Master of Teaching (Early Childhood and Primary)/Graduate Certificate in Religious Education
Course information for - 2025 entry
- Duration
- 2 years full-time or equivalent part-time
- Fees (first year)*
- Start dates
- ACU Term 1, ACU Term 3
The Master of Teaching (Early Childhood and Primary)/Graduate Certificate in Religious Education commences ACU Online Term 1. Visit our study periods page for more details.
Overview
The Master of Teaching (Early Childhood and Primary) has been designed to contribute to the education profession by preparing graduates to be accomplished and articulate advocates for the rights and responsibilities of all children within their professional, community, outreach, and research contexts. The Master of Teaching (Early Childhood and Primary) cultivates graduates to be articulate and passionate teachers who are committed to the generation and dissemination of knowledge, skills and attitudes that can facilitate the implementation of high-quality early childhood and primary education for all children.
Combine the Graduate Certificate in Religious Education with this course to gain the certification, knowledge, skills and competencies needed to teach religious education in Catholic schools.
Achieve your goals with a scholarship.
A generous Commonwealth Teaching Scholarship is available to support new undergraduate and postgraduate students enrolling in an initial teacher education (ITE) program to help meet the costs of their study. Learn more about eligibility and how to apply here.
Professional experience
You will complete 70 days of professional experience in a relevant prior to school and primary school setting.
Work placement
Pre-service educators must complete a Professional Experience Program in a relevant prior-to-school and formal primary school settings in line with the requirements of national teacher accreditation authorities.
Supervised professional experience is at the heart of all our pre-service teacher education courses and the Faculty will find appropriate placements to suit the needs of your course. Placements will usually be arranged for the scheduled placement period in the professional experience calendar though this may not always be possible.
Professional recognition
Graduates are eligible for registration as a early childhood educator and primary school teacher in government, independent, and Catholic schools or other faith-based schools. The Graduate Certificate in Religious Education is the basic certification required to teach religious education in schools.
Accreditation
This program has been accredited by the Victorian Institute of Teaching and listed on the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) and Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) accredited programs list.
Careers
Our graduates have pursued careers in:
- early childhood education
- primary school education
- religious education
- education research
- play education specialist
- curriculum development
- education consulting
- policy development
Course details
Course structure
To complete the Master of Teaching (Early Childhood and Primary)/Graduate Certificate in Religious Education, a student must complete 200 credit points (cp).
Course map
Graduate statement
AQF framework
Exit Points
A student who has successfully completed the following requirements may exit from the course with that qualification. Note that none of these qualifications qualify a student to teach in Australia.
- *Graduate Certificate in Educational Studies: 40 cp from the Schedule of Unit Offerings of the Master of Teaching (Early Childhood and Primary)
- *Graduate Diploma in Educational Studies: 80 cp from the Schedule of Unit Offerings of the Master of Teaching (Early Childhood and Primary).
- *Graduate Certificate in Religious Education: 40 cp from the Schedule of Unit Offerings of the Graduate Certificate in Religious Education
- Master of Teaching (Early Childhood and Primary): 160 cp from the Schedule of Unit Offerings of the Master of Teaching (Early Childhood and Primary)
*Note that none of these qualifications qualifies a student to teach in Australia.
A student who does not meet the LANTITE requirements may exit with the Graduate Diploma in Educational Studies or Graduate Certificate in Educational Studies if they meet the requirements of those awards.
Additional course information
Non-academic assessment - suitability for teaching
Applicants who apply for entry into this initial teacher education course will be required to complete a non-academic assessment. The assessment is to demonstrate suitability for teaching and will be part of your application when applying for admission into this course. Please visit our Suitability for teaching page for more information.
Literacy and Numeracy Test in Initial Teacher Education (LANTITE)
Students will be required to demonstrate they have achieved approved benchmarks in literacy and numeracy as demonstrated through the Literacy and Numeracy Test in Initial Teacher Education (LANTITE). Successful completion of LANTITE is a requirement for course completion.
If you have started your ITE course at another institution and wish to transfer to ACU to complete your studies, please be sure that you have read and understand the requirements for receiving credit for previous studies and those on completing LANTITE.
All students enrolled must have the appropriate approvals before they may enter a classroom. These are: Blue Card (Qld), Working with Vulnerable People (ACT) or Working with Children Check (NSW and Vic). Students in other states and territories should check their local requirements. To meet the requirements for working in settings other than schools, a National Police Check may also be required.
Entry requirements
An applicant must also comply with the Admission to Coursework Programs Policy.
To be eligible for admission to the course, an applicant must:
- have successfully completed a Bachelor degree or equivalent qualification, with:
- subject content studies equivalent to one year of full-time study in one or more learning areas of the primary school curriculum; including
- subject content studies equivalent to one quarter of a year in a selected subject specialisation.
- demonstrate suitability for teaching as evidenced by completion of the relevant State assessment which will be provided in the application process.
Applicants who completed Bachelor degrees outside Australia should review Admission to Coursework Programs Policy to determine if they are required to meet additional English Language Proficiency requirements for entry into the course.
Applicants seeking teacher registration in Australia should check with state registration bodies to confirm English Language Proficiency requirements for teacher registration.
Disclaimer: The course entry requirements above are for 2025 Admission.
Applicants with higher education study
You will need to meet the minimum entry requirements and subject prerequisites for your chosen course.
If you have completed at least two units of AQF-recognised study at bachelor level or above, we’ll assign you with a new selection rank that reflects your study level, duration, and grade point average.
If your prior study or relevant work experience has provided you with knowledge, skills or experience aligned with the learning outcomes of units in your new course, you may be eligible to gain credit for study or have your prior learning recognised. This means you may be able to complete your ACU course in a shorter timeframe.
You can use our credit search tool to see what you might be eligible for. For more information about credit and recognition of prior learning at ACU, follow the link below.
English language requirements
International English Language Testing System (IELTS)
- No score less than 7 in reading and writing. No score less than 8 in listening and speaking.
Pearson Test of English (PTE)
- A minimum of 65 in reading and writing and a minimum of 79 in listening and speaking
Test of English as a Foreign Language – Academic (TOEFL)
- No score less than 24 in reading, 27 in writing, 28 in listening and 26 in speaking
ACU English Language Test
- A++ (85 or above)
C1 Advanced
- A minimum of 185 in reading and writing and 200 in listening and speaking.
Inherent requirement
There are essential components of a course or unit that demonstrate the capabilities, knowledge and skills to achieve the core learning outcomes of that course or unit. You will need to be able to meet these inherent requirements to complete your course.
Learn more about inherent requirements for your course and how they affect you
Pathways
Pathways into course for applicants with previous study and/or life experience
The Master of Teaching (Early Childhood and Primary) has specific requirements of entry which are related to accreditation and teacher registration requirements. Credit and recognition of prior learning (RPL) are available. The completion of this course provides a pathway for further study in higher degree Masters programs at the postgraduate level.
Further study
Graduates may progress to masters by coursework.
Fees
Course costs
*This is an indicative first-year fee based on the tuition fee rates for a full-time student, using unit enrolment data from domestic students who studied the course in the previous year.
A student’s annual fee will vary depending on factors including:
- Number of units studied per year
- Choice of major or specialisation
- Elective units
The University reviews fees annually.
You can view current course costs and domestic tuition fee rates by unit.
Payment options
You should be able to concentrate on getting good marks instead of worrying about how you’ll pay your fees. We have a number of options that can help you ease the financial burden, including government assistance, scholarships and income support. Students enrolled in this course may be eligible to receive Youth Allowance (student), or Austudy and/or the Pensioner Education Supplement
Scholarships
You could be eligible for one of the hundreds of scholarships we award each year to help students from across the university with the cost of studying, accommodation or overseas study opportunities. Some of our scholarships are awarded on the basis of merit, but these aren’t just for the academically gifted; ACU also recognises excellence in community engagement and leadership. We also offer a range of scholarships for those who may be struggling financially or who have faced other barriers to accessing education.
Staff Profile
Dr Jason Wong
Senior Lecturer in Health and Physical Education
Dr Jason Wong is Senior Lecturer in Health and Physical Education and National Coordinator for Accreditation of Initial Teacher Education courses at the National School of Education. Prior to academia, he was a PE specialist and have taught in primary and secondary schools in Singapore and Australia. He was also a Head of Department for PE and co-curricular activities in a large public school in Singapore. His research revolves around behaviour change and physical activity and health. He is currently researching how implementing active teaching pedagogies through pre-service teachers can impact on students’ learning in schools.
Dr Kim Rowston
Campus Course Coordinator, Strathfield, National School of Education
Dr Kim Rowston is a lecturer in the School of Education at Australian Catholic University (ACU), Strathfield Campus. Before joining ACU in 2012, Dr Rowston was a secondary teacher in the Technology and Applied Studies key learning area for twenty years in state and independent schools. During this time, she held various leadership roles and played a significant part in the design and implementation of integrated STEM cross-curriculum programs. Dr Rowston specialises in Design and Digital Technologies undergraduate and postgraduate curricula, as well as supervising postgraduate research students (NSW). Her doctorial research applied a social cognitive lens to investigate the factors influencing pre-service teachers’ technology integration practice. She is particularly interested in understanding pre-service teacher efficacy as they transition into the profession, early career teacher well-being, including the role of school cultures during this process.