Course overview

If you’re passionate about nurturing young, inquisitive children from birth to grade 6 and are motivated to make a genuine impact on future generations, Deakin's Master of Teaching (Primary and Early Childhood) is for you.

Ready to become a highly sought-after early childhood or primary school teacher with a holistic understanding of how young people learn and make sense of the world?
 

The Master of Teaching (Primary and Early Childhood) is infused with practical learning. With a focus on dynamic skills and communication, you’ll graduate classroom-ready, a finely tuned educator and leader with a set of adaptable techniques.

A career in education provides flexibility, variety and security. Learn first-hand from highly experienced and passionate teachers who understand the importance of recognising all students as people first.

Discover how to shape teacher/student relationships to ensure students build positive connections with their peers, their school and themselves. Gain the critical knowledge required for modern-day digital classrooms, engaging with topics such as diversity and inclusion, teacher inquiry, context and leading-edge research, coupled with culturally relevant approaches to teaching.

At Deakin you’ll also collaborate with early childhood educators, primary and secondary teachers. Our multidisciplinary approach will enable you to gain a well-rounded view of how young people learn.

This, combined with 90-days of professional placement and your completion of a Deakin Teaching Performance Assessment (DTPA), benchmarked against national standards, means you’ll be set for success in the classroom anywhere in Australia and beyond.

Course structure

The Master of Teaching (Primary and Early Childhood) is typically 16 credit points.

The exact number of credit points you study depends on how much credit you receive as recognition of prior learning (RPL) – your professional experience and previous qualifications – which can save you time and money

To qualify for the award of Master of Teaching (Primary and Early Childhood), students must complete the following:

• 15 core units (16 credit points)

In addition there is a 0 Credit Point Compulsory Unit (AAI018) for all students in the Faculty of Arts and Education and 2 x 0 Credit Points Compulsory Units, ELN010 and ELN011, for all Primary and Secondary Initial Teacher Education Students.

This course includes 90-days of supervised professional experience, and students must successfully complete the Deakin Teaching Performance Assessment. This must be complete in the final year of study. Successful completion of this course indicates that a student has met the expected standard of performance for each of the Graduate Teacher Standards.

Intakes by location

The availability of a course varies across locations and intakes. This means that a course offered in Trimester 1 may not be offered in the same location for Trimester 2 or 3. Check each intake for up-to-date information on when and where you can commence your studies.

Additional course information

Successful Applicants are required to hold a valid Working with Children (WWC) Check prior to undertaking professional experience placements in education settings, as part of this course.

Interstate applicants must check the requirements and meet all conditions for undertaking professional experience in schools for their state or territory before undertaking professional experience placements as part of this course.

The Working with Children Check (Check) and a Police Check are different checks. Under the Working with Children Act 2005 (the Act) if you are doing child-related work and are not exempt, you must have a Check even if you already have a Police Check.
The Police Check is not an assessment by a government agency. 

Course duration - additional information

Course duration may be affected by delays in completing course requirements, such as accessing or completing work placements.

Participation requirements

Professional Experience Placements are a compulsory component of the course and a requirement for registration as a graduate teacher.

Reasonable adjustments to participation and other course requirements will be made for students with a disability. More information available at Disability support services.

Students are required to check the placement calendars published on the Professional Experience Office website each year. Placement takes priority over employment and placement periods are generally block placements of 5-days (full time) per week over 2-5 weeks.

Course delivery is blended and students are required to dedicate time to weekly engagement with located or online teaching and learning activities and resources. This is recommended at combined total 8-10 hours per week per unit including active learning/engagement either face to face or online, and independent study.

Some units will require students to attend schools or institutions for site-based learning and teaching experiences. Some units can only be completed face to face at Burwood or as online study. Some units will require students to attend schools or institutions for site-based learning and teaching experiences. Some units can only be completed face to face at Burwood or as online study.

Entry requirements

Admission to study postgraduate coursework at Deakin is based on recognition of your professional experience and previous qualifications.

Admission is based on:

• a Bachelor degree in a different discipline, or
• a Bachelor degree in Secondary Teaching, and
• All applicants must complete an additional selection tool for non-academic attributes. Deakin University is using the Casper test. Casper is an online, video-scenario based situational judgement test, designed to measure non-academic suitability for teaching.

In addition, applicants are required to have at least one year of full-time or equivalent study relevant to one or more learning areas of the primary school curriculum, including a minor in science, maths/numeracy, English/literacy, health or the arts.

For more information see F-10 Learning Areas: https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au 

IELTS / English language requirements 

Please note that English language requirements exist for entry to this course and you will be required to meet the English language level requirement that is applicable in the year of your commencement of studies.

It is your responsibility to ensure that you have the required IELTS score to register with any external accredited courses. (more details)

Admissions information

Applicant indicator profile report of all applicants applying to Deakin University Graduate Entry Teaching (GET) courses in Trimester 1, 2023.

Deakin University offers admission to postgraduate courses through a number of Admission categories. To be eligible for admission to this program, applicants must meet the course requirements.

All applicants must meet the minimum English language requirements.

Please note that meeting the minimum admission requirements does not guarantee selection, which is based on merit, likelihood of success and availability of places in the course.

For more information on the Admission Criteria and Selection (Higher Education Courses) Policy visit the Deakin Policy Library

Online studies

Deakin offers many courses which can be studied by distance education overseas.

However, international students living in Australia on a student visa, in each compulsory trimester (that is, Trimesters 1 and 2), must enrol in at least one unit that is offered as a Campus located unit and can, in addition enrol in units offered online. International students may undertake a maximum of up to one third (or equivalent) of their study as online study. Please note enrolment in one face to face unit in compulsory study periods is only allowed if the student is completing their final unit of study and will not exceed maximum one third (or equivalent) online requirement.

Recognition of prior learning

Am I eligible to receive Recognition of Prior Learning?

The University aims to provide students with as much credit as possible for approved prior study or informal learning which exceeds the normal entrance requirements for the course and is within the constraints of the course regulations. Students are required to complete a minimum of one-third of the course at Deakin University, or four credit points, whichever is the greater.

Recognition for Prior Learning in the Master of Teaching (Primary and Early Childhood) is restricted by the professional accreditation structures of the course. Students are encouraged to apply for RPL for comparable curriculum discipline units completed at postgraduate level.

Recognition is not available for any work experience whether paid or unpaid, qualified or unqualified teacher or teacher aide against the academic professional experience units.

You can also refer to the Recognition of Prior Learning System which outlines the credit that may be granted towards a Deakin University degree and how to apply for credit.