Master of Teaching (Early Childhood and Primary)/Graduate Certificate in Religious Education

Course information for - 2023 entry

Offered at 2 locations

Study mode
Online, Multi-mode
Duration
2 years full-time or equivalent part-time
Fees (first year)*

$7904 CSP

Start dates
Semester 1 intake: Not available
Midyear (Semester 2) intake: Beginning July 2023
Applications open April 2023

Overview

The Master of Teaching (Early Childhood and Primary) has been designed to contribute to the education profession by preparing graduates to be accomplished and articulate advocates for the rights and responsibilities of all children within their professional, community, outreach, and research contexts. The Master of Teaching (Early Childhood and Primary) cultivates graduates to be articulate and passionate teachers who are committed to the generation and dissemination of knowledge, skills and attitudes that can facilitate the implementation of high-quality early childhood and primary education for all children.

Combine the Graduate Certificate in Religious Education with this course to gain the certification, knowledge, skills and competencies needed to teach religious education in Catholic schools.

Professional experience

You will complete 70 days of professional experience in a relevant prior to school and primary school setting.

Work placement

Pre-service educators must complete a Professional Experience Program in a relevant prior-to-school and formal primary school settings in line with the requirements of national teacher accreditation authorities. 

Supervised professional experience is at the heart of all our pre-service teacher education courses and the Faculty will find appropriate placements to suit the needs of your course. Placements will usually be arranged for the scheduled placement period in the professional experience calendar though this may not always be possible.

Professional recognition

Graduates are eligible for registration as a early childhood educator and primary school teacher in government, independent, and Catholic schools or other faith-based schools. The Graduate Certificate in Religious Education is the basic certification required to teach religious education in schools.

Accreditation

This program has been accredited by the Victorian Institute of Teaching and listed on the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) and Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) accredited programs list.

Careers

Our graduates have pursued careers in:

  • early childhood education
  • primary school education
  • religious education
  • education research
  • play education specialist
  • curriculum development
  • education consulting 
  • policy development

Course details

Course structure

To complete the Master of Teaching (Early Childhood and Primary)/Graduate Certificate in Religious Education, a student must complete 200 credit points (cp).

View course rules

Sample program map

Year - Study periodUnit 1Unit 2Unit 3Unit 4Unit 5

Year 1

Semester 1

EDES560 Foundations of Development and Learning in Australian Early Childhood Contexts

EDEN500 Foundations of Literacy and Childrens Literature for Early Reading

EDMA500 Foundations of Mathematics and Numeracy Curriculum and Pedagogy for Children

EDTE560 Technologies Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment (B-12)

THBS562 Introducing the Scriptures data-versionlabel=3 >

Year 1

Semester 1

LNTE110 Literacy and Numeracy Diagnostic data-versionlabel=3 >

AND

LNTE100 LANTITE - Literacy Test for Initial Teacher Education Students

AND

LNTE101 LANTITE - Numeracy Test for Initial Teacher Education Students

Year 1

Semester 2

EDET561 Effective Teaching 1: Early Years Learning and Pedagogies: Play-Based Curriculum and Assessment

EDEN501 English Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment 1

EDHP560 Health, Wellbeing and Physical Education (B-12 Years)

EDAR560 The Arts Curriculum and Pedagogy (B-12)

Year 2

Semester 1

EDET660 Effective Teaching 2: Leadership, Management, Advocacy and Teaching: English and Literacy (B-12) OREDET661 Effective Teaching 2: Leadership, Management, Advocacy and Teaching: Mathematics and Numeracy (B-12) OREDET662 Effective Teaching 2: Leadership, Management, Advocacy and Teaching: Science and Inquiry (B-12) OREDET663 Effective Teaching 2: Leadership, Management, Advocacy and Teaching: Humanities and Social Sciences (B-12) OREDET664 Effective Teaching 2: Leadership, Management, Advocacy and Teaching: The Arts (B-12) OREDET665 Effective Teaching 2: Leadership, Management, Advocacy and Teaching: Technologies (B-12) OREDET666 Effective Teaching 2: Leadership, Management, Advocacy and Teaching: Health, Wellbeing and Physical Education (B-12)

EDES600 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories, Cultures and Education

EDSI660 Science, Inquiry and Sustainability Education (B-12)

EDSS661 Humanities and Social Sciences Education for Children (B-12)

EDRE544 Change and Continuity in Religious Education

Year 2

Semester 2

EDET669 Effective Teaching 3: Teacher Inquiry and Evidence-Based Practice (B-12)

EDES601 Special Education and Inclusive Practice

EDEN602 English Language and Literacy Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment 2

EDMA602 Mathematics Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment 2

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.

Semester 1 intake

AQF framework

Masters/Graduate Certificate – AQF Level 9/8

Exit Points

A student who has successfully completed the following requirements may exit from the course with that qualification. Note that none of these qualifications qualify a student to teach in Australia.

  1. Graduate Certificate in Educational Studies: 40 cp from Part A and Part B
  2. Graduate Diploma in Educational Studies: 80 cp from Part A and Part B
  3. Graduate Certificate in Religious Education: 40 cp from Part C

A student who does not meet the LANTITE requirements may exit with the Graduate Diploma in Educational Studies or Graduate Certificate in Educational Studies if they meet the requirements of those awards.

Additional course information

Non-academic assessment - suitability for teaching

Applicants who apply for entry into this initial teacher education course will be required to complete a non-academic assessment. The assessment is to demonstrate suitability for teaching and will be part of your application when applying for admission into this course. Please visit our Suitability for teaching page for more information.


Literacy and Numeracy Test in Initial Teacher Education (LANTITE)

Students will be required to demonstrate they have achieved approved benchmarks in literacy and numeracy as demonstrated through the Literacy and Numeracy Test in Initial Teacher Education (LANTITE). Successful completion of LANTITE is a requirement for course completion.

If you have started your ITE course at another institution and wish to transfer to ACU to complete your studies, please be sure that you have read and understand the requirements for receiving credit for previous studies and those on completing LANTITE.

Entry requirements

An applicant must also comply with the Admission to Coursework Programs Policy .

To be eligible for admission to the course, an applicant must:

a. have successfully completed a Bachelor degree or equivalent qualification, with:

  1. subject content studies equivalent to one year of full-time study in one or more learning areas of the primary school curriculum; including
  2. subject content studies equivalent to one quarter of a year in a selected subject specialisation.

b. demonstrate suitability for teaching as evidenced by completion of the relevant State assessment which will be provided in the application process.

Applicants who completed Bachelor degrees outside Australia should review Admission to Coursework Programs Policy to determine if they are required to meet additional English Language Proficiency requirements for entry into the course.

Applicants seeking teacher registration in Australia should check with state registration bodies to confirm English Language Proficiency requirements for teacher registration.

Disclaimer: The course entry requirements above are for 2023 Admission.

English language requirements

International English Language Testing System (IELTS)

  • No score less than 7 in reading and writing. No score less than 8 in listening and speaking.


Pearson Test of English (PTE)

  • A minimum of 65 in reading and writing and a minimum of 79 in listening and speaking


Test of English as a Foreign Language – Academic (TOEFL)

  • No score less than 24 in reading, 27 in writing, 28 in listening and 26 in speaking


ACU English Language Test

  • A++ (85 or above)


Cambridge Advanced English (CAE)

  • A minimum of 185 in reading and writing and 200 in listening and speaking.


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

Pathways into course for applicants with previous study and/or life experience

The Master of Teaching (Early Childhood and Primary) has specific requirements of entry which are related to accreditation and teacher registration requirements. Credit and recognition of prior learning (RPL) are available. The completion of this course provides a pathway for further study in higher degree Masters programs at the postgraduate level.

Further study

Master’s degree graduates may be eligible to progress to a doctoral program.

Fees

Course costs

Average first year fee*

$7904 CSP

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.

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. 

Explore your options 

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.  

Search our scholarships 

 

How to apply

Domestic applicants

Melbourne

Apply through ACU

ACU code 1220002541

Deferment

No deferment available.

 

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