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Master of Education (Full Fee Paying) (ends 2014) (MED3) - MEd

CRICOS code (International applicants): 042226A

The Master of Education (8 units) will accept no new admissions. This program has been replaced with a new 12–unit program MEDA Master of Education (Commonwealth Supported)..

 On-campus*#+Online*
Semester intake:No new admissionsNo new admissions
Campus:Toowoomba -
Fees:Domestic full fee paying place
International full fee paying place
Domestic full fee paying place
International full fee paying place
Standard duration: 1 year full-time, up to 4 years part-time 
Program articulation:

From: Postgraduate Certificate of Education; Postgraduate Certificate of Applied Linguistics ; Postgraduate Certificate of Learning & Development; Postgraduate Certificate of Tertiary Teaching and Learning

Notes

Full articulation is only available when there are no undergraduate courses completed as part of the Postgraduate Certificate.

Footnotes
*Not all courses are available in every mode in every semester or year. Students are advised to check the course and mode offer listings for each semester/year.
#Only the research (EDR) and the linguistics (LIN) courses run On-campus
+On-campus offers may be converted to Online offers if there are insufficient numbers in the On-campus enrolment. Students may prefer to select other On-campus courses, subject to availability.

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Contact us

Current students 

Freecall (within Australia): 1800 007 252
Phone (from outside Australia): +61 7 4631 2285
Email usq.support@usq.edu.au 

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Professional accreditation

This program does not qualify its graduates for teacher registration with relevant teaching authorities. If the student is interested in a program that enables him/her to qualify for teacher registration, please refer to the Graduate Diploma of Learning and Teaching.

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Program aims

The Master of Education program aims to develop in its graduates the capabilities and dispositions to work as engaged professional educators in knowledge-building communities. Traditional approaches to education have sometimes resulted in educators having limited opportunities for professional interaction with colleagues. In such circumstances, where educators work alone with a group of learners, they may develop a form of “privatised practice†which isolates them from the wider professional community. There is mounting evidence that educators can be more effective when they view their work as a collaborative effort in which they interact with other educators within and beyond their workplace and adopt stances that may be described as “engaged professionalismâ€. New Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) offer enhanced opportunities for professional engagement and will be an important tool for educators in the twenty-first century. The Master of Education program will model the use of ICTs to support professional interaction and learning. The Master of Education program thus aims to develop in its graduates the capabilities and dispositions to work as engaged professional educators in contemporary knowledge building communities. In particular, the student-led design coursework option allows students the maximum flexibility in tailoring the nature of the courses studied in the program to their own particular professional learning goals,

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Program objectives

Students who successfully complete the Master of Education should have advanced knowledge and understanding of key issues and trends within contemporary education and/or of a specialised area of education. Graduates should be able to demonstrate capabilities and dispositions for:

  • locating and accessing knowledge of relevant theory and practice

  • critically evaluating and building knowledge

  • interpreting and applying knowledge to the solution of significant problems

  • planning and executing successful independent projects to build and/or apply knowledge

  • effectively communicating knowledge

  • identifying and participating in relevant communities of practice.


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Australian Qualifications Framework

The Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) is a single national, comprehensive system of qualifications offered by higher education institutions (including universities), vocational education and training institutions and secondary schools. Each AQF qualification has a set of descriptors which define the type and complexity of knowledge, skills and application of knowledge and skills that a graduate who has been awarded that qualification has attained, and the typical volume of learning associated with that qualification type.

This program is at AQF Qualification Level 09. Graduates at this level will have specialised knowledge and skills for research, and/or professional practice and/or further learning.

The full set of levels criteria and qualification type descriptors can be found by visiting .

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Admission requirements

The requirements described in this section are generic requirements for entry to the Master of Education program. Some majors (also referred to as 'specialisations') may have additional specific requirements.

The majority of courses in the Master of Education program are offered entirely through the World Wide Web and have specific requirements for frequent and ongoing Internet access. All courses include Internet access as an important, or essential, component. Intending applicants should ensure that they have the necessary computer and Internet access before applying. Further information is provided in the IT requirements section below, in sections related to specified majors and in specifications of individual courses.

Normal Entry

The normal requirement for entry to the Master of Education program is a four year bachelor degree in education, or a three year bachelor degree plus one year of graduate study in education.

Alternative entry is also available to students with a three year bachelor degree and at least one year of relevant work experience.

All students are required to satisfy the applicable .

If you do not meet the English language requirements you may apply to study a ¾«¶«´«Ã½app-approved . On successful completion of the English language program, you may be admitted to an award program.

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Program fees

Domestic full fee paying place

Domestic full fee paying places are funded entirely through the full fees paid by the student. Full fees vary depending on the courses that are taken. You are able to calculate the fees for a particular course via the
Domestic full fee paying students may be eligible to defer their fees through a Government loan called provided they meet the residency and citizenship requirements.
Australian citizens, Permanent Humanitarian Visa holders, Permanent Resident visa holders and New Zealand citizens who will be resident outside Australia for the duration of their program pay full tuition fees and are not eligible for .

International full fee paying place

International students pay full fees. Full fees vary depending on the courses that are taken and whether they are studied on-campus, via distance education/online. You are able to calculate the fees for a particular course via the .

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Program completion requirements

To be awarded a Master of Education degree, a student must have completed eight approved education-related units at postgraduate level, of which at least four must be at level 8.

USQ course codes consist of 3 alpha characters indicating the area of study and four numerals of which the first represents the level of difficulty of the course. Level 5 indicates first level postgraduate courses. Level 8 courses can be expected to require more extensive work with theory and conceptualisation and to place more demands on the level of response in student work.

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Program structure

The program consists of 8 units of postgraduate study. Two types of coursework pathways and a research pathway are available to students. Students may elect to focus their studies through the completion of either of the coursework pathways if they so choose.

The first coursework pathway, Student-led Design, allows students to select any 8 courses (4 of which must be level 8) from the list of available postgraduate courses. Students may elect to tailor their selections to give a clear focus to their program, but there is no requirement to do so.

The second coursework pathway centres on the completion of a specified major (specialisation), involving either five or six units of related courses. Depending upon the requirements of specified majors, students may select one or two elective courses. These discipline courses will normally be chosen from the list of available postgraduate courses.

The coursework pathways are summarised in the table below.

Structure for Coursework Pathway 
Student-led Design Any 8 selected courses (4 of which must be level 8) subject to availability and pre-requisites.  Or  Major All 5 or 6 courses specified as required for the major, plus selected courses to bring the total to 8. 

Students using this program to prepare for doctoral studies are advised to undertake the research pathway. In some countries, completion of a research stream is a requirement for recognition of the Master's qualification. Those students in particular from Canada and the Middle East, or those intending to live and work there, should check registration requirements with the relevant authority in-country around the half-way point of the Master's program. This will allow time for students to complete their program via the research pathway if the need to do so is indicated.

The research pathway allows students to complete any four units of coursework before embarking on a four-unit program of research work in the second half of their program.

The research pathway is summarised in the table below.

Structure for Research Pathway  
Any 4 selected courses  
Plus 
 
 
Pre-requisite: and 4 units of completed Postgraduate study and minimum GPA 5.0 

Three further guidelines should be considered carefully by students when choosing courses and developing a plan of study:

  • The research project courses and may NOT be taken until at least four other courses have been completed. Students must have completed, or be enrolled concurrently in either or .

  • Some courses have pre-requisites. Students should check the course specifications in the process of planning the order of their study patterns.

  • Some courses have assessment work that can be completed only if the student has access to an appropriate workplace, for example: TAFE, schools, pre-school settings, or other education or training environments. Students without access to an appropriate workplace would be unable to complete the requirements for these courses.

  • In Queensland, students who will come into contact with children under the age of 18 in the course of their studies will require a current Blue Card or Exemption Card indicating suitability for working with children. Further information, please refer to the website.


Opportunity to focus on a specialised area of study

The Master of Education program allows for the preparation of graduates with advanced knowledge in a particular area of education and enhanced capabilities for extending their own professional learning. Students who generate their own focus area through course selection will graduate with a Master of Education (MEd). A student who focuses their studies by completing one of the majors (according to the enrolment sequences described below) will have the area of specialisation noted on the testamur – MEd (Guidance & Counselling) and MEd (Leading & Managing Organisations), depending on specialisations available from time to time.

For majors in Special Education and TESOL, please refer to MED1 Master of Education (8 Units)

Student-led Design Pathway

This coursework pathway allows students to select any eight (8) courses from the list of available postgraduate courses. Students may elect to tailor their selections in order to give a clear focus to their program, but there is no requirement to do so. Students who complete the degree through the Student-led Design pathway will graduate with a Master of Education (MEd) on the testamur.

Education Postgraduate Elective Courses
  Projected Semester Offers 
  On-campus  Online 
  2,3  1,2,3 
  1,2,3 
  1,2 
   
   
   
    1,3 
    1,3 
   
   
 
   
   
   
  1,3 
    1,2,3 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
    1,3 
   
   
†&²Ô²ú²õ±è;  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
EDU8705 Personal Pedagogy in Context^   
   
   
§&²Ô²ú²õ±è;  
  1,3 
   
  1,2 
 
  1,2 
    1,3 
  2,3 
   

Footnotes
*Students should note that not all elective courses are available every year. When planning their enrolment patterns, students should refer to that year's schedule of course offers.
^This course is offered in odd-numbered years.
†This course is offered in even-numbered years.
§This course will be offered from 2016.

There are numerous ways in which a student might select four or more of their eight elective courses in order to create a focus for their studies. Examples of just six of the many possible focus areas and associated clusters of courses include the following:

For an Early Childhood focus choose from:


For an Educational Technology focus choose from:


For a Pedagogy focus choose from:

  • EDU5704 Popular Culture as Curriculum and Pedagogy

  • EDU8705 Personal Pedagogy in Context ^


^This course is offered in odd-numbered years.

For a Further Education and Training focus choose from:

  • ^


^This course is offered in odd-numbered years.

For a Contemporary Literacies focus choose from:


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Required time limits

Students have a maximum of 4 years to complete this program.

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Core courses

All majors have required courses or sequences of courses. Students are advised to note carefully the enrolment requirements for the major, and to ensure that they plan their enrolment to allow for completion of the major’s requirements.

Students undertaking the research pathway must complete 4 units of research-related study, including , and .

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Major studies

The second coursework pathway allows students to elect to focus their studies in a particular area by completing a major consisting of a sequence of 5 or 6 related courses. The purpose of a major is to develop breadth and depth in an area of specialised knowledge. The specialist areas comprising the set of available majors may vary from time to time, but the specified majors to be offered to commencing students in the Master of Education are:

  • Leading and Managing Educational Organisations


For majors in Guidance and Counselling, Special Education and TESOL, please refer to MED1 Master of Education (8 Units)

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Electives/Approved courses

Elective courses will normally be selected from those listed in the table of Education Postgraduate Elective Courses.

Education Postgraduate Elective Courses
  Projected Semester Offers 
  On-campus  Online 
  2,3  1,2,3 
  1,2,3 
  1,2 
   
   
   
    1,3 
    1,3 
   
   
 
   
   
   
  1,3 
    1,2,3 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
    1,3 
   
   
†&²Ô²ú²õ±è;  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
EDU8705 Personal Pedagogy in Context^   
   
   
§&²Ô²ú²õ±è;  
  1,3 
   
  1,2 
 
  1,2 
    1,3 
  2,3 
   

Footnotes
*Students should note that not all elective courses are available every year. When planning their enrolment patterns, students should refer to that year's schedule of course offers.
^This course is offered in odd-numbered years.
†This course is offered in even-numbered years.
§This course will be offered from 2016.

Opportunities for Workplace Learning: Supervised Independent ¾«¶«´«Ã½app

Many of the courses in the Master of Education provide opportunities for students to address issues of particular personal interest, by undertaking approved independent work, which may include approved workplace professional development activity. Such projects, approved in advance at the discretion of the Faculty of Business, Education, Law and Arts are covered by enrolment in .

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Research

The Master of Education program is not a research higher degree. However, it does offer an introduction to postgraduate research in education that meets the needs of particular groups of students, including those who may require a research component for accreditation with employers or those who may consider future doctoral studies.

Students who elect to undertake a research pathway should follow the program structure described earlier in this document (see 'Structure for Research Pathway').

The research pathway consists of 4 units of study, commencing with and concluding with 3 units of project work in and

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IT requirements

Some courses in the Master of Education program are offered entirely online. Courses use email and discussion forums for communication among students and/or staff. All courses expect that work submitted for assessment will be word processed and submitted electronically. Further, a small number of courses require access to specific software. As new courses are introduced and existing courses are revised, it is anticipated that they will make more extensive use of the Internet for communication and access to course materials and other resources. This will apply to courses offered on-campus as well as in other modes.

Although there are no specific computer hardware or software requirements for the Master of Education program in general, it is a clear expectation that students will have ready access to a computer with common productivity software and Internet access. Some courses may require additional software and/or a more capable computer. Information about such requirements is included in the relevant course specifications.

Courses offered online (WEB) do not provide for delivery of printed materials. Students enrolling in such courses must have ongoing convenient and reliable access to the Internet in order to access course materials and participate in activities that will affect participation, learning and assessment. See for more information.

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Articulation

A student who has completed the requirements of the Postgraduate Certificate of Education, Postgraduate Certificate of Learning & Development, or the Postgraduate Certificate of Tertiary Teaching and Learning (provided all four units in these awards are at postgraduate level), may articulate directly into the Master of Education

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Related programs

USQ offers other masters degrees that include some courses in common with the Master of Education program. Subject to their meeting the appropriate entry requirements, students may be able to transfer between such masters programs and retain credit for courses that are common to the different programs.

Students who complete the Master of Education by a coursework pathway may qualify for admission to the Doctor of Education.

Students who complete the Master of Education by a research pathway may apply for admission as a Doctor of Philosophy candidate, or may be admitted into the Doctor of Education.

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Exit points

Students who have completed 4 approved units of postgraduate study in education in the Master of Education program may exit with the award of a Postgraduate Certificate of Education.

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Credit

Credit for courses in the Master of Education may be granted where applicants can demonstrate that they have successfully completed an equivalent postgraduate course or have otherwise achieved the objectives of the relevant course. Credit may be granted on the basis of documented professional development activities or extensive work experience only where it can be demonstrated that through those activities the student has achieved learning outcomes equivalent to those of a relevant postgraduate course. Where a student's program of study includes discipline courses, credit may be granted for one or more discipline courses where the student can demonstrate and document clearly successful completion of work of a type and standard equivalent to an elective study.

Students intending to apply for credit should consult Section 5.5 of the .

Applications for credit will be expected to comply with USQ policy and should demonstrate that the objectives of the course for which credit is sought have been achieved. Within the framework of those regulations, the following points should be given particular consideration:

  • the maximum number of units which may be exempted in the Master of Education is four

  • students may NOT claim credit for work on which they relied for admission to the Master of Education

  • credit will NOT normally be granted for study completed more than five years prior to submission of the application for credit

  • applications for credit on the basis of study completed prior to entering the Master of Education will NOT normally be accepted beyond the end of the first semester of enrolment in the Master of Education; and

  • credit will NOT normally be granted for work undertaken concurrently with the Master of Education unless the application is submitted and approved before the work is undertaken, with credit subject to the documentation of satisfactory completion of the approved work.


Recommended enrolment pattern

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Leading and Managing Educational Organisations major (Online)

Students are able to enrol in any offered mode of a course (on-campus, external or online), regardless of the program mode of study they enrolled in.


CourseYear of program and semester
in which course is normally studied
Enrolment requirements
On-campus
(ONC)
External
(EXT)
Online
(ONL)
YearSemYearSemYearSem

5 specified courses

11
12Pre-requisite:
11
11,3
12

Plus 3 elective courses Selected from the table of Education postgraduate elective courses (subject to prerequisites and/or other requirements) or other courses approved by the Faculty of Business, Education, Law and Arts.