Have you always wanted to make a difference? Become somebody’s favourite teacher.
Study primary education online so you can influence children during their most crucial stage, between the ages of five and 12.
Explore different teaching theories and technologies from home, at your own pace. Then go on placements and gain essential hands-on experience in the classroom. Your primary teaching qualification will give you the knowledge you need to inspire and lead young pupils every day.
Go on to become a registered primary school teacher—or launch your career as a special aide, education leader, school principal or administrative and policy specialist. The choice is yours.
We’re here to help you explore your study options with different universities.
Explore primary teaching degrees
Explore primary teaching single subjects and short courses
Undergraduate CUR-EDC492-2022
iSTEM Education through Digital Stories
Related degrees
- Bachelor of Education (Primary Education)
- Bachelor of Education (Secondary Education) (Humanities and Social Sciences - Geography)
- Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood Education)
- Bachelor of Education (Secondary Education) (The Arts - Visual Arts)
- Bachelor of Education (Secondary Education) (English Education)
Undergraduate CUR-EDC487-2022
Creative Literacies
Related degrees
- Bachelor of Education (Primary Education)
- Bachelor of Education (Secondary Education) (Humanities and Social Sciences - Geography)
- Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood Education)
- Bachelor of Education (Secondary Education) (The Arts - Visual Arts)
- Bachelor of Education (Secondary Education) (English Education)
Explore over 118 ways to study primary teaching with leading Australian universities
| 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 Primary education Masters Degrees |
| Try education study to see if it's for me |
Primary education single subjects or Our education pathway |
| Gain entry into a teaching degree but need help | Our education pathway or Degrees that allows entry through single subjects |
| Move into education leadership or step up in my teaching career | Primary education postgraduate study |
| Upskill, expand my knowledge or gain a specialised skill | Primary education short courses |
Meet a student
Working as an interior designer, Ally had always wanted to teach. In a change of heart, she called Open Universities Australia and asked a student advisor how she could become a primary school teacher.
Primary teaching course FAQs
It depends on where you are at in your education journey. There are a number of different ways to become a primary teacher, and they can differ by state.
School leavers
As a school leaver you can either:
- Complete an approved primary school teaching degree online, like a Bachelor of Education (Primary), which can take between four and ten years, depending on your chosen study plan.
- Complete an academic degree in a non-education study area, and then complete an approved postgraduate course like a Master of Teaching (Primary). A Masters Degree will typically take two years of full-time study.
People with a degree in a non-education field
You can complete an approved postgraduate preservice teacher education degree program, like a Master of Teaching (Primary). This will typically take two years.
People with a vocational qualification
You may be granted credit at your chosen university for relevant vocational studies, professional experience and training towards an approved undergraduate teacher education degree. Speak with our student advisors about recognition of prior learning and experience.
Once you complete your qualification, you will also need to register with your state or territory’s teacher registration board before you can be employed as a teacher.
On graduating, you may want to launch straight into a teaching role in a primary school. However, there are lots of other career options to explore, some of which may require additional, specialised qualifications. They include:
- Inclusive education teacher
- Teacher aide
- TAFE teacher
- Head of department
- Principal
- Youth guidance counselling
- Adult education
- Education reform and policy
- Education research
- Curriculum design
If you’re sure teaching is your passion, but you’re not certain about who you should teach (small children, primary aged kids or teenagers), we can help you find your path. Speak with one of our friendly student advisors today.
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.
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.
Student stories and study advice
Industry snapshot for primary school teachers
WEEKLY PAY
$1,801
AVERAGE AGE
41 years
FUTURE GROWTH
Moderate
FULL-TIME
65%
Source: Job Outlook. Average figures across the industry. As at April 2022.
Interested in other teaching careers? Find out how to become an early childhood teacher, secondary school teacher, special education teacher or teacher's aide.
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