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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 median salary Good Universities Guide 2023, UG Education

Townsville

Townsville: February, July

$31,080.00⁺

⁺estimated annual tuition fee for a full-time study load

Plus Student Services and Amenities fee
Scholarships and financial aid available if eligible

4 years full-time

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

If your native language is not English, you must meet the minimum English language requirements for this course

View the international entry requirements for this course

081938A

What to expect

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.

Consult the handbook for a detailed overview of available subjects.

Additional Information

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.

Education 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 poised to go wherever your heart takes you. You will be ready to work in schools, childcare centres, preschools or kindergartens 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.

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.

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.

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.

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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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.

Handbook

Handbook year	Information valid for students commencing in 2023
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. Applicants who have not previously achieved a grade of C in a science subject (or equivalent) can meet this requirement by taking ED0195:03 Bridging Science for Teachers at JCU prior to commencing study.
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.
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 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: An overall score of 7.5 in Academic IELTS (or equivalent) with sub-scores no less than 8.0 in Speaking and Listening and no less than 7.0 in Reading and Writing. The cost of the testing will be met by the applicant. Students are 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	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: be a reflection of classroom teaching practice including the elements of planning, teaching, assessing and reflecting; clearly assess the content of the Graduate Teacher Standards; and 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 all students undertaking the Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood Education) (including those undertaking the program online), mandatory 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 JCU Cairns or JCU Townsville Campus. Students must complete a minimum of 41 days of professional experience in Australia.
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: Bachelor of Education (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 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 Education

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 for Sustainable Futures

ED4461:03 Indigenous Futures

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 Cairns	This course is offered in Mixed mode, with students taking up to 50% of subjects from JCU’s external subject offerings.
JCU Townsville
JCU Online	This course is delivered online with the exception of professional experience placement in Australian Educational Institutions as required for professional accreditation. Not available to International Students. Only available for students wishing to study part-time in up to 6 carousel study periods per year. Credit is available for first year subjects only.

Candidature

Expected time to complete

4 years full-time or equivalent part-time

JCU Online students will complete in 5.3 years.

Maximum time to complete

11 years

Maximum leave of absence

3 years

Progression

Course progression requisites	Students studying in carousel delivery mode, must successfully complete years 1, 2 and 3 sequentially before attempting any fourth year subjects. 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	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).
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	The maximum credit allowable for professional development courses is three credit points except where one course is judged to be larger in size than one university subject. Credit may be granted for professional development courses smaller than a university subject. However, no credit 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 credit 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)
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. Students who have completed the coursework requirements of the award but do not satisfy the graduation and accreditation (including: LANTITE score requirement, minimum English Language Proficiency score, or a minimum of 41 days of the program's professional experience program in Australian schools) will be eligible to transfer to the Bachelor of Early Childhood Education.
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 tuition fee: $AUD31,080.00;$AUD31,080.00

Courses are charged per year of full-time study. International course fees are reviewed annually and subject to change.

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

Student Visa holders must have Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) for the duration of their Student Visa (except Norwegian, Swedish and Belgian citizens). Costs depend on the length of study and the number of dependants accompanying the student. For more information see Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC).

Scholarships and financial aid are also available for international students.

Pathways to JCU

On successful completion of the Diploma of Higher Education you may be eligible to continue into an Education degree.

How to apply

All applicants for initial teacher education courses (pre-service teachers) must satisfy both academic and non-academic entry criteria.

Your application must include a written statement that outlines:

Why you want to be a primary school teacher, and
If you have any involvement in personal learning and leadership activities.

Please submit your written statement to admissions@jcu.edu.au as soon as possible.

You will need to supply the following with your application:

Previous and current certificates and academic transcripts
Grading Scale used at the institution/s you have undertaken your studies
English proficiency test results (if required and available at time of application)
Passport to confirm your name and citizenship (if available at time of application)

Advanced Standing (credit for prior learning)

If you wish to seek credit for previous studies, you can submit the course syllabi (subject outline) for each relevant subject you have already studied. You will need to ensure that previous subjects, that you wish to gain credit for, correspond to a similar JCU subject. View JCU subject outlines and Course Enrolment Planners to assist in this process.

Certified copies and original documents

Posted, faxed, scanned or uploaded copies can be used during the assessment process. However, once your application is approved you will need to supply original certified documents. These may be posted to:

James Cook International
James Cook University
Townsville QLD 4811, AUSTRALIA

If documents are written in a language other than English you will need to provide certified translations and a certified copy of the original document.

An acceptable certified document is a photocopy of an original document that has been certified as a true copy and signed by the certifier - public notary, registered agent of James Cook University or a representative of the institution. The certification must be original; photocopies or facsimiles of certified copies are not acceptable.

All applicants for initial teacher education courses (pre-service teachers) must satisfy both academic and non-academic entry criteria.

As well as having studied the subjects listed in the prerequisites for this course, you must also meet necessary minimum academic entry scores and 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.
The cost of the testing will be met by the applicant. English test results must be no more than two years old.

If you meet the academic requirements for a course, but not the minimum English requirements, you will be issued a JCU degree offer conditional upon achieving the required scores in an approved English test. You may consider undertaking an English program at JCU in order to improve your skills prior to sitting your English test. If you are interested in doing so please email internationaladmissions@jcu.edu.au

Application deadlines

31 January for commencement in teaching period 1 (semester 1)
30 June for commencement in teaching period 2 (semester 2)

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.

Gather the documents you need to apply and submit an application via JCU's online application portal.

Student

Cathryn Fairburn

Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood Education)

JCU offer placement in kindergarten right through to Grade 3, so prior to school and actually at school. They both have different frameworks, so behind that there's a great deal of learning going on. Going on placement in both settings is a big advantage.
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.