The early years of children’s lives are incredibly important. Your contribution to early childhood education and care strengthens a child’s learning for life. Our program is designed to qualify you for early childhood teaching (birth to eight years) and enables you to lead and work across a wide range of settings including childcare, kindergarten and primary school, with a focus on Prep to Year 3.

You’ll learn about the importance of wellbeing, play and inspirational environments in early learning. Benefit from Supervised Professional Experiences in a range of early childhood settings - linking knowledge and practice. You’ll also gain valuable and rewarding Wider Field Experience where you engage with community projects and work with children, families and communities.

Our program has been developed in partnership with leading educational bodies, and as you graduate you’ll be eligible to register with the Queensland College of Teachers.

Admission requirements

Applicants must write a 1000-word written statement that describes their non-academic capabilities. Effective teachers possess both academic and non-academic capabilities. Research has shown that the best teachers are those who have academic capability, literacy and numeracy skills and personal characteristics (non-academic capabilities). Non-academic capabilities include motivation to teach, self-efficacy, willingness to learn, conscientiousness, engagement with learning, resilience, interpersonal and communication skills, organisational and planning skills, and written communication skills. Research has also shown that a personal written statement describing self-assessment of non-academic capabilities is a suitable means for assessing non-academic capabilities for teaching.

Entry to this program requires applicants to meet academic and non-academic criteria.

Full details of entry to this program are on the QTAC website

Post-admission requirements

Students must complete 95 days of Supervised Professional Experience, 20 days of an internship and 75 hours of Wider Field Experience. Students must obtain a Blue Card (or link their existing Blue Card to USC) prior to commencing SPE. Blue Card applications should be submitted at least 12 weeks prior to the SPE start date. View the Blue Card Fact Sheet for further information. Blue Cards are free-of-charge for Education students when applying through the School of Education at USC.

Students will also need to successfully complete the Literacy and Numeracy Test for Initial Teacher Education students. For more information on this Government initiative please visit the Students First website. Further information on the test, including sample test questions and registration information, please visit the Australian Council of Educational Research website.

Career opportunities

Early Childhood teacher, primary school teacher, Manager of Early Childhood centre, private practice tutor, education consultant, community education centre leader, College/University lecturer, zoo education officer, education exhibition organiser, Education Policy Analyst, children’s television presenter, youth support worker, teacher of English overseas, children’s advocate leader.

Membership

Early Childhood Australia.

Registration

Queensland College of Teachers.