Make a positive and life-long difference to children and their futures.
The early years of children’s lives are incredibly important. Your contribution to early childhood education and care set up a child’s learning for life. Our program is designed to qualify you for early childhood teaching (birth to eight) and enables you to lead and work across a wide range of settings including primary school (Prep to Year 3), kindergartens and childcare.
- Only a full-time option is available to international students on a Student visa. Online programs are not available to Student visa holders.
- * Estimated tuition fees are based on 2025 rates. Refer to international fees for more information.
- Not all majors/minors and elective options are available at every campus. You should refer to the What Can I Study tab, and the proposed study sequence for your chosen campus and intake for further information.
- † Semester 2 intake not available at Gympie.
- † Semester 2 intake not available at Gympie.
The early years of children’s lives are incredibly important. Your contribution to early childhood education and care set up a child’s learning for life. Our program is designed to qualify you for early childhood teaching (birth to eight) and enables you to lead and work across a wide range of settings including primary school (Prep to Year 3), kindergartens and childcare.
You’ll learn about the importance of wellbeing, play and environments in early learning. Benefit from supervised professional experiences in a range of early childhood settings that link theory 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.
Post-admission requirements
Students must complete 95 days of Supervised Professional Experience, 20 days of an internship and 5 days (25 hours) of Wider Field Experience. Students must undergo a Working with Children Check and obtain a Blue Card from the Public Safety Business Agency (PBSA) prior to commencing supervised professional experience.
Career opportunities
Early childhood teaching or leadership roles in long day care centres, kindergarten and primary school settings (from Prep to Year 3), integrated community services, government.
Membership
Early Childhood Australia.
Registration
Queensland College of Teachers.
Program structure
For students commencing 2016. All other students please refer to previous handbooks.
Introductory required courses
9 required courses:
COR109 Communication and Thought
EDU101 Human Development and Learning
EDU103 Integrating ICTs into Learning
EDU104 Foundations of Literacy and Numeracy
EDU107 Science Teaching in the Early Years
EDU109 Professional Learning: Play and Pedagogy in Early Learning
EDU110 Early Learning Environments and Curriculum
EDU112 Professional Learning 2: Early Learning Experiences
EDU113 Teaching English: Curriculum and Pedagogy
Advanced required courses
23 required courses:
EDU206 Early Childhood Education for Sustainability
EDU208 Professional Learning: Learning Theories in Early Learning
EDU209 Teaching Mathematics in the Early Years
EDU211 Assessing Learning
EDU215 Professional Learning: Curriculum Approaches and Pedagogies
EDU235 Creative Expression and Play Through the Arts
EDU308 Professional Learning: Responding to all Learner Needs
EDU309 Teaching Science in Primary Schools
EDU318 Professional Practice: The Inquiring Teacher
EDU319 Teaching Arts in the Early Years
EDU331 Transition to School: Early Learning Environments and Curriculum
EDU332 Investigating the World Around Us
EDU333 Teaching HPE in the Early Years
EDU336 Professional Learning 4: Continuity of Early Learning Experience
EDU340 Teaching Reading and Writing
EDU343 Inclusive Practices and Intervention in Early Education
EDU344 Leading in Early Childhood Contexts
EDU400 Teaching Primary School Mathematics
EDU408 Professional Learning: Teacher Identity and Professional Practice
EDU409 Professional Learning 6: Internship: The Professional Practitioner
EDU410 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Perspectives in Learning and Teaching
EDU415 Professional Practice: Teacher as Researcher
SCS203 Introduction to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education
Note: Not all USC courses are available on every USC campus.
Requirements for placements
As required by the Queensland Family and Child Commission Act (2014), preservice teachers must undergo a Working with Children Check and be issued with a Blue Card by the Public Safety Business Agency to allow them to undertake supervised professional experience in a school or centre where children under 18 years of age are present. It is now a requirement of all Queensland sites and most Australian sites that preservice teachers have obtained the Blue Card prior commencing supervised professional experience.
To avoid processing delays, you are encouraged to apply for a Blue Card as soon as you have accepted your offer. Blue Cards are free-of-charge for Education students when you apply through USC’s Education Admin office (Level 2, C Building, Room 06).
Note: If you do not possess a current Blue Card, you will be unable to complete the professional experience component of your program and you will be unable to meet graduation requirements.
Visit the Public Safety Business Agency website for information on Blue Cards and how to apply.
Total units: 384
Recommended study sequences
Program requirements and notes
Program requirements
In order to graduate you must:
- Complete 32 courses.
- Complete no more than 10 introductory level courses, including core courses.
- Complete a minimum of 80 days of Supervised Professional Experience, plus 15 days in a childcare setting and 20 days of an internship, with the majority completed as full-time blocks.
- Complete 5 days (25 hours) of Wider Field Experience.
- A Blue Card is required, refer to Requirements for placements.
Program notes
- Completing this program within the specified (full-time) duration is based on studying 48 unit points per semester (normally 4 courses).
- Electives may be used to increase curriculum knowledge in Key Learning Areas.
- Courses within this program are assessed using a variety of assessment methods including essays, seminar presentations, reports, in-class tests and examinations. Not all courses will necessarily include all methods.
- The Study Overseas Program is not currently available to Early Childhood students.
- Only a full-time study option is available to international students on a Student Visa.
- When enrolling, refer to the Study Plan.