Bachelor of Early Childhood and Primary Education

If you're passionate about children's education, the Bachelor of Early Childhood and Primary Education opens the door to a range of inspiring career opportunities. Our dual-accredited degree focuses on contemporary issues in children's learning and development, curriculum theories and pedagogies, discipline knowledge and the changing teaching and learning context within early childhood and primary education.

Through our Professional Experience Program you will develop practical knowledge and gain invaluable insight into classroom environments. With the option to combine your personal interests with a range of curriculum areas, you will undertake placements in early childhood and primary school settings that enrich and solidify your studies so that you graduate with the confidence and aptitude to meet the significant growth of the Australian early childhood education sector.

Are you ready to launch an exciting and rewarding career teaching children?

Deakin maintains close links with the education sector to ensure our courses are developed and reviewed with professional input. You'll be taught by staff members who have teaching experience and who are recognised as leaders and innovators in their fields. This means you can be confident that what you learn with us will be relevant to your future teaching career.

In Australia, primary school teachers complete a specialisation in an area of expertise during their initial teacher education. Primary teaching specialisations include:

• literacy
• science
• mathematics
• language other than English.

The Professional Experience Program is a key part of every Deakin teaching student's course experience. Working with more than 1400 schools and early childhood settings across Australia, we'll arrange at least 115-days of placements for you in early childhood education and care settings, and schools where you will learn from experienced teachers.

Students also have access to specialised teaching spaces on campus to prepare for teaching.

Choose to study via Deakin's premium online learning platform and have the additional flexibility to balance work, life and study. Studying online is collaborative and engaging, while still allowing you to complete your studies when and where it suits you.

Students may be eligible for an attractive scholarship offered by the Victorian Department of Education and Training for pre-service teachers enrolled in early childhood teaching courses.

Additionally, the Bachelor of Early Childhood and Primary Education provides students with an approved pathway from the Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care (previously Diploma of Children's Services offered through TAFE. Eligible students may receive up to 8 credit points of recognition for prior learning towards their degree.

Before beginning your studies, prospective teaching students need to successfully complete the Casper test - an online, video scenario-based test that lets you demonstrate your suitability for a teaching career.

There is an increasing demand for qualified early childhood teachers, with the workforce set to double in the next 10-years. In both early childhood and primary school education settings there is a strong demand for qualified teachers and graduate starting salaries for teachers are high compared to the graduate average. As a graduate of this course you may find employment as a teacher within the private or public education sectors.

You might also find employment in a range of other education related fields including:

• consultancy
• NGOs
• policy
• research or community-based organisations (e.g. museums, outdoor education, arts institutions, etc)

For more information go to DeakinTALENT

To qualify for the award of Bachelor of Early Childhood and Primary Education, students must complete 32 credit points comprising:

• 30 credit points of core units;
• 2 credit points of Primary Teaching Specialisation in either: i) Science; or ii) Literacy, iii) Mathematics; iv) Languages
• Academic Integrity Module DAI001
Academic Integrity Module (0-credit-point compulsory unit)
• A maximum of 10 credit points at Level 1
• A minimum of 10 credit points at Level 3 or above

This course includes 115-days of supervised professional experience, and students must successfully complete the Deakin Teaching Performance Assessment (DTPA)*. 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.

Students are also required to complete below two zero (0) credit point units ELN010 and ELN011 as part of the Literacy and Numeracy Test for Initial Teacher Education (LANTITE) in order to graduate from their course.

* Students who do not pass the DTPA must seek advice from the course director.

The University aims to provide students with as much credit as possible for approved prior study or informal learning which exceeds the normal entrance requirements for the course and is within the constraints of the course regulations. Students are required to complete a minimum of one-third of the course at Deakin University, or four credit points, whichever is the greater. In the case of certificates, including graduate certificates, a minimum of two credit points within the course must be completed at Deakin.

The Bachelor of Early Childhood and Primary Education provides an approved pathway from the Diploma of Early Childhood Education (Previously Diploma of Children's Services) offered through TAFE. Applicants who have completed the Diploma of Early Childhood Education may receive 8 credit points of Recognition of prior learning reducing the total course duration by 2 trimesters of full-time study.

You can also refer to the Recognition of prior learning System which outlines the credit that may be granted towards a Deakin University degree and how to apply for credit.