Master of Teaching (Early Childhood)

Entry Requirements

Applicants must have completed:

an AQF Bachelor degree or equivalent from a recognised higher education institution with a competitive GPA, noting that entry is competitive and based on academic merit; and
one year of full-time equivalent study, as part of their Bachelor degree or equivalent, relevant to one or more learning areas of the primary school curriculum (Arts, English, Health and Physical Education, Humanities and Social Sciences, Languages, Mathematics, Science, Technologies), which includes a minimum half a year of equivalent study relevant to one of the learning areas of the primary school curriculum.

To be eligible for Master of Teaching (Early Childhood) with 1 year of Advanced Standing applicants must have completed an Initial Teacher Education degree (i.e. Bachelor of Teaching or three-year Diploma of Teaching) in the field of Early Childhood or Primary teaching. Additionally, applicants must be currently registered as a teacher in an Australian state or territory and have completed a minimum of two years full-time employment as an early childhood teacher (children ages 0-5 years) or two years full-time employment as a junior primary or primary school teacher (children ages 5-8 years) in Australia within the last five years. Applicants eligible for 1.0 EFTSL of advanced standing complete the program in 1 year of full-time study or equivalent part-time study.

English Language Requirements:

IELTS score of 7.0; TOEFL iBT score of 94 with no band less than 22; TOEFL paper-based test (PBT) score of 600 with TWE of 5.0; Cambridge CAE/CPE score of 186; Pearson's test of English (Academic) (PTE) score of 65 with no communicative score less than 65; CELUSA score of AE6.

Course Details

This industry-relevant postgraduate qualification is for students who have already completed a three-year bachelor degree and would like to increase their employment prospects with an early childhood qualification.

The curriculum is practical in nature and is solely focused on the education of children from birth to eight years of age. Practical learning is a major component and you will complete four supervised placements in childcare, preschool/kindergarten and junior primary schools, totalling 80 days.

The Early Childhood specialisation is taught at the Magill campus only.

What you'll learn

This degree has been designed to develop skilled, committed and flexible early childhood educators.

The focus is on practical learning, particularly relating to the principles and concepts relevant to early childhood development and learning. You will focus on four major areas:

child development
curriculum studies
professional experience
education studies

You will also study mandatory courses in:

English
mathematics
science

Courses studied will include on-campus lectures and workshops; some courses will also be offered fully online or with online support. Learning will be supplemented with online lectures, learning activities, readings and discussion boards.

Your career

If you want to make a difference, have an interest in childhood development, and have the patience, warmth, integrity and communication skills needed when working with young children, this master degree may be for you.

This specialised teaching field shows promising job prospects, with very strong growth in Australia1. Careers to consider:

childcare educator: encourage the healthy intellectual and psychological growth of children aged from birth to four years of age
kindergarten teacher: responsible for a child’s first education experience; this role often encompasses introducing basic skills, including letters, numbers, social science and behavioural skills
preschool teacher: educate and care for children aged three to five years
junior primary teacher: develop lesson plans in line with curriculum objectives and facilitate classroom learning for children aged five to eight