Master of Teaching (Primary)

At the completion of this degree students will be able to:

1. Discuss educational theories, principles, policy and practice, evaluating and applying them to their own professional teaching practice to create effective, inclusive and safe learning environments.
2. Engage ethically and act responsibly in making judgements, planning, problem solving and in decision making in professional contexts with diverse communities including the promotion of ecologically sustainable practices.
3. Apply principles of social justice, inclusion, empathy, equity and access to employ teaching practices that recognise and respect Indigenous knowledge, the diversity and cultures of young people, families and communities.
4. Plan learning programs and implement a range of effective teaching and assessment strategies that meet the needs of individual students and are responsive to students' diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds.
5. Apply and integrate Information and Communication Technologies, in a safe, responsible, and ethical manner.
6. Plan, develop and implement a range of appropriate strategies to assess and provide feedback on learning.
7. Explain strategies to communicate effectively and develop respectful, high expectation relationships with students, parents and/or carers.
8. Apply appropriate models of enquiry, reflective practice and information seeking strategies for ongoing professional learning, evaluation and to inform and improve teaching practice and student learning.
9. Design, develop and implement curriculum in the full range of primary curriculum areas.
10. Demonstrate the capacity to contribute collegially and intellectually to the profession by initiating or taking advantage of research, leadership and community opportunities.
11. Demonstrate the capacity to critically evaluate, interpret and design research for educational purposes.

Study online and cultivate a love of learning as a dynamic primary school teacher. A Master of Teaching (Primary) with Charles Sturt University is for those who already hold a full undergraduate degree and prepares you to teach children aged five to 12, helping them develop the knowledge, skills and dispositions to provide the best possible start in life.

You can complete this degree online in just 2 years of full time study to become a nationally qualified primary school teacher. Placement can be done within 60 minutes from where you live, Australia wide, and a selection of subjects are offered in Session 3 so you can either fast track your degree and complete in 16 months, or spread your study commitments across the year, adding further flexibility in achieving your qualification.

Now even more affordable: save on your fees with a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP). A CSP also means you can apply for a HECS-HELP loan to pay for your studies and defer repayment until you earn above a certain amount. Check the 'Fees' section to see how much you can save with a CSP.

Recommended study pattern

MASTER OF TEACHING (PRIMARY) Full Time (2 years)

SESSION 1 Commencement

Year 1 - Session 1

EED409 Learning and Development K-6 (8)

EML449 Everyday Language and Literacies: Learning and Practice (8)

EMM420 Mathematics for Primary Teachers (0)

EMS406 Science and Technology Curriculum (8)

Year 1 - Session 2

EEP427 Social Justice, Ethics and Inclusion in Classroom Practice (8)

EMM418 Mathematics: Content & Pedagogy (8)

EMR408 PDHPE Curriculum and Pedagogy (8)

EPT455 Primary English Curriculum: Understanding Language and Literacy (8)

Year 1 - Session 3

EEB505 Indigenous Australian Studies for Teachers (8)

EMA410 Teaching and Assessing the Creative Arts (8)

Year 2 - Session 1

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

EMH502 Curriculum Studies: Primary HASS (8)

EML530 English Curriculum: Pedagogies in the Primary Years (8)

EMM503 Mathematics in the Primary Years (8)

EPT510 Professional Experience: Positive Primary Classroom Environments (8)

[Optional – Highly Effective Teaching Subject – NESA Extended Primary Curriculum Area Study in English, Mathematics, Science & Technology or Languages]

Year 2 - Session 2

ESS509 Principles of Inclusive Education (8)

EPT521 Final Professional Experience: Effective Teaching and Assessment in the Primary Years (16)

SESSION 2 Commencement

Year 1 - Session 2

EED409 Learning and Development K-6 (8)

EML449 Everyday Language and Literacies: Learning and Practice (8)

EMM420 Mathematics for Primary Teachers (0)

EMS406 Science and Technology Curriculum (8)

Year 1 - Session 3

EMA410 Teaching and Assessing the Creative Arts (8)

EMM418 Mathematics: Content & Pedagogy (8)

Year 2 - Session 1

EEP427 Social Justice, Ethics and Inclusion in Classroom Practice (8)

EMM503 Mathematics in the Primary Years (8)

EMR408 PDHPE Curriculum and Pedagogy (8)

EPT455 Primary English Curriculum: Understanding Language and Literacy (8)

Year 2 - Session 2

EEB505 Indigenous Australian Studies for Teachers (8)

EML530 English Curriculum: Pedagogies in the Primary Years (8)

EPT510 Professional Experience: Positive Primary Classroom Environments (8)

ESS509 Principles of Inclusive Education (8)

Year 2 - Session 3

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

EMH502 Curriculum Studies: Primary HASS (8)

Year 3 - Session 1

EPT521 Final Professional Experience: Effective Teaching and Assessment in the Primary Years (16)

[Optional – Highly Effective Teaching Subject – NESA Extended Primary Curriculum Area Study in English, Mathematics, Science & Technology or Languages].

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.

Master of Teaching (Primary)

To graduate students must satisfactorily complete 128 points.

Charles Sturt University is Australia’s most experienced online uni, and has the country’s highest graduate employment rate. From agriculture, arts, healthcare and IT, to business, law, social work and teaching—you’ll get the latest skills in your field, and learn from academics who are connected to industry. Add in 24/7 IT support, scholarships and a vibrant student community, and you can take your next, or first, career step with confidence.

Learn more about CSU.

Explore CSU courses.

QS Ranking 2024:

31

Times Higher Education Ranking 2024:

37

Primary school teachers are qualified to teach all of the primary curriculum areas (also referred to as the Key Learning Areas or KLAs), and are required to have extended knowledge of one of these curriculum areas (which is determined in the application process which is detailed below).

Applicants for the course must meet the following admission requirements:

1. A completed Bachelor's Degree
2. A Grade Point Average of 4 or above in your undergraduate or more recent postgraduate studies
3. Successful completion of acceptable undergraduate and/or postgraduate study that is equivalent to one year of study (1.0 Equivalent Full Time Study Load - EFTSL), usually equating to eight subjects, that fall under one or more of the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) primary curriculum KLAs.
4. To ensure applicants have an extended depth of knowledge in one curriculum KLA, a minimum of four of the eight subjects must be within one of the following seven primary curriculum KLAs:

• English*
  • Mathematics*
  • Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS/HSIE)
  • Personal Development, Health and Physical Education (PDHPE)
  • Creative Arts (Music, Drama, Dance & Visual Arts)
  • Science and Technology*
  • Languages*- Entry to Languages also requires a curriculum method subject in Languages/LOTE.

The program for which the applicant will be eligible for entry is therefore based on the applicant's previous study in the respective primary curriculum KLA.

Charles Sturt takes a holistic approach to understand each applicants 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.

Applicants who do not fully meet these requirements may be offered a place in the Bachelor of Teaching (Primary) course. This will enable completion of up to two additional KLA subjects to meet entry requirements and permit re-application to the Master of Teaching (Primary).

NOTE*: All Students will graduate the Master of Teaching (Primary) degree with an AITSL primary specialisation, referred to in this course as the Extended Primary Curriculum Area. In addition to this, NESA have developed additional criteria for students to voluntarily complete a primary specialisation in areas of high demand in NSW (see the NESA website for more detail). Students can elect to complete additional subjects to graduate with a NESA recognised Primary Specialisation in English, Mathematics, Science and Technology or Languages. Students wishing to pursue a NESA Recognised Extended Primary Curriculum Area should make contact as early as possible in the course.

Non-Standard

English Language Proficiency Standard English Language Proficiency (ELP) requirements

This will apply to both domestic and international applicants. Offer may be conditional on ELP but applicants will be required to provide evidence of meeting these requirements before the start of studies. Students must meet one of the following criteria:

• A minimum overall Academic IELTS 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) or a qualification deemed equivalent. Testing results must be obtained within two years from the date of your application for admission.
• International Second Language Proficiency Rating (ISLPR) with a score of Level 4 in all four skill areas of listening, speaking, reading and writing, undertaken at approved testing sites where the assessment is teacher focused. Testing results must be within two years from the date of your application for admission.
• Completion of at least a three year bachelor degree; studied in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, USA or United Kingdom. This qualification must have been taught and assessed in English.

Proficiency Credit or Reduction in Placement Hours based on professional experience

Students are required to complete a total of 60 days of professional experience in the course to meet accreditation requirements.

Three subjects in the course include embedded professional experience days:

• EPT455 includes 10 days;
• EPT510 includes 20 days; and
• EPT521 includes 30 days.

Students must be teaching in a primary school and have taught full time for at least one term at 80% teaching load.

A proficiency credit application and a Principal Report verifying the applicants teaching against the professional standards will need to be completed and assessed by the Course Director.

For any student who is conditionally employed within a primary school setting and is successful in gaining Professional Experience Credit, the credit will only apply to the placement component of EPT455 Primary English Curriculum: Understanding Language and Literacy and/or EPT510 Professional Experience: Positive Primary Classroom Environments. EPT455 includes learning outcomes aligned to K-2 English curriculum. EPT510 includes learning outcomes aligned to the priority area Classroom Management.

It is a NESA course requirement that students must complete professional experience in a minimum of two diverse settings. As such, the student must then complete the remaining placement days in EPT510 and/or EPT521 Final Professional Experience: Effective Teaching and Assessment in the Primary Years practicum requirements at a different school setting.

Any student who completed professional experience as part of another incomplete degree may apply to have that professional experience recognised as equivalent in the same manner that they would apply for credit for other subjects. The first two placement subjects (EPT455 and EPT510) can be completed overseas in a classroom where the mode of instruction is in English, usually in an International School.

The final placement must be completed in Australia.

Professional Experience Subjects

32 Credit Points

The placement components of the subjects EPT455 and EPT510 can be completed overseas in a classroom where the mode of instruction is in English, usually in an International School. The final placement subject, EPT521, must be completed in Australia.

All students must complete 60 days placement across the degree, unless they have prior alternative placement approval from the Course Director.