Question 1

How long is a primary teaching degree?

Accepted Answer

It typically takes 4 years of full-time study to complete an approved initial teacher education (ITE) qualification.

However, there are flexible options available. Students who enrol through Open Universities Australia can earn their primary teaching degree at a pace of their choosing online.

Question 2

Which primary teaching degree is right for me?

Accepted Answer

If you have never attended university before, you will need to enrol in a Bachelor of Education specialising in primary school teaching to qualify as a teacher.

If you already have a qualification in a non-education discipline (for example a Bachelor of Arts), you can take a faster path. We suggest enrolling in a two-year postgraduate teaching degree, like a Master of Teaching (Primary).

Question 3

What do you learn in a primary school teaching degree?

Accepted Answer

Your primary school teaching degree will give you the confidence to engage with young students on all curriculum areas, from English and arts to science and maths.

You should expect to cover:

literacy and numeracy education
leadership and classroom management
lesson planning
teaching technologies
inclusive teaching practices.

You can also choose from electives in areas that interest you, like iSTEM education, the International Baccalaureate Programme and Indigenous Australian education practices.

Question 4

Does an online primary teaching degree still include placements?

Accepted Answer

Yes, you will still be required to complete practical teaching placements as part of your degree, even as an online student. Placements are compulsory in initial teacher education courses so that you can develop hands-on experience in a real classroom. Your university will help you to find a suitable primary school placement in your area.

Question 5

Why should I study primary school teaching online?

Accepted Answer

There are benefits to completing your qualification online. Former student Ally Kettle had time to volunteer at a local primary school because she completed her Bachelor of Education online in her spare time. The extra practical experience gave her an edge when a graduate teaching position came up. She landed the role over hundreds of other applicants.

Online study may also make sense to you if you’re a parent, you support yourself with work in another industry, or you just don’t want to follow a traditional university timetable. Instead of commuting to campus or committing to inconvenient lecture times, you can study the curriculum on your own terms, and still get the most out of teaching placements.

Question 6

Why should I study online through Open Universities Australia?

Accepted Answer

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.

Question 7

What if I don’t have the right ATAR for an undergraduate teaching degree?

Accepted Answer

Open Universities Australia can help you start a Bachelor of Education, regardless of your academic background. We have a unique policy in place with our partner universities. It means you can get into certain teaching courses by completing a few introductory education subjects online through us. These subjects don’t have any entry requirements, and will be credited towards your final degree.

You can you can read more about how this works here, or speak to an advisor about your specific situation.

Question 8

What can you do with a primary teaching degree?

Accepted Answer

Once you graduate, you will be qualified to register with your state or territory’s teacher registration board. You can then apply for roles as a primary school teacher.

There are also other career opportunities you can explore in:

education reform and policy
education research
curriculum design
inclusive education
teaching support or tutoring
youth guidance counselling
educational leadership.

Some of these career pathways may require further study. You can find upskilling courses in education available through Open Universities Australia.

Question 9

How do I know if I’m eligible to apply for a course?

Accepted Answer

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 can help you find a pathway into your course through open-entry subjects, which anyone can study. Chat with us to find out more.

Question 10

How do I enrol?

Accepted Answer

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.

I want to	We recommend exploring
Become a teacher, and am new to university	Primary education bachelor degrees
Become a teacher, and have a bachelor degree (in any area)	Primary education graduate certificates or masters degrees
Try education study to see if it's for me	Primary education single subjects
Gain entry into a teaching degree but need help	Our education pathway or Degrees that allows entry through single subjects
Move into education leadership	Primary education postgraduate study
Gain a specialised teaching skill	Primary education short courses

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