Bachelor of Arts / Master of Teaching (Secondary)
2025 Deakin University Handbook
| Year | 2026 course information |
|---|---|
| Award granted | Bachelor of Arts / Master of Teaching (Secondary) |
| Course Credit Points | 36 |
| Deakin course code | D303 |
| Course version | 4 |
| Faculty | |
| Course Information | For students who commenced from 2023 to 2025 |
| Final Intake | Offered to continuing students only. The final intake to this course was in teaching period 1, 2025. Students should contact Student Central for course, course map and enrolment information. |
| Duration | 4 years full-time or part-time equivalent |
| Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) recognition | The award conferred upon completion is recognised in the Australian Qualifications Framework at Level 7/9 |
Course sub-headings
- Course overview
- Professional recognition
- Participation requirements
- Mandatory student checks
- Course Learning Outcomes
- Course rules
- Course structure
- Other learning experiences
- Fees and charges
Course overview
Combine your passion for the arts with a desire to inspire the next generation, with a Bachelor of Arts/Master of Teaching (Secondary) at Deakin. Our school-based learning programs and professional learning placements ensure you are ready to teach today and into the future.
Fast-track your studies and graduate with two versatile degrees in just four years. The 14 arts majors on offer, including history, media studies, performing arts, complement your teaching expertise while diversifying your career options.
In both streams of study, you will be prepared for the challenges of professional life through practical learning. Deakin’s Professional Experience Program provides the perfect preview to your future role in teaching. Get a taste for what it is like to be a secondary educator and develop your skills in the real world by learning from and with experienced teachers.
Are you ready to launch an exciting and rewarding career?
In the arts stream of this combined course you can tailor your studies around your interests, creating unique combinations of majors and minors. While studying your undergraduate degree, you will also be building your foundation knowledge that will take you into your postgraduate studies. Choose from relevant arts disciplines that will form your teaching specialisations, including:
- English
- history
- languages other than English (LOTE)
- media studies
- performing arts
- studies of society and environment (Humanities)
- visual arts and photography.
Deakin's Professional Experience Program is a key part of your postgraduate course, ensuring you have the practical skills needed from day one of your teaching career. Working with more than 1400 schools across Australia, we will arrange at least 60-days of placements for you in schools where you will learn from experienced teachers. You will also have access to specialised teaching spaces on campus to prepare for teaching.
Deakin is the only university in Australia to embed the Berry Street Education Model into all of our initial teaching education courses. You’ll graduate equipped with practical, trauma-informed strategies to support every learner, manage safe, healthier and more engaging learning environments and build positive classroom relationships to promote academic success.
You can also add a global perspective to your degree by undertaking a study tour, internationally focused internship in Australia or overseas, language study, or longer study abroad exchange experience*.
Before beginning your Master of Teaching (Secondary), prospective education students need to successfully complete the Casper test – an online, video scenario-based test that lets you demonstrate your suitability for a teaching career.
Professional recognition
This course is accredited by the Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT) as a nationally accredited course and students are eligible to apply for registration with VIT upon graduation. If you intend to apply for registration in Victoria or interstate you may be required to provide further information. Applicants are advised to check the registration requirements in their state or territory, carefully.
Participation requirements
Students are required to complete units in Trimester 3 of the third year of study.
This course includes 60 days of supervised professional experience and requires students to successfully complete the Deakin Teaching Performance Assessment (DTPA) in their final year. If a student does not pass the DTPA, they must seek guidance from the Course Director.
Graduation from the course confirms that students have met the Graduate Teacher Standards and achieved all Core Content learning outcomes outlined in Schedule 2.
Reasonable adjustments to participation and other course requirements will be made for students with a disability. More information available at Disability support services.
Mandatory student checks
A Working with Children Check and completion of Casper selection is required before commencing any units from the Master of Teaching (Secondary).
Students will be required to hold a valid Working with Children (WWC) Check prior to undertaking professional placements as part of this course in Year 3, Trimester 3. Learn more about Working with Children Checks.
Interstate applicants must check the requirements and meet all conditions for undertaking professional experience in schools for their state or territory before undertaking professional experience placements as part of this course.
Inherent requirements
It is expected that all students will be able to abide by, and ensure their behaviour is in accordance with the Victorian Institute of Teaching Code of Conduct.
Immunisations
Immunisation and/or vaccination requirements will be communicated by the Professional Experience Office in line with the Department of Education and Training's directions at the time of placement.
For further information contact the School of Education, Professional Experience Office.
Teacher Education Graduation requirements
Students undertaking an initial teacher education course must pass an approved literacy and numeracy test in order to be eligible to graduate and apply for teacher registration. Learn more about the literacy and numeracy test.
Course Learning Outcomes
| Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes | Course Learning Outcomes Bachelor of Arts (A310) | Course Learning Outcomes Master of Teaching (Secondary) (E763) |
|---|---|---|
| Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities | Demonstrate a broad and coherent body of knowledge in the Arts disciplines, with depth in the underlying principles and concepts in one or more disciplines or areas of practice. | Contribute to critical, professional debates about education theory; local, national and global trends; curriculum; Indigenous and intercultural perspectives; and legal, professional and ethical codes and standards, and critique and apply these understandings to inform their own practice. |
| Communication | Demonstrate highly developed skills in oral, written and electronic communication and the ability to communicate research outcomes, and produce scholarly papers. | Apply critical thinking, pedagogical knowledge and effective interpersonal, oral, written and multimodal communication skills to demonstrate empathy, foster learner agency, establish positive and inclusive learning-friendly environments, and build effective professional partnerships and trust with families/caregivers, teaching colleagues and other stakeholders. |
| Digital literacy | Research, analyse, synthesise and disseminate information using a range of appropriate technologies and resources in a rapidly-changing global environment. | Act in accordance with the ethical and legal frameworks and policy that inform responsible and ethical practice in digital environments, and critically discuss, evaluate and employ a range of appropriate digital literacies, resources and technologies for professional/community/learner engagement and agency. |
| Critical thinking | Use critical and analytical thinking and judgement in selecting and applying appropriate theories and methodologies to evaluate information and knowledge about society, culture and the arts. | Contribute to critical and professional debates about education trends, theory, policy and research and use these understandings to critically reflect on and evaluate own teaching practices and diverse learning data sets to make informed evidence-based judgements for enhancements and innovations to improve learner agency and outcomes. |
| Problem solving | Apply cognitive, technical and creative skills to generate solutions to unpredictable and sometimes complex problems in the Humanities, Social Sciences and the Creative Arts, including cross-disciplinary approaches. | Collaboratively and independently use evidence and research to identify, prioritise and creatively respond to problems that arise in professional learning and practice. |
| Self-management | Demonstrate autonomy, responsibility and accountability for personal actions and a continued commitment to learning in personal, professional, and scholarly contexts. | Engage autonomously and responsibly with critical self-reflection, self-assessment and feedback from others, to inform their own learning, plan for professional development and to balance academic demands with self-care /self-management. |
| Teamwork | Work and learn collaboratively with colleagues, other professionals and members of the wider community. | Actively and collaboratively participate in, and/or lead learning communities, involving learners, families, community members, colleagues and the broader profession to deepen understandings of education and to optimise learning and learner well-being. |
| Global citizenship | Demonstrate an awareness of ethical issues, cultural diversity, and social responsibility when engaging in scholarship and professional roles in the local, national or international community. | Apply culturally responsive, critically reflective and embodied self-knowledge of decolonial praxis in the design, delivery and evaluation of teaching and learning that honours and respects the educational expectations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and diverse learners, families and communities. |
Approved at Faculty Board
Course rules
To complete the Bachelor of Arts/Master of Teaching (Secondary) students must pass 36 credit points and meet the following course rules to be eligible to graduate:
- DAI001 Academic Integrity and Respect at Deakin (0-credit-point compulsory unit) to be completed in the first trimester of study
- 24 credit points from the Bachelor of Arts
- 2 Arts majors (8 credit points each)
- 4 credit points selected from:
- EDU202 Educators and Learners
- EDU203 Literacy, Numeracy and Education
- EDU210 The Brain and Learning
- EDU303 Education, Communication and Technology
- EDU301 Culture, Diversity and Participation in Education
- EDU302 Education and Humanitarian Development
- 4 credit points of course electives
- a maximum of 10 credit points of at level 1
- a minimum of 6 credit points of at level 3
- 12 credit points from the Master of Teaching (Secondary) (minimum WAM of 60 required*)
- ELN010 Australian Literacy Test (0-credit-point compulsory unit)
- ELN011 Australian Numeracy Test (0-credit-point compulsory unit)
- 8 credit points of core units
- 4 credit points of approved curriculum study units from two teaching specialist areas
- course requirements for both the Bachelor of Arts (A310) and Master of Teaching (Secondary) (E763) must be satisfied.
Eligibility*
Following successful completion of the first three undergraduate levels of the course, students with a Weighted Average Mark (WAM) above 60 and meet the entry requirements for the Master of Teaching (Secondary) will progress to the postgraduate level of the course. Students cannot progress to the postgraduate level of study without completing all 24 credit points at undergraduate level. An alternative exit from D303 with an A310 Bachelor of Arts award is available to students with a WAM of less than 60.
Students are required to meet the University's academic progress and conduct requirements. See the enrolment codes and terminology to help make sense of the University’s vocabulary.
Note:
To be eligible to graduate, students must complete three zero (0) credit point units:
- ELN010 and ELN011, which support the Literacy and Numeracy Test for Initial Teacher Education (LANTITE). Students are expected to attempt these tests in their first year; failure to do so may prevent course progression until an attempt is made.
- ETI010 (Trauma Informed Practice), which incorporates the Berry Street Education Model (BSEM).
- Students undertaking a major in Anthropology, Indigenous Studies, International Relations, Middle East Studies, Philosophy, Politics or Sociology must select 2 credit points of units in 1 of the others of these or from the A310 major of History among their electives
- This course includes 60-days of supervised professional experience, and students must successfully complete the Deakin Teaching Performance Assessment. Successful completion of this course indicates that a student has met the expected standard of performance for each of the Graduate Teacher Standards.
Students must also meet all academic progress and conduct requirements. For unit enrolment advice, contact Student Services.
Course structure
Bachelor of Arts
Compulsory 0-credit point module
To be completed in the first trimester of study:
| DAI001 | Academic Integrity and Respect at Deakin |
Bachelor of Arts structure
Students to select:
- 2 approved Arts major sequences of at least 8 credit points each selected from the following listing:
One of Anthropology, Indigenous Studies, International Relations, Middle East Studies, Philosophy, Politics and Policy Studies or Sociology
| Area of Study | Availability |
| Anthropology | Burwood (Melbourne), Online |
| Indigenous Studies | Online~ |
| International Relations | Burwood (Melbourne), Online |
| Middle East Studies | Burwood (Melbourne), Online |
| Philosophy | Burwood (Melbourne), Online |
| Politics and Policy Studies | Burwood (Melbourne), Online |
| Sociology | Burwood (Melbourne), Online |
~ The Indigenous Studies major sequence is offered in the online mode only. International on-campus students must first seek approval from Student Central with a course map plan to ensure they do not exceed one-third (or equivalent) of their course completed online and meet all other course and enrolment rules.
Note: Students taking a major in Anthropology, Indigenous Studies, International Relations, Middle East Studies, Philosophy, Politics or Sociology must select 2 credit points of units in one of the others of these or from the A310 major of History among their electives.
One of English - Children's Literature or English - Literature
| Area of Study | Availability |
| English - Children's Literature | Burwood (Melbourne), Online |
| English - Literature | Burwood (Melbourne), Online |
One of Arabic or Chinese or Indonesian or Spanish
| Area of Study | Availability |
| Arabic | Burwood (Melbourne), Online |
| Chinese | Burwood (Melbourne), Online |
| Indonesian | Burwood (Melbourne), Online |
| Spanish | Burwood (Melbourne), Online |
History
| Area of Study | Availability |
| History | Burwood (Melbourne), Online |
Media Studies
| Area of Study | Availability |
| Media Studies | Burwood (Melbourne), Online |
Performing Arts
| Area of Study | Availability |
| Performing Arts | Burwood (Melbourne) |
Visual Arts and Photography
| Area of Study | Availability |
| Visual Arts and Photography | Burwood (Melbourne) |
- Plus 4 electives selected from another Arts major discipline listed above
- Plus 4 credit points selected from:
| EDU202 | Educators and Learners |
| EDU203 | Literacy, Numeracy and Education |
| EDU210 | The Brain and Learning (replaces EDU201) |
| EDU303 | Education, Communication and Technology |
| EDU301 | Culture, Diversity and Participation in Education |
| EDU302 | Education and Humanitarian Development |
EDU201 Educational Psychology [No longer available for enrolment, replacement unit EDU210]
Master of Teaching (Secondary)
Master of Teaching (Secondary) structure
| ELN010 | Australian Literacy Test (zero (0) credit points) |
| ELN011 | Australian Numeracy Test (zero (0) credit points) |
Core Coursework Units
| EEE754 | Language, Literacies and Learning |
| EEE755 | Numeracy, Social Justice and New Pedagogies |
| EEE756 | Health, Wellbeing and Inclusive Education |
| EEH730 | Promoting Student Wellbeing |
Professional Experience Placement Units*
(*please note unit rules for order in which these must be completed)
| EPR781 | Orientation to the Teaching Profession |
| EPR782 | Building Capacity in Professional Experience |
| EPR786 | Transition to the Profession 1 (replaces EPR785) |
| EPR787 | Transition to the Profession 2 (replaces EPR785) |
>Plus
2 Secondary Curriculum Studies units in a first teaching method area
And
2 Secondary Curriculum Studies units in a second teaching method area
EPR785 Reflecting On Practice in Professional Experience (2 credit points) [No longer available for enrolment]
Secondary Curriculum Study Units
All Secondary candidates will have 2 methods (disciplines) as reflected in their undergraduate major and minor sequences related to the Australian Curriculum.
Candidates undertake 2 curriculum studies units (as prescribed) per method (four units for dual/double), across one or two learning areas.
Note: D303 permits a choice between learning areas 1, 4, 5 or 7 from the Secondary Curriculum learning areas of 1:English, 2:Mathematics, 3:Science, 4:Humanities, 5:Languages, 6:Health and PE, 7:The Arts.
Learning Area 1: English
Single method: English
| ECL761 | Teaching English: Middle Years |
| ECL762 | Teaching English: Senior Years |
Learning Area 4: Humanities
Single method: Humanities - Geography, Philosophy, Sociology, Anthropology, Economics, Business, Legal Studies, Global Politics, Indigenous Studies, Middle East Studies or International Relations
| EHU701 | Teaching Humanities: Middle Years |
| EHU702 | Teaching Humanities: Senior Years |
Single method: Humanities - History
| EHU701 | Teaching Humanities: Middle Years |
| EHI702 | Teaching History: Senior Years |
Dual method: Humanities/SOSE with History - one of Geography, Philosophy, Sociology, Anthropology, Economics, Business, Legal Studies, Global Politics, Indigenous Studies, Middle East Studies or International Relations - plus History
| EHI701 | Unit description is currently unavailable |
| EHI702 | Teaching History: Senior Years |
| EHU701 | Teaching Humanities: Middle Years |
| EHU702 | Teaching Humanities: Senior Years |
Dual method: Humanities/SOSE - two of Geography, Philosophy, Sociology, Anthropology, Economics, Business, Legal Studies, Global Politics, International Relations, Indigenous Studies, Middle East Studies or International Relations - without History
| EHU701 | Teaching Humanities: Middle Years |
| EHU702 | Teaching Humanities: Senior Years |
| EHU703 | Unit description is currently unavailable |
| EHU704 | Unit description is currently unavailable |
Learning Area 5: Languages
Single method: Languages - Language Other Than English (LOTE)
| ETL710 | Theory and Practice of Languages Teaching |
| ETL716 | CLIL Pedagogy |
Learning Area 7: The Arts
Single method: Arts - One of Dance, Drama or Visual Arts
| ECA731 | Teaching Arts Education: Middle Years |
| ECA732 | Teaching Arts Education: Senior Years |
Single method: Arts - Media
| ECA735 | Teaching Arts Education 2: Middle Years |
| ECA736 | Teaching Arts Education 2: Senior Years |
Dual method: Arts - Two of Dance, Drama, Media or Visual Arts
| ECA731 | Teaching Arts Education: Middle Years |
| ECA732 | Teaching Arts Education: Senior Years |
| ECA735 | Teaching Arts Education 2: Middle Years |
| ECA736 | Teaching Arts Education 2: Senior Years |
Double method: Arts - Dance, Drama or Visual Arts only
| ECA731 | Teaching Arts Education: Middle Years |
| ECA732 | Teaching Arts Education: Senior Years |
| ECA733 | Unit description is currently unavailable |
| ECA734 | Unit description is currently unavailable |
Other learning experiences
Experiences in community and school settings are embedded in some curriculum units beyond the professional experience placements. Students are also encouraged to volunteer in these settings. Wherever possible, academic staff work alongside education professionals and preservice teachers in these authentic learning experiences.
Fees and charges
Tuition fees will vary depending on the type of fee place you hold, your course, your commencement year, the units you choose to study, your study load and/or unit discipline.
Your tuition fees will increase annually at the start of each calendar year. All fees quoted are in Australian dollars ($AUD) and do not include additional costs such as textbooks, computer equipment or software, other equipment, mandatory checks, travel, consumables and other costs.
For further information regarding tuition fees, other fees and charges, invoice due dates, withdrawal dates, payment methods visit our Current students website.
Commonwealth Prac Payment - Domestic students only
The Australian Government has introduced the Commonwealth Prac Payment (CPP) to help eligible domestic students enrolled in a Commonwealth supported place studying teaching, nursing, midwifery, and social work cover the costs associated with mandatory placements. For more information on the eligibility criteria and application process please visit our Commonwealth Prac Payment (CPP) website.
Further information
Contact Student Central for assistance in course planning, choosing the right units and explaining course rules and requirements. Student Central can also provide information for a wide range of services at Deakin.