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The University of Notre Dame Australia

  • 2% international / 98% domestic

Graduate Certificate in Education (Early Childhood)

  • Graduate Certificate

The Graduate Certificate in Education (Early Childhood) is a nationally accredited program designed for primary qualified teachers to gain an early childhood qualification. It includes 12 weeks of practical teaching experience and covers topics such as holistic development, curriculum development, and trends in early childhood education.

Key details

Degree Type
Graduate Certificate
Duration
0.5 semester full-time
Course Code
4069
Study Mode
In person, Online
Intake Months
Jan, Feb, Apr, Jul, Oct

About this course

Graduate Certificate in Education (Early Childhood)

Are you an experienced teacher with a desire to teach and specialise in Early Childhood education? The University of Notre Dame Australia's Graduate Certificate in Education (Early Childhood) is the ideal qualification for you. The program is nationally accredited and enables primary qualified teachers to gain an early childhood qualification. The 12-month program includes 12 weeks of practical teaching experience across both childcare and school settings. Get in touch today to find out more.

Why study this degree?

Are you interested in Early Childhood education? Our Graduate Certificate in Education (Early Childhood), which is delivered fully online, provides specialised study for those wishing to develop their skills and qualifications to teach in the early years from birth to 8 years.

This postgraduate program covers topics such as Understanding Holistic Development in Context, Early Years' Curriculum Development, Trends in Early Childhood Development and Education, and Integration in Early Years settings.

If your current qualification is not in Early Childhood, you will also be required to complete a practical component that is embedded in the courses offered. This involves two weeks with babies and toddlers (aged 0-2 years) within a childcare context and 10 weeks with children aged 3-5 years within a school or childcare setting. The practicum components are embedded within the coursework.

Graduates of this program may choose to enrol for a Master of Education at Notre Dame.

Entry requirements

Entry requirements

University Admission Requirements

To be eligible for admission to The University of Notre Dame Australia, all applicants must meet the University's minimum requirements for admission. The requirements for admission are detailed in the University's Policy: Admission and Credit.

Academic Requirements

Academic requirements for admission to the Graduate Certificate in Education (Early Childhood) are:

  • English Language Test Scores: Education students who have English as an Additional language and are admitted on the basis of an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) assessment, or an equivalent English language proficiency assessment, are only admitted if they have attained an overall IELTS (or equivalent) score of 8.0 (with no score below 7 in any of the four skills areas and a score of no less than 8 in speaking and listening).

Specific Program Requirements for Admission

To be eligible for admission to the Graduate Certificate in Education (Early Childhood) applicants must also meet the following specific requirements:

  • Hold an Initial Teacher Education degree in Early Childhood or Primary Education; and
  • Teacher Registration in Australia (called Accreditation in NSW).

Study locations

Fremantle

Online

What you will learn

Learning outcomes

Upon successful completion of The Graduate Certificate in Education (Early Childhood) graduates will be able to:

  1. Critically apply and reflect on advanced knowledge and understandings of specialised educational theory, practice, and research within the domain of curriculum studies
  2. Critically evaluate issues pertaining to curriculum planning and design, which underlie the understanding of significant contemporary developments in education both nationally and internationally
  3. Use cognitive, technical, and creative skills with initiative, high level of personal autonomy and accountability to generate understanding of complex issues in curriculum studies within school contexts
  4. Use communication and technical skills to implement, justify and interpret critical issues in curriculum planning and design within educational contexts.

Career pathways

Career opportunities

A Graduate Certificate in Education (Early Childhood) will give qualified teachers the ability to teach in government, independent and Catholic schools as early childhood teachers and gain employment in childcare settings.

Course structure

Program summary
  • Understanding Holistic Development in Context
  • Early Childhood Curriculum Development
  • Trends in Early Childhood Development and Teaching
  • Integration in Early Years' Setting

Practicum Experience is embedded within the coursework (two weeks with babies and toddlers aged 0-2 years within a childcare context and 10 weeks with children aged 3-5 years within a school or childcare context).

Please note: Students who already hold an ECE qualification are not required to undertake the practicum.

Graduate outcomes

Graduate satisfaction and employment outcomes for Teacher Education courses at The University of Notre Dame Australia.
91.3%
Overall satisfaction
82.7%
Skill scale
83.3%
Teaching scale
88.4%
Employed full-time
$92.8k
Average salary
Data source

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