Graduate Diploma in Teaching (Primary)
Course code C91
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Important
This course is not available to International students.
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About this Course
Are you an aspiring primary school teacher with an existing degree in another field?
This course will equip you to teach with provisional registration in WA primary schools after one year of full-time study. You will complete curriculum units in Literacy, Mathematics, Science, the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, as well as units in classroom management.
A key feature of this course is 55 days of professional experience, which will allow you to make the essential connection between theory and practice whilst building both professional and generic skills in real teaching environments.
Partnerships between the University and over 1,500 schools and early childhood settings allow you to gain experience in diverse settings including public, metropolitan, rural, regional and remote schools, allowing you to work with children from differing economic, social, ethnic and educational backgrounds.
Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) level
This course has been accredited by ECU as an AQF Level 8 Graduate Diploma Award.
Course code
C91Entry requirements
ECU admission and English language requirements apply.
See Course Entry for further information.
Admissions
Fees
Commonwealth supported - estimated 1st year indicative fee AUD $4,650
See Fees and Scholarships for further information.
Availability & Campus
| Location | Semester 1 | Semester 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Joondalup | FT PT | PT |
| Mount Lawley | FT PT | PT |
| South West | ||
| Online | FT PT | PT |
Timetable
This course has a modified timetable. See Course Notes.
Course Entry
Admission requirements you'll need to meet for this course.
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The following course-specific admission requirements are mandatory and must be satisfied by all applicants. These requirements are in addition to or supersede the minimum requirements outlined within the Academic admission requirements band section below.
All applicants are required to have completed at least one year of full-time equivalent study relevant to one or more learning areas of the primary school curriculum. Entrants to graduate entry programs must have a discipline-specific bachelor or equivalent qualification relevant to the Australian Curriculum or other recognised areas of schooling provision. Professional experience cannot be accepted as an alternative to completion of the bachelor degree. Applicants must satisfy non-academic criteria, in addition to satisfying academic entry criteria. Applicants' non-academic capabilities will be assessed based on completion of a Non-Academic Requirements for Teacher Entry (NARTE) online questionnaire.
Academic admission requirements (Band 6) may be satisfied through completion of one of the following:
- Bachelor degree; or
- Equivalent prior learning including at least five years relevant professional experience.
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International students must attain an IELTS Academic with an average level of 7.5 or more, across the four components of listening, speaking, reading and writing; no score below level 7.0 in any of these components; and a score of 8.0 or more in the components of speaking and listening. Internationally schooled applicants may also be required to meet this requirement.
English competency requirements may also be satisfied through completion of one of the following:
- Bachelor degree or master degree from Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK or the USA, or
- Undergraduate degree taught in English from a South African University.
Course Details
Semester availability
Semester 1: Study full-time at Joondalup, Mount Lawley or Online
Semester 1: Study part-time at Joondalup, Mount Lawley or Online
Semester 2: Study part-time at Joondalup, Mount Lawley or Online
Course Structure
C91|1
For more detailed unit information for this course take a look at our Handbook. To organise your life for next semester visit the Teaching timetable.
Student handbookCourse notes
Important course notes
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For students who enter mid year, this course can be completed in 12 months full-time through a FastTrack delivery. If students wish to complete the course in 12 months then they will be required to complete one unit in summer school in order to complete all units within the timeframe.
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Students must complete 2 unit as follows:
Professional Experience Unit Number of Days
WPL6115: First Professional Practice 25
WPL6215: Second Professional Practice 30
Total Professional Experience Days 55
Attendance requirements
Generally host Schools and Centres require that the Pre-Service Teachers attend the placement on a full time basis and otherwise meet their specific attendance requirements of the particular placement. There is limited scope for ECU to negotiate any deviations from these requirements.
Clearances and/or Risk Management Protocols Required
The Department of Education Western Australia and cooperating non-government schools have the right to determine 'fit and proper persons' to enter and practice in schools. For these reasons, all PreService Teachers 18 years of age and over will be required to have a current Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check (NCCHC) and a current Working with Children Check, or the equivalent clearance issued by the relevant State authority before commencing this period of Professional Experience.
Further information can be found at https://www.ecu.edu.au/schools/education/professional-experience/before-professional-experience
Professional practice rules
During the placement, it is imperative that Pre-Service Teachers always demonstrate
professionalism and respect for industry partners. Pre-Service Teachers must abide by the
professional standards set out in the ECU Student Code of Conduct and comply with the
applicable University policies and rules.
The Student Code of Conduct can be found at: http://policysearch.ecu.edu.au/PolicySearch/Record/767/file/document
The host School/Centre has absolute discretion to terminate the Pre-Service Teachers
placement prior to completion of the placement. Situations where this discretion has been exercised are typically where the School/Centre has had concerns about Pre-Service Teacher's conduct or performance. ECU may also withdraw a Pre-Service Teacher from placement in certain circumstances.
Early termination or withdrawal from the professional practice placement may result in a Failgrade for this unit.
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Students will need to graduate to be eligible to register with the Teacher Registration Board of Western Australia (TRBWA). Registration with the Teacher Registration Board of Western Australia (TRBWA) is required to practice in the profession.
Provisional registration only for this course.
Course learning outcomes
- Reflect critically on an advanced body of education knowledge, research principles and methods in primary teaching.
- Apply cognitive, technical and creative skills to investigate, evaluate and synthesise teaching theory and practice in authentic situations.
- Apply communication and collaboration skills to design curriculum, learning and assessment activities in primary education.
Fees and Scholarships
Fees
- AUD $4,650 - Commonwealth supported estimated 1st year indicative fee 1
Note
1 The 'estimated 1st year indicative fee' is provided as a guide only, based on a typical enrolment of students undertaking the first year of this course. At ECU, you pay for the individual units you enrol in, not an overall course fee, so the total cost of your course will vary, depending on what units you choose. An indicative fee will be provided with your course offer, however you can use our Course Fee Calculator to estimate the actual amount you'll need to pay. ECU fees are adjusted annually.
Some units require the payment of a fee for incidental goods or services required to complete those units. For more information and the full list of incidental fees for courses and units, visit What are Incidental Fees.
Scholarships
ECU has a scholarship program that provides many opportunities each year to students undertaking studies here.
Find a scholarshipCareer Opportunities
This course provides an employment pathway nested within ECU’s nationally accredited Master of Teaching (Primary) course.
Courses you can consider if you are interested in progressing further in this area.
Need some help deciding what to study?
Our future student events include a mix of on-campus and online sessions designed to help you decide what to study at ECU.
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Quick guide to uni-speak
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The Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) is the national regulator of qualifications in the Australian education and training system. The AQF defines the essential characteristics, including the required learning outcomes, of the different types of qualifications issued across the higher education systems in Australia.
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ATAR is the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank, the primary criterion for entry into most undergraduate university courses in Australia. The ATAR is a percentile score which denotes a student's ranking relative to their state-wide peers upon completion of their secondary education.
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CRICOS is the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students. A CRICOS code is allocated to education institutions (like ECU) who are approved to recruit, enrol and deliver education to overseas students. Courses with a CRICOS code are available to international students who meet the entry requirements.
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A major, or unit set, is your chosen area of in-depth study in an undergraduate course. It usually involves 8 units of study, or one-third of the units in a 3-year degree. Talk to your Student Information Office if you need help choosing a major subject.
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Minors include between 4 and 6 study units in a specific discipline. Not all courses require you to complete a minor. Your minor subject doesn't appear on your printed degree (parchment), but is part of your academic transcript.
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If you're enrolled in 3 or more units in a semester this is considered full-time study. To complete most 3-year degrees studying full-time you'll need to complete 4 units per semester, i.e. 24 units over 3 years.
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If a course is available to study part-time you can generally expect it to take twice as long to complete as it would in full-time mode. Part-time students are enrolled in 1 or 2 units maximum per semester.
Note: International students who hold a student visa can only choose the full-time study option for our courses. This is to ensure the course is completed within the duration of the student visa.
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Most courses start in Semester 1 each year, usually in the last week of February. Some courses can be started in Semester 2 (we call this mid-year). There's a week of Orientation before each semester to help you get used to uni life.
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A lot of our courses start in Semester 2 each year, usually in the last week of July. We call this mid-year. There's a week of Orientation beforehand to help you get used to uni life.
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We use a points system to make it easier for you to understand your study progress. Most Bachelors degree study units are allocated 15 credit points. If you're studying a 3-year full-time degree you'll need to successfully complete 360 credit points - that's 24 units x 15 points per unit.
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These are compulsory units you have to successfully complete as part of your course.
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An elective is a unit you choose to study that counts towards your course requirements, but isn't compulsory. For some courses we recommend elective units. In some situations, a course coordinator may approve an elective unit as a replacement for a compulsory one.
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Do you have any questions about the Graduate Diploma in Teaching (Primary)?
The Important Things
Things you should know about if you're thinking about studying here.
Course Entry
There's more than one admission pathway into an ECU course. It depends on what you've studied already, or your work or life experience.
Fees & Scholarships
Course tuition fees can change, but we can give you an estimate of your costs. If you're eligible, a scholarship or student loan can help too.
Applying
Applying for a course is a fairly simple process, especially if you have scanned copies of qualifications, your resume or other paperwork, ready to upload.
ECU Experience
Starting a course is an exciting and sometimes daunting time, so we make a massive effort to ensure you get all the support you need to have a positive experience.