Bachelor of Education (Secondary)

Learn to establish positive and engaging learning environments for secondary school students. Benefit from a wide range of placement opportunities across your degree in regional, rural and remote areas. Develop skills to improve Indigenous education outcomes and leverage a world-class education into a career that will change lives, including your own.

Gain a full understanding of intercultural and ethical approaches to professional practice. Base your teaching on current research and policy that addresses social justice, diversity and sustainability.

Take part in 85 days of placements in practical settings from your very first year of study, and experience teaching in metropolitan, rural and remote locations. Make a difference in the lives of young people, and improve outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.

Students choose two teaching areas to specialise in. Teaching areas offered at JCU include biology, business, chemistry, economics, English, French, geography, health and physical education, history, digital technologies, Japanese, legal studies, mathematics, physics, industrial technologies and design, and food technologies and design.

Not all teaching areas are available at the JCU Cairns campus. View the handbook for more information.

All students enrolled in an Initial Teacher Education course must achieve the required standard for both the Literacy and Numeracy Tests for Initial Teacher Education (LANTITE).

Additional information

Considering a Career Change into Teaching? 
If you already have an undergraduate degree in another area and are looking for a career change into education, consider JCU's Master of Teaching and Learning (Secondary). Throughout this two-year degree, you will have opportunities to maximise your professional experience through prescribed placements in secondary schools.

Consult the handbook for teaching areas available at each campus.

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 (Secondary).

JCU Education (Secondary) graduates are in high demand for their specialist skills with rural and remote communities.

Graduates pursue careers both in Australia and overseas, in public, independent, and Catholic schools.

You could find employment as a secondary teacher, or pursue roles in education management, government departments, or community development.

Entry score threshold

These are the lowest adjusted scores we made an offer to in Semester 1, 2025. 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: 65.00

Entry score range

This table shows the range of entry scores for recent secondary students offered a place in the Bachelor of Education (Secondary) for Semester 1, 2025. The table includes offers deferred to Semester 1, 2025, which may have been assessed using the entry score threshold of an earlier year.

JCU Townsville

JCU Cairns

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

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.

• The Indicative First-Year Fee represents the approximate cost of studying full-time for one academic year (24 credit points) in a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP).
• This figure should be used as a guide only.
• Actual fees will depend on:
  • The specific subjects you choose to study.
  • Your individual study load.
• For detailed information, please check your student contribution amount (per subject) on our Commonwealth Support Fees and Payment options page.
• Fees are reviewed annually and are subject to change by the Department of Education and JCU.

Commonwealth Teaching Scholarships

Full-time domestic students in this course are eligible to apply for the Australian Government’s Commonwealth Teaching Scholarship. These consist of yearly payments of $10,000, for the expected full-time duration of your degree. For undergraduate students, this is four years, or a total of $40,000, and postgraduate students receive $20,000 over two years. If you choose to complete your final professional placement in a government school located in a remote area, you may also be eligible for an additional $2000 payment.

Successful applicants are required to make either a four-year (undergraduate) or two-year (postgraduate) commitment to teaching in a government school. You must fulfil this commitment within 10 years.

Fees

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

Learn more about fees and financial support

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.

_{*Excludes entry into the Bachelor of Advanced Science, Bachelor of Dental Surgery, Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery, Bachelor of Physiotherapy, and Bachelor of Veterinary Science (Honours).}

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.

Important application update

Applications to study the Bachelor of Education (Secondary) for 2025 and beyond no longer require the completion of a Teacher Personal Statement (NARTE).

English Language Requirements

Applicants from non-English speaking backgrounds must also meet minimum English language proficiency requirements.

You can check the requirements for this course in the Course and Subject Handbook.

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.