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Master of Education (MEDA) - MEd

This program is offered only to continuing students. No new admissions will be accepted. Students who are interested in this study area should consider the Master of Education (Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP)) or Master of Education (Full Fee Paying (FFP)) .

 On-campus*#+Online*
Start:No new admissionsNo new admissions
Campus:Toowoomba -
Fees:Commonwealth supported place
Domestic full fee paying place
International full fee paying place
Commonwealth supported place
Domestic full fee paying place
International full fee paying place
Standard duration:1.5 years full-time, up to 6 years part-time 
Program articulation:

From: Graduate Certificate of Education

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 (Secondary) or the Master of Learning and Teaching (Primary).
On successful completion of the Master of Education , students may be eligible for entry into the Doctor of Education or the Doctor of Philosophy , provided necessary entry requirements are met.

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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Program aims

The aim of the Master of Education 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-oriented 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 Education will have acquired advanced knowledge and understanding of key issues and trends within contemporary education and/or of a specialised area of 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

  • the ability to plan and execute a substantial research-based project, capstone experience and/or professionally focused project.


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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 Education.

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

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

Commonwealth supported place

A Commonwealth supported place is where the Australian Government makes a contribution towards the cost of a students' higher education and students pay a , which varies depending on the courses undertaken. Students are able to calculate the fees for a particular course via the .

Commonwealth Supported students may be eligible to defer their fees through a Government loan called .

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 to graduate with the Guidance and Counselling, Special Education or TESOL specialisation.

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Program structure

The Master of Education is a 12-unit program. Three guidelines shape the program structure:

  • Six or seven units (depending on specialisation) must be taken from the recommended enrolment pattern of the selected specialisation.

  • Three 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.


  • One or two discipline courses (depending on specialisation).


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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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Core courses

All specialisations have required courses or sequences of courses. Students are advised to note carefully the enrolment requirements for the specialisation and to ensure that they plan their enrolment to allow for completion of the specialisation requirements.

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Major studies

The Master of Education offers specialisations in the following:

  • Guidance and Counselling

  • Special Education

  • TESOL.


For a major in Leading and Managing Educational Organisations, please refer to the MEDB Master of Education (Full Fee Paying) .

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Electives/Approved courses

Education Postgraduate Discipline Courses* 
  Projected Semester Offers 
  On-campus  Online 
EDR8000   2,3  1,2,3 
EDR8001   1,2,3 
EDR8005 Discourse Analysis  1,2 
EDU5010    
EDU5112    
EDU5221    
EDU5321 Educating Students with Special Needs    1,3 
EDU5322    
EDU5325 Child Abuse and Neglect: Intervention, Protection and Prevention    1,3 
EDU5335 Emotional and Behavioural Problems of Children and Adolescents   
EDU5601 Designing for Flexible Learning Environments^   
EDU5702 Exploring Learning and Teaching in Higher Education Contexts   
EDU5703    
EDU5705    
EDU5713   1,3 
EDU5760     1,2 
EDU8007    
EDU8011    
EDU8111    
EDU8114 Online Pedagogy in Practice   
EDU8117    
EDU8311    
EDU8312    
EDU8314     1,3 
EDU8317 Individual Assessment and Testing   
EDU8318    
EDU8319 Marketing Your Educational Organisation†   
EDU8324 Learning Difficulties: Reading   
EDU8326 Learning Difficulties: Mathematics   
EDU8328 Consultation and Communication: Theory and Practice    2,3 
EDU8331 Career Development in Educational Settings   
EDU8332 Introduction to Counselling in Educational Contexts   
EDU8333 Advanced Counselling in Educational Contexts   
EDU8338 Autism   
EDU8406    
EDU8415    
EDU8605    
EDU8606 Lifelong Career Development   
EDU8701    
EDU8705 Personal Pedagogy in Context^   
EDU8712    
EDU8719 Contemporary Issues Conference   
LAW8710 Australian Law for Educators   
LIN5000 The Nature of Language  1,2  1,2 
LIN8003 Language Program Management   
LIN8001 Principles of Second Language Learning  1,2 
LIN8002 Methodology in Teaching a Second Language 
LIN8006 Technology-Enhanced Language Teaching  1,2 
LIN8007     1,3 
LIN8015   2,3 
LIN8019 Teaching Languages to Young Learners   

Footnotes
*Students should note that not all discipline 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.

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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 Education articulates from the Graduate Certificate of Education.

On completion of the Master of Education, 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 Education program 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 Education 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 Education, or alternatively, a suitable discipline course

  • the maximum credit granted is no greater than six units for the Master of Education

  • credit approved in the Master of Education 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 Education on either a full-time or a part-time basis. International on-campus students must be enrolled full-time.

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:

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Guidance and Counselling specialisation (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.

Students seeking employment as a guidance officer in Queensland will usually require a four-year degree as a pre-requisite to entering this program. You should check the requirements with your prospective employer prior to enrolling.

This specialisation prepares teachers for work as a guidance officer, guidance counsellor or school counsellor. Students can prepare themselves for a career in developmental guidance work (Primary), Counselling and Career Work (Secondary) or a combination of both (P-12) through the selection of courses in the enrolment pattern below.

The specialisation generally meets the registration criteria for the .

Students from outside Queensland who are intending to use this specialisation for professional accreditation should consult the relevant registration bodies.

Required courses:


CourseYear of program and semester in which course is normally studiedEnrolment requirementsComments
On-campus
(ONC)
External
(EXT)
Online
(ONL)
YearSemYearSemYearSem
EDU8332 Introduction to Counselling in Educational Contexts1
EDU8333 Advanced Counselling in Educational Contexts2Pre-requisite: EDU8332
EDU5325 Child Abuse and Neglect: Intervention, Protection and Prevention1,3Enrolment is not permitted in EDU5325 if EDU3325 has been previously completed.
EDU5335 Emotional and Behavioural Problems of Children and Adolescents2Enrolment is not permitted in EDU5335 if EDU3335 has been previously completed.
EDU8317 Individual Assessment and Testing1
EDU8328 Consultation and Communication: Theory and Practice2,3

Select one of the following three courses:

     EDU5321 Educating Students with Special Needs1,3
     EDU5322 3
     EDU8331 Career Development in Educational Settings2

Select one discipline course:

Discipline course†

Complete all three courses in either of the following research pathways:

Applied Research Pathway^

     EDR8801 Foundations of Research in Education21,2
     EDR8802 Foundation Methods for Research in Education2,32,3Pre-requisite: EDR8801
     EDR8062 1,2,32–unit course

Research Higher Degree Pathway*

     RSH8000 Introduction to Research1,21,2
     RSH8001 Research Methodologies1,21,2Co-requisite: RSH8000 or student must be enrolled in the DPHD
     EDR8061 Master of Education Project1,21,2,3Pre-requisite: EDR8801 and EDR8802 2–unit course

Footnotes
†Discipline course should be selected from EDU5321 Educating Students with Special Needs, EDU5322 , EDU5713 , EDU8324 Learning Difficulties: Reading, EDU8326 Learning Difficulties: Mathematics, EDU8338 Autism, EDU8606 Lifelong Career Development.
^The Applied Research Pathway does not qualify students for direct entry to the PhD program.
*Students who complete the Research Higher Degree Pathway as part of their program will be eligible to apply for entry to the PhD program subject to achieving a minimum GPA of 5.75 in the four research units and meeting other PhD entry requirements.

Notes

Some courses require access to workplaces.
Some courses require residential schools or equivalent online activities.

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Special Education specialisation (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 studiedEnrolment requirementsComments
On-campus
(ONC)
External
(EXT)
Online
(ONL)
YearSemYearSemYearSem

Required courses:

EDU8324 Learning Difficulties: Reading2
EDU8326 Learning Difficulties: Mathematics1
EDU5321 Educating Students with Special Needs1,3
EDU8328 Consultation and Communication: Theory and Practice2,3
EDU5322 3
EDU8317 Individual Assessment and Testing1

Select two discipline courses:

Discipline Course 1†1,2,31,2,3
Discipline Course 2†1,2,31,2,3

Complete all three courses in either of the following research pathways:

Applied Research Pathway^

     EDR8801 Foundations of Research in Education21,2
     EDR8802 Foundation Methods for Research in Education2,32,3Pre-requisite: EDR8801
     EDR8062 1,2,32–unit course

Research Higher Degree Pathway*

     RSH8000 Introduction to Research1,21,2
     RSH8001 Research Methodologies1,21,2Co-requisite: RSH8000 or student must be enrolled in the DPHD
     EDR8061 Master of Education Project1,21,2,3Pre-requisite: EDR8801 and EDR8802 2–unit course

Footnotes
†Discipline course should be selected from the table of Education Postgraduate discipline courses (subject to prerequisites and/or other requirements) or other courses approved by the Faculty of Business, Education, Law and Arts.
^The Applied Research Pathway does not qualify students for direct entry to the PhD program.
*Students who complete the Research Higher Degree Pathway as part of their program will be eligible to apply for entry to the PhD program subject to achieving a minimum GPA of 5.75 in the four research units and meeting other PhD entry requirements.

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TESOL specialisation (Toowoomba campus and 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 studiedEnrolment requirementsComments
On-campus
(ONC)
External
(EXT)
Online
(ONL)
YearSemYearSemYearSem

Required courses:

LIN5000 The Nature of Language1,21,2
LIN8001 Principles of Second Language Learning1,21
LIN8002 Methodology in Teaching a Second Language1,22
LIN8006 Technology-Enhanced Language Teaching11,2
LIN8015 22,3
EDR8005 Discourse Analysis11,2

Select two discipline courses:

Discipline Course 1†1,2,31,2,3
Discipline Course 2†1,2,31,2,3

Complete all three courses in either of the following research pathways:

Applied Research Pathway^

     EDR8801 Foundations of Research in Education21,2
     EDR8802 Foundation Methods for Research in Education2,32,3Pre-requisite: EDR8801
     EDR8062 1,2,32–unit course

Research Higher Degree Pathway*

     RSH8000 Introduction to Research1,21,2
     RSH8001 Research Methodologies1,21,2Co-requisite: RSH8000 or student must be enrolled in the DPHD
     EDR8061 Master of Education Project1,21,2,3Pre-requisite: EDR8801 and EDR8802 2–unit course

Footnotes
†Discipline courses should be chosen from the table of Education Postgraduate discipline courses (subject to prerequisites and/or other requirements) or other courses approved by the Faculty of Business, Education, Law and Arts.
^The Applied Research Pathway does not qualify students for direct entry to the PhD program.
*Students who complete the Research Higher Degree Pathway as part of their program will be eligible to apply for entry to the PhD program subject to achieving a minimum GPA of 5.75 in the four research units and meeting other PhD entry requirements.