Master of Teaching (Secondary)/Graduate Certificate in Religious Education
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 equivalent part-time
- Fees (first year)*
- Start dates
-
Semester 1 intake: Not availableMidyear (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
This is a graduate entry, preservice teacher education course for those who want to become secondary school teachers.
Whether you are looking for a complete career change or are a recent graduate, you can use your undergraduate degree to inform your specialist teaching areas in this course. Depending on your undergraduate degree and campus of study, this course will prepare you to teach in two specialist areas.
By combining the Graduate Certificate in Religious Education, you will gain the certification and knowledge to teach Religious Education in Catholic Schools in addition to their other teaching areas.
Professional experience
Students must complete a minimum of 60 days professional experience during which time they are required to be available full-time.
Work placement
The Professional Experience program consists of a minimum of 10 weeks of teaching rounds, usually broken into three blocks.
Professional experience covers all school and community-based experience designed to help students develop professional competence and personal commitment, in accordance with the expressed Catholic philosophy of the University. The professional experience units apply skills, techniques and processes taught in the Foundations Studies and Professional Studies units.
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. The practicum will be supported by other forms of in-school experiences, such as school-based tutorials and workshops.
Certain prerequisite units are required before students are placed in schools.
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.
Accreditation
Graduates are eligible for registration as secondary school teachers in government, independent, Catholic, and other faith-based schools.
The Graduate Certificate in Religious Education is the basic certification required to teach religious education in schools.
Course details
Course structure
To complete the Master of Teaching (Secondary)/Graduate Certificate in Religious Education, a student must complete 200 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:
- *Graduate Diploma in Educational Studies: 80 cp from the Schedule of Unit Offerings of the Master of Teaching (Secondary).
- *Graduate Certificate in Educational Studies: 40 cp from the Schedule of Unit Offerings from the Master of Teaching (Secondary).
- *Graduate Certificate in Religious Education: 40 cp from the Religious Education and Theology units is required.
- Master of Teaching (Secondary): 160 cp from the Schedule of Unit offerings of the Master of Teaching Secondary).
*Note that none of these qualifications qualifies a student to teach in Australia.
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.
Requirements for working with children: 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.
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).
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.
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.
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
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 Melissa Cain
Head of Discipline, National School of Education
Dr Melissa Cain (SHFEA) is a senior lecturer in the School of Education in Brisbane teaching units on Inclusive Education and Arts education. She is National Head of Discipline for Secondary Education and Course Coordinator for the suite of secondary teaching courses in Queensland. Melissa's doctorial research centred on the challenges teachers in Australia and Singapore face when implementing culturally diverse Arts education. Dr Cain's current research examines the voices of students with vision impairment at mainstream schools, learning the creative arts online, and the impact of teaching and learning in modern global times. Melissa has received several higher education teaching awards and is the recipient of the Callaway Doctoral Award.
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