Why Study/Key Benefits

• Provides a one-year graduate pathway into early childhood teaching for students who already hold a relevant bachelor's degree.
• Focuses on teaching infants, toddlers and young children during an important stage of their development.
• Includes multiple professional-practice placements in early childhood centres, giving students supervised practical teaching experience.
• Covers Te Wh?riki, New Zealand's early childhood curriculum.
• Develops knowledge of child development, curriculum, pedagogy, professional teaching practice and bicultural approaches.
• Successful graduates meet the relevant graduating teacher standards and may be eligible to apply for provisional teacher registration in Aotearoa New Zealand.
• Students can choose between studying on campus in Christchurch or through distance learning.

Programme Structure and Subjects/Topics

The programme consists of ten compulsory courses:

1. TEPI361 – Becoming a Professional Teacher
2. TEPI362 – Being a Professional Teacher
3. TEPP361 – Professional Practice 1
4. TEPP362 – Professional Practice 2
5. TECE358 – Curriculum Design
6. TECE359 – Te Reo me nga Tikanga M?ori
7. TECE361 – Holistic Development, Learning and Culture
8. TECE362 – Curriculum and Pedagogy for Infants and Toddlers
9. TECE364 – Pedagogy of Play
10. TECE365 – The Intentional Teacher.

Key learning areas include:

• Becoming a professional early childhood teacher.
• Professional responsibilities and teacher identity.
• Early childhood professional practice.
• Curriculum design.
• Te reo M?ori and tikanga Maori.
• Holistic child development.
• Learning and culture.
• Curriculum and pedagogy for infants and toddlers.
• Learning through play.
• Intentional teaching.
• Bicultural approaches to teaching.
• Te Wh?riki, the New Zealand early childhood curriculum.
• Working with children, wh?nau and early childhood communities.

Disciplines/Specialisations

The programme is specifically an Early Childhood Teaching qualification.

It does not list separate majors or specialisations on the current qualification page.

The core disciplinary focus is:

• Early childhood education.
• Early childhood pedagogy.
• Curriculum and teaching.
• Child development.
• Professional teacher practice.
• Maori language, culture and bicultural practice.

Programme Highlights

• 150-point qualification.
• One-year full-time graduate pathway.
• Designed for applicants who already hold a bachelor's degree.
• Early Childhood Teaching focus.
• Professional teacher-education qualification.
• Multiple early childhood professional-practice placements.
• On-campus and distance options.
• Compulsory on-site intensives for distance students.
• Study of Te Wh?riki.
• Strong focus on bicultural practice.
• Dedicated learning about Te reo M?ori and tikanga M?ori.
• Focus on infants, toddlers and young children.
• Meets the relevant graduating teacher standards requirements.
• Provides a pathway towards applying for teacher registration in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Career Outcomes

The principal career pathway is early childhood teaching.

Potential career areas include:

• Early childhood teacher.
• Roles in early childhood centres.
• Early childhood care and education.
• Teacher aide and related child-support roles.
• Advocacy.
• Government and education-related organisations.
• Early childhood business ownership and management.

Latest Updates/Special Requirements

The programme has several important requirements for international students:

• International applications close on 31 October according to the current UC programme page.
• Places are limited and UC recommends applying as early as possible.
• Selection is competitive and is not automatic.
• A police check forms part of the selection process.
• An interview may be required.
• Professional-practice placements are compulsory.
• Distance students must attend on-site intensives.
• International students must attend the relevant international orientation.
• English requirements for teacher education are distinct from ordinary postgraduate admission requirements.
• Applicants must also satisfy the Teaching Council's language requirements.
• The qualification is designed to meet the relevant graduating teacher standards requirements.

International Student Visa Requirements

International students normally require a New Zealand Fee Paying Student Visa to study this UC programme.

Immigration New Zealand currently states that the Fee Paying Student Visa:

• Can be issued for up to 4 years.
• Requires an offer of place from an approved education provider.
• Requires evidence of sufficient funds for tuition.
• Requires evidence of living expenses.
• Requires appropriate insurance.
• Requires applicants to meet health and character requirements.
• Requires evidence of genuine intentions to study in New Zealand.
• May require evidence of onward travel or sufficient funds to purchase onward travel.
• Is applied for online.
• Immigration New Zealand strongly encourages students to apply approximately 3 months before their intended travel date.