To complete the Graduate Certificate in Education, a student must complete 40 credit points (cp).

The Graduate Certificate in Education specialisations are:

Gifted Education

This stream aims to provide Primary and Secondary teachers with the knowledge and skills to build their capabilities in identifying and catering for the needs of gifted students. The units are based on the latest evidence-based research around how gifted students best learn and will provide educators with the ability to identify gifted learners, differentiate curriculum, develop whole of school strategies and be able to promote and enhance creativity and innovation in the classroom.

Highly Accomplished/Lead Educational Practice (Not offered 2026)

This stream is designed for teachers who are interested in pursuing AITSL-aligned certification requirements at the Highly Accomplished/ Lead Teacher level. Students will have opportunities to use ethical data collection measures to collect and collate data that demonstrates evidence of highly accomplished practice and undertake substantial reflective and reflexive processes in order to evaluate how their current practice adds value to their educational community. 

Please note that places in the Highly Accomplished/Lead Educational Practice stream are Commonwealth Supported. Students are therefore eligible to apply for HECS-HELP assistance.

Inclusive Practice

The Inclusive Practice stream aims to empower educators with the tools and knowledge necessary to create inclusive classrooms that value and support the diversity of all students. Through exploring the legal and ethical considerations of inclusive education, participants will gain a deeper understanding of their responsibilities as educators and the impact of their actions on the students they serve. By learning best practices for creating inclusive curriculum, instruction, and assessment, educators will be able to design learning experiences that are accessible and meaningful for all students. This course has a particular focus on addressing the social and emotional needs of all students and developing strategies for creating positive and supportive classroom environments.  

Literacy: Primary and Secondary Language and Multiliteracies (Not offered 2026)

This stream is designed for teachers who have particular interest in language and literacy education. Students will have opportunities to extend their knowledge and understanding of current research related to literacy curriculum, pedagogy and assessment and explore ways to use this knowledge to lead and implement best-practice literacy education in their school communities. This specialisation considers literacy from a sociocultural perspective and includes strong elements of multiliteracies, multimodality and metalanguage across the curriculum and across the school years, with an emphasis on the middle and later years of primary school and into secondary school.

Literacy: Teaching Foundational Reading Skills

This stream is designed to expand educators’ knowledge of the foundational skills necessary for the development of reading ability at any age. Students will have the opportunity to develop and apply advanced knowledge of the theory and research surrounding early reading instruction, as well as build plan, deliver and evaluate evidence-based reading instruction that meets the needs of all learners. The aim of this stream is to provide educators with the knowledge and skills they to lead their colleagues in developing effective instruction in foundational reading skills for all students. 

Literacy: Teaching Fluency, Comprehension and Writing (Not offered 2026)

This stream is designed to enable educators to build their knowledge and practice in how to teach vocabulary, reading fluency, reading comprehension and writing. Students will have the opportunity to develop an advanced understanding of the theories and research surrounding vocabulary, reading fluency, reading comprehension, and writing. They will also apply this knowledge to plan, deliver and evaluate evidence-based instruction designed to meet the needs of all learners. The aim of this stream is to provide educators with the necessary knowledge and skills to lead their colleagues in developing effective instruction in text-level reading and writing skills for all students.

School Psychology (Not offered 2026)

It is increasingly recognised that key ideas in contemporary educational psychology can provide conceptual tools that educators can use to respond to the plethora of issues and challenges they encounter in educational provision. This stream draws on a range of approaches, including the Science of Learning and Development, cognitive psychology, cultural psychology, brain science and school psychology. It applies these to current issues in education including whole-student learning, the management of individual differences, the impact of cultural changes on learning and thinking, future curriculum design, building educational capital and the development of professional knowledge. It will not lead to a teaching qualification or psychology registration.  

STEM (Not offered 2026)

This stream affords teachers and educators the opportunity to learn about innovative approaches to STEM education that align with the Australian Curriculum and respective state/territory syllabi. These approaches include: using an integrated STEM approach to foster problem-solving and creativity; teaching STEM through a range of emerging digital technologies and modelling with Big Data; and developing STEM literacy through teaching in the context of socio-scientific issues. Teachers and educators will apply relevant knowledge and skills to develop STEM resources for use in their own educational/professional setting as well as advance their leadership practices in STEM education.   

Research Methods (Not offered 2026)

This stream introduces students to the building blocks required to design and conduct educational research. Students engage with a range of research designs along with their conceptual and theoretical underpinnings while also planning and designing potential research projects. In addition to Research Methods, there are units covering Research for Social Justice, how ethics is interwoven and integral to good research design, and the stages and skills required to conduct a Literature Review. 

Wellbeing

This stream is designed to provide educators and allied professionals with opportunities to develop advanced knowledge, understanding and skills in relation to creating learning communities and whole-school approaches that promote the wellbeing of teachers and school students. Students will have opportunities to consider a range of perspectives on wellbeing, professional practices and whole-school approaches that foster confidence, resilience, and social and emotional learning. The stream is designed to enhance understanding of teachers and school students needs, approaches to creating enabling, positive learning environments for all within the school, and engaging families and the community to support the wellbeing of teachers and school students.

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