Bachelor of Early Childhood Teaching

VU course code: EBEI | Level of study: Undergraduate

ATAR

Not required

Duration

3 years full time

Delivery mode

Hybrid

Fees

Commonwealth supported place

Location

St Albans

Next start date

29 July 2024

Application closes

21 July 2024

View all start dates

Early childhood teaching student smiles at kindergarten child

Overview

Upgrade your early childhood diploma to a bachelor degree in just two years with a Bachelor of Early Childhood Teaching at Victoria University (VU).

If you hold a Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care, you can finish your bachelor degree sooner with this accelerated early childhood teaching course.

Continue to work in the sector while you study online in the evenings and become an early childhood teacher in just two years.

In your Bachelor of Early Childhood Teaching, you’ll essentially skip the first year of the Bachelor of Early Childhood Education to build on your expertise in nurturing children from birth to five years by learning:

teaching methods for early-childhood education settings
early-childhood learning theories
cultural competency, including Indigenous perspectives.

You’ll draw on your experience working in the sector to complete your assignments, including creating art-based responses, designing learning opportunities and reflecting on workplace documentation.

You may even be eligible for a $25,000 Victorian Government scholarship to study and work in Victoria.

As soon as you graduate from this course, you’ll meet the requirements to register as an early childhood teacher with Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) and Victorian Institute for Teaching (VIT), the Victorian body for Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL).

: On successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

Initiate teaching and learning practices that foster learner engagement in complex contexts and foreground Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander standpoints in early childhood education.

Critically reflect on different ways of knowing, being, and doing founded on the view of children and families as capable contributors to conceptual and pedagogical decision-making in learning and teaching.

Design teaching practices that reflect an ability to contextualise, question, resist, rethink, and act towards equity and the public good.

Exhibit a broad and coherent body of knowledge of pedagogy, curriculum and assessment in relation to the changing nature of education in a rapidly-evolving global context.

Critically review and articulate a range of oral and written communication techniques, including in the use of Information and Communication Technologies, to engage and connect with students, their parents/carers and the wider community,

Design learning opportunities that embrace a rich and varied curriculum, ensure that learning and teaching approaches are based on sound ethical principles and foster reciprocal relationships in early childhood settings.
: Enjoy fitting your study around your work in the early childhood industry, with classes delivered online after work.

On one Saturday per month, you’ll also attend a supportive, in-person class at our City Campus, where you can develop networks to support you through your studies and into your first years as an early childhood teacher.
: Studying at VU means taking advantage of our strong connections with community centres, local councils, childcare settings and kindergartens.

The 80 days of supervised teaching experience currently includes:

30 days in a government-funded and approved kindergarten program

25 days with 3–5-year-olds

10 days with birth–2-year-olds

10 days in the unique 'VU Play' program

5 days of leadership placement.
In our ‘VU Play’ pop-up play spaces, you’ll create and maintain play spaces that encourage children to engage in self-directed play, using loose parts and various materials. You’ll work within the concept of ‘playwork’ to observe, reflect and analyse the children playing and intervene or make changes when needed. This program runs permanently at Footscray Nicholson campus and many other suitable locations.

Find out more about our practical programs in early childhood education.

Entry requirements

When assessing your application, we consider your educational achievements and work experience, as well as your skills and personal attributes (where relevant).

Applicants for this course will need to meet the entry criteria outlined below. If you don’t meet the entry criteria, you may be able to gain entry by first completing a related course or unit(s). We call this a ‘pathway’.

You may also be eligible for course ‘credits’, where you are granted a unit or units towards your qualification for equivalent previous study or work experience, so you can graduate sooner.

ATAR requirements

No minimum ATAR required

This course does not have a minimum ATAR requirement for entry. Read the entry criteria for this course below.

Why ATAR is not applicable

You do not need an ATAR score to apply for this course. Instead, you need to have successfully completed secondary school and to meet any requirements outlined below. Our courses and support programs are designed to prepare students from diverse cultures for success, regardless of their ATAR, age, education or socioeconomic background.

Essential for admission (all applicants)

Potential students must live or work in one of the eligible Local Government Areas. They must provide evidence of living and/or working in the LGA (e.g. a letter from their employer, a utility bill with their home address).

Entry criteria

Minimum entry criteria include:

English-language requirements
academic requirements.

Your work and life experience will also be considered.

To find specific entry requirements for this course, please select the section below that is most relevant to you.

Meeting the minimum entry criteria does not guarantee entry into this course.

: This information is relevant if, in the 2 years prior to studying with us, you have completed (or will complete) one of the following:

Australian Senior Secondary Certificate (e.g. VCE)

an Australian or overseas equivalent to VCE

an International Baccalaureate (IB).

Admission criteria

NA
: This information is relevant if you have completed an accredited award (such as a certificate or diploma) at an Australian Registered Training Organisation (usually a TAFE, polytechnic or other registered VET institute).

Admission criteria

NA
: This information is relevant if you’ve previously completed all or part of a university or other higher-education course.

Admission criteria

Completion of a Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care, or equivalent.

If the Diploma is more than ten years old, applicants for the course must also submit a CV indicating their work experience in the Early Childhood education and care sector.
: This information is relevant if you left secondary school more than two years ago and haven’t studied since.

Admission criteria

NA
: Take a look at a student profile to get an overview of students who have previously enrolled in this course.

Applicant background Number of students Percentage of all students

(A) Past Higher Education Study
(includes a bridging or enabling course) 51 36.4%

(B) Past vocational education and training (VET) study 89 63.6%

(C) Recent secondary education
Admitted solely on the basis of ATAR
(regardless of whether this includes the impact of adjustment factors such as equity or subject bonus points)
NA NA

(C) Recent secondary education
Admitted where both ATAR and additional criteria were considered
(e.g. portfolio, audition, extra test, early offer conditional on minimum ATAR)
NA NA

(C) Recent secondary education
Admitted on the basis of other criteria only and ATAR was not a factor
(e.g. special consideration alone, audition alone, schools recommendation scheme with no minimum ATAR requirement)
0 0.0%

(D) Work and Life experience 0 0.0%

International students 0 0.0%

All students 140 100%

"<5" – the number of students is less than 5.
N/A – Students not accepted in this category.
N/P – Not published: the number is hidden to prevent calculation of numbers in cells with less than 5 students.

Applicant background	Number of students	Percentage of all students
(A) Past Higher Education Study (includes a bridging or enabling course)	51	36.4%
(B) Past vocational education and training (VET) study	89	63.6%
(C) Recent secondary education Admitted solely on the basis of ATAR (regardless of whether this includes the impact of adjustment factors such as equity or subject bonus points)	NA	NA
(C) Recent secondary education Admitted where both ATAR and additional criteria were considered (e.g. portfolio, audition, extra test, early offer conditional on minimum ATAR)	NA	NA
(C) Recent secondary education Admitted on the basis of other criteria only and ATAR was not a factor (e.g. special consideration alone, audition alone, schools recommendation scheme with no minimum ATAR requirement)	0	0.0%
(D) Work and Life experience	0	0.0%
International students	0	0.0%
All students	140	100%

Special entry programs

Special admission programs

If you are from a disadvantaged or underrepresented social, economic or cultural background, you may be eligible for one of our special admission programs. These programs are designed to help you access education more easily.

Learn more about special admission programs

VU Guaranteed

If you’re currently in Year 11 or 12, our exclusive VU Guaranteed program offers a guaranteed place in a university or TAFE course, before your final Year 12 exams.

Learn more about VU Guaranteed

Additional information

Students will require a Working with Children Check to be eligible to undertake and participate in workplace visits, placements or projects. Use the following site link to obtain additional information:
http://www.workingwithchildren.vic.gov.au/

Students will receive advanced standing of 96 credit points for their Diploma qualification equivalent to first year units.

Students will study in hybrid form, using Online Real Time (ORT) evening classes and in person classes on some weekends. As far as possible students will be grouped according to the local government area.

Credit & Entry pathways into this course

Victoria University is committed to providing a transparent admissions process. Find out more about how to apply for our courses, and our commitment to admissions transparency. Meeting the minimum admission criteria does not guarantee entry into this course. Past academic performance may be considered.

Course Structure

To attain the Bachelor of Early Childhood Education students will be required to complete:

288 credit points of Core studies

Students also undertake practical placements that include 80 days supervised professional experience.

Units

Fees & Scholarships

University fees vary, depending on how much the government contributes towards course costs (if anything).

Read below to find out about the fee ‘type’, the estimated yearly tuition costs for this course, and the financial support on offer (including our generous scholarship program).

Commonwealth supported place

A Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP) is subsidised by the government, reducing it to the amount listed here. Australian citizens, permanent residents and New Zealand citizens will qualify for a CSP place. If your course is not Commonwealth supported, or you don't qualify, you'll pay full fees.

Learn more about Commonwealth Supported Places

Fees

Scholarships

Victorian Government incentives

CAREERS

Take advantage of the high demand for bachelor-qualified early childhood teachers with funded three-year-old kindergarten rolling out across Victoria and an expected 21.6% growth in childcare jobs by 2026.

Thanks to the essential experience you’ll get from reflecting on your practice while working in the early childhood sector, you’ll be ready to register as a teacher as soon as you graduate.

Enjoy the rewards that come with nurturing the next generation as a kindergarten teacher or early childhood teacher and expect to earn above-average wages.