The teaching area in drama provides you with a comprehensive overview of theatrical literature and history and a grounding in production work. Through performances, workshops and practical classes, ACU’s drama sequence develops your skills in many areas including theatre production, stage management, direction, and acting, as well as knowledge of theatre history and repertoire. You’ll gain transferrable skills in communication and public speaking, allowing you to seek employment in the performing arts industry or use the skills developed in other professional contexts. When combined with an appropriate tertiary teaching qualification, the drama major is a pathway to becoming a secondary-school drama teacher. You do not need any previous theatre experience and there are no prerequisites for studying this sequence at ACU.

Digital Technologies (Computing) prepares future secondary teachers to confidently teach how digital technologies shape learning, work, and everyday life. Students learn how to design and use digital systems to solve problems, while building skills in computational thinking, programming, and understanding how digital systems work. The teaching area places strong emphasis on classroom practice, helping students learn how to teach these concepts in engaging, meaningful, and age‑appropriate ways. It also explores the ethical, safe, and responsible use of technology, supporting young people to become thoughtful and capable digital citizens. Graduates are well prepared to teach Digital Technologies in contemporary secondary school settings and to adapt to the fast‑changing digital world.

The English teaching area invites students to explore the power of stories, language, and ideas, and to discover how texts help us make sense of the world. Students engage with a wide range of literary and contemporary texts while developing strong skills in reading, writing, speaking, and critical thinking. When studied as part of a teaching qualification, English prepares future teachers to share their enthusiasm for literature and language with young people, and to create inclusive, engaging classrooms where discussion, creativity, and interpretation are valued. Graduates are well prepared to teach English in secondary schools and to communicate thoughtfully and confidently in a wide range of professional and community settings.

The Geography teaching area engages students with the major environmental challenges shaping our world and the ways people interact with places and environments. Students develop the skills to analyse and interpret environmental and social issues, critically evaluate management strategies, and apply geographical thinking to real‑world contexts.

Learning is strongly practice‑based, with an emphasis on project work, field investigations, and the use of contemporary tools and techniques such as GIS and remote sensing. Field‑based learning is a key feature, offering opportunities for hands‑on experiences in diverse locations within Australia and overseas. When undertaken as part of a teaching qualification, this teaching area prepares graduates to teach Geography in secondary schools while developing analytical, research, and problem‑solving skills valued across a range of professional settings.

The History teaching area invites future teachers to explore the past in ways that are meaningful, engaging, and relevant for today’s secondary classrooms. Students study a rich range of histories, including European, American, Australian, Indigenous, Asian, and Ancient contexts, while exploring powerful themes such as war and peace, race and class, gender and sexuality, conflict, and popular culture. The teaching area emphasises how historical knowledge is constructed, debated, and taught, helping students learn how to design lessons that encourage curiosity, critical thinking, and informed discussion. By connecting past events to contemporary issues, students develop the confidence and skills to bring history to life for young people and to support learners in understanding the world they live in. Graduates are well prepared to teach History in secondary schools and to foster thoughtful, informed, and engaged citizens.

Health and Physical Education (HPE) prepares future teachers to support children and young people to live healthy, active and positive lives. This teaching area focuses on both health education and movement, helping pre‑service teachers build confident, inclusive and engaging learning experiences for students across a range of school settings. Aligned with curriculum requirements in Queensland and Victoria, the program develops skills in physical activity, personal and social wellbeing, health literacy and respectful relationships. Graduates are equipped to respond to contemporary issues such as diversity, mental health, inclusion and student safety, while fostering a lifelong love of movement and wellbeing in their students.

The teaching area in mathematics is designed to provide you with a broad introduction to the study of traditional and contemporary mathematics. Highlights include introductions to cryptography, project management, networks, mathematical modelling, and finance. The major also covers the traditional areas required by those intending to become primary or secondary teachers, as teaching of mathematics from K-12 is a high demand field and the demand will grow in the future. The teaching area can act as a pathway to becoming a secondary-school maths teacher when combined with a tertiary teaching qualification.

The Music teaching area develops students’ knowledge and skills in music language, analysis, and musicianship, preparing them to teach music with confidence in educational settings. Students build the capability to perform, create, interpret, and critically evaluate music, while learning to apply these skills in safe, inclusive, and culturally responsive ways aligned with contemporary educational and creative industry practices. This teaching area offers a broad, generalist music education that supports pathways into secondary classroom teaching, as well as related professional fields such as community music education and music therapy. An audition is not required for entry into the Music teaching area at ACU, making it accessible to students with a passion for music and teaching.

Psychology as a teaching area introduces students to the scientific study of human behaviour, cognition and development, and prepares them to teach Psychology confidently in secondary school settings. Students explore key areas such as learning and memory, motivation, development across the lifespan, mental health and wellbeing, social behaviour, and research methods. Emphasis is placed on understanding psychological concepts and on developing the skills needed to explain complex ideas clearly and ethically to diverse learners. Through their studies, students learn to apply psychological theory to real‑world contexts and contemporary issues relevant to young people. When undertaken as part of an education pathway, Psychology provides the disciplinary knowledge, analytical skills and pedagogical foundations required to design engaging lessons, support student wellbeing, and teach Psychology effectively within secondary curricula.

(Please note that this sequence is not APAC-accredited; it does not offer a career pathway to become a psychologist.)

Religious Education as a teaching area provides students with a comprehensive understanding of the beliefs, values, practices and traditions of Christianity, with particular attention to the Catholic tradition and its contribution to contemporary society. The teaching area explores key themes such as Scripture, the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, the sacraments, the Church, ethics, social justice and Catholic Social Teaching.

Students develop the knowledge and skills required to teach Religious Education in Catholic schools while engaging critically with questions of faith, meaning, identity and spirituality. The teaching area encourages reflection on issues of human dignity, the common good, inclusion and stewardship, and explores religion in dialogue with contemporary culture and diverse worldviews. Through this study, students develop the capacity to teach Religious Education in ways that are academically rigorous, engaging and responsive to the needs of diverse learners and school communities.

The Study of Religions teaching area supports students to understand and teach religion in a world shaped by cultural, spiritual and religious diversity. It introduces students to Christianity, Judaism and Islam, while also providing opportunities to explore religious traditions practised in South and East Asia. Students engage with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander spiritualities, with a strong emphasis on their connection to Country, as well as the spiritual traditions of other Indigenous peoples around the world.

This teaching area encourages students to look beyond religious practice alone and to develop a thoughtful understanding of how religions have developed over time and how they continue to shape societies today. Through their studies, students build the ability to think critically about belief systems, appreciate different worldviews, and support respectful interfaith understanding and dialogue in educational settings.

Visual Arts as a teaching area offers students the opportunity to engage with both creative practice and critical thinking through studio‑based art making and the study of art and design history and theory. Students develop practical skills alongside an understanding of visual culture, learning how ideas are formed, expressed and communicated through art.

Learning is grounded in hands‑on experience. Students create and present their own work, write and speak about art, and take part in shared exhibition experiences, including group exhibitions in the ACU gallery. Small class sizes and studio‑based learning allow students to work closely with academic staff who are active artists and scholars, fostering a supportive and creative learning environment. The teaching area brings together making, thinking and reflecting, helping students to build confidence in both creative practice and critical analysis. For students on an education pathway, Visual Arts provides the disciplinary knowledge, skills and experiences needed to support effective teaching of visual arts at primary and secondary levels.