Master of Teaching (Early Years) (MC-TEACHYA)

Overview

Entry requirements

1. In order to be considered for entry, applicants must have completed:
• an undergraduate degree in any discipline; and
• a selection test as determined by the Selection Committee.
Meeting these requirements does not guarantee selection.

2. In ranking applications, the Selection Committee will consider:
• prior academic performance; and
• the results of the selection test.

3. The Selection Committee may seek further information to clarify any aspect of an application in accordance with the Academic Board rules on the use of selection instruments.

4. Applicants are required to satisfy the university’s English language requirements for postgraduate courses. For those applicants seeking to meet these requirements by one of the standard tests approved by the Academic Board, performance band 7+ is required.

Note.
(a) The Academic Board may prescribe minimum grade point averages for undergraduate studies that must be met by applicants eligible for Guaranteed Entry in a given year. Applicants not eligible for Guaranteed Entry will normally be required to have a grade point average for undergraduate studies at least as high as the prescribed minimum for Guaranteed Entry.
(b) All applicants must have a valid Working with Children Check prior to the commencement of the Practicum subjects, and for the duration of the program.
(c) Higher English standards than those normally required for admission to postgraduate study at the University of Melbourne may be needed for eligibility for Australian teacher registration on graduation. The Selection Committee may require applicants who have not recently completed a full undergraduate degree in Australia or New Zealand to demonstrate English language ability using one of the standard tests approved by the Academic Board at performance band 7+, even if their prior study of the English language, or their prior education and assessment in an English language university, would normally exempt them from standard testing.

* Details of the selection test are available on the Melbourne Graduate School of Education’s How to Apply page.

Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)

The Melbourne Graduate School of Education welcomes applications from students with disabilities. It is University and Graduate School policy to take reasonable steps to enable the participation of students with disabilities, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student’s participation in the Graduate School’s programs.
The core participation requirements for study in the Melbourne Graduate School of Education are:

In all courses

1. The ability to comprehend complex information related to education and the disciplines in which the student is teaching.
2. The ability to communicate clearly and independently in assessment tasks a knowledge of the content, principles and practices relating to education and other relevant disciplines.
3. Behavioural and social attributes that enable a student to participate in a complex learning environment. Students are required to take responsibility for their own participation and learning. They also contribute to the learning of other students in collaborative learning environments, demonstrating interpersonal skills and an understanding of the needs of other students. Assessment may include the outcomes of tasks completed in collaboration with other students.
   
   In courses requiring students to undertake practicum placements
   
4. The ability to undertake professional practice placements independently, including:
   a. the ability based on personal maturity to establish a professional relationship with students and interact with them appropriately;
   b. the ability to communicate to students the subject matter being taught with clarity and in a way that is age-sensitive;
   c. the ability to model literacy and numeracy skills independently for students and in all their interactions meet community expectations of the literacy and numeracy skills teachers should have;
   d. the ability to demonstrate skilfully and safely activities required in particular discipline areas being taught (e.g. physical education activities, science laboratory techniques);
   e. the ability to create, monitor and maintain a safe physical environment, a stable and supportive psychological environment, and a productive learning environment in their classroom;
   f. the ability to establish effective relationships with all members of the school community, including colleagues, students, and caregivers;
   g. the ability based on mental and physical health to exercise sound judgment and respond promptly to the demands of classroom situations, and the personal resilience to cope and maintain their wellbeing under stress.

Students who feel a disability will prevent them from meeting the above academic requirements are encouraged to contact the Disability Liaison Unit.

Professional accreditation

The Graduate Diploma of Teaching (Early Childhood) and Master of Teaching (Early Childhood) and (Early Years) will provide graduates with provisional registration with the Victorian Institute of Teaching.Students who complete the Early Years option will be qualified to work in children’s services and to gain provisional registration with the Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT) as a primary teacher.

Course structure

Students undertake 150 points of compulsory subjects in the first three semesters, and then choose a course of study worth fifty points in the final semester.

The first three semesters leading to the Graduate Diploma in Teaching (Early Childhood) are built on four strands:

• Professional Practice
• The Developing Learner
• The Developing Curriculum
• The Developing Professional

Students take one subject in each strand in each semester.

Students then choose a course of study worth 50 points in the final semester. The final semester of study can be completed as the dual registration option which means that students will be awarded the Master of Teaching (Early Years).

Subject options

Subjects undertaken in the first semester of study

Subjects undertaken in the second semester of study

Subjects undertaken in the third semester of study

Students having completed the first three semesters (150 points) can graduate with the Graduate Diploma in Teaching (Early Childhood).

Subjects undertaken in the fourth semester to complete the Master of Teaching (Early Years)

For those wishing to qualify for dual registration as Early Childhood and Primary Teachers.

Further study

Graduates from this program are eligible to apply for entry to the Doctor of Education program or a PhD after completion of a 50-point Graduate Certificate in Educational Research, provided they meet the entry requirements and subject to achievement of an H2A GPA.

Please note also that graduates of an undergraduate Honours degree may already be eligible for doctoral studies, subject to the same entry and achievement requirements.

Last updated: 10 February 2024