Master of Teaching (Early Childhood and Primary)

The Master of Teaching (Early Childhood and Primary) is a two-year postgraduate qualification for people who want to teach children from birth through to the end of primary school. It sits at master's level on the Australian Qualifications Framework, which means it's a graduate-entry degree: you come in with a bachelor's degree in something else and leave with a teaching qualification. At Southern Cross Education Institute (Higher Education) it's registered on CRICOS as course 114036G, so international students can enrol on a Student visa.

What you actually study

A degree like this is built from units of study, each worth a set number of credit points, and you need to pass the required total to graduate. The coursework covers child development from infancy to around age twelve, curriculum and pedagogy across the early years and primary school, literacy and numeracy teaching, play-based learning, and how to plan and assess learning against the Australian Curriculum and the Early Years Learning Framework. You'll also study inclusive education, working with families and communities, and the professional and legal responsibilities that come with being a registered teacher.

Structure and placements

Most Australian teaching master's degrees run over four semesters, or trimesters at some institutions, with the final part of the degree often including a capstone unit or research project where you investigate a question from your own teaching practice. The part that matters most is professional experience: supervised placements in early childhood settings and primary schools, usually adding up to many weeks across the degree. That's where you plan lessons, teach real classes, get feedback from a supervising teacher, and build the evidence you'll need for registration. Because teaching is a regulated profession in Australia, the placement component isn't optional, it's what makes the degree count.

Skills you build

You learn to write and teach a lesson sequence, manage a classroom, assess where a child is up to and adjust your teaching, communicate with parents, and work alongside other teachers and support staff. You also learn to read research and use it to improve what you do in the classroom. By the end, you should be able to walk into a room of twenty-five six-year-olds and know what to do next.

Who it suits

This degree suits people changing careers into teaching, graduates who want to work with young children, and current educators in early childhood services who want to add a primary teaching qualification. It's a good fit if you want a job where you're on your feet, working with children and families, and part of a school or early learning community. Entry usually requires a bachelor's degree and English proficiency; for teaching courses, IELTS Academic 6.0–6.5 is the common coursework-postgraduate standard, but teaching often asks for 7.0–7.5, so check the exact requirement with the institute before you apply. Tuition is published on the CRICOS register, and you should confirm fees, intakes and placement arrangements on the official page.

• Early childhood teacher, long day care centres, preschools and kindergartens, working with children from birth to five.
• Primary school teacher, government, Catholic and independent primary schools, teaching Foundation to Year 6.
• Early years coordinator or educational leader, leading curriculum and practice in an early learning service.
• Relief or casual teacher, short-term teaching work across schools while you look for a permanent role.
• Education support or curriculum officer, helping design programs and resources in schools or education organisations.
• Family and community services roles, early intervention, parenting programs and child-focused community organisations.

Teaching is on Australia's skills shortage lists in many states, and graduates often move into schools and early learning services across the country. Registration with the relevant state or territory teacher regulatory authority is required to teach in schools, and early childhood services have their own staffing requirements. As an international graduate, you may be eligible for the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream, and while you're studying your visa allows up to 48 hours of work per fortnight.