Fast Facts
Location
Commencing
- Townsville: February
- Cairns: February
Fees
$7,340.00+
+estimated annual Commonwealth Supported Fee for a full-time study load
Plus Student Services and Amenities fee
Fee deferral and scholarships available if eligible
Fees currently displayed are indicative only. 2024 fees will be uploaded by October, 2023.
Duration
4 years full-time
or part-time equivalent
Entry Requirements
ATAR 65
English (Units 3/4,C), General Maths or Mathematical Methods or Specialist Maths (Units 3/4,C)
QTAC Codes
- 313111
- 323111
Course detail
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, information communication technologies (ICT), 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.
About JCU's Bachelor of Secondary Education
Develop young minds and build leaders of the future with a high school teaching degree. Teaching is a rewarding career path allowing you to contribute to shaping the minds of future generations. James Cook University’s Bachelor of Education (Secondary) graduates experience exceptional employment outcomes* teaching in Australia and around the globe.
A High School Teaching Degree with Holistic Focus
Your educational journey at JCU prepares you for your career goals and more. As you achieve your high school teaching degree, you will learn far more than just the fundamentals of education. Your secondary teaching courses give you a strong foundation in how education intersects with sustainability, diversity, and issues of social justice.
You care about developing society's intercultural understanding. You know that ethics will be important to you as a professional and a value you want to pass onto your future students. Gain the skills and knowledge to understand the learning strategies of pedagogy, create lessons plans and successfully manage a classroom with a Bachelor of Education (Secondary) from JCU.
Like a Bachelor of Secondary Education, this degree prepares you to apply your skills in high-school classrooms across Australia or internationally. Gain work experience in rural and remote environments and learn to tackle the challenges these areas present.
An Inclusive Environment
Like a Bachelor of Teaching (Secondary), this degree provides you with a supportive foundation to fuel your passion to teach the next generation. Begin your career with the knowledge to succeed and the skills to create a positive learning environment for students from a variety of backgrounds.
Develop specialised skills as you work with secondary school students from urban, rural and remote communities. Understand intercultural and ethical approaches to working with Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and create a beneficial learning environment for all students.
Learning is a lifelong process and curriculums need to be forward thinking. Build the skills to develop educational material that meets the learning objectives of new curriculums. Gain these necessary practical experiences with your secondary education degree from JCU.
Secondary Teaching Courses with Comprehensive Support
Inspire your students as they grow and learn from your teachings. Experience the support you need to learn how to teach and manage a classroom through your secondary pre-service teacher education courses from JCU. You will learn from lecturers who are committed to student success, they will help you integrate pedagogical and technical knowledge with critical reflection and real-world skills.
You can also take advantage of JCU’s Peer Assisted Study Sessions (PASS), one of our most popular resources. These sessions enable students from the same course to revise difficult material, consider different perspectives and discuss ideas together to gain a deeper understanding. Students who consistently attend PASS achieve higher marks and are more likely to pass assessments and classes.
Benefit from JCU's network of professional connections and interact with other professionals in your field. You will have a chance to watch experts modelling effective communication and the integration of theory and practice.
JCU's Secondary Education Degree Can Lead To A Fulfilling Career
A degree and a job are important, but a fulfilling career that satisfies your passions will equip you to make a positive difference. Like a Bachelor of Secondary Education, you can specialise in the subjects you are most interested in.
You will choose two teaching areas to specialise in during your studies. Complement your teaching skills and choose from languages, science, mathematics, history, health, law, or business. You can choose two complementary areas of focus or pursue diverse interests for a well-rounded skillset.
A Secondary Education Degree Will Open Futures
You will decide the course of your own future and your education at JCU will give you many options. With your Bachelor of Education (Secondary), you will be in high demand. Your specialist skills will make you ready to work in Australia or abroad, in a variety of schools, including state, independent, and Catholic schools.
Your career path is not limited by teaching in the classroom. Like a Bachelor of Teaching (Secondary), graduates of JCU’s Bachelor of Education (Secondary) work in education management, community development, and government roles. Whatever you choose, your education degree from JCU will position you as a leader in Australian education.
Hide additional information
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, 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 (Secondary) 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 | 93.10 | 99.10 |
Median | 70.70 | 74.63 |
Lowest | 66.25 | 70.00 |
JCU Cairns
Without adjustments | With adjustments* | |
|---|---|---|
Highest | 97.80 | 99.95 |
Median | 77.88 | 82.83 |
Lowest | 66.75 | 68.00 |
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 year | Information valid for students commencing in 2024 |
Course code | 109410 |
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. |
Owner | Academy |
College | Arts, Society and Education |
Award Requirements
Admission Requirements
Course pre-requisites | English and General Mathematics or Mathematical Methods or Specialist Mathematics (Units 3/4,C). Students considering Mathematics or Physics as teaching areas will need to have passed Mathematical Methods (Units 3/4,C) (or equivalent). Students considering Chemistry as a teaching area will need to have passed Chemistry (Units 3/4,C) (or equivalent). Trade-qualified students (apprenticeship and Certificate III qualifications in Fitting and Turning/Machining, Metals Engineering, Carpentry, Joinery, or related areas) considering the Industrial Technologies and Design teaching area must also have a minimum three years of recent, relevant, post-training industry experience. Students considering the Food Technologies and Design teaching area must have successfully completed an apprenticeship and hold a Certificate III in Commercial Cookery, or equivalent; and also have a minimum three years of recent, relevant, post-training industry experience. Trade-qualified students considering Industrial Technologies and Design or Food Technologies and Design must be pre-approved by the course coordinator before admission. |
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 | 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. 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: 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 graduation. The cost of the testing will be met by the applicant. Refer to 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. Trade qualified students undertaking either Industrial Technologies and Design or Food Technologies and Design as a teaching area will require a current TAE40116 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment in order to graduate. For all students undertaking the Bachelor of Education (Secondary), mandatory participation in a 3-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 | On successful completion of the Bachelor of Education (Secondary), graduates will be able to:
|
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 (Secondary). |
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
ED1421:03 Foundations of Language and Literacy in Education
ED1481:03 Educational Psychology: Learners and Learning
ED1491:03 Foundations of Mathematics and Numeracy for Middle School Teachers (compulsory for all students except those selecting Mathematics as a First or Second Teaching Area) or MA1000:03 Mathematical Foundations (compulsory for students selecting Mathematics as a First or Second Teaching Area)
Level 2
ED2491:03 Planning for Engaging Learning
ED2991:03 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education
Level 3
ED3297:06 Reflective Teaching Cycles and Positive Learning Environments (Secondary)
ED3442:03 Inclusive Education: Differentiated Learning for Students with Special Needs and Abilities
ED3443:03 English as an Additional Language/Dialect for Indigenous learners
Level 4
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
OPTIONS
Select a first teaching area from Table A
PLUS
Select a second teaching area or specialisation from Table B
PLUS
Select a 6 credit point option from Option A or Option B:
Option A
Note: available to students undertaking any teaching area
ED4460:03 Service Learning for Sustainable Futures (compulsory for all students except those selecting Health and Physical Education as a Teaching Area) or ED4493:03 Service Learning in Health and Physical Education (compulsory for students selecting Health and Physical Education as a Teaching Area
ED4995:03 Education Across Culturally Diverse Contexts
or
Option B (VET in Schools Pathway)
Note: not available to students undertaking First Teaching Areas: Food Technologies and Design [Industry Entry], or Industrial Technologies and Design [Industry Entry].
VET in Schools – Training and Assessment (3 credit points applied for TAESS00024 VET Delivered to School Students Teacher Enhancement Skills Set)
VET in Schools – Vocational Knowledge and Skills (3 credit points applied for an approved Certificate II or higher)
TABLE A (FIRST TEACHING AREAS)
Credit points in teaching area | 24 credit points |
Special requirements | Nil |
FTA | AVAILABLE AT | NOTES |
JCU Cairns JCU Townsville | ||
JCU Townsville | ||
JCU Townsville | Chemistry (or equivalent) is a prerequisite for study of this teaching area | |
JCU Townsville | ||
JCU Townsville | ||
JCU Cairns JCU Townsville | ||
JCU Cairns JCU Townsville | Students taking this teaching area must undertake the Vocational Education and Training (VET) Specialisation *Two curriculum subjects will be taught out of Townsville and Cairns with the remaining subjects offered externally via cross institutional study. This teaching area may be studied online upon approval of the course coordinator | |
JCU Cairns JCU Townsville | As per requirements of LN3622, students taking this FTA are required to study in a non-English speaking country for a minimum of 4 weeks and up to 13 weeks. Students are required to complete a minimum of 60 hours of formal language instruction in the host country and engage in excursions, field trips as well as (where possible) home-stay accommodation to support their learning. | |
JCU Cairns JCU Townsville | ||
JCU Townsville | ||
JCU Cairns JCU Townsville | Students taking this teaching area in Cairns will be required to study subjects externally | |
JCU Cairns JCU Townsville | Students taking this teaching area must undertake the Vocational Education and Training (VET) Specialisation *Two curriculum subjects will be taught out of Townsville and Cairns with the remaining subjects offered externally via cross institutional study. This teaching area may be studied online upon approval of the course coordinator | |
JCU Cairns JCU Townsville | Mixed mode *Two curriculum subjects will be taught out of Townsville and Cairns with the remaining subjects offered externally via cross institutional study. | |
JCU Cairns JCU Townsville | Sound achievement in Year 11 and Year 12 Japanese (or equivalent) is a prerequisite for study in this teaching area Mixed mode *Two curriculum subjects will be taught out of Townsville and Cairns with the remaining subjects offered externally via cross institutional study. | |
JCU Townsville | ||
JCU Townsville | Mathematics B (or equivalent) is a prerequisite for study of this teaching area | |
JCU Townsville | Mathematics B (or equivalent) is a prerequisite for study of this teaching area The Mathematics Second Teaching Area is essential for students selecting the Physics First Teaching Area (FTA) in order to meet the subject prerequisite requirements of the Physics FTA. |
TABLE B (SECOND TEACHING AREAS/SPECIALISATION)
Credit points | 18 credit points |
Special requirements | Nil |
STA | AVAILABLE AT | NOTES |
JCU Cairns JCU Townsville | ||
JCU Townsville | ||
JCU Townsville | Chemistry (or equivalent) is a prerequisite for study of this teaching area | |
JCU Townsville | ||
JCU Cairns JCU Townsville | ||
JCU Cairns JCU Townsville | Mixed mode *Two curriculum subjects will be taught out of Townsville and Cairns with the remaining subjects offered externally via cross institutional study. | |
JCU Cairns JCU Townsville | ||
JCU Townsville | ||
JCU Cairns JCU Townsville | ||
JCU Cairns JCU Townsville | Mathematics B (or equivalent) is a prerequisite for study of this teaching area | |
JCU Townsville JCU Cairns | Mixed mode *Two curriculum subjects will be taught out of Townsville and Cairns with the remaining subjects offered externally via cross institutional study. | |
JCU Townsville | Mathematics B (or equivalent) is a prerequisite for study of this teaching area | |
JCU Townsville JCU Cairns | Mixed mode *Two curriculum subjects will be taught out of Townsville and Cairns with the remaining subjects offered externally via cross institutional study. | |
SPECIALISATION | AVAILABLE AT | NOTES |
JCU Cairns JCU Townsville | Only available to trade qualified students undertaking the Food Technologies and Design [Industry Entry] or the Industrial Technologies and Design [Industry Entry] First Teaching Areas This specialisation may be studied online upon approval of the course coordinator |
Location
COURSE AVAILABLE AT | NOTES |
JCU Cairns | Not all Teaching Areas are available at the Cairns campus. |
JCU Townsville |
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 | 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. Further information about placements can be found at Coursework Enrolment Procedure. |
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 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. |
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 (SECONDARY) |
Approved abbreviation | BEd(Secondary) |
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 |
Estimated annual Commonwealth Supported fee: $AUD7,340.00
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.
An ATAR is the score required for entry into most undergraduate courses. If you are not a Year 12 school leaver or do not have an ATAR, you can be assigned an equivalent score. Scores are calculated from previous study that you might have completed, either secondary, tertiary or vocational, or previous paid employment experience.
JCU offers pathway courses to help you move into a degree. Pathway courses provide you with an individualised study plan and specialised support as you transition to university.
Contact us to find out more.
Students are encouraged to undertake the Tertiary Access Course if they have not studied recently and/or want assistance making the transition to University studies.
Get prepared – Bridging subjects
Bridging subjects are designed to fill any gaps in your knowledge. We offer maths and chemistry bridging subjects that can be studied on-campus in Cairns and Townsville. You may need to enrol in a bridging subject if you have not achieved the grade of ‘Sound Achievement or better’ in Queensland Year 12 maths or chemistry.
Diploma of Higher Education
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 from non-English speaking backgrounds must also meet minimum English language proficiency requirements.
You can check those requirements for this course in the Course 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.
Real stories
-
Student
Chelsea Clay
Bachelor of Education (Secondary)
I am studying a Bachelor of Education (Secondary) with my key learning areas in English and History. The professional experience placements are an amazing opportunity to connect what you learn in the lecture with what you see in the classroom. I’ve never felt more sure that I’m in the right career path.
-
Student
Martika Carroll
Bachelor of Education (Secondary)
I’ve always wanted to be a teacher and, as a sports lover, the decision to major in HPE was an easy one. I hope to make a difference and improve the educational experience for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. The support at JCU is amazing and you’ll never be alone on this journey. Every step is worth it!
-
Alumni
Damon Green
Bachelor of Education (Secondary)
I love seeing the kids at my school understand and apply something I’ve taught them and their excitement around that. I made a lot of great friendships at JCU that have continued through into the workplace. Although we’re all working at different schools now, we still collaborate and help each other out.
-
Lecturer
A/Professor Louisa Tomas Engel
Course Coordinator, Bachelor of Education (Secondary)
JCU Secondary Education graduates have the knowledge and practical experience to inspire and shape young people in Years 7–12. We have a strong focus on rural and remote education, Indigenous education, and sustainability education - our graduates are in high demand for their specialist skills in these areas.
-
Employer
Stephen Baskerville
Head of Campus, Kirwan State High School
We find that JCU graduates have highly developed professional knowledge and an openness to continuous learning. The level of practical experience they gain in their degrees helps them to transition quickly to full time teaching. JCU graduates have a strong understanding of teaching in a regional or remote context.