Undergraduate: Course rule and topic information

Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood)/Bachelor of Arts

(BEd(EC),BA)

Program of study
Honours degree

INTRODUCTION

The Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood)/Bachelor of Arts may be taken as a double degree program in four years full-time (or the equivalent part-time). Students who study part-time would normally be expected to complete the double degree program within eight years.

The course is offered by the Faculty of Education, Humanities, Law and Theology.

The double degree program of Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood)/Bachelor of Arts requires completion of a total of 144 units.

A Lutheran strand is available for students wishing to teach in that system. Specialist language education topics are available for those students who wish to teach a language(s).

Eligible students can complete an honours degree in either Arts or Education (see below). Enrolment in the honours program is subject to the school/department being able to provide appropriate resources and staff to supervise the program of study.

COURSE AIMS

The course aims to produce graduates who:

• are flexible, literate, independent and well-informed, equipped with transferable skills highly valued in the workforce;
• have achieved high levels of knowledge and understanding of the content, context and processes of learning and teaching within early childhood environments and engage critically with the knowledge as a means of ongoing professional practice;
• have developed knowledge of, and skills in, curriculum particularly related to their areas of study with a focus on the years of early childhood;
• can reflect critically on different teaching theories and practices, on their own teaching, and on their lives, in order to strive for excellence and creativity in their teaching role;
• can use a wide range of literacies with confidence and competence;
• can apply educational theory, knowledge and understanding to make informed professional judgments in diverse educational situations;
• work collaboratively with colleagues, young children, their families and the wider community towards achieving high quality learning outcomes;
• establish a broad educational foundation for ongoing professional development and lifelong learning;
• achieve the knowledge and understanding that different disciplines provide and also work across disciplinary boundaries actively to create cross-curriculum links, and
• appreciate the need for continuing professional development in their field of expertise.

COURSE RULE

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

The minimum requirements for consideration for entry to all undergraduate courses are specified in detail in the University Entry Requirements.

Limited credit may be granted for relevant topics taken at the University or other approved tertiary institutions.

Students who commence, but subsequently do not wish to complete, the double degree program may be eligible to exit with a Bachelor of Arts (BA), but only on completion of 108 units of approved BA topics.

PROGRAM OF STUDY [November, 2007]

To qualify for the Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood)/Bachelor of Arts a student must complete 144 units with a grade of P or NGP or better in each topic, according to the following program of study:

• a BEd component of 69 to 75 units;
• a BA component of 69 to 75 units.

The BEd component must include:

• 9 units of Education topics at First Year level;
• 12 units of Education topics at Second Year level including school experience;
• 24 units of Education topics at Third Year level including teaching practicum;
• 24 to 30 units of Education topics at Fourth Year level including teaching practicum, dependent upon elective choices.

The BA component must include:

• 33 units of one Arts major sequence selected from the majors available as listed in the BA course rule, except for Business Economics or Education;
• 21 units of one Arts minor sequence from another major sequence selected from those available, or from the list of minor sequences available;
• either 15 or 21 units of electives (9 units of first level and 12 units at upper level or 9 units at first level and 6 units at upper level)

Except with the permission of the Board:

• no compulsory topic may be taken more than twice;
• teaching practicum topics may not be attempted more than once.

Students should note that teaching practicum topics require full-time commitment for their duration.

More specific rules related to majors and minors in the Bachelor of Arts can be referred to in the BA course rule.

First Year
Semester 1
	BA major topic*	4.5
	BA minor topic*	4.5
	BA elective topic*	4.5
EDUC1101	Key Educational Ideas	4.5
Semester 2
	BA major topic*	4.5
	BA minor topic*	4.5
	BA elective topic*	4.5
EDUC1201	Ways of Explaining Education	4.5
Second Year
Semester 1
	BA major topic*	6
	BA minor topic*	6
EDUC2303	Literacies and Numeracies in Early Childhood	6
Semester 2
	BA major topic*	6
	BA minor topic*	6
EDUC2404	Exploring the Relationship Between Learning and Development	6
Third Year
Semester 1
	BA major topic*	6
	BA elective topic*	6
EDUC3501	Expressive Arts: English, Visual Art, Design Technology, Drama, Media and Music	6
Semester 2
	Education elective topic from approved list	6
EDUCxxxx	Partnerships, Parents and Participation	6
Non-Semester
EDUCxxxx	Teaching Practicum (0-8 years)	6
Fourth Year
Semester 1
EDUC4704	Curriculum Studies: Mathematics, Society and the Environment, and Health	6
EDUC4705	Social and Cultural Worlds of Learning	6
Non-Semester		4.5
EDUCxxxx	Teaching Practicum (0-8 years)	6
Semester 2
	BA major topic *	6
	BA elective topic* OR Education topic	6
EDUC4802	Teaching Indigenous Australian Students	6

* Topics selected from BA major and minor sequences listed in the BA course rule.

Honours degree

1. A full-year program consisting of 36 units of dedicated honours topics taken after the completion of the student's ordinary education degree.
2. An alternative program for students who have completed, to a sufficiently high standard (a GPA of 5.5 or higher), the first 108 units towards their particular Bachelor of Education double degree program. Admission will also depend upon the School of Education being able to provide adequate resources to supervise and manage the student's proposed research project. The general requirement of the Honours program in Education is the successful completion of 36 units of honours Education topics. However, in the alternative program, students will take 18 of these units concurrently with the relevant double degree program as part of their fourth year of study. An overload of 6 units will be required in each semester of that year. Eligible students will enrol in a three-semester program commencing in the fourth year of their double degree program.

Specific rules related to requirements of a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) can be referred to in the BA course rule.