Secondary education courses
Introduction to Secondary education
Do you feel a calling to become a teacher? Earn your secondary teaching degree online and turn into the role model you’ve always wanted to be.
Here at Open Universities Australia, you can compare online courses delivered by universities from across the country. We make it easier to narrow down your options and find your best fit, so you can graduate with the skills you need to succeed in the classroom.
What to study to be a teacher
To become a qualified teacher you need a bachelor or postgraduate degree in education.
So what’s the right option for you?
Bachelor degree
Best suits you if:
You have an ATAR of 70 or higher or have done VET studies
Don’t have the right ATAR? No worries
View pathwaysPostgraduate degree
Best suits you if:
You have already completed a bachelor degree in any discipline
Pathways to becoming a teacher
You don't have to put your future on hold if you didn't finish high school, or get the right ATAR.
Start uni with a study pathway today.
No entry requirements
Two options to start
Undergraduate certificates
- Begin your path to becoming a teacher candidate straight away
- Best for aspiring teachers who are domestic students
- Flexibly upskill in as little as six months to open up career opportunities
- Gain a qualification and four subjects to credit toward a bachelor degree
- Access student loans to support your journey
Single subjects
- Best for students who want to start small and try out study
- Flexibly upskill a specific area in as little as 13 weeks
- Earn credit with each subject to count towards a bachelor degree
- Access student loans to support your journey
Continue to a degree with full credits
Bachelor of Education (Secondary Education)
- 100% online study with a flexibly located placement
- Graduate directly from the university
- Become a qualified teacher anywhere in Australia
Three majors to choose from:
Discover secondary education courses
Online secondary education certificate
Start with no entry requirements, and gain a certificate qualification on the way to completing your degree.
UndergraduateCUR-HSE-CTF
Undergraduate Certificate in Secondary Teaching Education Studies
Work towards your future in secondary teaching
Study 4 core subjects in teaching young people—and get entry and credit in Curtin’s Bachelor Degree. Topics include adolescent development, tech in the classroom, and literacy. Start thinking about your career as a high school teacher.
100% online
6 months full time or part time equivalent
No ATAR required. Start with a subject.
Online secondary education subjects and short courses
Start small with no entry requirements, and gain entry into a Bachelor of Education.
UndergraduateCUR-EDS107
100% online
No ATAR required. Start with a subject.
Starts 27 May 2024, 25 Nov 2024
UndergraduateCUR-EDS110
100% online
No ATAR required. Start with a subject.
Starts 27 May 2024, 25 Nov 2024
UndergraduateCUR-EDC105
100% online
No ATAR required. Start with a subject.
Starts 26 Aug 2024
UndergraduateCUR-EDC135
100% online
No ATAR required. Start with a subject.
Starts 26 Aug 2024
Online secondary education degrees
Get ready to make a difference in people's lives and become a teacher by studying a bachelor degree.
UndergraduateCUR-SEN-DEG
Bachelor of Education (Secondary Education) (English Education)
Lead your class in a love of literature
Boasting a new course structure, this degree promises to hone your skills as a literacy leader. Gain the skills needed to teach English in Years 7-12 with new subjects and a chance to take on professional experience subjects throughout your degree.
Online & on-campus
4 years full time or part time equivalent
No ATAR required. Start with a subject.
UndergraduateCUR-SGE-DEG
Bachelor of Education (Secondary Education) (Humanities and Social Sciences - Geography)
Ground your students’ love of geography
Boasting a new course structure, this degree promises to hone your skills as a geography teacher. Gain the skills needed to teach Geography in Years 7-12 with new subjects and a chance to take on professional experience subjects throughout.
Online & on-campus
4 years full time or part time equivalent
No ATAR required. Start with a subject.
UndergraduateCUR-SAR-DEG
Bachelor of Education (Secondary Education) (The Arts - Visual Arts)
Encourage a passion for performing in learners
Boasting a new course structure, this degree promises to hone your skills as a visual arts teacher. Gain the skills needed to teach The Arts in Years 7-12 with new subjects and a chance to take on professional experience subjects throughout.
Online & on-campus
4 years full time or part time equivalent
No ATAR required. Start with a subject.
UndergraduateACU-EDC-DEG
Confidence, skills and experience to teach prep to Year 12
Positively influence the lives of young people. You’ll develop as a teacher and a person. Explore curriculum, planning, and pedagogy. Learn to engage your learners and be inclusive. Includes supervised work placements to practice teaching in schools.
Online & on-campus
4 years full time or part time equivalent
UndergraduateUSQ-BES-DEG
Online & on-campus
4 years full time or part time equivalent
UndergraduateSCU-SEC-DEG
Get qualified to work as a registered secondary school teacher
Learn to teach young adults in high school. After covering the fundamentals of literacy and numeracy, choose from a wide range of curriculum specialisations. Put theory into practice during your professional experience placement in the classroom.
Online & on-campus
4 years full time or part time equivalent
UndergraduateSCU-PSC-DEG
A teaching degree that gives you more options
With the focus on primary teaching, this degree also covers English curriculum in secondary schools. Study the fundamentals of literacy and numeracy. Professional placements in both primary and secondary classrooms help you put theory into practice.
Online & on-campus
4 years full time or part time equivalent
UndergraduateSCU-TSC-DEG
Become a high school teacher with a technology specialisation
Learn to teach tech to teenagers. After covering the fundamentals of literacy and numeracy, choose to specialise your teaching focus from IT, digital media, engineering and more. Put theory into practice during your professional experience placement.
Online & on-campus
4 years full time or part time equivalent
Online secondary education graduate diploma
Searching for a more fulfilling career? Switch to teaching in just one year with a full time graduate diploma.
PostgraduateCUR-EDS-GDI
Switch careers to secondary teaching – in just one year!
An intensive teaching course that covers theory and hands-on experience in real classrooms. You’ll learn to create positive school environments for years 7 to 12 in Australian secondary schools. Become a secondary educator. Pave a pathway to your Masters.
Online & on-campus
1 year full time or part time equivalent
Online secondary education master degrees
Deepen your understanding of education with postgraduate study.
PostgraduateCUR-SEC-MAS
An Initial Teacher Education qualification in order to register as a teacher in Australia
Develop advanced critical skills, knowledge and understanding for best practice in secondary education. Curriculum areas offered are: English, The Arts, Mathematics, Physical Education, Science, and Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS).
Online & on-campus
2 years full time or part time equivalent
PostgraduateSWI-MTS-MAS
Teach in high schools across Australia
Become a secondary school teacher. You’ll study teaching techniques and the theories of learning. Explore everyday school life during teaching placements. Over the course of 2 years, you’ll enjoy professional support and diverse experiences.
Online & on-campus
2 years full time or part time equivalent
PostgraduateACU-EDS-MAS
Develop young minds in secondary schools
Pursue an exciting new career in education based on your life experience and prior studies. Specialist teaching areas include drama, economics, physics, and more. Includes supervised work placements to practice teaching in high school.
Online & on-campus
2 years full time or part time equivalent
PostgraduateGRF-SEC-MAS
Change careers and become a secondary school teacher
Use your qualifications and experiences from other sectors as a pathway to teaching. You’ll learn the theory and practice of teaching, specialising in two teaching areas like biology, drama, or psychology. Includes professional experience in high schools.
Online & on-campus
2 years full time or part time equivalent
PostgraduateUSQ-MTS-MAS
Teach and support teenagers in high school
Add this approved secondary school teacher qualification to your bachelor degree–and become a registered teacher in just 18 months! Learn to teach Years 7 to Year 12. Study pedagogy. Gain the confidence to educate and inspire young adult learners.
Online & on-campus
2 years full time or part time equivalent
PostgraduateSCU-MTE-MAS
Specialise in and teach early childhood or secondary education
Become an unforgettable teacher. Start by choosing your specialisation, then explore the relevant learning environment and curriculum. Professional placements develop your classroom confidence. Advanced theoretical knowledge gives you an employment edge.
Online & on-campus
2 years full time or part time equivalent
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Secondary education study FAQs
If you've never studied at university before, there are two paths you can take to become a secondary school teacher. You can earn a Bachelor of Education (Secondary), majoring in the teaching specialisation of your choice. Or you can earn a bachelor degree in the area you’d like to teach in, before completing a Master of Teaching (Secondary).
Those who already have a qualification in another discipline can enrol directly in a Master of Teaching (Secondary), or related postgraduate qualification.
It takes 4 years of full-time study to complete an undergraduate secondary teaching degree, or 2 years of full-time study to complete a postgraduate teaching degree.
If you enrol in your course online through Open Universities Australia, you have more flexibility. You can study as little as one subject at a time, and complete your course at a pace that suits you.
Traditionally, you would need an ATAR of 70 or above to enrol in a teaching degree.
But there are two ways you can get into teaching through us, regardless of your ATAR result or academic background.
- You can enrol in an Undergraduate Certificate in Secondary Teaching Education Studies, which has no entry requirements and offers a direct pathway into a Bachelor of Education.
- You can enrol in single undergraduate education subjects that are open to everyone. Once you successfully complete these subjects, you’ll be free to transition into a Bachelor of Education either online or on campus.
Give our student advisors a call to find out more about these pathways.
Yes. In fact, completing a teaching degree online prepares you for the modern workforce as a teacher. Today’s teachers are expected to deliver material using online tools and environments. What better way to learn that by completing online education yourself?
Yes, you must complete professional experience (practicum) placements to graduate from a teaching degree in Australia. As an online student, you can choose the date and duration of your placement during a given study term.
There are a lot of reasons to study your course online through us.
- You can enrol without entry requirements
We have a unique open-door policy that makes it possible for everyone to enrol in university study, no matter their academic history. If you don’t meet the entry requirements for a degree, we’ll help you get in through single undergraduate subjects and transition into a qualification from there. - You have total control over how you study
Upskill without committing to a whole degree upfront. Or enrol in a full degree, but take it a subject at a time. We’ll introduce you to flexible study options you didn’t even know about, so you can fit uni around what matters to you. - You’ll graduate with the same qualification as an on-campus student
Once you enrol through us, you’ll study online with the university that provides your degree. This means that when you complete your qualification, you’ll graduate with the same degree as on-campus students. - We’ll help you navigate the university world
Our friendly student advisors will be your guide every step of the enrolment journey. They'll help you compare universities, choose a course, provide documentation and understand your finance options.
- You can enrol without entry requirements
Before starting an enrolment, it’s important to read the entry requirements for your chosen course to ensure that you’re eligible to apply. If you don’t quite meet the requirements, we may be able to help you find a pathway into your course through open-entry subjects, which anyone can study.
Chat with us to find out more.
Here at Open Universities Australia, we make enrolling online as straightforward as possible. To get started, find the course for you by browsing the options on this page. You can also compare different qualifications using our handy comparison tool, or request help from one of our student advisors.
When you’ve made your choice, click ‘Apply now’ on the relevant course page and follow the prompts to begin your enrolment. We’ll ask you to supply some supporting documentation, including proof of your identity, your tax file number, and a unique student identifier (USI) during this process.
Your university will get in touch with you via email to confirm whether or not your application has been successful.
If you get stuck at any time, reach out to us and we’ll talk you through it.
You can also take a look at our online self-service enrolling instructions.
Why should you study secondary teaching?
If you'd like to do something that truly matters with your career, then high school teaching is a fulfilling choice. You’ll have a direct impact on teenagers in Years 7 to 12 (ages 12 to 18), when they’re still figuring out who they want to be. High school teachers are specialists in one or two subjects, so you’ll introduce them to interests that could end up defining their careers.
Demand for high school teachers in Australia is also very high. It’s estimated that schools will need at least 4,000 extra secondary teachers by 2025, which means your passion and enthusiasm for education will always be needed.
What you'll learn in a secondary teaching degree
When you study your secondary teaching degree online, you have the flexibility to learn about teaching methods and theories at a pace that suits your lifestyle. You can expect to cover essential topics like:
- leadership and classroom management
- lesson planning
- assessment at a secondary school level
- teaching with technology
- diversity in the classroom
- establishing a teacher identity.
You’ll also be required to choose one or two teaching specialisations, which means you can build your career around a special interest. You will explore how to teach young adults from Years 7 to 12 in these curriculum areas only.
What teaching specialisations can you choose?
- Arts (Visual Arts or Drama)
- English
- Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS)
- Mathematics
- Physical Education
- Science
- Technologies
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Studying through Open Universities Australia means we take care of the guesswork and administration of university study, so you can focus on learning.
You don't need a strong academic history to go to uni
We make it possible for everyone to start university through single subjects, regardless of ATAR or study experience. These subjects are covered by government loans, and can be used to upskill or gain entry into a qualification.
You have the flexibility to start at multiple points during the year
We’re not restricted by a traditional academic calendar, so you can enrol when it suits your life. You also have total control over how you study. You can scale up (or down) your study load and even pause your course if you need to.
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