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

Students in the combined degree of the Master of Teaching (Early Childhood and Primary)/Graduate Certificate in Religious Education should achieve the Course Learning Outcomes of each of the constituent degrees. On successful completion of the Master of Teaching (Early Childhood and Primary), students should be able to:

1. Investigate, analyse and synthesise complex information, concepts, theories and current debates relevant to primary education and apply this knowledge to their teaching practice and professional engagement.
2. Plan, build and evaluate positive learning environments that support equitable and ethical outcomes and the advancement of disadvantaged communities, including those of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, based on effective communication and well-established relationships with key stakeholders.
3. Research, create, and apply curriculum knowledge, theorised pedagogical approaches, and learning resources to address a range of problems in their teaching and evaluate their effectiveness through a process of evidence-based inquiry, working both autonomously and in collaboration with others.
4. Facilitate demonstrable learning and development of students across all learning areas of the primary curriculum, including both academic and social/emotional, and demonstrate advanced pedagogy and teacher leadership in a specialised learning area.
5. Critically analyse and evaluate issues of equity and social justice in Australian classrooms, schools, and education systems, and their impact on students and communities, identifying needs for and potential means of improving classroom, school, and systemic outcomes in education through teacher leadership.
6. Meet the Australian Professional Standards for Teaching at the Graduate level and demonstrate highly effective teaching in a specialised learning area of the Primary curriculum.
7. Meet the Australian Children's Education & Care Quality Authority curriculum specification requirements.

On successful completion of the Graduate Certificate in Religious Education students should be able to:

1. Articulate foundational teachings and knowledge related to Christianity (specifically Catholic Christianity), belief, spirituality, ministry and social justice.
2. Explain issues in the literature of religious education and the implications this has for teaching and learning in faith-based schools and parishes as well as the development of religious literacy within the wider community.
3. Articulate the importance of religious education as a contributor towards a religiously literate society.
4. Competently and professionally implement religious education curricula in a variety of contexts.
5. Explain and justify a number of creative approaches to the teaching and learning of 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. 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.

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.

Achieve your goals with a scholarship.  

A generous Commonwealth Teaching Scholarship is available to support new undergraduate and postgraduate students enrolling in an initial teacher education (ITE) program to help meet the costs of their study. Learn more about eligibility and how to apply here.

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 Children's 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:

• 60 cp Education Studies and Effective Teaching with Professional Experience units (Part A)
• 100 cp Curriculum Studies units (Part B)
• 40 cp Religious Education and Theology units (Part C)
• 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.

• *Graduate Certificate in Educational Studies: 40 cp from the Schedule of Unit Offerings of the Master of Teaching (Early Childhood and Primary)
• *Graduate Diploma in Educational Studies: 80 cp from the Schedule of Unit Offerings of the Master of Teaching (Early Childhood and Primary).
• *Graduate Certificate in Religious Education: 40 cp from the Schedule of Unit Offerings of the Graduate Certificate in Religious Education
• 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 $15,000

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.

Australian Catholic University – So much more

An Australian Catholic University (ACU) education is grounded in the Catholic understanding of faith and reason working together in the pursuit of knowledge, promotion of human dignity, and advancement of the common good.

ACU aims to transform lives and communities. Students are challenged to look beyond the classroom, solve real-world problems, develop their own search for meaning and cultivate strong professional ethics. They are invited to stand up for people in need and causes that matter.

Opportunities for personal and professional growth are critical to ACU. It is a university of service – so much so that it is built into the curricula. All ACU courses offer work placements, internships or volunteering opportunities.

Learn more about Australian Catholic University

Explore Australian Catholic University courses

QS World University Ranking 2026, within Australia:

33

Times Higher Education World University Ranking 2026, within Australia:

27

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

• Have successfully completed a Bachelor degree or equivalent qualification, with:
  • subject content studies equivalent to one year of full-time study in one or more learning areas of the primary school curriculum; including
  • subject content studies equivalent to one quarter of a year in a selected subject specialisation.
• 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.

If your prior study or relevant work experience has provided you with knowledge, skills or experience aligned with the learning outcomes of units in your new course, you may be eligible to gain credit for study or have your prior learning recognised. This means you may be able to complete your ACU course in a shorter timeframe.

• 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.