
-
Future Students
Courses
-
Current Students
You and Your CourseOpportunities
-
Research and Teaching
Our ResearchResearch Degrees
-
Partners and Community
JCU ConnectCommunity
- About JCU
-
Courses and Study
- Why JCU?
-
Study areas
- Arts and Social Sciences
- Biomedical Sciences
- Business
- Dentistry
- Education
- Engineering
- Environmental Management
- Geoscience
- Health Studies
- Information Technology
- Law
- Marine Science
- Medicine
- Nursing and Midwifery
- Occupational Therapy
- Pharmacy
- Physiotherapy
- Planning
- Psychology
- Public Health and Tropical Medicine
- Science
- Social Work
- Speech Pathology
- Sport and Exercise Science
- Tourism
- Veterinary Science
-
Course by level
-
Cities, campuses and study centres
- Services and support
-
Information for
- QTAC Packaged Offers
- International Students
-
Current Students
-
Enrolment
-
Fees and Financial Support
-
Exams & Results
-
Important Dates
-
Student Life
- Student forms
-
The Learning Centre
- Safe work and study at JCU
-
Enrolment
-
Research and Teaching
-
Partners and Community
- Staff
- Students
- Library
- LearnJCU
Tell us a little bit about yourself

Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood Education)
- Why JCU?
-
Study areas
- Arts and Social Sciences
- Biomedical Sciences
- Business
- Dentistry
- Education
- Engineering
- Environmental Management
- Geoscience
- Health Studies
- Information Technology
- Law
- Marine Science
- Medicine
- Nursing and Midwifery
- Occupational Therapy
- Pharmacy
- Physiotherapy
- Planning
- Psychology
- Public Health and Tropical Medicine
- Science
- Social Work
- Speech Pathology
- Sport and Exercise Science
- Tourism
- Veterinary Science
-
Course level
-
By campus
-
Services and support
-
Information for
- QTAC Packaged Offers
- International Students
Courses Australian courses Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood Education)
Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood Education)
The early years of life are a time of rapid brain development as the foundations of learning and development are laid. High quality early childhood education makes a difference to the lives of young children during their prior-to-school years and the early years of schooling. As an ECE student you will focus on the education and care of children aged from birth to eight and throughout the primary school years, learning about development, behaviour and wellbeing.
Part time available
Career opportunities
As a JCU Education graduate, you will have the skills and qualifications to seek employment across Australia and beyond.
Early Childhood Education is a specialised field of education that leads to work in schools, preschools, kindergartens and childcare centres. A typical day is active and rewarding, involves indoor and outdoor work, and may require after-school hours. Career opportunities have been increasing since national regulations came into effect in 2014. The Australian Government’s statistical service reports that employment for Early Childhood teachers is expected to continue its growth.
The Bachelor of Education (ECE) is also fully accredited with ACECQA, which is the Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority.
Course highlights
Gaining professional experience is an integral part of the Early Childhood Education at JCU, and commences in your first year of study.
Overall you will experience 100 days of workplace learning in a range of early childhood (prior to school) and school locations. We draw on our strong partnerships in a variety of educational settings to organise suitable placements for you in a variety of venues.
Upon completion of the degree, you will have gained a rich variety of professional experience that includes both prior to school and school settings.
JCU’s courses are designed to meet the demand for teachers in regional, rural, and remote areas.
All students are required to attend a compulsory 5-day on-campus intensive Professional Orientation Program at either the Cairns or Townsville campuses in their final year of study. This intensive program prepares you for your transition to teaching.
Course overview
Early Childhood Education (ECE) study areas include: child development, learning, behaviour, wellbeing, curriculum and pedagogy for the diversity of learners and learning needs within the early years.
You will develop specialist skills needed for teaching in rural and remote areas and you will be at the forefront of education for sustainability. Our program also focuses on ensuring you have the skills to help improve Indigenous education outcomes.
JCU’s ECE course allows you to complete your degree via external study (online) or through a mix of studying online and on campus. Please see the Handbook for further details. Please note that some subjects are only available online in this course. Mid-year entry is also available.
If you already hold a Certificate III or Diploma in Children's Services, you can receive credit for these qualifications - this may shorten the time it takes to complete your teaching degree.
All students must meet minimum literacy standards upon entry and upon completion as required by the Queensland College of Teachers.
Blue card
All students who are doing a teaching practicum within Queensland are required by law to hold a valid Blue Card, issued by the Public Safety Business Agency (PSBA). Students need to apply for their Blue Card as soon as they have accepted their offer in order to ensure sufficient time for processing before their first practicum placement.
How to apply
Take note of the QTAC code for this course in the location you've chosen because you'll need to enter it as part of your QTAC application.
Townsville (313311) - Apply now
Cairns (323311) - Apply now
External (313319) - Apply now
OP Score/Rank is indicative only. Entry scores will be finalised in the major offer round.
All applicants for initial teacher education courses (pre-service teachers) must satisfy both academic and non-academic entry criteria.
English language requirements
Applicants of non-English speaking backgrounds must meet the following English language proficiency requirements:
- An overall score of 7.5 in Academic IELTS (or equivalent) with no sub-score less than 8 for Speaking and Listening and no sub-score less than 7 for Reading and Writing.
If you do not meet the English language requirements you can apply to study a University-approved English language program.
Our campuses in Singapore and Brisbane operate on a trimester system – three semesters per year. View academic calendars.
Pathway into course
Handbook
Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood Education)
Handbook year | 2019 |
Course code | 109210 |
Course type | Bachelor Degree (AQF Level 7) |
Professional accreditation status | This course is nationally accredited through the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) in association with the Queensland College of Teachers (QCT). Graduates of this course are eligible for Teacher registration in Australia. This course is also nationally accredited through the Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority (ACECQA). Graduates are eligible for employment in the early childhood area (0-8 years) as an educator or service provider. In Queensland the Regulatory Authority is the Office for Early Childhood Education and Care, Department of Education, Training and Employment. |
Division | Tropical Environments and Societies |
Award Requirements
Admission Requirements
Course pre-requisites | English, Mathematics A or B or C and Authority Science |
Minimum English language proficiency requirements | Applicants of non-English speaking backgrounds must meet the English language proficiency requirements of an overall score of 6.5 in Academic IELTS (or equivalent) with sub-scores no less than 7.0 in Speaking and Listening and no less than 6.0 in Reading and Writing. The cost of the testing will be met by the applicant. English test results must be no more than two years old at the commencement of the course. Further information is available on the Queensland College of Teachers website. |
Additional selection requirements | All applicants for initial teacher education courses must satisfy both academic and non-academic entry criteria. Applicants’ non-academic capabilities will be assessed by way of an instrument applied by QTAC and developed in consultation with the Australian Council of Deans of Education. Students must meet English language proficiency requirements for teacher registration in Australia, either on entry to or on graduation from the program. |
Post admission requirements | Professional practice: This course includes prescribed professional placements. Students may be required to undertake such placements away from the campus at which they are enrolled, at their own expense. Further information about placements can be found at Enrolment Policy – Coursework Students Suitability to Work with Children Card (blue card): This course includes prescribed professional placements that may involve contact with children under 18 years of age. Students are required to obtain a Suitability to Work with Children Card (which involves a criminal history check undertaken by the Queensland Police) before the start of the first placement in an Australian school setting. Students undertaking professional placements in Australian school settings must retain a current Suitability to Work with Children Card for the duration of their course, as failure to do so will result in the termination of their admission to the course. For more information, refer to: Blue Card Services English Proficiency: Applicants of non-English speaking backgrounds are advised that the Queensland College of Teachers requires graduating teachers to provide evidence of meeting the following English language requirements prior to graduation:
The cost of the testing will be met by the applicant. Students advised that the Queensland College of Teachers requires graduating teachers to provide evidence of meeting the English language requirements as stated above prior to graduation. Further information is available on the Queensland College of Teachers website |
Academic Requirements for Course Completion
Credit points | 96 credit points as per course structure |
Additional completion requirements | All students must sit and meet the standard of the Literacy and Numeracy Test Initial Teacher Education (LANTITE). The cost of the testing will be met by the applicant. Refer to https://teacheredtest.acer.edu.au/ All students must successfully complete a final-year teaching performance assessment (Graduate Teacher Performance Assessment [GTPA]) embedded in a subject and a professional placement of no less than four weeks in the final year of the degree, prior to graduation that is shown to: a) be a reflection of classroom teaching practice including the elements of planning, teaching, assessing and reflecting; b) clearly assess the content of the Graduate Teacher Standards; and c) demonstrate an understanding of moderation processes that support consistent decision-making against achievement criteria. The GTPA is built into course requirements and assessments. All students must possess dispositional attributes deemed suitable for the profession of teaching. For students undertaking the Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood Education) online, participation in a 5-day intensive Professional Orientation Program on campus in the final year of the course is a requirement to complete this degree. This program may be undertaken at either the Cairns or Townsville Campus. |
Course learning outcomes | In the context of a JCU graduate, on successful completion of the Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood Education), graduates will be able to:
|
Course Structure
CORE SUBJECTS
Level 1
ED1401:03 Education Perspectives and Practice
ED1411:03 Science and Sustainability in Education
ED1421:03 Foundations of Language and Literacy in Education
ED1439:03 Early Childhood Education and Care 1
ED1440:03 Technologies for Early Childhood Education
ED1443:03 Early Childhood Arts Education
ED1481:03 Educational Psychology: Learners and Learning
ED1492:03 Teaching Mathematics and Numeracy in Primary and Early Childhood Settings
Level 2
ED2090:03 Health and Physical Education for Early Childhood
ED2093:03 Early Childhood Mathematics and Numeracy
ED2094:03 Early Childhood Language and Literacy
ED2491:03 Planning for Engaging Learning
ED2991:03 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education
ED2096:03 Humanities and Social Sciences for Early Childhood
ED2095:03 Science Education for Early Childhood
ED4306:03 Students with Reading Difficulties
Level 3
ED3442:03 Inclusive Education: Differentiated Learning for Students with Special Needs and Abilities
ED3443:03 English as an Additional Language/Dialect for Indigenous Learners
ED3441:03 Technologies Across the Curriculum
ED3223:03 Advanced English Education for Early Childhood
ED3096:03 Early Childhood Mathematics and Numeracy 2
ED3097:06 Reflective Teaching Cycles and Positive Learning Environments (ECE)
ED3590:03 Early Childhood Education and Care 2
Level 4
ED4460:03 Service Learning
ED4461:03 Indigenous Futures
ED4488:03 Fourth Year Professional Experience A [Australia] or ED4388:03 Fourth Year Professional Experience A [Singapore]
ED4490:06 Fourth Year Professional Experience B
ED4621:03 Leading Wellbeing and Sustainability in Learning Communities
ED4623:03 Teachers as Ethical and Collaborative Change Agents
ED4995:03 Education across Culturally Diverse Contexts
Campus
COURSE AVAILABLE AT | NOTES |
Cairns | Some subjects are only available externally |
Townsville | |
Singapore | Available on-campus only |
External | Mandatory on campus component is a 5 day intensive Professional Orientation Program in the final year |
Candidature
Expected time to complete | 4 years full-time or equivalent part-time |
Maximum time to complete | 11 years |
Maximum leave of absence | 3 years |
Progression
Course progression requisites | Nil |
Course includes mandatory professional placement(s) | This course includes prescribed professional placements. Students may be required to undertake such placements away from the campus at which they are enrolled, at their own expense. Only those students who complete the majority (12 credit points or more) of prescribed education placements in schools in Australia will be automatically verified for teacher registration in Queensland. Further information about placements can be found at Enrolment Policy – Coursework Students. To undertake the final Professional Experience and Co-requisite subjects, students must have completed 72 credit points of level 1, 2 and 3 subjects in this course. |
Special assessment requirements | Students undertaking their placement in Australia: Suitability to Work with Children Care (blue card) This course includes prescribed professional or clinical placements that may involve contact with children under 18 years of age. Students undertaking professional placements in Australian school settings are required to obtain a Suitability to work with Children Card (which involves a criminal history check undertaken by the Queensland police) before the start of the first placement. Students must retain a current Suitability to Work with Children Card for the duration of their course, as failure to do so will result in the termination of their admission to the course. For more information, refer to: Education Blue Card Students who do not complete the required number of days of a professional experience subject or a professional component of a subject, without the approval of the Director of Professional Experience, will be determined to have failed the subject. Refer to Review of a Student’s Suitability to Continue a Course Involving Placement policy. |
Professional accreditation requirements | Successful completion of all subjects contributes to the requirements for the Queensland College of Teachers Graduate level of the Australian Professional Standards (APST). Please also see `Additional Completion requirements’ in reference to the GTPA. Graduates are eligible for employment in the early childhood area (0-8 years) as an educator or service provider. In Queensland the Regulatory Authority is the Office for Early Childhood Education and Care, Department of Education, training and Employment and at the National level it is the Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority (ACECQA). |
Maximum allowed Pass Conceded (PC) grade | Nil |
Supplementary exam for final subject | Not applicable |
Advanced Standing
Eligibility | Students may apply for advanced standing for previous tertiary study in accordance with the Credit and Articulation policy and associated procedures. |
Maximum allowed | 63 credit points |
Currency | Advanced standing will be granted only for studies completed in the 10 years prior to the commencement of this course. |
Expiry | Advanced standing gained for any subject shall be cancelled 21 years after the date of the examination upon which the advanced standing is based if, by then, the student has not completed this course. |
Other restrictions | The maximum advanced standing allowable for professional development courses is three credit points except where one course is judged to be larger in size than one university subject. Advanced standing may be granted for professional development courses smaller than a university subject. However, no advanced standing will be given for courses smaller than two credit points, or equivalent. Recognition of Current Competence (RCC) may apply where a teacher education student can clearly demonstrate outcomes relevant to a specific professional experience component of a Bachelor of Education program. If these outcomes can be demonstrated, the pre-service teacher will be granted advanced standing for a part of the requisite days of the professional experience requirement. Demonstration of attainment of outcomes may be in the form of professional experience reports from other institutions and/or statements of teaching or related service. |
Award Details
Award title | BACHELOR OF EDUCATION (EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION) 1 or BACHELOR OF EDUCATION 1Students will be eligible for this award if they have completed a minimum of 41 days of placement in prescribed education placements in Australia. |
Approved abbreviation | BEd(ECE) or BEd 2 2The approved abbreviation for students graduating with the Award BACHELOR OF EDUCATION |
Inclusion of majors on testamur | Not applicable – this course does not have majors |
Exit with lesser award | Students who have completed 24 credit points of their course award requirements, and withdraw from or fail to meet the requirements for progression in the later years, may be eligible for the award of Diploma of Tertiary Studies. Students who exit the course prior to completion, and have completed 72 credit points of study and appropriate subjects, may be eligible to receive the award of Bachelor of Educational Services. |
Course articulation | Not applicable |
This website is intended as general guide. Prospective students should contact the university to confirm admission requirements and the availability of courses. James Cook University reserves the right to alter any course or admission requirement without prior notice.