The Bachelor of Education (Secondary), Bachelor of Languages 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 and Law.

Students who commence, but subsequently do not wish to complete, either the full double degree program or the professional experience component of the double degree program may be eligible to:

Admission requirements

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

Course aims

The course aims to produce graduates who:

  • are prepared to participate in a world that requires high levels of proficiency in languages, as well as scientific, mathematical and technological literacy;
  • can teach within and across learning areas;
  • have developed studies in depth in two specific school curriculum learning areas relevant to teaching at secondary school levels;
  • are able to apply their knowledge and skills in a range of educational settings with diverse groups of students;
  • have the capacity to undertake ongoing professional study through a variety of pathways;
  • have been exposed to a wide body of specific and cross-disciplinary knowledge pertaining to linguistic and cultural practices; and 
  • have been training to form broad conceptual understandings while gaining depth of knowledge within their chosen languages.

Learning outcomes

In undertaking this double degree students will be able to:

  • demonstrate a commitment to working ethically and collectively with colleagues to achieve high quality, equitable outcomes for young people and the wider community;
  • appreciate that teaching is a collaborative activity conducted within a professional community;
  • recognise the ways that education can respond to the demands made by a complex and ever-changing world;
  • understand that their work as teachers is moderated by policy frameworks and legal requirements;
  • articulate an understanding of your people's development, and individual, social and cultural differences;
  • form mutually respectful relationships with young people that support their intellectual, ethical and social growth;
  • engage young people in informed decision-making with regard to their curriculum and learning environments;
  • utilise teaching strategies that will foster in young people deep understanding, a capacity for independent inquiry, and learning in cooperation with others;
  • work both independently and collaboratively with young people, colleagues and communities to construct curriculum that spans disciplinary boundaries and focus on real-world applications;
  • develop authentic means for assessing learning and to inform their teaching and young people's learning;
  • analyse and critically evaluate ideas and solve problems;
  • communicate at a high level of competence in the main target language of study;
  • demonstrate competency in a second target language of study or have gained knowledge and skills in English as a Second Language (ESL);
  • demonstrate an understanding of the nature of language and language varieties from historical and socio-cultural perspectives;
  • understand second language acquisition and pedagogy frameworks and articulate an understanding of themselves as language learners;
  • demonstrate broad knowledge of Cultural Studies relative to their language of study;
  • demonstrate critical understanding of theories and principles underpinning the chosen area of Language Studies, and knowledge of current issues therein; and
  • demonstrate an understanding and respect for the world's cultural and linguistic diversity, and an advanced level of knowledge and skills in relation to inter-cultural communication.

Credit transfer

Limited credit may be granted for recognition of prior studies undertaken at the University or other approved tertiary institutions.

Program of study

To qualify for the Bachelor of Education (Secondary), Bachelor of Languages, a student must:

  • complete 144 units with a grade of P or NGP or better in each topic, consisting of 72 units in the Bachelor of Education component and 72 units in the Bachelor of Languages component, according to the program of study below; and
  • meet the required benchmark in the Literacy and Numeracy Test for Initial Teacher Education Students (LANTITE). Students must normally meet the benchmark within three attempts and before 72 units of study have been attempted. The Faculty Board may, under exceptional circumstances and subject to specific conditions, permit further attempts of the LANTITE after 72 units of study have been attempted.
A student whose Grade Point Average (GPA) falls below 5.00 after attempting the first 72 units of study (excluding topics for which a Withdraw, Not Fail (WN) has been recorded) will normally be required to enter into a counselling process with the Faculty to demonstrate their capacity to achieve the range of attributes and motivations that have been determined by the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) as being common to effective teachers. As part of this process students who are unable to satisfactorily demonstrate their capacity to achieve the range of attributes and motivations before graduation will be supported through a range of options appropriate to their circumstances.

The Bachelor of Education component must include:

  • 9 units of Education topics at First Year level
  • 9 units of Education topics at Second Year level
  • 27 units of Education topics at Third Year level including professional experience
  • 27 units of Education topics at Fourth Year level including professional experience.

The Bachelor of Languages component must include:

* Chinese, German and Japanese are available cross-institutionally at the University of Adelaide. Please refer to http://hss.adelaide.edu.au/current-students/undergrad/majorsminors/

Teaching Major

Students undertake a sequence of six topics (27 units) appropriate for teaching in the secondary years and selected from:

Students cannot choose the same language as the one they are studying as their Language Major sequence.

The Teaching Major will consist of

  • 9 units of Year 1 topics;
  • 9 units of Year 2 topics; and
  • 9 units of Year 2 or Year 3 topics.

Except with the permission of the Board:

  • no compulsory topic may be taken more than twice
  • professional experience topics may not be attempted more than once.

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

Core - Year 1 topics

18 units comprising:

EDUC1120  Teaching and Educational Contexts (4.5 units)
EDUC1223  Middle Schooling Philosophy and Pedagogy (4.5 units)
EDUC1227  Professional Experience: Year 1 (Middle and Secondary Schooling) (0 units)
LANG1000  Strategies for Language Learning (4.5 units)
LANG1002  Language and Languages (4.5 units)

Option - Year 1 topics

Choose 9 units of Language Major topics
Choose 9 units of Teaching Major topics

Core - Year 2 topics

9 units comprising:

EDUC2320  Learners and their Development - Middle and Secondary Schooling (4.5 units)
EDUC2326  Professional Experience: Year 2A (Middle and Secondary Schooling) (0 units)
EDUC2420  Teaching Indigenous Australian Students (4.5 units)
EDUC2426  Professional Experience: Year 2B (Middle and Secondary Schooling) (0 units)

Option - Year 2 topics

Choose 13.5 units of Language Major topics
Choose 13.5 units of Teaching Major topics

Core - Year 3 topics

22.5 units comprising:

 EDUC3526  Literacies Across the Curriculum in the Middle and Secondary Years  (4.5 units)
 EDUC3530  Professional Experience: Year 3A (Middle and Secondary Schooling) (0 units)
 EDUC3531E  Languages Curriculum Specialisation A1: Curriculum Development in the Middle Years  (4.5 units)
 EDUC3620  Relationships for Learning  (4.5 units)
 EDUC3642  Professional Experience: Year 3B (Middle and Secondary Schooling)  (4.5 units)
 EDUC3643E  Languages Curriculum Specialisation B1: Curriculum Context in the Middle Years  (4.5 units)

Option - Year 3 topics

Choose 13.5 units of Language Major topics

Core - Year 4 topics

31.5 units comprising:

EDUC3627  Contemporary Issues in Secondary Schooling (4.5 units)
EDUC3628  Numeracy and ICT Across the Middle and Secondary Curriculum (4.5 units)
EDUC4720  Differentiation for Diverse Learners (Middle and Secondary Schooling) (4.5 units)
EDUC4729E  Languages Curriculum Specialisation: Senior Years 1  (4.5 units)
EDUC4730E  Languages Curriculum Specialisation: Senior Years 2  (4.5 units)
EDUC4742   Professional Experience: Final Assessment for Registration (Middle and Secondary Schooling)  (4.5 units)
EDUC4820 The Professional Educator (4.5 units)

Option - Year 4 topics

Choose 4.5 units of Teaching Major topics