Master of Teaching (Primary) (MC-TEACHPR) // Course structure

Course structure

The Master of Teaching (Primary) requires the successful completion of 200 credit points.

The Master of Teaching (Primary) is normally completed over two years (Standard Mode), but can be completed in a longer time frame over three years (Extended Mode).

To obtain the degree (Standard Mode) students must complete:

• Year 1 subjects

  • 50 credit points of Year 1 (the first semester of the program) subjects
  • 50 credit points of Year 1 (the second semester of the program) subjects

  Year 2 subjects

  • 50 credit points of Year 2 (the third semester of the program) subjects
  • 50 credit points of Year 2 (the fourth semester of the program) subjects

To obtain the degree (Extended Mode) students must complete:

Year 1 subjects

• 37.5 credit points of Year 1 (the first semester of the program) subjects
• 37.5 credit points of Year 1 (the second semester of the program) subjects

Year 2 subjects

• 37.5 credit points of Year 2 (the third semester of the program) subjects
• 37.5 credit points of Year 2 (the fourth semester of the program) subjects

Year 3 subjects

• 25 credit points of Year 3 (the fifth semester of the program) subjects
• 25 credit points of Year 3 (the sixth semester of the program) subjects

Note:

Students must pass all subjects listed as part of the formal calendar year of their course mode before they can undertake any subject deemed to be part of the next year of that course mode. Refer to the Standard and Extended course mode structures for subject sequencing.

The Master of Teaching (Primary) requires completion of 15 compulsory subjects, which must be taken in the sequence outlined in the Standard mode, or the Extended mode. The compulsory subjects include:

• 10 x learning area subjects;
• 1 First Nations in Education subject;
• 3 x Engaging and Assessing Learners subjects (which incorporate 60 placement days in primary schools); and
• 1 x Professional Learning Capstone subject.

Specialised Pathways

Teacher Candidates complete one specialised pathway via the core subjects and capstone, to develop expertise in a specific learning area. The suite includes:

• The Arts
• Health & Physical Education
• Humanities
• Literacy
• Mathematics
• Science

To meet the requirements of a Specialised Pathway, Teacher Candidates must:

• Complete the 10 learning area subjects; and
• Focus on their Specialised Pathway in the Professional Learning Capstone.

Course mode Options

The Master of Teaching (Primary) has different study modes, that are ‘Standard Mode’ and ‘Extended Mode’ similar to full time and part time modes.

https://handbook.unimelb.edu.au/courses/mc-teachpr/majors-minors-specialisations

Teacher Candidates should carefully consider suitability of the Standard or Extended course mode options to their personal circumstances as well as the study load implications (e.g. on international student visa, or government support).

Once enrolled students who wish to change their study mode must first speak to their course coordinator, as changing modes can impact on placements, course progression, and may have visa implications for international students. Students should note the following process should they wish to request to change modes:

• Change from Standard to Extended – complete an Enrolment Variation form and notify your Course Coordinator & advise the Placements team using the inquiry form, as below

• Change from Extended to Standard must be discussed with your Course Coordinator (and is only permissible in exceptional circumstances)

• All International students should consult with visa team and submit a Student Visa inquiry via the inquiry form, as below:

https://students.unimelb.edu.au/student-support/advice-and-help/stop-1/submit-an-enquiry

2-Year Standard Mode

• When applying for the course, select the full-time attendance mode option, and nominate the Standard Mode
• Enrol per the Standard Mode
• Undertake four semesters of full-time study over two years (50 points per semester).

3-Year Extended Mode

• When applying for the course, select the full-time attendance mode option, and nominate the Extended Mode
• Enrol per the Extended Mode
• Undertake six semesters of study with a reduced load over 3 years (each semester is either 25 points or 37.5 points).

Progression Rules

LITERACY AND NUMERACY TEST FOR INITIAL TEACHER EDUCATION STUDENTS PROGRESSION RULE

The ‘Literacy and Numeracy Test for Initial Teacher Education Students’ must be satisfactorily completed by the end of the first calendar year of enrolment in the Master of Teaching (Primary).

• The Australian Commonwealth Government’s Literacy and Numeracy Test for Initial Teacher Education Students (LANTITE) is a compulsory test for ITE students administered by the Australian Council for Educational Research (independently of The University of Melbourne).
• Each Teacher Candidate must satisfactorily complete the LANTITE by the end of the first calendar year of their enrolment in the Master of Teaching (Primary) to continue the course.
• Failure to satisfactorily complete the LANTITE by this progression point will result in referral to the Melbourne Graduate School of Education’s Course Academic Progress Committee and will result in exclusion from the course until the LANTITE is satisfactorily completed.
• Excluded Teacher Candidates may be granted an early exit award of a Graduate Diploma in Pedagogy*(if they have satisfactorily completed 100 credit points of the course). Alternatively, they may be withdrawn from the course.

*Note that the Graduate Diploma in Pedagogy (Primary) is not a qualification for registration to teach in early childhood settings.

PROGRESSION IN THE MASTER OF TEACHING STANDING RULES

Convening of the Course Academic Progress Committee

• The Graduate School’s Course Academic Progress Committee (CAPC) will convene after results have been certified for each subject to review the progress of any student in the Repeat the Subject or Repeat the Year category. Students in these categories will be invited to make an oral and/or written submission to the Committee.
• The CAPC will convene before results have been certified in the event that a student’s placement has been discontinued for reasons not connected to MGSE’s Fitness to Practice Rules (for which other processes apply).
• The CAPC is authorised to make decisions on behalf of the Graduate School with respect to the progress of individual students and to vary the Standing Rules if it deems that progression of a student can be facilitated without adversely affecting academic standards.

Convening of the Fitness to Practice Committee

• The Graduate School’s Fitness to Practice Committee (FTPC) will convene in the event that a student’s placement has been discontinued because of an alleged breach of Fitness to Practice Rules.

Standing Rules

1. Hurdle Requirements

1.1 Students must pass each subject on the aggregate mark.

1.2 Students must pass all hurdle requirements of a subject to pass that subject.

1.3 Students must pass all subjects listed as part of the formal calendar year of their course mode before they can undertake any subject deemed to be part of the next year of that course mode. Refer to the Standard and Extended course mode structures for subject sequencing.

1.4 Students cannot undertake any subject in any course mode without having satisfactorily completed the prerequisite subject(s).

2. Reassessment (further assessment opportunity related to failing a subject)

2.1 Failing a graded hurdle requirement in a subject (the failure of which means failing the subject): reassessment will be granted only if the student has achieved a mark of between 40% and 49% in that graded hurdle requirement. If reassessment is granted, the reassessment is the sole determinant of the final mark for that graded hurdle requirement, with a maximum mark recorded for the graded hurdle requirement of 50%.

2.2 For reassessment of the placement component (a graded hurdle requirement) of any subject containing formal placement, the Board of Examiners will determine the duration of the repeated placement and its scheduling. The maximum mark recorded for any repeated placement is 50%.

2.3 Failing a whole subject: reassessment will be granted only if a student has achieved a mark of between 40% and 49% in that whole subject, after all assessment tasks have been marked. This includes the maximum 50% mark given for any reassessments granted for graded hurdle requirements. If reassessment is granted for the subject, the reassessment is the sole determinant of the final mark for that subject, with a maximum mark recorded for the subject of 50%.

2.4 The format of the reassessment may differ from that of the original assessment(s) in that subject, and reassessment may be comprised of more than one component or type of assessment.

2.5 Reassessment does not apply to situations where a placement has been discontinued, as this situation is managed by the Course Academic Programs Committee or Fitness to Practice Committee.

2.6 Reassessment does not apply to a situation where an ungraded hurdle requirement is not met, as this situation is managed by the Course Academic Programs Committee or Fitness to Practice Committee.

2.7 Where the numeric result for a hurdle requirement contributes to the overall subject mark, the hurdle reassessment mark will be used in that calculation.

2.8 Reassessment will not be offered to a student who falls into the Repeat the Subject category.

2.9 Reassessment will not be offered to a student who fails a subject on a repeat attempt.

3. Repeat the Subject

3.1 Repeating students are required to undertake only those subjects that they have failed and must complete all components of those subjects when those subjects are offered again in the formal structure of their course stream.

3.2 Students repeating one or more subjects must pass all components of those subjects outright and are not eligible for reassessment.

4. Repeat the Year

4.1 A student will be placed in the Repeat the Year category if the student:

• Fails any repeated subject
• Fails reassessment of the placement component (a graded hurdle requirement) of any subject containing formal placement.

Subject Options

See subject list and course mode structures listed under:

Majors, minors and specialisations

Last updated: 22 December 2024