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TAFE

TAFE

TAFE

TAFE

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Online course

Graduate Diploma of Early Childhood Teaching

  • Qualification

    Postgraduate

  • Duration

    1 year full time or equivalent part time

  • Units

    4

  • Start Date

    Jul, Oct

Overview of the course

Overview of the course

Upskill your current industry experience or launch into one of the most rewarding careers as an Early Childhood Teacher. The Graduate Diploma in Early Childhood Teaching is a one-year postgraduate qualification which will provide you the pathway to become a qualified teacher with an expert understanding in educational theory and pedagogical practices to make a difference to children’s lives and your early childhood employer services.

The demand for early childhood teachers and job roles are predicted to rise strongly from 47,900 to 56,200 by 2025. With strong employability prospects and a growing demand for early childhood teachers, there has never been a better time to elevate or discover your passion in childhood education.

This innovative and accelerated early childhood teacher qualification helps overcome the typical barriers to undertaking an early childhood teaching qualification through a workplace-based internship model with alternative setting experience. Achieve a sector-led qualification and become immersed in real-world opportunities to teach literacy, numeracy, and sciences while building the practical techniques to the specific early childhood teaching needs of pre-primary school aged children.

The Graduate Diploma of Early Childhood Teaching is professionally accredited with ACECQA and Graduates are eligible to apply for registration as an early childhood teacher with the Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT). Please check with your state’s early childhood teacher registration body for reciprocal arrangements which exist in other states/territories.

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What are the entry criteria?

Entry requirements

One of:
• A graded Australian Diploma in Children’s Services (or recognised graded equivalent) with at least a pass (50%) average; and a minimum of 5 years relevant work experience (undertaken within the last 7 years), in an early childhood education setting with related leadership responsibilities.

OR

• You must have successfully completed an Australian bachelor degree (or equivalent qualification) in any discipline, with a minimum of one year early childhood service employment or volunteer experience.

Additional requirements

All enrolled students must maintain a current Working with Children Check from the appropriate State Authority.

A Police Check may also be required by a school prior to a placement.

English Language Literacy

Evidence of English language proficiency is not required if the applicant has completed a bachelor degree in English in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Canada or the Republic of Ireland.

For Bachelor degrees completed in other countries, the following criteria applies:

IELTS (Academic Module): Overall 6.5 with no individual band below 6.0

The Victorian Government is now offering scholarships to encourage early childhood teachers throughout the state through the Early Childhood Scholarship Program. Students applying for an approved qualification may be eligible to receive up to $12,000 towards an early childhood graduate diploma. Find out more through the Early Childhood Scholarships Program Guidelines, and apply by visiting the Victorian Government website.

This course has been developed in conjunction with feedback from early childhood leaders. Swinburne Online remains at the forefront of change in building the workforce capacity for the early childhood sector.

Mandy, Training Operations Manager

Full Testimonial

Course Units

Child Growth, Health and Wellbeing (EDU60052)
Child Play with Literacy and Creative Pedagogy (EDU60053)
Child Play with Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (EDU60054)
Professionalism with Family, Community and Industry (EDU60055)
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Career opportunities

Career opportunities

  • Early Childhood Teacher

    Teach the basics of numeracy, literacy, music, and art to early childhood students.

  • Kindergarten Teacher

    Guide young children in the acquisition of fundamental literacy and numeracy skills, effectively preparing them for a successful transition to primary school.

  • Early Childhood Teaching Director

    Develop the curriculum, set policies and oversee daily operations of an early childhood centre.

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Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

  • Learning Environment Management Techniques

    Learn practical, age-appropriate techniques that help nurture a positive and dynamic learning environment for babies and young learners aged 0 – 5 years.

  • Practical Skills for Early Childhood Teaching

    Apply early-childhood specific learning techniques in group learning contexts, preparing dynamic lesson plans that harness the education potential of play and creativity.

  • Curriculum Planning

    Create learning activities to engage students and develop their skills.

  • Child Behaviour

    Understand why children display different behaviours and learn how to best approach them.

  • Health and Activity

    Explore a range of issues surrounding children’s health, nutrition and safety.

  • Twenty-first Century Teaching

    Embrace the role of being a teacher in an era of rapid change.

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Accreditations

Accreditations

Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority

Swinburne’s Graduate Diploma of Early Childhood Teaching is accredited by the Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority (ACECQA). The ACECQA works with all governments to provide guidance, resources and services to support the sector to improve outcomes for children.

Chart a path towards your dream career

92% of Swinburne Online students are confident that online study will improve their employment outcomes*. Bolster your resume and gain the confidence to pursue your dream career – study online today.

 

*Swinburne Online’s Your Study Journey Survey, 2021

Course learning outcomes

On successful completion of this Course students will be able to:

  • Plan for and implement effective teaching and learning within a range of early childhood contexts, with a comprehensive knowledge of early childhood curriculum and frameworks within the Australian context.
  • Monitor and assess children’s learning and development outcomes and use clear communication to report outcomes to families and communities through critically analysing, consolidating and synthesising assessment information.
  • Demonstrate a range of pedagogical approaches to support the learning and development of children aged birth to 5 years.
  • Apply knowledge and skills to create supportive, safe and engaging learning environments with an ability to critically analyse information in diverse early childhood settings.
  • Demonstrate a deep knowledge of the early childhood profession that is informed by critical thinking and synthesis of theoretical and practical knowledge, and informed by ongoing professional learning.
  • Collaborate respectfully with families and children, colleagues and other professionals to achieve high outcomes for all children

Course rules
To qualify for the award of Graduate Diploma of Early Childhood Teaching, students must complete 100 credit points comprising:

  • Four core units (25 credit points each for a total of 100 credit points)
  • 60 days of supervised professional experience

Volume of Learning
The Graduate Diploma of Early Childhood Teaching consists of 100 credit points. The course consists of 4 units that are 25 credit points each. A standard annual full-time load comprises 100 credit points and a part-time load comprises 50 credit points.The volume of learning of the Graduate Diploma of Early Childhood Teaching is 1 year. Students will also complete 60 days of professional placement. Placement is embedded across units.

Maximum Academic Credit
Academic credit cannot be granted for prior study.

Apply Today for a Graduate Diploma of Early Childhood Teaching Course

Start your application online or speak to a Course Consultant on 1300 069 765.

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    When you study with Swinburne Online, you'll benefit from high-quality learning materials that are designed for online.

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  • How online study works

    At Swinburne Online, we're here for you every step of the way. Explore the online higher education student journey from enrolment to graduation.

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  • Support services

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Frequently asked questions

Frequently asked questions

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  • Do I have to purchase learning materials?

    For students undertaking a degree, most of your learning materials are included with a free license provided to you by Swinburne Online. However, in some cases, you will be notified via your student email that you will need to buy specific software or eTexts. For TAFE Business students, all of your learning materials will be available online and are covered by your course fees. You won’t need to purchase any further materials.

  • Which units should I start with?

    When you enrol to study a degree with us, you will nominate how many units you would like to select per teaching period, based on a recommendation from one of our Course Consultants. From here, our enrolments team will allocate you automatically to the units they feel will be best suited to your needs, so you don’t need to worry about choosing units. If you want to choose something different than what you are allocated to, that is no problem, just get in touch with our Student Advisors and they will take care of it for you.

  • Do I need to be logged on to study at specific times?

    You won’t normally have to be online at a specific time. Your course material is available for you from the beginning of each teaching period and you can work through it in the hours that suit you.

    There are some live webinar sessions that run approximately once a month. These are a special opportunity for students to sign in at the same time as their tutors, normally before an assessment deadline. It gives you the chance to ask any questions relating to the assignment in real time and hear other student’s questions and thoughts. We understand that students won’t always be able to make these sessions, so they can be replayed the next day.

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