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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 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 in secondary school (Year 7 to Year 12) settings in two teaching areas that are relevant to the Australian curriculum. It is designed for graduates with a Bachelor degree in a field other than education to be eligible to apply for registration to teach in secondary school contexts. Following completion of this program, graduates will be equipped with the teaching methods, knowledge and confidence to work, inspire and educate adolescents in subjects that are taught in secondary schools, which is guided by, but not limited to, two teaching areas.

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Program objectives

The program objectives align with the seven . On successful completion of the program, graduates will be able to demonstrate that they:

• know adolescent students and how they learn

• know the content and how to teach subjects that are taught in secondary schools, which are guided by, but not limited to, two teaching areas

• plan for and implement effective teaching and learning pedagogies suitable for both junior and senior secondary students

• create and maintain supportive and safe learning environments for secondary students

• assess according to and requirements, provide feedback and report on secondary student learning

• engage in professional learning to improve practice, and learning outcomes, for secondary school learners

• engage professionally with colleagues, parents/carers and the community, meeting their ethical and legal responsibilities.

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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.

• Students are accepted into the secondary program based on their discipline studies from their academic transcript and qualifications, for example in relation to vocational education areas. For secondary teaching in two teaching areas, applicants must have studied six units that are relevant to a major teaching area and at least another four units that are relevant to a contrasting subject area or a different discipline area. The secondary discipline studies requirements 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 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 four secondary education studies courses, four education studies courses, four professional learning and placement courses and four discipline-specific curriculum and pedagogical studies courses, with two courses for both teaching areas. Students will complete 14 required courses, one undergraduate curriculum and pedagogy course from List A and one advanced curriculum and pedagogy course from List B. There is a research focus in eight courses, as required by the , for students to achieve AQF Level 9 upon completion of the program.

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 three courses which have blocks of supervised Professional Experience for a total of 60 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 a total of 16 units which are arranged as 14 required courses with 60 days supervised Professional Experience, one undergraduate course from List A and one course from List B. The List A and List B courses are nominated when the student is accepted into the program based on the student’s two teaching areas. All students will need to organise and demonstrate a pass result in all components of the prior to commencing the final supervised placement and the GTPA. 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

Teaching areas

Students must complete the teaching areas as stated in their letter of offer at program entry. There are four discipline-specific curriculum and pedagogical studies courses, with two courses for both teaching areas. These four teaching area courses are arranged with one course focussing on the junior curriculum area, one course for the senior phase, one undergraduate level course from List A and one advanced discipline area course from List B.

For Professional Experience, students will attend placements in secondary contexts which are guided by, but not limited to, their two teaching areas. The majority of students will attend placements in two teaching areas that are offered at both junior secondary and senior phases of learning. Some students may be offered placements in one teaching area through to Year 12 with the second area in junior secondary subjects that are taught from Year 7 – 10. Depending on the student’s expertise and prior experiences (for example, in relation to vocational education areas), a student may be offered placements based on their knowledge and experience that relates to two junior secondary and two senior phase curriculum areas.

EDM5004 Curriculum and Pedagogy for Junior Secondary^£ explores a range of issues and approaches that are relevant to a subject taught in Year 7-10. EDM8010 Curriculum and Pedagogy for Senior Secondary^£ focuses on the senior phase of learning for a teaching area up to Year 12. Students will study one course from List A as their nominated undergraduate discipline-specific teaching area course. Students will then build and extend their teaching area by taking one advanced curriculum and pedagogy course relevant to their discipline from List B.

List A - Undergraduate Discipline-specific Curriculum and Pedagogy courses

List A courses are only offered in Semester 2

Note: Students are advised of which course from List A is relevant to their teaching areas at program entry.

List B - Advanced Curriculum and Pedagogy courses

List B courses are only offered in Semester 3

Note: Students nominate one course from List B relevant to their teaching areas at program entry.

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Professional experience

Professional Experience is a mandated component of this program. The program requires three full-time supervised Professional Experience blocks in a school setting, totalling 60 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, supervised and assessed requirement in EDM5000 Planning for Learning: Introduction to Curriculum and Pedagogy (15 days), EDM5001 Understanding Learners and Learning^£ (20 days) and in the capstone course EDM8100 Evidence of Learning in Teaching (25 days). 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 supervised placement and the GTPA.

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 secondary school contexts 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 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 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 by the .

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Articulation

On successful completion of the Master of Learning and Teaching, graduates 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.

• 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.

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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: