement with an IELTS (Academic) Test score of 7.0, with no less than 7.0 in any individual band.Pathways to Further Study
Students who complete the Graduate Diploma in Education may be eligible for admission to postgraduate study.Contacts for Future Students
Domestic Students 
- Enquiries
- 1300 ASK ACU (1300 275 228)
- E-mail: futurestudents@acu.edu.au
