Postgraduate Secondary Course Information

Postgraduate Secondary Course Information

To make an appointment regarding secondary course issues please contact:
Administrative Assistant Secondary Education, Room 5C2
Ph: +61 2 6201 2400
Fax: +61 2 6201 2263
Email: education@canberra.edu.au

NB. Appointments must be in consultation times. Priority will be given to students with appointments.

General course information

Important

• All students must have a Police Probity Check to undertake Professional Experience in schools
• When choosing electives it is your responsibility to ensure that you meet the requirements to teach the subject/s you wish to teach. To check these requirements visit http://www.nswteachers.nsw.edu.au/downloaddocument.aspx?DocumentID=567
  

GRADUATE DIPLOMA IN EDUCATION

Graduate Entry Bachelor of Education (Secondary)

*The CPP that you enrol in should reflect the teaching areas indicated in your Letter of Offer. These depend on the area of study undertaken in your undergraduate degree/s. You should not enrol in a different teaching area without consulting the Course Convener.

Course Duration
This course is undertaken as a one-year full-time or two-year part-time program.

Course Requirements
This course is comprised of 8 compulsory units (24 credit points) including two appropriate CPP units. There are no electives.

Admission Requirements
Applicants must possess a degree from a tertiary institution or an equivalent qualification with major sequences in at least one area that is relevant to secondary school teaching.

Assumed Knowledge
It is assumed (and assessed on application) that graduate students will have sufficient general education subjects in their initial qualification(s).

Teaching Specialisations
The Graduate Secondary Education courses at the University of Canberra provide you with a qualification to teach in secondary schools. Our graduates are employed in a wide range of government and non-government secondary schools and educational institutions in Australia and overseas. Graduate secondary courses are currently offered in the following curriculum areas:
* English
* Mathematics
* Performing Arts (Music, Drama, and Dance)
* Science
* Health and Physical Education
* SOSE (Studies of Society and the Environment – equates to HSIE in NSW)
* Technology (Computing and Design)
* LOTE (Languages other than English)

Your Letter of Offer will have indicated which teaching areas you will be specialising in. Your enrolment in methodology units (see below) should correspond to these areas. If you wish to change your teaching area you need to discuss this with the Course Convener.

Teaching and Assessment
The Graduate Diploma in Education (Secondary) course of study is conducted over a one year full-time period, or part-time equivalent. This degree provides for a theoretical base on which beginning teachers can build their own philosophy and skills necessary to become proficient practitioners. In addition to the core and teaching studies subjects, students undertake a Professional Experience program. The total number of days of Professional Experience is fifty (50).

Teaching in the education core subjects will be undertaken by academic staff who have teaching responsibilities in early childhood, primary or secondary education. The Secondary Teaching Studies subjects will be presented by academics with relevant expertise in teaching in these specific areas. Methods of presentation in some subjects will include the use of multi-media and information technology in addition to lectures, tutorials and workshops. A variety of assessment will be used to demonstrate students’ understanding of the content areas. These will include in-class presentations; individual and group projects; essays; short answer tests; written and oral examinations; and peer assessment. All theoretical subjects are assessed in accordance with Education Student Assessment Guidelines. http://www.canberra.edu.au/uc/policies/acad/studresp.html#A.5

The Professional Experience components are completed in collaboration with the local school systems and will be assessed by the Faculty Coordinator, Supervising/Mentor Teacher, and University Supervisor. The Faculty of Education Studies has developed guidelines for assessment procedures including an ‘at risk’ policy for students who are experiencing difficulties.

Full-time structure

Available on the Courses and Units Database

Part-time structure

Method of Course Evaluation
A Course Consultative Committee has been established and comprises representatives from another university; employing authorities; professional associations; another division; the student body; Canberra Institute of Technology; Australian National University, University Academic Services Division; and proponents of the course.

Formative evaluation will be conducted throughout each year of the course and a survey of graduates will be undertaken as part of university policy. The Centre for Excellence in Learning, Teaching and Scholarship (CELTS) is involved in the evaluation process.

All students enrolled in this Unit will have an opportunity to provide anonymous feedback on the Unit at the end of the Semester via the Unit Satisfaction Survey which will be presented to you on OSIS. Your lecturer or tutor may also invite you to provide more detailed feedback through an anonymous questionnaire administered through the University’s Centre for the Enhancement of Learning Teaching and Scholarship (CELTS).

Professional Experience
This course requires extensive professional experience (practice) in schools. This consists of twenty five (25) days in Semester 1 and twenty five (25) days in Semester 2. There will also be 5 Professional Community Days included in your experience. This will be explained in Week 1 through the Enhanced Learning in Professional Context lecture. Students are advised that they will be required to make a full-time commitment during Professional Experience blocks and will need to make alternative arrangements for any employment. Your Professional Experience placement will be organized early in the year (the second year for part-time students) through the Enhanced Learning in Professional Contexts lectures, the Secondary Teaching Studies unit and the Professional Experience office.

The Professional Experience Office is located in 5B11, and can be reached by calling (02) 6201 2487 or by emailing peo@comedu.canberra.edu.au. The Professional Experience website is at http://www.canberra.edu.au/faculties/education/professionalexperience.

Course Advice
Each student is responsible for his/her own course. If you are unsure whether your study program meets the course rules consult the Course Convener (contact details on the front cover of this booklet). Please be aware that course changes may possibly be made throughout the duration of your degree so you may not be able to always follow the pathway exactly as it is laid out in this booklet. However, there will always be other options made available that will not disadvantage your progression through your studies.

Advanced Standing (Credit)
If you have completed subjects at another tertiary institution in the Education discipline, and/or are transferring from another University, or another course within the University of Canberra, you may be eligible to apply for advanced standing. To request this, you will need to see the relevant Unit Convener. You will need to provide an Academic Transcript (original to be sighted) and subject outlines with descriptions of assessment tasks undertaken as evidence of previous studies successfully completed. If advanced standing is given a new study program will be planned for you. Please be aware that if you are granted advanced standing for one or more subjects, you may be expected to complete another unit in lieu (you must complete 24 credit points within the course to be eligible to graduate).

There is no guarantee that you will receive advanced standing for all of the units you have completed elsewhere. The decision is dependent on academic judgements about the appropriateness of the previous studies in relation to your new course.

Administration
The University’s Student Centre serves the administrative needs of the entire UC student body. The front enquiry/client service counter houses staff from the International Office, Student Services and Financial Services in one easy location on the main university concourse. They can be reached by phone on 1300 301 727 or by email at student.centre@canberra.edu.au.

Dean of Students
The Dean of Students is a member of the University academic staff whose role is to mediate for students where there is problem situation in a particular unit between the student and lecturer concerned. Details are available from the Faculty Administration Office (5C3

Health and Counselling Services
The Health and Counselling Centre provides academic and personal counselling and offers courses to assist students develop effective study approaches, writing and reading skills. Medical staff are situated in the Centre also. The Centre is located in Building 1 and can be used by all students in the University (ph. (02) 6201 2351).

Review of Results
The University has a standard review process if you are dissatisfied with a fail result. A resolution should be sought as soon as possible by negotiation and/or mediation. The following is a summary of the main policy document that can be found at: https://guard.canberra.edu.au/policy/policy.php?pol_id=3008