Master of Teaching (Secondary)

Upon successful completion of this course students should be able to:

1. apply critically concepts and theories from the foundation, Effective Teaching, Education Studies and CPA units to analyse, critically reflect on and question school-based experiences and improve their teaching.
2. synthesise complex information, concepts, theories and current debates relevant to secondary education and apply this knowledge to their teaching practice and professional engagement.
3. plan and implement effective and engaging 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.
4. apply 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.
5. evaluate issues of equity and social justice in Australian classrooms, schools, and education systems, and their impact on students and communities, through the triangulation of learners’ reflection on their own experience, their professional experience and their critical reading of the literature.
6. meet the Australian Professional Standards for Teaching at the Graduate level.

Transform your outlook and accelerate your career opportunities with a Master of Teaching (Secondary) degree. Graduate ready to design and implement engaging, creative and flexible learning experiences to inspire and positively influence the lives of young people.

Delivered with the latest research-informed pedagogy, your professional journey to becoming a graduate teacher is guided by highly experienced mentor teachers in a range of educational contexts. You will gain theoretical understanding and deep knowledge of how students learn and participate in real-world practical experience in the classroom with professional placements.

Whether you are looking for a complete career change or are a recent graduate, your undergraduate degree will form the foundations for your specialist teaching areas in this course. This course will prepare you to teach in one or two specialist teaching areas, depending on your undergraduate degree and campus of study.

The following senior secondary level teaching areas are available (with some variations from state to state): accounting, business studies, biology, chemistry, design and technologies, drama, earth and environmental studies, economics, English, geography, health, history, ICT and digital technology, language, legal studies, mathematics, music, outdoor education, physical education, physics, religious education, society and culture, TESOL, visual arts, vocational studies.

Check the ACU website for scholarship opportunities

Recommended study pattern

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

• Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment Teaching Area 1
• Foundations of Teaching 2: The Nature of Learning
• Effective Teaching 1: Professional Practices

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 this degree, a student must complete 160 cp from the Schedule of Unit Offerings, consisting of:

a. 100 cp from Education Studies and Effective Teaching Units (Part A)

b. 40 cp from Curriculum Studies Units (Part B) consisting of either: 20 cp in each of two teaching subjects OR 40 cp from one teaching subject

c. 0 cp from ACER Literacy and Numeracy Test for Initial Teacher Education Units (Part C)

d. 20 cp from Elective 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 will lead to teacher registration.

1. Graduate Diploma in Educational Studies: 80 cp from the Schedule of Unit Offerings.
2. Graduate Certificate in Educational Studies: 40 cp from the Schedule of Unit Offerings.

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 $11,560

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. a major study in one teaching area; and
      1. demonstrate suitability for teaching as evidenced by completion of the relevant State assessment, which will be provided in the application process.
   2. a separate minor study in a second teaching area, that may be separate from or related to the major study area;
   3. be able to select from teaching areas that are available within the course and meet the requirements of applicant's local state/territory registration authority; and
   4. the combination of teaching areas identified would usually prepare the applicant to teach across all year levels of secondary schooling.

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

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

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) allows students to gain credit (advanced standing) towards their course in recognition of skills and knowledge gained through work experience, life experience and/or formal training. Applicants are assessed on a case-by-case basis. Speak to a Course Coordinator about applying for RPL.

Students must complete a minimum of 60 days of professional experience, during which time they are required to be available full-time. 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. Professional experience units are planned as a specific sequence allowing for progressive development of both classroom-based proficiency and an understanding of the relevance of theory to practice and practice to theory. These units apply skills, techniques and processes taught in the Foundations Studies and Professional Studies units.

The practicum will be supported by other forms of in-school experiences, such as school-based tutorials and workshops.

Placements will usually be arranged for the scheduled placement period in the professional experience calendar though this may not always be possible. The Professional Experience program consists of a minimum of 60 days of teaching rounds, usually broken into three blocks.

Other requirements

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

These are Blue Card (Queensland), Working with Vulnerable People Registration (Australian Capital Territory), or Working with Children Check (New South Wales, Western Australia, and Victoria), Working with Children Clearance (Northern Territory), or Police Record Check (South Australia and Tasmania).

International students must bring police check documentation from their own countries. To meet the requirements for working in settings other than schools, a National Police check may be required. All students who have lived in another country for 12 months or more must provide a police check from that country for that period.