Future Students

Early Childhood Teaching

The Area Of Study

The Institute of Early Childhood educates students to work as directors and teachers in child care centers and pre-schools, and as teachers in schools from Kindergarten to Year 2. All years of the degrees incorporate supervised practical experience in a wide variety of early childhood settings.

The Bachelor or Education (Early Childhood Education) program, prepares you to teach and work with children from birth to school age.

Options for students with existing qualifications

Existing degree qualifications can also be extended within the undergraduate program by completing a graduate diploma in early childhood education:

  • Graduate Diploma in Early Childhood Education in 0–5 Settings
  • Graduate Diploma in Early Childhood Education and Intervention in 0–5 Settings

The Bachelor of Teaching (Birth to School Age) is specifically designed for students with:

  • a TAFE Diploma of Children’s Services (Centre Based Care); or
  • a TAFE Diploma of Community Services (Children’s Services – Centre Based Care); and
  • at least one year’s experience as a qualified worker in a centre-based setting; and
  • current employment in long-day care, preschool, occasional care or an equivalent setting.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students

The Bachelor of Teaching (Early Childhood Services)+ is for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students only.

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Degree Program Information

Degree UAI 2008 CSP Course Duration
Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood Education) 76.00 4 years full-time/equivalent part-time
Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood Education) (Distance Education) N/A 4-8 years
Bachelor of Teaching (Early Childhood Services)+ N/A 3 years full-time/equivalent part-time currently available to ATSI students only

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Distance Education

Most distance education units are available when you are enrolled in the Institute of Early Childhood. The exceptions are the reflective practice units. These units are only available in the distance education mode to those students who already have:

  • a K-6 teaching qualification
  • a TAFE Associate Diploma in Social Science (Child Care)
  • a Diploma in Children’s Services (Centre Based Care)
  • a Diploma in Community Services (Children’s Services – Centre Based Care) or equivalent.

The following three qualifications allow you to undertake the full distance education program in The Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood Education):

  • a TAFE Associate Diploma in Social Science (Child Care)
  • a Diploma in Community Services (Centre Based Care) or equivalent
  • a K–6 teaching qualification.

Please note that students undertaking either individual units or programs via distance are still required to attend compulsory on-campus sessions. Details of these sessions can be found in the Macquarie University Undergraduate Handbook of Undergraduate Studies.

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What You Will Study

You must complete a program of study (major) in Early Childhood Teaching which may include units from the following subject areas:

  • early childhood teaching and reflective practice
  • development of children (including those with disabilities)
  • current methods of teaching language and literacy
  • mathematics
  • science
  • technology
  • the arts

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Accreditation

To work as a qualified teacher in early childhood settings, the qualification must be recognised by the Department of Education and Training and/or the Department of Community Services in New South Wales. The Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood Education) (birth to school age) is recognised by both. The Bachelor of Teaching (Early Childhood Studies) and the Bachelor of Teaching (Birth to School Age) are recognised by the NSW Department of Community Services as teaching qualifications for children in centres before school entry.

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Recommended Prior Knowledge

HSC level Mathematics and English, or their equivalents, are required by the Department of Education and Training for students who wish to be employed in NSW. These can be completed at secondary school or the equivalent can be completed as part of the degree program. Other units taken as part of a degree may required assumed knowledge, prerequisites or recommended studies and you should refer to the Macquarie University Handbook of Undergraduate Studies for full degree requirements.

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Career Options

  • teaching — child care centres, preschools, or the early years of primary school
  • directing a child care centre or a preschool
  • owning/managing a child care centre
  • coordinating children’s services for a local government area
  • advising in a government department
  • administration of children’s services

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Some Major Employers

  • community-based and private early childhood centres
  • public schools
  • Sydney Day Nurseries (SDN) children’s services
  • independent schools
  • Kindergarten Union (KU) children’s services
  • church-based children’s services and schools
  • government children’s services organisations
  • hospital education programs

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Further Information:

Institute of Early Childhood
Macquarie University, NSW, 2109
Email: iec@mq.edu.au
Telephone:  (02) 9850 9820
Fax: (02) 9850 9890
Web:  www.aces.mq.edu.au/iec

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