Master of Teaching (Secondary)
Course information for - 2025 entry
Domestic
- Domestic
- International
- Domestic
- International
Offered at 4 locations
- Melbourne
- Online MT
- Strathfield
- Brisbane
- Melbourne
- Online MT
- Strathfield
- Brisbane
- Duration
-
2 years full-time or 3.5 years part-time.
- Fees (first year)*
- Start dates
-
Semester 1 intake: Beginning February 2025Applications open August 2024Midyear (Semester 2) intake: Beginning July 2025Applications open April 2025
Entry to this course is governed by the Admission to Coursework Programs Policy. The selection of course entrants is based on academic merit and satisfaction of non-academic capabilities for entry to initial teacher education. In accordance with the mission of ACU, the Faculty of Education and Arts is committed to providing access to education for a diversity of students. ACU provides a range of access and equity schemes which consider additional or alternative factors in assessing applicants, including applicants of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent.
Overview
Transform your outlook and accelerate your career opportunities with a Master of Teaching (Secondary) degree. Graduate ready to design and implement engaging, creative and flexible learning experiences to inspire and positively influence the lives of young people.
Delivered with the latest research-informed pedagogy, your professional journey to becoming a graduate teacher is guided by highly experienced mentor teachers in a range of educational contexts. You will gain a theoretical understanding and deep knowledge of how students learn and participate in real-world practical experience in the classroom with professional placements.
Whether you are looking for a complete career change or are a recent graduate, your undergraduate degree will form the foundations for your specialist teaching areas in this course. This course will prepare you to teach in one or two specialist teaching areas, depending on your undergraduate degree and campus of study.
The following senior secondary level teaching areas are available (with some variations from state to state): accounting, business studies, biology, chemistry, design and technologies, drama, earth and environmental studies, economics, English, geography, health, history, ICT and digital technology, language, legal studies, mathematics, music, outdoor education, physical education, physics, religious education, society and culture, TESOL, visual arts.
The below only applies to DOMESTIC STUDENTS:
All Points to Teaching (APTT) scholarship
The All Points to Teaching (APTT) program is a unique employment-based initiative where participants undertake a full-time undergraduate or postgraduate degree in secondary education, whilst being located in, and working at schools within one of seven Cluster Hubs in geographic areas across Queensland and New South Wales. Learn more about eligibility and how to apply at the All Points to Teaching (APTT) website.
Note: Where applicable, your enrolment will be moved to Online, if you successfully secure a scholarship.
Turn to Teaching Internship Program - Queensland
We are proud to partner with the Queensland Government Department of Education to offer Queensland applicants additional support to study this degree through the Turn to Teaching Program .
Successful applicants will receive a $20,000 scholarship, a paid internship and an offer of a permanent teaching position on graduation. Applications for 2025 are now closed. To register your interest for 2026 applications visit the Teach Queensland website.
Master of Teaching (Secondary) (Internship) – Victoria
ACU is partnering with the Victorian Government Department of Education to provide you with an innovative approach to graduate teacher education. The Teach Tomorrow program prepares you to meet the growing need for specialist teachers in secondary schools across Victoria. This course offers aspiring educators who hold a bachelor degree the opportunity to gain paid employment in a range of eligible schools while fast-tracking your studies.
Successful applicants will receive a $15,000 scholarship in your first year of study and then a paid internship in a secondary school while you complete your studies. The program aims to attract applicants who want to train to teach in a priority subject area in outer-metro, rural and regional schools. More information
Master of Teaching (Secondary)(Leading Learning) – Teach For Australia (TFA)
Working in partnership with not-for-profit organisation Teach For Australia (TFA) to develop the next generation of educators fighting educational inequity. TFA’s Leadership Development Program is a scholarship that sponsors students who are committed to teaching in communities facing disadvantage. Successful candidates start teaching at .8 from day one and receive a salary while undertaking their Master of Teaching.
Professional experience
Students must complete a minimum of 60 days of professional experience, during which time they are required to be available full-time. See sample program map.
Work placement
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. Professional experience units are planned as a specific sequence allowing for progressive development of both classroom-based proficiency and an understanding of the relevance of theory to practice and practice to theory. These units apply skills, techniques and processes taught in the Foundations Studies and Professional Studies units.
The practicum will be supported by other forms of in-school experiences, such as school-based tutorials and workshops.
Placements will usually be arranged for the scheduled placement period in the professional experience calendar though this may not always be possible. The Professional Experience program consists of a minimum of 60 days of teaching rounds, usually broken into three blocks.
Professional recognition
Graduates are eligible for registration as secondary school teachers in government, independent, Catholic, and other faith-based schools.
If you wish to teach Religious Education in a Catholic secondary school you will be required to have a Graduate Certificate in Religious Education qualification or equivalent (this may vary by diocese). You can study this concurrently with your master's degree at ACU.
Careers
Our graduates have pursued careers in:
- government, independent and Catholic Schools
- government, private, and not-for-profit organisations
- education, training, and research
- education consultancy
- adult learning
- community and advocacy agencies
- youth agencies
Course details
Course structure
To complete the Master of Teaching (Secondary), a student must complete 160 credit points (cp).
Available Specialisation(s)
-
Internship
Course map
Graduate statement
AQF framework
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 will lead to teacher registration.
- Graduate Diploma in Educational Studies: 80 cp from the Schedule of Unit Offerings.
- Graduate Certificate in Educational Studies: 40 cp from the Schedule of Unit Offerings.
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
Students can enrol in units to be studied online.
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.
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.
Placement requirements:
All students enrolled must have the appropriate approvals before they may enter a classroom.
These are Blue Card (Queensland), Working with Vulnerable People Registration (Australian Capital Territory), or Working with Children Check (New South Wales, Western Australia, and Victoria), Working with Children Clearance (Northern Territory), or Police Record Check (South Australia and Tasmania).
International students must bring police check documentation from their own countries. To meet the requirements for working in settings other than schools, a National Police check may be required. All students who have lived in another country for 12 months or more must provide a police check from that country for that period.
Admission Requirements for the Internship specialisation
To be eligible for admission to the Master of Teaching (Secondary) (Internship) specialisation, an applicant is required to:
a) have completed the first year of the course with a grade point average (GPA) of at least 5.0 and a demonstrated strong performance in the professional experience units in Year 1,
OR
b) be from an approved sponsored cohort and meet the Master of Teaching (Secondary) course entry requirements.
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 a major study that meets the content requirements in at least one secondary teaching area offered by ACU, and
b) demonstrate suitability for teaching as evidenced by completion of the relevant state/jurisdiction assessment, which will be provided in the application process (excluding QLD), and
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.
International applicants need to meet the English Language Proficiency requirements as defined in the Admission to Coursework Programs Policy.
Admission Requirements for the Internship specialisation
To be eligible for admission to the Master of Teaching (Secondary) (Internship) specialisation, an applicant is required to be from an approved sponsored cohort and meet the Master of Teaching (Secondary) course entry requirements.
Admission Requirements for the 'All Points to Teaching' program
To be eligible for admission to the Master of Teaching (Secondary) (Internship) 'All Points to Teaching' program, an applicant is required to meet employment-based criteria for the 'All Points to Teaching' program in addition to the Master of Teaching (Secondary) course entry requirements.
An applicant must comply with the Admissions to Coursework Program Policy.
All students 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:
a) have successfully completed a Bachelor degree or equivalent qualification with a major study that meets the content requirements in at least one secondary teaching area offered by ACU, and
b) demonstrate suitability for teaching as evidenced by completion of the relevant state/jurisdiction assessment, which will be provided in the application process (excluding QLD).
c) provide evidence of professional experience in education and community service.
d) be able to undertake a variety of professional experience placements at schools located in the specific geographic areas outlined in the Overview.
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 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
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)
C1 Advanced
- 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
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. Students enrolled in this course may be eligible to receive Youth Allowance (student), or Austudy and/or the Pensioner Education Supplement
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.
Staff Profile
Dr Kathleen Plastow
Head of Discipline (Secondary Education), National School of Education
Dr Kathleen Plastow is a Lecturer in the faculty of Education and The Arts at Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, where she is Head of Discipline (Secondary Education).
Her research interests include assessment identity, assessment literacy, alignment of assessment and learning, dilemmatic spaces in education and adult learning. Having taught methods courses in music and The Arts, Kathleen also teaches and researches into middle years approaches. Kathleen’s EdD work used qualitative methods to critically examine the philosophical underpinnings of teacher perspectives on assessment and dilemmatic assessment spaces. She has subsequently explored ITE course development and focuses on the use of andragogic practices to teach pedagogic skill and knowledge.
Additionally, Kathleen currently holds the position as advisor to the Arts and Culture Committee for the City of Glen Eira - Melbourne. Her 30-year education career has covered ELC-Year 12, tertiary institutions and community groups. Her work focuses on pedagogical praxis, curriculum and assessment development and teacher mentoring.
Testimonial
“I chose ACU because it gave me the opportunity to study an area I felt passionately about. I see the need for education to develop young minds and give them options to excel in the real world. My first practical experience was at Murrumba State Secondary College. The experience was incredible, and I really felt like I was giving back to the local community.”
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