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You are currently viewing the 2023 Handbook. For study in 2024, please refer to the .

Please be advised that this program will be transitioning from Semester to Trimester study periods in 2024. Trimester 1 starts on 22 January 2024. Read more in our new academic calendar FAQs.

Notes

In 2023 the program follows the Semester calendar. The Academic Calendar and Important Dates webpage will allow you to view and download a copy of the important dates for the Semester calendar.
The Australian Federal Government has mandated that all students of initial teacher education programs demonstrate they have been assessed as being in the top 30% of the adult population for personal literacy and numeracy. The is administered and managed by the . While this is not a requirement for admission, all students will need to organise and demonstrate a pass result in all components of the LANTITE prior to the final supervised Professional Experience and to graduate from this program.
On successful completion of the Master of Learning and Teaching, students may be eligible for entry into the Doctor of Philosophy , provided necessary entry requirements are met.

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Professional accreditation

This program is an approved early childhood teacher qualification with the and accredited by the and meets the expectations and requirements of the .

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Program aims

This postgraduate preservice teacher education program is offered in an accelerated pattern to enable the completion of four semesters of study in one and a half years, which is equivalent to a two year program. The program prepares beginning teachers for employment to work with learners from birth to eight years of age. It is designed for graduates with a Bachelor degree in a field other than education to work in early education and care services and to be eligible to apply for registration to teach in primary school contexts from Foundation to Year 3. Following completion of this program, graduates will be equipped to work as a qualified teacher in early learning centres and kindergartens and to teach the learning areas of the primary school curriculum from Foundation to Year 3, with a specialisation in English Literacy.

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Program objectives

The program objectives align with the requirements of and the seven (Graduate Level). On successful completion of the program, graduates will be able to demonstrate that they:

• know and understand the characteristics of babies and young children and how they develop and learn

• know and understand the curriculum and learning frameworks that govern diverse early childhood and primary school settings

• collaborate with others to plan for the effective implementation of age appropriate programs for child engagement, development and learning

• create and maintain supportive, socially inclusive and safe learning environments within diverse settings

• observe, interpret, assess, provide feedback and report on child development and learning

• engage in professional learning to develop and improve practice

• engage professionally with colleagues, parents/carers, stakeholders and the community.

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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:

Academic entry criteria

• Completion of a three-year Bachelor degree or equivalent (AQF Level 7), in a discipline other than education, with a minimum Grade Point Average of 4.0 out of 7.0, from a recognised tertiary institution.

• For primary teaching, applicants must have eight units of study that are relevant to one or more of the learning areas of the primary school curriculum. The primary school curriculum areas are English, Mathematics, Science, Humanities and Social Sciences, The Arts, Health and Physical Education, Languages and Technology. This requirement for discipline studies can be met through further study that is completed from different courses at bachelor degree level or higher.

• English language requirements apply to applicants whose previous Bachelor-level study was completed in a country other than Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Republic of Ireland, United Kingdom or the United States of America or undertaken in a language other than English. Applicants from a non-English speaking background must attain an IELTS score of at least 7.5 with a minimum of 8.0 in speaking and listening and 7.0 in all other subtests. The minimum English language requirements for these applicants to enter this program are for teacher registration in Australia, as applicable for .

Non-academic entry criteria

• Completion of the non-academic entry requirements to demonstrate the applicant’s motivation to teach and suitability for the teaching profession. Details are available from the initial teacher education webpage.

• If an applicant has achieved a 'satisfactory' result for one or more components of the at another institution, the 'satisfactory' result can be carried across with this admission application.

• Students must be available for a prescribed period of time to undertake the majority of the supervised Professional Experience placements in an Australian school setting, or at another approved site as required by the program. State law in Queensland (Australia) requires that all adults working/undertaking professional experience/researching with children under the age of 18, are required to possess a current Positive Exemption Card . Students in other Australian states or in overseas contexts need to ensure they have complied with the equivalent requirements and have registered the details with the .

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 .

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Program structure

This program is comprised of 16 courses (refer to the for either Semester 1 or Semester 2 entry) which consists of seven professional education courses and nine courses for discipline-specific curriculum and pedagogical studies across the learning areas of the primary school curriculum. There is a research focus in eight courses, as required by the , for students to achieve AQF Level 9 upon completion of the program. At least one third of the program is devoted to early childhood curriculum and Professional Experience with children from birth to eight years of age. There are five courses that are specific for early years education to cover the age range from birth until before they start formal schooling, which includes the transition to school.

Students intending to complete the program with four semesters of full time study in 1.5 years are advised on the importance of following the recommended enrolment pattern with a Professional Experience placement every semester. The program has four courses which have blocks of supervised Professional Experience for a total of 75 days. The is a culminating summative assessment which is completed during the final supervised experience in the capstone course, EDM8100 Evidence of Learning in Teaching.

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Program completion requirements

To graduate from this program, students must complete all 16 units which includes 75 days supervised Professional Experience. All students will need to organise and demonstrate a pass result in all components of the prior to commencing the final placement. is administered and managed by and is a requirement for graduation from the program.

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Required time limits

This accelerated program is able to be completed by students in a full-time duration of 1.5 years in four semesters which are equivalent to two years of study. Students are able to complete the program part-time, but some courses have pre-requisites and courses are not offered every semester.

Students have a maximum of 8 years to complete this program.

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Core courses

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Specialisation

The program consists of courses that specialise in the development, care and education of children from birth to eight years, including the transition to school. The program is inclusive of early childhood education and curriculum studies, teaching pedagogies and Professional Experience. The historical and comparative perspectives of early childhood are interwoven with contemporary theories and practices for developing family and community partnerships. The primary curriculum learning areas are covered from Foundation to Year 3, with a specialisation in English Literacy. In particular, the program makes explicit reference to the elements of effective early reading instruction including phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension and oral language, with English Literacy as the primary specialisation area.

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Professional experience

Professional Experience is a mandated component of this program. The program requires four full-time supervised Professional Experience blocks which includes 10 days with children aged birth to under 3 years old (0–35 months), 20 days with children aged 3-5 years (supervised by a registered teacher) and 45 days in a primary school setting, totalling 75 days.

The program is developmental, and the placements are sequenced with pre-requisites so that they must be attended in order. Professional Experience is an embedded and assessed requirement in EDM5014 Planning for Learning: Curriculum, Play and Pedagogy with 20 days supervised by a registered teacher with children aged 3-5 years. In EDM5001 Understanding Learners and Learning^£, students will attend 20 days in a primary school setting (Foundation–Year 3). Students in EDM8017^£ Relating and Inquiring in Infant and Toddler Education and Care Contexts will gain an extensive understanding of the early years through 10 days supervised placement in a birth to 2 years context. Satisfactory completion of both components of the is required prior to enrolling in the capstone course, EDM8100 Evidence of Learning in Teaching, for the final 25 days supervised placement and the GTPA. In this unit Students must observe a minimum of one lesson in an Upper Primary classroom (Years 4-6).

Students intending to complete the program in 1.5 years are advised on the importance of attending a Professional Experience placement every semester by meeting pre-requisites, complying with placement requirements, communicating with the and by taking sufficient personal and professional responsibility to attend sites as required throughout the program.

The placements in early learning settings, kindergarten and primary schools are organised by the and the calendar of placement dates are scheduled in advance. At UniSQ, Professional Experience placements are managed through the online software management system. The expectation is that students will usually attend two or three different sites throughout their program and return to a previous school placement site, for the GTPA in their final semester of study.

The majority of the supervised placements must be attended in an Australian school setting. Students must be available for a prescribed period of time to undertake a placement in a school or other approved site as required in the program. State law in Queensland (Australia) requires that all adults working/undertaking professional experience/researching with children under the age of 18, are required to possess a current Positive Exemption Card () on enrolment. Students must hold a current valid Blue Card throughout the duration of each Professional Experience. The ¾«¶«´«Ã½app is legally obliged to warn students that it is an offence for a disqualified person to submit a Blue Card application. Students in other Australian states or in overseas contexts need to ensure that they have complied with the equivalent requirements and have registered the details with the . Students should keep their Blue Card on them at all times while attending a Professional Experience placement.

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IT requirements

This program is studied through online courses and external placement courses for Professional Experience. For information regarding technology requirements, please refer to the.

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Other program requirements

Students must maintain good standing in this program. Please refer to the .

Students must also hold a valid within Queensland or hold a valid as well as having completed any further training/certificates relevant to the state in which they are completing their .

Satisfactory completion of both components of the will be required prior to commencing the final supervised placement and for graduation from this program.

There is no fee for a student Blue Card, but the program has additional costs associated with and Professional Experience. Every effort is made to place students within a reasonable distance of their home; however students are also encouraged to consider a rural, regional or remote placement.

There may be costs associated with travel, accommodation, meal expenses, incidentals and the possible loss of income from other paid employment.

All students are expected to commit themselves to the highest standards of personal and professional behaviour as defined in the and the .

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Articulation

On successful completion of the Master of Learning and Teaching, students may be eligible for entry into the Doctor of Philosophy, provided necessary entry requirements are met. Graduates may also choose to undertake a Graduate Certificate to further specialise their teaching practice.

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Related programs

The Master of Learning and Teaching is a suite of three distinct programs to prepare teachers for different sectors of schooling. The Master of Learning and Teaching (Early Years) prepares graduates in the area of early years education, which ranges from birth to eight years of age. The Master of Learning and Teaching (Primary) prepares graduates for the primary years of schooling from Foundation to Year 6. The Master of Learning and Teaching (Secondary) prepares graduates for secondary schooling, which is guided by, but not limited to, two teaching areas.

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Exit points

A student who chooses not to complete or who does not maintain good standing in this program will be permitted to exit with a lesser qualification as set out below, provided that they have met the requirements of that program. This means:

• a student who successfully completes four postgraduate courses in the Master of Learning and Teaching may apply to exit with the Graduate Certificate of Education as an alternative education qualification. However, this qualification is not approved for teacher registration and it does not meet the requirements of the ACECQA framework.

• a student who successfully completes eight postgraduate courses in the Master of Learning and Teaching may apply to exit with the GDEDorGDEF Graduate Diploma of Education (Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP)) or Graduate Diploma of Education (Full Fee Paying (FFP)) as an alternative education qualification. However, this qualification is not approved for teacher registration and it does not meet the requirements of the ACECQA framework.

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Credit

Candidates eligible for admission into this program may be eligible for up to eight units of credit on the basis of successful completion of relevant, equivalent postgraduate level study completed at a recognised university or institution.

Credit approved in this program will not automatically apply to other specialisations or UniSQ programs. Claims for credit should be submitted prior to or at the time of enrolment. Each claim will be assessed on individual merit in line with the .

For instructions on applying for credit, please view information on .

Recommended enrolment patterns

In this section:

• Recommended enrolment pattern - Semester 1 entry
• Recommended enrolment pattern - Semester 2 entry

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Recommended enrolment pattern - Semester 1 entry

For a student to be eligible to graduate in 1.5 years, they must successfully complete these set courses in this strict pattern:

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Recommended enrolment pattern - Semester 2 entry

For a student to be eligible to graduate in 1.5 years, they must successfully complete these set courses in this strict pattern: