Course Overview

About This Course

The Master of Teaching (Secondary)/Graduate Certificate in Religious Education is a graduate-entry, pre-service teacher education course for people who want to become secondary school teachers. You use your undergraduate degree to inform your specialist teaching areas, and, depending on that degree and your campus of study, the course prepares you to teach in two specialist areas. Combining the Graduate Certificate in Religious Education gives you the certification and knowledge to teach Religious Education in Catholic schools in addition to your other teaching areas; ACU describes the Graduate Certificate as the basic certification required to teach religious education in schools. The combined award totals 200 credit points: 100 credit points of Education Studies units, 40 credit points of Secondary Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment units (either 20 credit points in each of two teaching areas or 40 credit points in one), 20 credit points of electives, 40 credit points of Religious Education and Theology units, and the ACER literacy and numeracy test units, which carry no credit. An Internship specialisation is also available, in which 160 credit points of internship units replace the standard coursework parts. Students complete a minimum of 60 days of professional experience, a program of at least 10 weeks of teaching rounds usually broken into three blocks, during which they must be available full time. Professional experience covers school and community-based experience designed to develop professional competence and personal commitment in accordance with the Catholic philosophy of the University, and the Faculty finds appropriate placements. Graduates are eligible for registration as secondary school teachers in government, independent, Catholic and other faith-based schools.

Where You Can Study

Available Locations

Melbourne

1200 Mair St, Ballarat, VIC 3350

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Eligibility

Entry Requirements

General Requirements

Domestic students

An applicant must comply with the Admission to Coursework Programs Policy. To be eligible for admission to the course, an applicant must have successfully completed a Bachelor degree or equivalent qualification with a major study that meets the content requirements in at least one secondary teaching area offered by ACU. VICTORIA ONLY: applicants must demonstrate suitability for teaching as evidenced by completion of the relevant state/jurisdiction assessment, which is provided in the application process.
Applicants to this initial teacher education course must also complete a non-academic assessment demonstrating suitability for teaching, which forms part of the admission application.
Admission to the Master of Teaching (Secondary) (Internship) 'All Points to Teaching' program requires the applicant to meet that program's employment-based criteria in addition to the course entry requirements.
The number of places available in some teaching areas may be limited by the availability of appropriate professional experience placements and the capacity of partner schools to support pre-service teachers.
Students whose first language is other than English must meet the English Language Proficiency requirements defined in the Admission to Coursework Programs Policy. Applicants who completed Bachelor degrees outside Australia should review that policy to determine whether additional English Language Proficiency requirements apply, and applicants seeking teacher registration in Australia should confirm English Language Proficiency requirements with the relevant state registration body.
Recognition of prior learning may be available where previous study aligns with the learning outcomes of units in the course.

Disclaimer: The course entry requirements above are for 2027 Admission.

International students

ACU publishes no separate international entry requirements for this course; the course entry requirements state only that international applicants must meet the English Language Proficiency requirements defined in the Admission to Coursework Programs Policy, so international applicants must meet the same academic requirements as domestic applicants.
English language requirements: IELTS with no score less than 7 in reading and writing and no score less than 8 in listening and speaking. ACU also accepts PTE (a minimum of 65 in reading and writing and 79 in listening and speaking), TOEFL Academic (no score less than 24 in reading, 27 in writing, 28 in listening and 26 in speaking), the ACU English Language Test at A++ (85 or above), or C1 Advanced (a minimum of 185 in reading and writing and 200 in listening and speaking).

Disclaimer: The course entry requirements above are for 2027 Admission.

Career & Study Pathways

Where this takes you

Career Opportunities

ACU states that graduates are eligible for registration as secondary school teachers in government, independent, Catholic and other faith-based schools, and that the Graduate Certificate in Religious Education is the basic certification required to teach religious education in schools.
• Secondary school teacher in government schools
• Secondary school teacher in independent schools
• Secondary school teacher in Catholic and other faith-based schools
• Religious education teacher

Quality & Recognition

Accreditation & Migration

Academic Regulator

TEQSA

Professional Body

Queensland College of Teachers (QCT) / AITSL

Accreditation Status

Accredited

Skills Assessor

AITSL

Course Content

Units of Competency

All Units63 units

EDES590

Foundations of Teaching 1: Understanding Adolescents

EDES591

Foundations of Teaching 2: The Nature of Learning

EDES600

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories, Cultures and Education

EDES603

Inclusive Practice

EDES690

Literacy and Numeracy across the Secondary Curriculum

EDES691

21st Century Skills across the Secondary Curriculum

EDET590

Effective Teaching 1: Professional Practices

EDET690

Effective Teaching 2: Engaging Learners

EDET691

Effective Teaching 3: Teacher Inquiry and Evidence-based Practice

EDET692

Applied Educational Assessment Across the Secondary Curriculum

ACCT

Accounting

BIOL

Biology

BUSD

Business Studies

CHEM

Chemistry

DANC

Dance

DETI

Design and Technologies

DRAM

Drama

DTCO

Digital Technologies (Computing)

ECON

Economics

EESC

Earth and Environmental Science

ENGT

Engineering Technology

ENGL

English

FTEC

Food Technology

GEOG

Geography

HIST

History

HLTH

Health

HPHE

Health and Physical Education

ITEC

Industrial Technology

LANS

Languages

LEGL

Legal Studies

MATH

Mathematics

MEDI

Media

MUSC

Music

MUSD

Music Double

PDHP

Personal Development, Health and Physical Education

PHYS

Physics

PINR

Politics and International Relations

PSYC

Psychology

RLED

Religious Education Secondary

SCIE

Science

SRLG

Study of Religions

SOCU

Society and Culture

TSOL

TESOL

TTEC

Textiles Technology

VISU

Visual Arts

VOCA

Vocational Studies

EDLL605

Culturally Responsive Teaching and Leadership

EDLL606

Leading Change in Education

EDRE642

Religious Foundations of Catholic Schools

EDFD653

Social and Cultural Contexts of Education

EDTE694

Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment in Textiles Technology

EDTE695

Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment in Industrial Technology

EDTE696

Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment in Food Technology

EDTE697

Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment in Engineering Systems

LNTE110

Literacy and Numeracy Diagnostic

LNTE100

LANTITE - Literacy Test for Initial Teacher Education Students

LNTE101

LANTITE - Numeracy Test for Initial Teacher Education Students

EDRE516

Learning and Teaching for Religious Education

EDRE699

Religious Education Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment II

THBS562

Introducing the Scriptures

THCT563

Introducing Theology

THCT565

Reflecting on Faith, Recontextualising Tradition

MTCHSI

Internship

Common Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the total estimated cost of the Master of Teaching (Secondary)/Graduate Certificate of Religious Education?

The estimated total course cost is AU$89,060, which covers tuition fees. There are no additional non-tuition fees listed.

How long does this dual qualification program take to complete?

ACU publishes a duration of 2 years full-time or equivalent part-time, making it eligible for extended Post-Study Work Rights as it exceeds the 92-week threshold for Skills Level 1 qualifications.

Does this course include a work component?

Yes. ACU states that students must complete a minimum of 60 days of professional experience, during which time they are required to be available full-time; the Professional Experience program consists of a minimum of 10 weeks of teaching rounds, usually broken into three blocks.

At which campuses can I study this program?

ACU offers this course at the Strathfield Campus (NSW) and the Melbourne Campus (VIC), and domestic students can also study in ACU's Online MT mode. The 2027 handbook notes the course is not offered at Blacktown or Brisbane in 2027.

Is this course eligible for extended Post-Study Work Rights?

This course may be eligible for extended Post-Study Work Rights as it is a Masters degree (Coursework) qualification with a duration of 2 years full-time (exceeding the 92-week requirement) in the Education field. Eligibility is reviewed yearly and requires at least one active enrolment at the time of review.

Application

How to Apply

Three simple steps to get enrolled

Step 01

Enquire

Click "Enquire Now" and tell us a little about yourself. It's free and takes 2 minutes.

Step 02

Submit Documents

Our team will guide you on exactly which documents to prepare and submit.

Step 03

Get Enrolled

Receive your offer letter and confirm your enrolment. Welcome to the course!

Course Snapshot

Salary, careers & skills

Typical Salary

Entry-level (0-2 years)AUD $72,000 to $90,000 per year

Early Career (2-5 years)AUD $90,000 to $105,000 per year

Mid-Level (5-10 years)AUD $105,000 to $125,000 per year

Career Paths

Early Childhood TeacherPrimary School TeacherSecondary School TeacherSpecial Education TeacherTeacher Librarian

Key Skills

Lesson planning and curriculum design aligned to the Australian CurriculumDifferentiated instruction to meet diverse learner needsClassroom management and positive behaviour supportFormative and summative assessment design and analysisInclusive education practices for students with disabilities and additional needs

Full Course Overview

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