Master of Teaching (Primary and Early Childhood)

2022 Deakin University Handbook

Course sub-headings

• Course overview
• Professional recognition
• Career opportunities
• Participation requirements
• Research information
• Fees and charges
• Course Learning Outcomes
• Course rules
• Course structure
• Other learning experiences
• Research and research-related study

Course overview

If you’re passionate about nurturing young, inquisitive children from prep to grade 6 and are motivated to make a genuine impact on future generations, Deakin's Master of Teaching (Primary and Early Childhood) is for you.

Ready to become a highly sought-after primary school teacher with a holistic understanding of how young people learn and make sense of the world?

The Master of Teaching (Primary and Early Childhood) is infused with practical learning. With a focus on dynamic skills and communication, you’ll graduate classroom-ready; a finely tuned educator and leader with a set of adaptable techniques.

A career in education provides flexibility, variety and security. Learn first-hand from highly experienced and passionate teachers who understand the importance of recognising all students as people first.

Discover how to shape teacher/student relationships to ensure students build positive connections with their peers, their school and themselves. Gain the critical knowledge required for modern-day digital classrooms, engaging with topics such as diversity and inclusion, teacher inquiry, context and leading-edge research, coupled with culturally relevant approaches to teaching.

At Deakin you’ll also collaborate with early childhood educators, primary and secondary teachers. Our multidisciplinary approach will enable you to gain a well-rounded view of how young people learn.

This, combined with at least 60-days of professional placement and your completion of a Deakin Teaching Performance Assessment (DTPA), benchmarked against national standards, means you’ll be set for success in the classroom anywhere in Australia and beyond.

Professional recognition

The Master of Teaching (Primary and Early Childhood) is accredited by the Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT) as an initial teacher education program that meets the Australian Institute of Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) program standards and the Australian professional standards for graduate teachers. Upon graduation, you’ll be prepared to register with the VIT as a registered educator. If you intend to apply for registration in Victoria or interstate you may be required to provide further information.

This program is approved by the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) as an early childhood teaching qualification in Australia. Again, applicants should check the requirements for early childhood teacher registration in their state or territory for more specific requirements. 

Career opportunities

As one of the largest growing employment sectors in Australia, there are many career opportunities to explore. The knowledge and skills you’ll develop through the Master of Teaching (Primary and Early Childhood) prepare you well for a diverse range of industries and settings, including:

• teaching in public, independent or private schools
• arts, museums and learning centres
• corporate learning and development
• counselling
• human resources
• policy
• universities
• youth work

For more information go to DeakinTALENT

Participation requirements

Professional Experience Placements are a compulsory component of the course and a requirement for registration as a graduate teacher. Placement can occur at any time, including during the standard holiday breaks listed here: https://www.deakin.edu.au/courses/key-dates.

Reasonable adjustments to participation and other course requirements may be made for students with a disability or further needs. Click here for more information.

Students are required to check the placement calendars published on the Professional Experience Office website each year. Placement takes priority over employment and placement periods are generally block placements of 5-days (full time) per week over 2-5 weeks.

Course delivery is blended and students are required to dedicate time to weekly engagement with located or cloud teaching and learning activities and resources. This is recommended at combined total 8-10 hours per week per unit including active learning/engagement either face to face or online, and independent study.

Some units will require students to attend schools or institutions for site-based learning and teaching experiences. Some units can only be completed face to face at Burwood or as Cloud study. Some units will require students to attend schools or institutions for site-based learning and teaching experiences. Some units can only be completed face to face at Burwood or as Cloud study.

Research information

This is a graduate entry teaching course that introduces research based practice throughout the core professional studies units (a total of six credit points), which includes demonstrating their application of knowledge and skills through their 90-days of professional practice in education based contexts e.g. primary schools and early childhood settings. As part of the series of core professional studies units, students are also required to complete a capstone assessment in the final year (2 credit point unit) to demonstrate their evidence based professional practice informed by data analysis and scholarship of teaching and learning.

Fees and charges

Fees and charges vary depending on your course, the type of fee place you hold, your commencement year, the units you choose and your study load. To find out about the fees and charges that apply to you, visit the Current students fees website or our handy Fee estimator to help estimate your tuition fees.

Tuition fees increase at the beginning of each calendar year and all fees quoted are in Australian dollars ($AUD). Tuition fees do not include textbooks, computer equipment or software, other equipment or costs such as photocopying or travel.

Course Learning Outcomes

Course rules

The Master of Teaching (Primary and Early Childhood) is typically 16 credit points.

The exact number of credit points you study depends on how much credit you receive as recognition of prior learning (RPL) – your professional experience and previous qualifications – which can save you time and money

To qualify for the award of Master of Teaching (Primary and Early Childhood), students must complete the following:

• 15 core units (16 credit points)

In addition there is a 0 Credit Point Compulsory Unit (AAI018) for all students in the Faculty of Arts and Education and 2 x 0 Credit Points Compulsory Units, ELN010 and ELN011, for all Primary and Secondary Initial Teacher Education Students.

This course includes 90-days of supervised professional experience, and students must successfully complete the Deakin Teaching Performance Assessment. This must be complete in the final year of study. Successful completion of this course indicates that a student has met the expected standard of performance for each of the Graduate Teacher Standards.

Course structure

Core Units

Year 1

Professional Experience Placement Units*

Year 2

Professional Experience Placement Units*

*please note unit rules for order in which these must be completed

Professional Experience Placement

Successful Applicants are required to hold a valid Working with Children (WWC) Check prior to undertaking professional experience placements in education settings, as part of this course. For more information see: https://www.workingwithchildren.vic.gov.au/

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.

The Working with Children Check (Check) and a Police Check are different checks. Under the Working with Children Act 2005 (the Act) if you are doing child-related work and are not exempt, you must have a Check even if you already have a Police Check.
The Police Check is not an assessment by a government agency. 

Course duration - additional information

Course duration may be affected by delays in completing course requirements, such as accessing or completing work placements.

Further information

Student Central can help you with course planning, choosing the right units and explaining course rules and requirements.

• Contact Student Central

Other learning experiences

Experiences in community and school or early childhood 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.

Research and research-related study

Independent research and practitioner research and training components are embedded across a number of units. Preservice teachers are expected to apply an integrated, critical and advanced understanding of complex bodies of knowledge and research skills in education in their practice.