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Enhance your professional practice. Become a leader in your school community or organisation.
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Apply theories of educational leadership, management and administration to a school setting.
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Offered nationally and in online mode. Complete in six months.
Graduate Certificate in Educational Leadership
Course information for - 2025 entry
Domestic
- Domestic
- Domestic
Offered at 1 locations
- Online MT
- Online MT
- Duration
- 0.5 year full-time or equivalent part-time
- Fees (first year)*
- Start dates
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Semester 1 intake: Not availableMidyear (Semester 2) intake: Beginning July 2025Applications open April 2025
Please contact the Course Administrator at feapg@acu.edu.au for campus unit offerings as not all units are offered every semester.
Overview
The Graduate Certificate in Educational Leadership is for educators including teachers, middle leaders, principals, and administrators who want to become creative and innovative leaders with influence in education. Participants explore theories of educational leadership, management and administration, and learn to apply them appropriately to their own contexts including Catholic and faith-based educational organisations.
The Graduate Certificate in Educational Leadership is not an initial teaching qualification.
Careers
Our graduates have pursued careers in:
- management and administration
- educational leadership
- policy development
Course details
Course structure
To complete the Graduate Certificate in Educational Leadership, a student must complete 40 credit points (cp).
Course map
Graduate statement
AQF framework
Entry requirements
An applicant must also comply with the Admission to Coursework Programs Policy.
International applicants need to meet the English Language Proficiency requirements as defined in the Admission to Coursework Programs Policy.
To be eligible for admission to the course, an applicant must have completed the following prerequisites:
a. A recognised teaching qualification and a minimum 2 years teaching experience
OR
b. A Bachelor degree and a minimum of 2 years relevant leadership experience
Disclaimer: The course entry requirements above are for 2025 Admission.
Applicants with higher education study
You will need to meet the minimum entry requirements and subject prerequisites for your chosen course.
If you have completed at least two units of AQF-recognised study at bachelor level or above, we’ll assign you with a new selection rank that reflects your study level, duration, and grade point average.
If your prior study or relevant work experience has provided you with knowledge, skills or experience aligned with the learning outcomes of units in your new course, you may be eligible to gain credit for study or have your prior learning recognised. This means you may be able to complete your ACU course in a shorter timeframe.
You can use our credit search tool to see what you might be eligible for. For more information about credit and recognition of prior learning at ACU, follow the link below.
English language requirements
IELTS overall score of 7.0. Individual score of 6.0 in all tests.
Inherent requirement
There are essential components of a course or unit that demonstrate the capabilities, knowledge and skills to achieve the core learning outcomes of that course or unit. You will need to be able to meet these inherent requirements to complete your course.
Learn more about inherent requirements for your course and how they affect you
Pathways
Further study
Graduates may progress to masters by coursework.
Fees
Course costs
*This is an indicative first-year fee based on the tuition fee rates for a full-time student, using unit enrolment data from domestic students who studied the course in the previous year.
A student’s annual fee will vary depending on factors including:
- Number of units studied per year
- Choice of major or specialisation
- Elective units
The University reviews fees annually.
You can view current course costs and domestic tuition fee rates by unit.
Payment options
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.
Scholarships
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.
How to apply
Domestic applicants
Additional application information
Semester 1 applications for this course open in August. Mid-year applications, if offered, open in April.
Please check the start dates at the top of this page for Mid-year availability. Mid-year entry may be offered at other campuses.
For direct applications, read more at our application deadlines page.
To receive information about this course and key application dates, register your interest.
Deferment
Deferment is available for one year. Find out more about deferment.
Staff Profile
Dr Paul Kidson
Course Coordinator, Faculty of Education and Arts
Dr Paul Kidson is Senior Lecturer in Educational Leadership and the Head of Postgraduate Studies in the National School of Education. He has extensive school leadership and governance experience, including 11 years as a school principal, which informs the highly practical orientation of his academic research. In addition to his academic research and leadership, he is a member of Australian Council for Educational Leaders (NSW) Executive Committee, a Fellow of the Institute for Managers and Leaders, and a Graduate of the Australian Institute for Company Directors.
His research adopts holistic and interdisciplinary approaches, drawing on a range of academic disciplines and insights. Through this, he explores how school leaders work effectively within, and critically transform, their complex professional lives. This encompasses broader systems and policies which govern the work of educational leaders, as well as how school leaders develop and sustain their personal experience of leadership. He is part of a large-scale research projects on school leadership, and one of the lead researchers on Australia’s largest and longest running principal well-being research project, the Australian Principal Occupational Health and Well-being Survey.