Master of Teaching (Early Childhood and Primary)/Graduate Certificate in Religious Education
Course information for - 2023 entry
- Study mode
- Online
- Duration
- 2 years full-time or equivalent part-time
- Fees (first year)*
$8419 CSP
- Start dates
- ACU Online Term 3 - July
The Master of Teaching (Early Childhood and Primary)/Graduate Certificate in Religious Education commences ACU Online Term 3. Visit our study periods page for more details.
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).
Sample program map
| Year - Study period | Unit 1 | Unit 2 | Unit 3 | Unit 4 | Unit 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year 1 ACU Online Term 1 | EDMA500 Foundations of Mathematics and Numeracy Curriculum and Pedagogy for Children data-versionlabel=2 > | EDEN500 Foundations of Literacy and Childrens Literature for Early Reading data-versionlabel=2 > | LNTE110 Literacy and Numeracy Diagnostic AND LNTE100 LANTITE - Literacy Test for Initial Teacher Education Students AND LNTE101 LANTITE - Numeracy Test for Initial Teacher Education Students | THBS562 Introducing the Scriptures | |
ACU Online Term 2 | EDES560 Foundations of Development and Learning in Australian Early Childhood Contexts data-versionlabel=2 > | EDTE560 Technologies Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment (B-12) data-versionlabel=2 > | THCT565 Reflecting on Faith, Recontextualising Tradition | ||
ACU Online Term 3 | EDHP560 Health, Wellbeing and Physical Education (B-12 Years) data-versionlabel=2 > | EDAR560 The Arts Curriculum and Pedagogy (B-12) data-versionlabel=2 > | EDRE516 Learning and Teaching for Religious Education | ||
ACU Online Term 4 | EDEN501 English Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment 1 data-versionlabel=2 > | EDET561 Effective Teaching 1: Early Years Learning and Pedagogies: Play-Based Curriculum and Assessment data-versionlabel=2 > | |||
Year 2 ACU Online Term 1 | EDSS661 Humanities and Social Sciences Education for Children (B-12) data-versionlabel=2 > | EDES600 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories, Cultures and Education | EDRE544 Change and Continuity in Religious Education | ||
ACU Online Term 2 | EDET660 Effective Teaching 2: Leadership, Management, Advocacy and Teaching: English and Literacy (B-12) data-versionlabel=2 > OR EDET661 Effective Teaching 2: Leadership, Management, Advocacy and Teaching: Mathematics and Numeracy (B-12) data-versionlabel=2 > OR EDET662 Effective Teaching 2: Leadership, Management, Advocacy and Teaching: Science and Inquiry (B-12) data-versionlabel=2 > OR EDET663 Effective Teaching 2: Leadership, Management, Advocacy and Teaching: Humanities and Social Sciences (B-12) data-versionlabel=2 > OR EDET664 Effective Teaching 2: Leadership, Management, Advocacy and Teaching: The Arts (B-12) data-versionlabel=2 > OR EDET665 Effective Teaching 2: Leadership, Management, Advocacy and Teaching: Technologies (B-12) data-versionlabel=2 > OR EDET666 Effective Teaching 2: Leadership, Management, Advocacy and Teaching: Health, Wellbeing and Physical Education (B-12) data-versionlabel=2 > | EDSI660 Science, Inquiry and Sustainability Education (B-12) data-versionlabel=2 > | |||
ACU Online Term 3 | EDEN602 English Language and Literacy Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment 2 data-versionlabel=2 > | EDES601 Special Education and Inclusive Practice data-versionlabel=2 > | |||
ACU Online Term 4 | EDET669 Effective Teaching 3: Teacher Inquiry and Evidence-Based Practice (B-12) data-versionlabel=2 > | EDMA602 Mathematics Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment 2 data-versionlabel=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.
ACU Online Term 1 intake
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 qualify a student to teach in Australia.
- *Graduate Certificate in Educational Studies: 40 cp from the Schedule of Unit Offerings of the Master of Teaching (Early Childhood and Primary)
- *Graduate Diploma in Educational Studies: 80 cp from the Schedule of Unit Offerings of the Master of Teaching (Early Childhood and Primary).
- *Graduate Certificate in Religious Education: 40 cp from the Schedule of Unit Offerings of the Graduate Certificate in Religious Education
- Master of Teaching (Early Childhood and Primary): 160 cp from the Schedule of Unit Offerings of the Master of Teaching (Early Childhood and Primary)
*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.
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:
- have successfully completed a Bachelor degree or equivalent qualification, with:
- subject content studies equivalent to one year of full-time study in one or more learning areas of the primary school curriculum; including
- subject content studies equivalent to one quarter of a year in a selected subject specialisation.
- 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.
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
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.
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.