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This program is offered only to continuing students. No new admissions will be accepted. Students who are interested in this study area should .

Notes

Both modes of study are supported through the USQ ¾«¶«´«Ã½app Desk.
This program does not qualify students for teacher registration with relevant teaching authorities. To qualify for teacher registration in Queensland, please refer to the Graduate Diploma of Learning and Teaching .
On successful completion of the Master of Learning and Development (Full Fee Paying) , students may be eligible for entry into the Doctor of Education or the Doctor of Philosophy , provided necessary entry requirements are met.

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Professional accreditation

The Career Development specialisation meets the professional learning needs of professionals working in teaching, counselling, training, employment, community development, or information management roles who support the career planning and development of students, clients, and organisations. The Career Development specialisation addresses core and selected specialist competencies from the Professional Standards for Australian Career Development Practitioners, and it has been officially endorsed by the as a qualification for the status of professional career development practitioner under the Professional Standards.

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Program aims

The aim of the Master of Learning and Development is to provide professionals in education, training and development with Master level coursework that will engage with educational issues that are relevant and meaningful to them and help to sustain their communities and fulfil their lives. The program aims to:

• facilitate the development and consolidation of knowledge and skills in teaching and learning in community, professional and workplace learning settings that are informed by contemporary learning theory and futures-orientated approaches

• support the application of these knowledge and skills through learner-centred design, flexible delivery and individualised and authentic assessment to enhance quality of services for their learners.

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Program objectives

Students who successfully complete the Master of Learning and Development will have acquired advanced knowledge and understanding of key issues and trends within contemporary early childhood education. Graduates will be able to demonstrate:

• advanced theoretical and technical knowledge in one or more disciplines or areas of practice

• the ability to analyse critically, evaluate and transform information to complete a range of activities

• the ability to analyse, generate and transmit solutions to complex problems

• the ability to transmit knowledge, skills and ideas to others

• the ability to apply knowledge and skills to demonstrate autonomy, well-developed judgement, adaptability and responsibility as a practitioner or learner.

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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

To be eligible for admission, applicants must satisfy the following requirements:

A tertiary qualification at Bachelor degree or equivalent (AQF level 7) in a related discipline from a recognised institution.

For candidates who have a Bachelor degree or equivalent (AQF level 7) in a non-related discipline from a recognised institution, USQ’s Graduate Certificate of Education. provides a pathway into the Master of Learning and Development.

All students are required to satisfy the applicable .

If students do not meet the English language requirements they may apply to study a ¾«¶«´«Ã½app-approved . On successful completion of the English language program, students 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. Students 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. Students are able to calculate the fees for a particular course via the .

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Program completion requirements

Students are required to follow the recommended enrolment pattern for their selected specialisation.

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Program structure

The Master of Learning and Development is a 12-unit program. Three guidelines shape the program structure.

• A minimum of six units must be 8000 level courses (AQF level 9).

• Three mandatory research courses must be taken (which equates to four units of work). Students can choose from either the Applied Research Pathway or the Research Higher Degree Pathway.

  • Students who complete the Research Higher Degree Pathway as part of their program will be eligible to apply for entry to the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) subject to achieving a minimum GPA of 5.75 in the four research units and meeting other PhD entry requirements.

  • The Applied Research Pathway does not qualify students for direct entry to the PhD program.

  
  

• Two discipline courses selected from USQ postgraduate courses. Select via the search facility.

Students may choose to follow a prescribed enrolment pattern for one of the specialisations, or may prefer to tailor their study as outlined in the 'Student-Designed Customisation' notes below.

Please refer to MLDA Master of Learning and Development (Commonwealth Supported) for the Early Childhood specialisation.

Student-Designed Customisation

This option is an alternative to following the recommended enrolment pattern for a particular specialisation. Refer to the recommended enrolment pattern for the Student-Designed Customisation below. A minimum of six units must be 8000 level courses.

Note: Students must submit a study plan for the Student-Designed Customisation to the Faculty of Business, Education, Law and Arts for approval.

Select six courses from the Education Postgraduate Discipline Courses table.

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Required time limits

Full-time enrolment normally requires 1.5 years of study. Part-time enrolment may be extended to six years of study.

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Major studies

Because of the program focus, the default study pattern will be student-designed; a customised pattern following the program structure guidelines. Students who follow the recommended enrolment pattern for the following specialisations will have their specialisation named on their testamur.

Please select one of the following specialisations or refer to the Program Structure section to tailor your own study pattern via the Student-Designed Customisation option.

• Adult Professional and Workplace Learning

• Career Development

• Educational Leadership

• Online and Distributed Learning.

Refer to MLDA Master of Learning and Development (Commonwealth Supported) for the Early Childhood specialisation.

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Electives/Approved courses

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Professional experience

Professional experience is required and recommended in the Adult, Professional and Workplace Learning specialisation. Irrespective of level of academic performance achieved by students in this specialisation, no student will be eligible to graduate from the specialisation without satisfactorily demonstrating current professional competence against the performance criteria identified in the nominated courses.

Eligibility to undertake professional experience in Queensland Educational Settings

Under the terms of the Commission for Children and Young People Act (Qld. 2000), students undertaking professional experience are considered to be volunteers engaged in regulated employment. As such, all students working with children must apply to the Commission to be issued with a notice that they are suitable to work in child-related employment. As part of this application, the student must consent to the Commission conducting a criminal history check as the key element of the process of determining suitability. All applications for a suitability notice must be made at the local campus of the university at the commencement of their program. Students who do not make application, or who do apply but are subsequently deemed unsuitable, will not be able to undertake the professional experience components of the program.

Further information, including a list of serious offences which could lead to a child care student being deemed unsuitable, are available from the Commission.

Students undertaking professional experience outside of Queensland will need to check the requirements for professional experience in their state or country.

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IT requirements

Students must have reliable and ready access to email and the Internet. See for more information.

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Articulation

The Master of Learning and Development articulates from the Graduate Certificate of Education..

On completion of the Master of Learning and Development, students may be eligible for entry into the Doctor of Education or the Doctor of Philosophy, provided they meet necessary entry requirements.

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Exit points

Students who successfully complete a minimum of four units of the Master of Learning and Development will be eligible to exit with a Graduate Certificate of Education. in a specified area or with a non-specified award.

Students who successfully complete a defined sequence of eight units (six units from their specialisation and two other courses from the program) in the Master of Learning and Development will be eligible to exit with a Graduate Diploma of Education (GDEU).

Students wishing to exit with one of these awards are advised to contact the Faculty of Business Education Law and Arts.

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Credit

Credit may be granted on the basis of completed equivalent postgraduate study from a recognised university. In order for credit to be granted, the claim must meet the following specific requirements:

• the course was passed within five years prior to the application (courses up to 10 years old may be considered if evidence is provided that the applicant has been employed in that field)

• the course passed is sufficiently equivalent in objectives, content and weightings to a course prescribed in the Master of Learning and Development, or alternatively, the course is suitable as a discipline course

• the maximum credit granted is no greater than six units for the Master of Learning and Development

• credit approved in the Master of Learning and Development will not automatically apply to other programs offered by the USQ.

Claims for credit should be submitted prior to or at the time of enrolment in a course. Each claim will be assessed on individual merit in line with USQ policy. Please contact the Faculty of Business, Education, Law and Arts for further information.

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Enrolment

Students will enrol in the Master of Learning and Development on either a full-time or a part-time basis.

It is recommended that study commences with the specialisation Education coursework section.

Note: Minimum enrolment numbers apply to all courses. Should enrolments not meet the minimum number required, students may be transferred to a different mode or offering and advised of the change prior to semester start.

Recommended enrolment patterns

In this section:

• Recommended enrolment pattern - Adult, Professional and Workplace Learning
• Recommended enrolment pattern - Career Development
• Recommended enrolment pattern - Educational Leadership
• Recommended enrolment pattern – Online and Distributed Learning
• Recommended enrolment pattern – Student-Designed Customisation

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Recommended enrolment pattern - Adult, Professional and Workplace Learning

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.

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Recommended enrolment pattern - Career Development

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.

The Career Development specialisation meets the professional learning needs of professionals working in teaching, counselling, training, employment, community development, or information management roles who support the career planning and development of students, clients, and organisations. The Career Development specialisation addresses core and selected specialist competencies from the Professional Standards for Australian Career Development Practitioners, and it has been officially endorsed by the as a qualification for the status of professional career development practitioner under the Professional Standards.

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Recommended enrolment pattern - Educational Leadership

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.

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Recommended enrolment pattern – Online and Distributed Learning

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.

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Recommended enrolment pattern – Student-Designed Customisation

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.

A minimum of six units must be 8000 level courses.

Note: Students must submit a study plan for the Student-Designed Customisation to the Faculty of Business, Education, Law and Arts for approval.