- Program summary
- Program overview
- Career opportunities
- Special features
- Advanced standing, recognition of prior learning, credit and articulation
- Program structure
- Program requirements and notes
- Requirements for placements
- Enquiries
- Recommended enrolment pattern
Program summary
QTAC code: 017201
OP/Rank for 2008 entry: OP-16 / Rank-66
Award abbreviation: BEd/BA(SpecialEd&Psych)
Degree type: combined undergraduate
Mode of study: on campus
Duration: 4 years full-time or pro-rata part-time
Fee type: Commonwealth supported places, domestic fee-paying places, international fee-paying places
Total courses: 32
Recommended prior study:
Commence: Semester 1 only
CRICOS code: 063270A
Accreditation
The Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC) has accredited Pathway 1 of this program as a 3-year undergraduate sequence in Psychology. Completion of the degree involving Pathway 1 may lead to direct entry to the Bachelor of Social Science (Psychology) (Honours) program, subject to grade point average in Psychology courses.
Program overview
This program will focus on the paradigms of special education provision for students with special needs, pedagogies, programming and modes of assessment that best facilitate learning across institutions for special needs learners, psychology and the psychology of learning acquisition. Further, students enrolled in this program will engage with policy analysis, community-based support for special needs learners and team approaches to diagnosis and intervention. Specific attention will be paid to working with students with Intellectual Impairment and Autism Spectrum Disorder and the ways in which such students can be managed and successfully engaged in learning across a range of learning environments.
This program will qualify graduates for a career pathway in education of special needs students, while also providing them with a background in the study of psychology. Graduates will be appointed to teach in Special Education contexts including Special Schools, Special Education Support Units, Learning Support Units or general classrooms that are inclusive of learning support staff. The program will be accredited for teacher registration in Queensland in the first instance and in the long term, Australia.
Career opportunities
- general classrooms that are inclusive of learning support staff
- learning support units
- special education support units
- special schools
- community services
Special features
- depending on the pathway chosen within the program, and the successful completion of an accredited honours year or postgraduate diploma in psychology, plus either further accredited postgraduate study or supervision following the guidelines of the Psychologists Registration Board in their state or territory, graduates are eligible for registration as a psychologist in that state/territory
Program structure
Core courses
Select 2 courses from:
COR109 Communication and Thought
COR110 Innovation, Creativity and Entrepreneurship
COR111 Environment, Technology and Sustainability
Faculty of Science, Health and Education courses (15)
2 required introductory courses:
EDU100 Becoming a Teacher
EDU101 Learning about Learning
Plus 12 required advanced courses:
EDU201 Language and Literacies in Education
EDU202 Dimensions of Learner Engagement
EDU210 Workplace Learning: Professional Practice
EDU220 Pedagogies for New Times
EDU305 Human Development and Learning
EDU310 Workplace Learning: Learning Engagement
EDU311 Workplace Learning: Inclusivity and Diversity
EDU312 Workplace Learning: Professional Engagement
EDU370 Policy, Processes and Professional Practices
EDU371 Contexts of Disability
EDU372 Responding to Difference: Programming, Assessment and Reporting
EDU373 The Special Education Teacher in New Times
Plus select 1 elective course from:
EDU340 Teaching Reading and Writing in the Early Years
EDU341 Mathematics Education for Early Learning
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences courses (15)
3 required introductory courses:
PSY100 Introduction to Psychology A
PSY101 Introduction to Psychology B
SCS130 Introduction to Indigenous Australia
Pathway 1
This pathway may lead to direct entry to the Bachelor of Social Science (Psychology) (Honours) program, subject to grade point average in Psychology courses.
12 required advanced courses:
PSY200 Research Methods in Psychology A *
PSY201 Research Methods in Psychology B *
PSY202 Physiological Psychology *
PSY203 Introduction to Human Development *
PSY204 Social Psychology *
PSY205 Motivation and Emotion *
PSY300 Advanced Methods in Psychology *
PSY301 Cognitive and Perceptual Psychology *
PSY302 Intercultural and Indigenous Psychologies *
PSY303 Personality and Assessment *
PSY304 Human Associative Learning *
PSY305 Abnormal Psychology *
Pathway 2
This pathway will not lead to direct entry to the Bachelor of Social Science (Psychology) (Honours) program. Indirect entry to the Bachelor of Social Science (Psychology) (Honours) program would require completion of six (6) further psychology courses, and would be subject to grade point average in Psychology courses.
2 required advanced courses:
PSY200 Research Methods in Psychology A *
PSY201 Research Methods in Psychology B *
Plus select 4 advanced courses from:
PSY202 Physiological Psychology *
PSY203 Introduction to Human Development *
PSY204 Social Psychology *
PSY205 Motivation and Emotion *
PSY300 Advanced Methods in Psychology *
PSY301 Cognitive and Perceptual Psychology *
PSY302 Intercultural and Indigenous Psychologies *
PSY303 Personality and Assessment *
PSY304 Human Associative Learning *
Plus select 6 elective courses from:
SCS210 Indigenous Australia and the State
SCS211 Green Justice: Environmental and Social Issues
SCS225 Social Research
SCS230 Understanding Society: An Introduction to Social Theory
SCS235 Social Justice, Welfare and the State
SCS260 Community Work
SCS265 Counselling, Theory and Practice
SCS266 Trauma, Bereavement and Crisis Counselling
SCS270 Applications in Social and Community Work
SCS276 Groupwork
SCS277 Working with Families
SCS281 Developmental and Family Counselling
SCS282 Globalisation and International Community Development
SCS285 Health, Society and Culture
SCS286 Disability: Culture, Community and Change
SCS290 Understanding Cultural Diversity
SCS295 Gender and Culture
Course substitution: the GO (Global Opportunities) Program
As part of your USC program, you may apply to participate in the GO Program to undertake courses with an overseas higher education provider
Program requirements and notes
- Refer to the Academic Rules.
- Refer to explanation of terms.
- Refer to the recommended enrolment pattern.
- Only a full-time study option is available to international students.
- International students need to refer to the English language requirements.
Requirements for placements
The Commission for Children and Young People Act (2000 and 2005) applies to all pre-service teachers who will be working with children/students under the age of 18 in Queensland settings as a component of their program of pre-service education. Blue Cards are issued by the Commission once it has carried out the Working with Children Check to see if a person is eligible. If a person is eligible, they are issued a positive notice and a Blue Card.
Education students are encouraged to apply for their Blue Card as soon as they have accepted their offer to avoid processing delays. Blue Cards are free of charge for Education students when they apply through the Professional Workplace Learning office (Level 2, I Building).
- Blue Cards and how to apply
Note: Students who do not possess a current Blue Card will be unable to complete the professional experience component of their program and will be unable to meet graduation requirements.
How to apply
Apply for an undergraduate program.
Enquiries
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
Program adviser
Tel: +61 7 5430 1259
Faculty of Science, Health and Education
Program adviser, Education
Tel: +61 7 5459 4644
Email: education@usc.edu.au
* Course outlines subject to final approval