Master of Education (Specialist Inclusive Education)
2026 Deakin University Handbook
| Year | 2026 course information |
|---|---|
| Award granted | Master of Education (Specialist Inclusive Education) |
| Course Credit Points | 8 |
| Deakin course code | E768 |
| Course version | 1 |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts and Education |
| Course Information | For students who commenced from 2025 onwards |
| Campus | This course is only offered Online |
| Duration | 1 year* full-time, or part-time equivalent *full-time PhD Pathway students are required to study in Trimester 3 in order to complete in one year. |
| Course Map - enrolment planning tool | These course maps are for new students commencing from Trimester 1 2026: Course maps for commencement in previous years are available on the Course Maps webpage or please contact a Student Adviser in Student Central. |
| Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) recognition | The award conferred upon completion is recognised in the Australian Qualifications Framework at Level 9 |
| Supplementary Information | This is not an initial teacher education qualification. Students wishing to enter the profession of teaching should instead consider Master of Teaching (Primary) |
Course sub-headings
- Course overview
- Professional recognition
- Career opportunities
- Research information
- Course Learning Outcomes
- Course rules
- Course structure
- Fees and charges
Course overview
The Master of Education (Specialist Inclusive Education) equips qualified primary or secondary teachers with advanced knowledge of contemporary education issues and inclusive education practices within school systems.
Are you passionate about enabling all students to reach their full potential through an equitable standard of education?
Deakin’s Master of Education (Specialist Inclusive Education) gives you the tools to instil positive teaching practices in the classroom and beyond. You’ll gain highly specialised knowledge and skills to ensure the accessibility, participation and success for students with diverse educational needs.
The course explores the implementation of social justice policy and addresses topics of gender, sexuality, social class, race, ethnicity, disability and the intersections between them. You’ll learn how to provide high-quality, inclusive education to students with disabilities and/or additional learning needs. Plus, you will graduate with advanced level, specialist skills that enable you to mentor other teachers and professionals involved in developing personalised, inclusive educational programs.
We maintain close links with the education sector – like the Victorian Department of Education and Training (DET) and Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT) – to ensure our courses are developed and reviewed with industry and professional input. You’ll be taught by staff with experience in the sector that are recognised as leaders and innovators in their fields – so you can be confident that what you learn at Deakin will be relevant to your teaching career.
Plus, our strong links to international universities, including the University of Sheffield (UK) and Aarhus University (Denmark), ensure you (and your career) benefit from a globally aligned approach to inclusive education.
Through a combination of theory, research and professional experience you will gain high-level critical thinking and evaluative research skills that are transferable across a variety of educational settings, including both mainstream and specialist schools. With increasingly diverse student populations driving the amalgamation of mainstream and specialist schools, this highly sought-after skill set will truly set you apart from your peers.
Professional recognition
The Master of Education (Specialist Inclusive Education) holds VIT program endorsement for specialist teaching in combination with an approved pre-service education qualification
International students and permanent residents
Graduates intending to apply for registration with the Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT) will be required to demonstrate:
- an IELTS average band score of 7.5 across all four skill areas (where there is no score below 7 in any of the four skills areas)
- a score of no less than 8 in speaking and listening.
Read the VIT's Qualification for Teachers Registration policy for full details.
Career opportunities
The contemporary need for teachers to successfully identify and address complex learning challenges in the classroom is growing.
As a graduate, you will be qualified to meet the Department of Education and Training (DET) requirements for employment related to special educational needs across a range of educational settings in Australia and overseas, including:
- specialist schools
- specialist developmental schools
- mainstream primary and secondary schools.
You’ll be well prepared to take a critically reflective, research-oriented approach to your practice and better equipped to pursue leadership positions.
The course also presents a clear pathway for those looking to study a higher degree by research.
For more information go to DeakinTALENT.
Research information
Students are able to undertake one of two options for research training and research in the course. Each option has a common foundation that is based on an introductory unit of one credit point in research design & method. This research study is then further supported by one of the two research options:
Option 1: advanced research training of one credit point of either quantitative or qualitative research methods; and Research Paper (2 credit points);
Option 2: advanced research training of one credit point of either quantitative or qualitative research methods; and Minor Thesis (4 credit points).
Course Learning Outcomes
| Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes | Course Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|
| Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities | Research, critically analyse and synthesise inclusive education scholarship to lead, design and implement practical specialist inclusive pedagogies, curriculum and assessment, responsive to all students, across a range of educational contexts. |
| Communication | Critically evaluate and develop a range of accessible communication strategies that effectively supports inclusive leadership and partnerships between specialist and non-specialist stakeholders across a range of educational contexts. |
| Digital literacy | Design, implement and evaluate accessible, high quality digital resources to support equitable access, participation and engagement in learning for all students, across a range of educational contexts. |
| Critical thinking | Identify and articulate the complex relationships between inclusive philosophies, theories and practices to lead, design and implement accessible, equitable and successful learning experiences for all students, including through specialist and non-specialist partnerships. |
| Problem solving | Apply professional and ethical judgement and leadership to provide practical inclusive solutions to complex teaching and learning issues, across a range of learning contexts. |
| Self-management | Plan for, demonstrate and lead the development of critically reflective inclusive practice and ongoing professional learning, including through inclusive communities of practice, cross-disciplinary dialogue and research. |
| Teamwork | Lead, collaborate and contribute to learning partnerships and multidisciplinary teams, across a range of diverse contexts, to advance the inclusive learning experiences of all learners. |
| Global citizenship | Review national and international inclusive education scholarship relating to legal, ethical and policy frameworks to support the inclusion of First Nations knowledge and perspectives and address issues of equity and social justice across diverse communities in a global context. |
Approved at Faculty Board 2023
Course rules
To complete the Master of Education (Specialist Inclusive Education) you must pass 8 credit points. The number of credit points required may vary, depending on your entry point or how much credit you receive as recognition of prior learning (RPL) based on your professional experience and previous qualifications.
An 8-credit point Master of Education (Specialist Inclusive Education) includes:
- DAI001 Academic Integrity and Respect at Deakin (0-credit-point compulsory unit) in your first study period
- 2 credit points of core units
- 2 credit points of professional experience units
- one of:
- option 1:
- 2 credit points of research units
- 2 credit points of course electives
- option 2:
- 4 credit points of research units including a research paper.
- option 1:
Most units are equal to one credit point. As a full-time student you will study four credit points per trimester and usually undertake two trimesters per year.
Students are required to meet the University's academic progress and conduct requirements.
Course structure
Core units
Compulsory 0-credit point units
To be completed prior to study commencing:
| DAI001 | Academic Integrity and Respect at Deakin |
Units
| EXE732 | Social Justice and Difference |
| ESP707 | Educational Psychology |
Professional experience units
| EEI704 | Advanced Inclusive Practice |
| EEI705 | Practicum: Specialist Inclusive Education |
Research pathways
Option 1
2 credit points of research units
| EDX701 | Research Design Development and Method |
| EDX707 | Independent Research Project for Professional Practice |
Plus
2 credit points of electives
Option 2
4 credit points of research units including a 2 credit point research paper
| EDX701 | Research Design Development and Method |
| EDX712 | Theory and Methodology in Education Research |
| EDX703 | Research Paper A |
| EDX704 | Research Paper B |
Electives
| ESP701 | Education and Development of Exceptional Learners |
| ECP703 | Protective Education and Children's Wellbeing |
| EIE704 | Supporting Communication in Inclusive Classrooms |
| ECM720 | Educational Context, Policy and Leadership in Challenging Times |
| ECM723 | Leading and Managing Innovation, Change and Improvement |
| EMP700 | The Arts and the Art of Teaching |
| EEI715 | Effective Classroom Management: Positive Learning Environments |
| ETR701 | Refugee Trauma and Education |
| ETR703 | Trauma and Learning |
| IND730 | Decolonising Teaching and Learning: Recognition, Relationships, and Reconciliation on Unceded Land |
Course duration
You may be able to study available units in the optional third trimester to fast-track your degree, however your course duration may be extended if there are delays in meeting course requirements, such as completing a placement.
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. To help you understand the University vocabulary, please refer to our Enrolment codes and terminology page.