Bachelor of Teaching (Secondary)

The Bachelor of Teaching (Secondary) at Charles Sturt University is designed for those who already hold an approved undergraduate degree, and qualifies you to teach one or more subjects to secondary students and support their social, emotional, intellectual and physical development.

You’ll be qualified to teach high school subjects related to the curriculum method studied (major), based on your previous tertiary study. You may add a second teaching area (minor) if you have completed the appropriate undergraduate study, as well as a second curriculum method subject and related professional experience placement.

Curriculum areas available in the course include agriculture, drama, design and technology, English, society and environment, information technology, LOTE, mathematics, PDHPE, science, teacher librarianship, and visual art.

Available as an online degree, a selection of subjects are also offered in Session 3 to either accelerate the completion of your Bachelor of Teaching (Secondary) or spread your study commitments across the year. This enables further flexibility to assist in achieving your qualification in secondary education.

A bachelor's degree in secondary education can open the doors to a rewarding career offering diverse opportunities.

Work in public and private schools

Secondary school teachers work professionally as classroom teachers, executive teachers, principals and assistant principals.

Explore overseas opportunities

Want to see the world? Teaching qualifications can lead to employment in a variety of settings around the globe.

Enjoy many careers options

High school teachers are also employed in other industries, including public administration and safety, healthcare and social assistance.

Professional recognition

ITE programs including the Bachelor of Teaching (Secondary) are accredited according to national standards prescribed by the Australian Institute of Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL). These include both the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers, and their ITE program standards.

The NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) is the state-based regulator, and it is their responsibility to implement and assure the AITSL standards in NSW. In addition to being the NSW ITE program accrediting authority, they also administer teacher registration.

The Bachelor of Teaching (Secondary) is accredited until 31 December 2024.

Higher education

Applicants for the Bachelor of Teaching (Secondary) must meet the following admission requirements to be assessed:

• Completion of a relevant undergraduate degree (and, if applicable, appropriate postgraduate studies [AQF Levels 8-10]) that includes at least a major study in one secondary teaching area of the secondary school curriculum.

A Major Study is study undertaken for an equivalent to a total of three-quarters of a year of full time higher education study (0.75 EFTSL), usually comprising sequential discipline study undertaken over three years. In most programs, this equates to at least six units with no more than two at first year level and no fewer than two at third year level.

Charles Sturt takes a holistic approach to understand each applicant's potential for academic success. Each student is assessed on a range of factors including academic readiness, previous study, work and life experience, motivation to succeed, and an awareness of the demands of tertiary study.

Students are assessed and need to enter with a first teaching area (major) and may have additional teaching areas/specialisations that can be first teaching areas (major) or second teaching area (minor). Teaching areas must be approved by Course Director.

Technology and Applied Studies (TAS) can be approved as a Teaching Area. It is recommended that students have a First Teaching Area and can then be assessed to add a TAS specialisation. These Teaching Areas include; Engineering Studies, Food Technology, Graphics & Multimedia, Industrial Technology and Textiles Technology.

Teacher Librarian can be approved as an additional Teaching Area only. Students must have a First Teaching Area and can be assessed to add Teacher Librarianship if an approved ALIA Course has been completed. Note: Students should check with future employment sector about employment positions and opportunities.

Outdoor Education can be approved as an additional Teaching Area only. Students must have a First Teaching Area and can be assessed to add Outdoor Education if a Bachelor (or above) Outdoor Education Course has been completed.

Note: Students should check with future employment sector about employment positions and opportunities.

Any students wanting to have Music as a Teaching Area can have this assessed to be an approved Teaching Area.

Note: The Graduate Entry Bachelor of Teaching Secondary Course Accreditation requirement, requires final professional experience placement to be completed in Australia

English Proficiency Requirements

English Language Proficiency Entry Requirements for Initial Teaching Education Programs

All applicants who do not meet the Standard CSU English Language Proficiency Requirements must demonstrate proficiency by completing an Academic IELTS (or equivalent) with an overall score of 7.5 (with no score below 7 in reading and writing, and a score of no less than 8 in speaking and listening) - see CSU Concordance Tables for accepted equivalent measures.

NOTE: Please refer to relevant National or State employing bodies for their English language proficiency requirements when seeking employment.

Practicum placement

Please note that the following subjects have a Workplace Learning component:

EEB446 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Cultural Education Program

EPT449 - Professional Experience: Consolidating Effective Teaching and Assessment in the Secondary Context

EPT460 - Professional Experience 1: Secondary Context

Recognition of prior learning (RPL) and credit for current competencies will be granted to eligible applicants.

More about credit

Bachelor of Teaching (Secondary) Graduate Entry

Upon admission students are awarded up to 64 points (one year of study) of entry level credit in recognition of prior completed relevant undergraduate bachelor degree. Students who do not meet the minimum NESA requirements will receive proportionally less credit - based on the number of additional subjects required to meet accreditation.

This credit is represented on academic transcripts as:

• EDU42C Entry Level Discipline Credit - 64 subject points (indicating no additional study is required to be eligible for approved First Teaching Area)

If students require additional discipline subjects (maximum of two) to meet NESA accreditation requirements to be eligible for their First Teaching Area then the following credit package will apply:

• EDU40C Entry Level Discipline Credit - 56 credit points (indicating 1 further discipline content subject is required to be eligible for First Teaching Area)
• EDU39C Entry Level Discipline Credit - 48 subject points (indicating 2 further discipline content subjects are required to be eligible for First Teaching Area)

Any additional FTA or STA discipline content subjects must be completed in the Bachelor of Educational Studies.

Professional Experience Credit

Students can apply to receive proficiency credit for their Professional Experience 1 (EPT460 ). Students must be teaching in a school and have taught full time for at least one term at 80% teaching load in their approved teaching area. A proficiency credit application and a Principal Report will need to be completed after these requirements are met for assessment by the Course Director.

All students will be required to complete a Final Professional Experience (EPT449 ). Students may apply for a reduction of days, however a minimum (if assessed and approved) number of placement days is compulsory to meet accreditation requirements.

Students must complete placement days across at least two different secondary school settings.

Additional Credit

Students who have completed graduate entry subjects, can apply for additional credit up to a maximum of eight subjects from the set of sixteen core Bachelor of Teaching (Secondary) subjects.

Any student who completed professional experience as part of another incomplete degree may apply to have that practicum recognised as equivalent in the same manner that they would apply for credit for other subjects.

As a graduate of the Bachelor of Teaching (Secondary), you’ll be qualified to teach high school subjects related to the curriculum method studied (major), based on your previous tertiary study. You may add a second teaching area (minor) if you have completed the appropriate undergraduate study, as well as a second curriculum method subject and related professional experience placement.

Study that works for you

Full-time or part-time online study is available to accommodate your work and lifestyle commitments.

Join a vibrant academic community

Our teaching staff have made substantial contributions to research, policy and curriculum development.

Gain practical experience while you study

Work placements ensure that by the time you graduate you will have gained significant professional experience.

Dedicated support

Benefit from friendly, personalised support and academic assistance, including interaction with your subject coordinator throughout your work placements.

Take your study further

If you are interested in an advanced level of study, you may apply for entry to the Master of Teaching (Secondary) if you have achieved a Grade Point Average of 4.0 or above in your first year of the course.

Recommended Study Pattern

The course consists of sixteen (16) education subjects comprising:

Twelve (12) Core subjects (Foundation Education subjects and Professional Experience subjects) plus;

Four (4) Restricted Elective subjects (from the Curriculum Studies subjects and Education Elective subjects).

The subjects required to be completed depends on the number of approved Teaching Areas as outlined in the letter of offer. This will include at least two curriculum method subjects for each approved Teaching Area.

Students entering the course with less than the maximum credit package (64pts) must complete an additional teaching discipline subject depending on their discipline background.

The subjects required to complete depends on number of approved Teaching Areas (refer to letter of offer).

Each approved Teaching Area has at least two (2) curriculum method subjects.

Note: Students who have HSIE/HASS and/or Science as a Teaching Area and have two specialisations within the Teaching Area need to complete three curriculum method subjects.

The maximum credit package is 64 subject points. Students entering the course with less than 64 points must complete additional discipline subject/s depending on their teaching area, and/or a third curriculum method subject for those with two HASS/HSIE teaching areas or two (2) Science teaching areas and a third (3rd) additional teaching area in another discipline area (e.g. English or Mathematics), or two (2) teaching discipline subjects.

All subjects have a value of 8 points with the exception of two subjects, one of which has a zero point value and another with a 16 point value.

Core Subjects

Foundation Education Subjects (10 subjects)

EED408 Successful Teaching

EED422 Adolescent and Child Learning and Development

EEP424 Pedagogies in Diverse Classrooms

EEP425 Critical Studies in Education and Practice

EEA406 Managing the Classroom Environment 

EEB435 Indigenous Australian Studies for Teachers

EEB446 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Cultural Education Program (0)

ESS419 Principles of Inclusive Education

ELN402 Literacy Strategies for Learning

ESC407 Classroom Technologies

Professional Experience Subjects (2 subjects)

EPT460 Professional Experience 1

EPT449 Final Professional Experience: Effective Teaching and Assessment in the Secondary Context (16) ***

Restricted Electives

Curriculum Studies Subjects (Complete both curriculum methods for each approved teaching area)

Agriculture (1420AG)

EMT441 Curriculum Method: Agriculture

EMT446 Curriculum Method: Technologies

Drama  (1420DA)

EML443 Curriculum Method 1: Drama

EML444 Curriculum Method 2: Drama

Design and Technology  (1420DT)

EMT447 Introductory Technologies and Design Curriculum

EMT445 Curriculum Method: Design and Technology

English  (1420EG)

EML441 Curriculum Method 1: English

EML442 Curriculum Method 2: English

HASS/HSIE  (1420HH)

EMH441 Curriculum Method 1: HASS/HSIE

EMH442 Curriculum Method 2: HASS/HSIE *

EMH410 Curriculum Method: Senior HASS/HSIE *

Information Technology  (1420IT)

EMT443 Curriculum Method 1: Information Technology

EMT444 Curriculum Method 2: Information Technology

Languages  (1420LT)

EML451 LOTE Curriculum Studies 1

EML452 LOTE Curriculum Studies 2

Mathematics  (1420MT)

EMM441 Curriculum Method 1: Mathematics

EMM442 Curriculum Method 2: Mathematics

PDHPE (1420PE)

EMR441 Curriculum Method 1: Health & Physical Education and Outdoor Education

EMR442 Curriculum Method 2: Senior Health, Physical, Outdoor and Environmental Education

Science (1420SC)

EMS441 Curriculum Method 1: Science

EMS442 Curriculum Method 2: Science **

EMS408 Curriculum Method: Senior Science **

Technology and Applied Studies (Engineering Studies, Food Technology, Graphics & Multimedia, Industrial Technology and Textiles Technology)

EMT410 Curriculum Method: Technology Studies

EMT446 Curriculum Method: Technologies

Visual Art  (1420VA)

EMA441 Curriculum Method 1: Visual Arts

EMA442 Curriculum Method 2: Visual Arts

 *Students with one HASS/HSIE specialism can complete either EMH442 or EMH410 as the second curriculum methods subject.

* Students with two HASS/HSIE specialisms must also complete the third subject (EMH410 ) for the teaching area

**Students with one Science specialism can complete either EMS442 or EMH408 as the second curriculum methods subject.

** Students with two Science specialisms must also complete the third subject (EMS408 ) for the teaching area.

Note: Students with two HASS/HSIE specialisms or two Science specialisms and a third additional teaching area in another discipline area (e.g. English or Mathematics) will need to complete the third subject (EMH410 or EMS408 ) by enrolling in the Bachelor of Educational Studies.

*** It is an accreditation requirement for the final professional experience placement to be completed in Australia.

Education Studies Electives

Students with one (1) teaching area complete two (2) subjects from the list below or as approved by the Course Director.

Students with two (2) approved Teaching Areas do not complete subjects from the list below.

Students with two HASS/HSIE or Science specialisms complete the third curriculum method subject (EMH442 /EMH410 or EMS442 /EMS408 ) and only one (1) subject from the list below:

EML436 The Multimodal Writing Process

ESC413 Online Pedagogies

ESS422 Assessment and Evaluation for Learning

ESS426 Collaboration and Teamwork in the Inclusive School

ETL402 Literature Across the Curriculum

IKC403 Critical studies: Indigenous Australian Cultures, Histories and Contemporary Realities

IKC404 Critical Studies: Indigenous Politics

IKC405 Indigenous Australians Criminal Justice

IKC406 Indigenous Social Work Policy and Practice

WEL407 Child and Adolescent Welfare in Aboriginal Communities

For students interested in employment in Christian-centred and/or faith schools, the following options are available:

THL408 Introduction to Old Testament Studies

THL409 Introduction to New Testament Studies

THL460 Introduction to Christian Theology

THL487 World Religions and Christian Theology

THL490 Christian Worship

Note: THL subjects may be offered annually or biannually. For more information contact the School of Theology.

NOTE: Initial teacher education students are required to pass both components of the personal Literacy and Numeracy Test for Initial Teacher Education (LANTITE) as part of the accreditation requirements of this course and before commencement of the final professional experience placement. Further information about the LANTITE including how to register can be found on the LANTITE website of https://teacheredtest.acer.edu.au/

Key Subjects

Effective from 202230

EEB435 Indigenous Australian Studies for Teachers

EED408 Successful Teaching

EED422 Adolescent and Child Learning and Development

ESS419 Principles of Inclusive Education

Award Requirements

As a Charles Sturt University student, throughout your course you have a responsibility to continue to develop skills in English language, literacy and numeracy as appropriate to your discipline. This ongoing development will enable you to effectively participate in your course and graduate prepared to enter the workforce.

To graduate students must satisfactorily complete 192 points.