Master of Teaching (Early Childhood and Primary) / Graduate Certificate in Religious Education

The Master of Teaching (Early Childhood and Primary) cultivates graduates to be articulate and passionate teachers who are committed to the generation and dissemination of knowledge, skills and attitudes that can facilitate the implementation of high quality early childhood and primary education for all children.

The Graduate Certificate in Religious Education is for qualified primary and secondary school teachers who want to teach religion. The course provides the basic certification, fundamental knowledge, skills and competencies needed to teach religious education.

This is the combination of the Master of Teaching (Early Childhood and Primary) and the Graduate Certificate in Religious Education.

The Master of Teaching (Early Childhood and Primary) has been designed to contribute to the education profession by preparing graduates to be accomplished and articulate advocates for the rights and responsibilities of all children within their professional, community, outreach, and research contexts. This course cultivates graduates who are passionate about, and committed to, the generation and dissemination of knowledge, skills and attitudes that facilitate high-quality learning in a child’s early years. Delivered fully online, this course is made up of a series of online units and block day placements in early childhood and primary school settings.

An exceptional benefit of this course is that you will be able to build on your undergraduate studies and graduate with a teaching specialisation area within the primary curriculum. Combine the Graduate Certificate in Religious Education with this course to gain the certification, knowledge, skills and competencies needed to teach religious education in Catholic schools.

Check the ACU website for scholarship opportunities.

Recommended study pattern

As a guide, core subjects in this degree can include: 

• Foundations of Development and Learning in Australian Early Childhood Contexts
• Foundations of Literacy and Childrens Literature for Early Reading
• Foundations of Mathematics and Numeracy Curriculum and Pedagogy for Children
• Technologies Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment (B-12)

Plus there’s a selection of electives to choose from. As part of your application, you’ll be guided through how to get the right degree structure in place for you. 

Award requirements

To qualify for the degree, a student must complete 200 cp from the schedule of subject offerings, consisting of:

1. 60 cp Education Studies and Effective Teaching with Professional Experience units (Part A);
2. 100 cp Curriculum Studies units (Part B);
3. 40 cp Religious Education and Theology units (Part C).
4. 0 cp from ACER Literacy and Numeracy Test for Initial Teacher Education units (Part D)

Exit points

A student who has successfully completed the following requirements may exit from the course with that qualification. Note that none of these qualifications qualify a student to teach in Australia.

1. *Graduate Certificate in Educational Studies: 40 cp from the Schedule of Unit Offerings of the Master of Teaching (Early Childhood and Primary)
2. *Graduate Diploma in Educational Studies: 80 cp from the Schedule of Unit Offerings of the Master of Teaching (Early Childhood and Primary).
3. *Graduate Certificate in Religious Education: 40 cp from the Schedule of Unit Offerings of the Graduate Certificate in Religious Education
4. Master of Teaching (Early Childhood and Primary): 160 cp from the Schedule of Unit Offerings of the Master of Teaching (Early Childhood and Primary)

*Note that none of these qualifications qualifies a student to teach in Australia.

A student who does not meet the LANTITE requirements may exit with the Graduate Diploma in Educational Studies or Graduate Certificate in Educational Studies if they meet the requirements of those awards.

Open Universities Australia is a not-for-profit organisation. You will not pay any fees for using our services.

Indicative total fee $18,900

The amounts shown here are indicative for an Australian citizen studying full-time, which is typically 8 subjects per year.

Fees may vary depending on:

• the subjects you choose
• credit from previous work experience
• your eligibility for government funding loans or subsidies such as HECS-HELP or a Commonwealth supported place.

To learn more, go to Fees or contact a student advisor.

Established in 1991 after amalgamating four eastern Australian Catholic tertiary institutes, Australian Catholic University now has seven campuses, from Brisbane to Melbourne and welcomes students of all beliefs. Specialising in arts, business, education, health sciences, law, theology and philosophy, ACU encourages its students to think critically and ethically and bring change to their communities and offer this online through Open Universities Australia.

Learn more about ACU.

Explore ACU courses.

QS World University Ranking 2025, within Australia:

35

Times Higher Education World University Ranking 2025, within Australia:

26

To be eligible for admission to the course, an applicant must:

1. have successfully completed a Bachelor degree or equivalent qualification, with:
   1. subject content studies equivalent to one year of full-time study in one or more learning areas of the primary school curriculum; including
   2. subject content studies equivalent to one quarter of a year in a selected subject specialisation.
2. demonstrate suitability for teaching as evidenced by completion of the relevant State assessment which will be provided in the application process.

Applicants who completed Bachelor degrees outside Australia should review Admission to Coursework Programs Policy to determine if they are required to meet additional English Language Proficiency requirements for entry into the course.

IELTS no score less than 7 in reading and writing. No score less than 8.0 in listening and speaking.

Recognition for prior learning may be available for this course.

Pre-service educators must complete a Professional Experience Program in a relevant prior-to-school and formal primary school settings in line with the requirements of national teacher accreditation authorities. During this time they are required to be available on a full-time basis. In the Master of Teaching (Early Childhood and Primary) program Professional Experience totals 70 days and is supervised by a registered teacher.

Supervised professional experience is at the heart of all our pre-service teacher education courses and the faculty will find appropriate placements to suit the needs of your course. Placements will usually be arranged for the scheduled placement period in the professional experience calendar though this may not always be possible.

Non-academic assessment: suitability for teaching

Applicants who apply for entry into this initial teacher education course will be required to complete a non-academic assessment. The assessment is to demonstrate suitability for teaching and will be part of your application when applying for admission into this course. Please visit our Suitability for Teaching page for more information.

Applicants seeking teacher registration in Australia should check with state registration bodies to confirm English Language Proficiency requirements for teacher registration.

All students enrolled must have the appropriate approvals before they may enter a classroom.

These are: Blue Card (QLD), Working with Vulnerable People (ACT) or Working with Children Check (NSW and VIC).

International students must provide a police check from their home country. All students who have lived in another country for twelve months or more must provide a police check from that country for that period.