Graduate Certificate in Education

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

The Graduate Certificate in Education specialisations are:

Career Development

This specialisation is designed for secondary teachers or other professionals who have the responsibility for providing career advice. It focuses on the needs that individuals in schools, or other educational settings have in responding to the pressures and opportunities presented by the current and future worlds of work. The Career Development specialisation has been endorsed by the Career Industry Council of Australia (CICA). This specialisation is not available in fully online mode; two units (one per semester) in this specialisation have attendance requirements.

Highly Accomplished/Lead Educational Practice (only available for cohorts)

This specialisation is designed for teachers who are interested in pursuing AITSL aligned certification requirements at 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 specialisation are Commonwealth Supported. Students are therefore eligible to apply for HECS-HELP assistance.

Inclusive Practice

This specialisation is designed for teachers and allied professionals who have particular interests in inclusive approaches to practice. Students will have opportunities to extend their knowledge, understanding and skills in relation to the history of the movement toward inclusion in schools and the community, specific approaches to developing more inclusive classrooms and other educational and community environments, and the additional needs often expressed by children with additional learning needs including those with special gifts and talents as well as those with complex learning and behavioural challenges.

Integrated STEM

This specialisation enables teachers and educators to develop, practice and apply specialist knowledge and skills in Science, Technologies, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education using an Integrated STEM education approach in primary or secondary schools, aligned with the content in the Australian Curriculum and respective state /territory syllabi.

The aim of this specialisation is to develop leaders in the area of Integrated STEM education curriculum/syllabus implementation, student assessment and integration to support teaching in primary or secondary schools.

Literacy Intervention

The aim of this specialisation is to provide educators with opportunities to further develop their theoretical and practical knowledge and skills in relation to the assessment of primary students' oral language and literacy skills as well as to enhance their skills in providing appropriate evidence-based adjustments and interventions. Given ongoing concerns about the literacy of students in Australian schools, there is a continuing need for teachers and allied professionals to engage with current perspectives on oral language development and literacy research and practice.

Mathematics

This specialisation is designed to provide current and potential mathematics educators with an opportunity to further develop their mathematics content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge. Students will have opportunities to explore theories of learning, the characteristics of high-quality teaching and learning, issues of equity and access for students, and pedagogical approaches to a range of topics of particular relevance to the middle years of schooling (Years 5-9); namely, number development, geometry and measurement, statistics and probability, and algebra and function.

Safeguarding Children and Young People (only available for cohorts)

The specialisation is designed to provide the opportunity for participants to develop knowledge and understanding of contemporary issues and responses to safeguarding children and young people, exploring the conditions and factors that facilitate or impede child-safe environments. Central will be framing a response that draws upon the rich moral and social teachings of the Catholic Church and a theological understanding of the child.

Student Wellbeing

This specialisation is designed to provide educators and allied professionals with opportunities to develop advanced knowledge, understanding and skills in relation to creating learning communities that promote the wellbeing of young people. Students will have opportunities to consider a range of perspectives on wellbeing, professional practices that enhance the confidence, resilience, and emotional understanding of young people, approaches to creating enabling, positive learning environments, and engaging families and the community to support the wellbeing and learning of young people. 

Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)

The TESOL specialisation is designed specifically for educators who wish to teach English to students for whom English is a second or additional language. This specialisation helps students explore theories of second language acquisition and also of different 'language teaching methods. Students critically examine current research and practice in the area of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) in both national and international contexts and apply these theoretical perspectives to particular classroom contexts. Students seeking TESOL accreditation will need to successfully complete 22 days of professional experience in educational settings with EAL/D children and young people, under the supervision of a mentor.

View course rules

This is a sample program only and units will vary depending on your campus and mode of study. Please refer to the handbook for the prerequisite units and the current listing.

Students commencing Semester 1 (with a specialisation)

Graduates may progress to masters by course work.

$2060 CSP
$9804 Fee-paying

All costs are calculated using current rates and are based on a full-time study load of 40 credit points (normally 4 units) per semester.

A student’s annual fee may vary in accordance with:

• the number of units studied per semester;
• the choice of major or specialisation; and
• elective units.

The University reviews fees annually.

Please note that places in the following specialisations are Commonwealth Supported. Students are able to apply for HECS-HELP for these courses: 

• Graduate Certificate in Education
• Literacy Intervention
• Safeguarding Children and Young People

All other specialisations are available as Domestic Fee-Paying places. Students are able to apply for FEE-HELP for these courses.

You should be able to concentrate on getting good marks instead of worrying about how you’ll pay your fees. We have a number of options that can help you ease the financial burden, including government assistance, scholarships and income support. 

Explore your options 

You could be eligible for one of the hundreds of scholarships we award each year to help students from across the university with the cost of studying, accommodation or overseas study opportunities. Some of our scholarships are awarded on the basis of merit, but these aren’t just for the academically gifted; ACU also recognises excellence in community engagement and leadership. We also offer a range of scholarships for those who may be struggling financially or who have faced other barriers to accessing education.  

Search our scholarships 

Deferment is available for one year. Some specialisations may not run every year. Find out more about deferment.