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Build expertise in the education of early learners from birth to 8 years with a Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood). Hone your understanding of child psychology and be equipped to facilitate learning within literacy, numeracy, technology, the humanities and more. Emerge with highly developed communication skills tailored to support, engage and encourage early learners.

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Unique opportunities

Study and work in rural and remote communities, capital cities and overseas

120 days of placement

Develop skills in the classroom

5 Stars

for student teacher ratio 2024 Good Universities Guide

Online

Online: January, March, July, September, November

$4,124.00⁺

⁺estimated annual Commonwealth Supported Fee for a full-time study load

Plus Student Services and Amenities fee
Fee deferral and scholarships available if eligible

5 years and 4 months online

or part-time equivalent

ATAR 65

English, General Maths or Mathematical Methods or Specialist Maths, General Science subject (Units 3/4,C)

313319

What to expect

Make a difference in the lives of young children and begin your career in early childhood education at JCU. Gain professional experience in your first year and complete a total of 120 days of workplace learning over the course of your degree.

Take advantage of JCU’s strong partnerships with childcare centres, kindergartens, preschools, and primary schools to develop your network and build practical job skills.

Develop specialist skills needed for teaching in rural and remote areas and work to improve Indigenous education outcomes. Study online (external) or on-campus and cover essential areas of child development, learning, behaviour, wellbeing, curriculum and education for the diverse learning needs of the early years.
Additional information

About JCU's Bachelor of Early Childhood Education

Are you ready to make a difference in the life of a child? Do you have what it takes to not just pass on information, but offer comprehensive support to a young person in all aspects of life? Your rewarding career in teaching begins with a Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood Education) from JCU. Through the early childhood education courses you take at JCU, you will leverage a world-class education into a career that will change lives, including your own.

An Early Childhood Degree Focused on You

You care about children, and you know that the youngest of us are the most vulnerable. You have a passion to prepare for a career guiding young children safely into the next stage of education and development. With your early childhood education degree, you will be positioned to work in schools, preschools, kindergartens childcare centre and anywhere in Australia.

As you earn your bachelor of early childhood education, you will be gaining real-world workplace experience from the very first year. You will be able to make the most of JCU’s connections with some of the best primary schools, preschools and childcare centres in the country. With these connections, you will quickly develop your skills while building a professional network for life.

You want to do more than just pass on facts and information to your future students, and in your own studies you expect more than just theory. Your early childhood degree will equip you with strong practical skills to reach those in rural and Indigenous communities. You will be ready to develop curriculum, build learning strategies and help your students with all aspects of child development.

Early Childhood Education Courses That Lead to Fantastic Careers

This bachelor of early childhood education, Queensland is fully accredited through the Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority. The program is also overseen by the Queensland Office for Early Childhood Education and Care and the Department of Education, Training and Development and is accredited by the Queensland College of Teachers.

With this kind of expertise behind your studies, you will be poised to register and work with children anywhere in Australia. Wherever you want to go, and whatever level of teaching you want to do, your path is completely open. Your early childhood education course will prepare you for anything.

Not only will you be ready to work directly as a teacher, but you will also be grounded in modern social and environmental sustainability goals. You will be equally at home working in capital cities or in rural and Indigenous communities. Your world class education begins here, and you can even take your training and skills overseas.

An Early Childhood Degree with Great Learning Resources

You will be well supported as you pursue your early childhood teacher course. JCU is committed to student success with small class sizes and lecturers who want to see you finish well.

You will have access to our popular Peer Assisted Study Sessions (PASS), where you can work with students from the same course to revise difficult material, consider different perspectives and discuss ideas together to gain a deeper understanding. You can also sign up for self-study workshops focusing on effective note taking, studying for exams and writing assignments.

Not only will you study early childhood education, you will also gain a strong foundation in everything an educator needs to know to help young children. When you graduate with your Bachelor of Education Early Childhood Education, you will have a comprehensive grasp of maths, statistics and academic reading and writing in addition to your core focus of education.

You will also understand the health and physical education needs of children, how to use technologies in your curriculum and know how to educate effectively in a culturally diverse context.

As you progress, you will stay in regular contact with a skilled learning advisor who will help you develop your learning strategies and professional written communication skills. When you graduate, you will have the confidence and skills to start your career anywhere.

Your Future Starts Here

When you finish your early childhood teacher course, you will begin more than just a career. You will be pursuing a true calling and will reap lifelong benefits. Start your early childhood education degree at JCU and get ready to make all the difference in the lives of Australian children.

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Study online

The Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood) external (online) course is built for students with busy lives. You will study one subject at a time, up to six times a year. Each subject goes for seven weeks, allowing you to focus on a single area of study each time. It also spreads your study load across the year, and you still get 10 weeks of breaks. By completing six subjects per year, you can complete a Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood) in 5.5 years.

Consult the handbook for a detailed overview of available subjects.

Inherent requirements

Inherent requirements are the identified abilities, attributes, skills, and behaviours that must be demonstrated, during the learning experience, to successfully complete a course. These abilities, attributes, skills, and behaviours preserve the academic integrity of the University’s learning, assessment,and accreditation processes, and where applicable, meet the standards of a profession. For more information please review the inherent requirements for the Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood Education).

Career Opportunities

JCU Education (Early Childhood Education) graduates have a nationally accredited degree that enables them to be employed across Australia.

Graduates can pursue careers in education in schools, preschools, kindergartens, and childcare centres.

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 are eligible for teacher registration in Australia.

The Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood Education) is fully accredited with ACECQA, which is the Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority.

Entry requirements

Entry score threshold

These are the lowest adjusted scores we made an offer to in Semester 1, 2023. Entry scores are based on the most recent Semester 1 intake and are updated in June each year. Meeting the threshold doesn't guarantee admission.

ATAR/Selection Rank: 70.00

Entry score range

This table shows the range of entry scores for recent secondary students offered a place in the Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood Education) for Semester 1, 2023. The table includes offers deferred to Semester 1, 2023 which may have been assessed using the entry score threshold of an earlier year.

JCU Townsville

	Without adjustments	With adjustments*
Highest	<5	<5
Median	<5	<5
Lowest	<5	<5

JCU Cairns

	Without adjustments	With adjustments*
Highest	<5	<5
Median	<5	<5
Lowest	<5	<5

External

	Without adjustments	With adjustments*
Highest	<5	<5
Median	<5	<5
Lowest	<5	<5

^{Notes:
<5 – indicates less than 5 OP/ATAR-based offers made.}
^{* Refer to Adjustment Factors}

Find out more about who you might study with by viewing this course’s student profile.

Adjustment factors

James Cook University applies bonus ranks under the Regional Preference Scheme and QTAC’s Educational Access Scheme (EAS). Learn more about JCU’s adjustment factors.

Handbook

Handbook year	Information valid for students commencing in 2024
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.
Owner	Academy
College	Arts, Society and Education

Award Requirements

Admission Requirements

Course pre-requisites	English (Units 3/4,C), General Mathematics or Mathematical Methods or Specialist Mathematics (Units 3/4,C), and a General Science subject (Units 3/4,C); or equivalent.
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.
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.
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 Coursework Enrolment Procedure 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

Academic Requirements for Course Completion

Credit points	96 credit points as per course structure
Additional completion requirements	Successful completion of Literacy and Numeracy Test for Initial Teacher Education (LANTITE) is an expected requirement of the Australian Ministers for Education for all graduates. Therefore all students enrolled in an initial teacher education course (either undergraduate or postgraduate) will be expected to sit and meet the test standard prior to graduation All students must sit and meet the standard of the Literacy and Numeracy Test for Initial Teacher Education Students (LANTITE) prior to their final placement and GTPA.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. Students must participate in a -day intensive Professional Orientation Program in the final year of the course. Students must complete a minimum of 41 days of professional experience the third and fourth year of the program in recognised school settings in Australia. All professional experience placements with children aged 3-8 years must be completed in sites that deliver an approved curriculum (i.e., the Queensland Kindergarten Learning Guideline, the Early Years Learning Framework, or the Australian Curriculum); be supervised by teachers currently registered in Australia; and meet the academic requirements prescribed in the relevant Professional Experience Handbooks.
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: Demonstrate a broad understanding of professional knowledge and practices, relevant to all domains of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers and other regulatory frameworks relevant to practice in the field of Education Critically evaluate and apply educational and developmental theories, principles, content knowledge and contemporary research to meet the needs of diverse children in positive and inclusive learning and care environments with an emphasis on the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children Integrate curricula, pedagogical and technological knowledge and skills to plan, deliver, assess and critically reflect on learning and development with an emphasis on the needs, abilities and life-worlds, of children and communities in regional, rural, remote and tropical areas Identify, collect, analyse and critically review information to inform professional decision making and enact quality monitoring, assessment and feedback practices Establish and maintain positive, engaging, respectful and safe learning and caring environments with children, caregivers and community and collegial interactions with other professionals through the modelling of effective, context-specific oral, written and digital communication and interpersonal skills Demonstrate literacy and numeracy mastery, while applying pedagogical strategies to develop, monitor and evaluate students’ literacy and numeracy skills in a variety of curricular contexts Demonstrate an in-depth understanding and technical ability to safely, creatively and ethically integrate technology and other learning resources into curricula and pedagogical design and delivery Develop and demonstrate intercultural and ethical approaches to professional practice based on broad knowledge of legislative, regulatory and policy frameworks that address social justice, equity, diversity and sustainability issues Demonstrate initiative, judgement, professional responsibility and accountability in complex and diverse contexts with a commitment to continuing professional learning.

Inherent Requirements

Inherent Requirements	Inherent requirements are the identified abilities, attributes, skills, and behaviours that must be demonstrated, during the learning experience, to successfully complete a course. These abilities, attributes, skills, and behaviours preserve the academic integrity of the University's learning, assessment, and accreditation processes, and where applicable, meet the standards of a profession. For more information please visit: Early Childhood Education.
Reasonable adjustments	All JCU students have the opportunity to demonstrate, with reasonable adjustments where applicable, the inherent requirements for their course. For more information please visit: Student Disability Policy and Procedure.

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 Arts Education for Early Childhood

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 1

ED2094:03 Approaches to Oral Language and Reading Development in the Early Years

ED2491:03 Planning for Engaging Learning

ED2991:03 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education

ED2096:03 Humanities and Social Sciences for Early Childhood Education

ED2095:03 Science Education for Early Childhood

ED2097:03 Play Pedagogies for Early Learners

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 Communicating and Producing Texts in Early Childhood Contexts

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 for Sustainable Futures

ED4622:03 Learning and Teaching in Rural and Remote Contexts

ED4486:03 Fourth Year Professional Experience A

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

Location

COURSE AVAILABLE AT	NOTES
JCU Online	This course is delivered online with the exception of professional experience placement in Australian schools or early learning centres, as required for professional accreditation.

Candidature

Expected time to complete	5.3 years part-time
Maximum time to complete	11 years
Maximum leave of absence	3 years

Progression

Course progression requisites	To ensure satisfactory progression, a minimum of three subjects must be taken in any 12-month period. Students must successfully complete LANTITE prior to their placement and GTPA assessment in their final year of study.
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 Coursework Enrolment Procedure. Students who do not complete 41 days or more of prescribed education placements in schools in Australia will be automatically transferred to the non-accredited Bachelor of Early Childhood Education and will not be immediately eligible for teacher registration in Queensland.
Special assessment requirements	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). The Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood Education) includes a specialisation in English/Literacy, providing graduates with knowledge and skills in this specialisation area. The subjects comprising this specialisation are: ED1421:03 Foundations of Language and Literacy in Education ED2094:03 Approaches to Oral Language and Reading Development in the Early Years ED3223:03 Communicating and Producing Texts in Early Childhood Contexts ED3443:03 English as an Additional Language/Dialect for Indigenous Learners ED4490:06 Fourth Year Professional Experience B (with completion of the GTPA in English/Literacy)
Supplementary exam for final subject	Not applicable

Credit

Eligibility	Students may apply for a credit transfer for previous tertiary study or informal and non-formal learning in accordance with the Credit Transfer Procedure.
Maximum allowed	63 credit points
Currency	Credit will be granted only for studies completed in the 10 years prior to the commencement of this course.
Expiry	Credit gained for any subject shall be cancelled 21 years after the date of the examination upon which the credit is based if, by then, the student has not completed this course.
Other restrictions	Not applicable

Award Details

Award title	BACHELOR OF EDUCATION (EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION)
Approved abbreviation	BEd(ECE)
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
Special awards	Students may receive an Award of Recognition in accordance with the Recognition of Academic Excellence Procedure

Fees and scholarships

Estimated annual Commonwealth Supported fee: $AUD4,124.00

A Student Services and Amenities fee is payable per subject up to a maximum amount per year.

A variety of Scholarships are available to suit different student types.

Pathways to JCU

JCU Prep provides a pathway into this course. Enrolling in this flexible program will enable you to meet entry requirements including subject pre-requisites and ATARs. Introductory academic subjects are also available to prepare you for tertiary study.

Successful completion of some Certificate III, a Certificate IV or AQF Diploma qualifications can also be used as a pathway into this course.

Explore our list of guaranteed entry courses to see if you are eligible through your prior qualification.*

Some courses require that additional subject prerequisites are met. These prerequisites may include subjects such as English, Mathematics or Science. Subject prerequisites are detailed in the Handbook above.

Contact our friendly JCU Future Students Team to find out more.

_{*Excludes entry into the Bachelor of Advanced Science, Bachelor of Dental Surgery, Bachelor of Laws, Bachelor of Marine Science, Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery, Bachelor of Nursing Science – Bachelor of Midwifery, Bachelor of Pharmacy (Honours), Bachelor of Physiotherapy, and Bachelor of Veterinary Science (Honours).}

How to apply

Note the course QTAC code for the location you've chosen. You'll need to enter it as part of your QTAC application.

Application dates vary between courses, whether they're delivered in semester, trimester or carousel study modes. View our Application due dates page for more information.

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 6.5 in Academic IELTS (or equivalent) with no sub-score less than 7.0 for Speaking and Listening and no sub-score less than 6.0 for Reading and Writing.

If you do not meet the English language requirements you can apply to study a University-approved English language program.

ATAR score is indicative only. Entry scores will be finalised in the major offer round.

Student

Tabitha McCann

Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood Education)

I like the flexibility of JCU's external study options as I work full time. The course offers placements in early childhood education and schools, providing experience with different communities and age groups. The hands-on experience is more than any other university I've studied at.
International Student

Kathri Thanthri Hewage Nipuni

Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood Education)

If you're passionate about working with children JCU is the place to do it, because the support that you can gain from the university is just beyond words. I transferred from JCU Singapore to Townsville and the children in Far North Queensland are friendly and the lecturers helpful and supportive.
Alumni

Bianca Rogers

Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood Education)

I felt the help was there if it was needed and that’s what I loved about my course and about JCU. Even when studying the course online, you will be supported. Making sure students have that level of comfort is a strength for JCU.
Lecturer

Dr Marcia Thorne

Education

Learning online about early childhood education is stimulating and rewarding. Subjects are full of interactive components and hands-on activities. Our students learn science experiments that are colourful and fun. Art and dance bring out your creativity. With intentional teaching we put play into learning.
Employer

Jan Cooper

Principal, Annandale State School, Townsville QASSP President

Principals greatly value the close liaison between JCU Education and schools. This liaison ensures that pre-service teachers receive authentic and effective professional experience placements in schools. JCU Education graduates are well-prepared academically and practically for their demanding careers as educators.