Graduate Diploma in Early Childhood Education
Quick facts
Student type:
Quick facts
-
Duration
Full-time 1 year -
Location
Bundoora, Online -
Fees
Next intake
February, July Duration
Full-time 1 year Location
Bundoora Fees
AU$29,760 (2021 total)
Next intake
February, July
Overview
Based on Australia’s national Early Years Learning Framework for early childhood teachers, this graduate diploma prepares you to enrich the minds and bodies of infants, toddlers and young children (aged birth to five years) in educational environments, designing and demonstrating high-quality learning experiences. As an early childhood teacher, you will support young learners and their families as advocates, enablers, custodians and thinkers; global citizens in yet-to-be-imagined futures.
On completing this course, you will become an innovative and attuned professional teacher with the knowledge, skills and experience to work in private enterprise, government agencies and community-based early childhood education settings locally and globally.
At the end of your studies, you’ll be qualified to teach in early childhood settings in Australia and hold transferable skills to work here and overseas.
This graduate diploma has excellent grounding in the latest research, taught by world class lecturers. Students are supported by a mentor teacher for the duration of the course, demonstrating first-hand the key importance of belonging in any education environment.
- Melanie Sharpham, Graduate Diploma in Early Childhood Education
Details
In RMIT’s Pedagogies of Possibilities Lab (PoPLab) - a virtual and physical space for innovative industry-partnered research - you’ll have access to video technologies that will enable you to explore your practice with real children in online and/or face-to-face modes of delivery.
You will explore inclusive learning and teaching practices concerning age, gender, ethnicity and ability. You will learn a wide range of diverse philosophies and theories concerning belonging, being and becoming in curricula which shape the field. You will pay special attention to indigenous perspectives and approaches, and your practice will also be informed by international trends and policies.
You will undertake placements in early childhood settings which will enable you to put theories, concepts and ideas into practice while being mentored by qualified and experienced early childhood teachers.
The School of Education has well-established links with education early childhood services both Australia and internationally. Our academics work closely with early childhood teachers to respond to the needs and priorities of young learners. This graduate diploma responds to current and arising issues and challenges facing the early childhood sector.
Students will have opportunities to work with and be mentored by early childhood educators in their professional placements, and in studio-based activities.
Working with Children Check
You will be required to hold a valid Victorian Working with Children Check (WWC) prior to undertaking profession placements.
Full time study of this course typically requires 30 hours study per week. This includes both independent and guided study as well as placement days in early childhood settings. There is a requirement of 60 days placement over the duration of the course. These days can be negotiated by the student with their mentor teacher in their assigned early childhood centre.
Currently the required placement days have been amended by the accrediting body, ACECQA, for those students completing the qualification in 2020. Any extension of this amendment in 2021 will be reflected in adjustments to students’ course.
Please note: Students wishing to study on a part time load must be available to complete TCHE2683 Belonging Early Years: Introduction as a full-time student. This subject is an intensive delivered full time over the first three weeks of this course. Upon completion of the intensive, students who are only enrolled in this subject will have no further study until their next semester.
To graduate you must complete the following subjects sequentially:
- Belonging in the Early Years: Introduction (3 weeks intensive)
- Belonging in the Early Years: Praxis (6 weeks plus 23 days placement)
- Being in the Early Years (4 weeks intensive)
- Becoming in the Early Years: Child in Community (4 weeks plus 14 days placement)
- Becomingan Early Years Professional (6 weeks plus 23 days placement)
Working with Children Check
You will be required to hold a valid Victorian Working with Children Check (WWC) prior to undertaking profession placements.
Choose a program structure
| Title | Location | Duration | Plan code | CRICOS | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Graduate Diploma in Early Childhood Education | Bundoora Campus |
1 year full-time - 2 semesters
|
1 year full-time
|
GD204 | 0100711 |
Choose a program structure
Program code: GD204
Career
Upon completion of this graduate diploma, you will be qualified to teach in early childhood education settings, both in Australia and overseas.
The market for early childhood teachers is forecast to remain very strong over the coming years, with an expected 29,000 job openings over the next five years.
Admissions
Entry requirements
You must have successfully completed an Australian Bachelor degree (or equivalent overseas qualification) in any discipline.
English language requirement
If you did not complete your initial tertiary qualification in English at an approved institution in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom or the United States of America you must complete an IELTS test. You must achieve:
IELTS (academic): minimum overall band of 7.0 with no individual band less than 6.5;
or
Equivalent scores in one of the approved English proficiency tests.
Entry requirements
You must have successfully completed an Australian Bachelor degree (or equivalent overseas qualification) in any discipline.
Working with Children Check (WWC)
You will be required to hold a valid Working with Children Check prior to undertaking professional placements. For more information visit the Working With Children Check website.
To study this program you will need to complete one of the following English proficiency tests:
- IELTS (Academic): minimum overall band of 7.0 (with no individual band below 6.5)
- TOEFL (Internet Based Test - IBT): minimum overall score of 94 (with minimum of 19 in Reading, 20 in Listening, 20 in Speaking and 24 in Writing)
- Pearson Test of English (Academic) (PTE (A)): minimum score of 65 (with no communication band less than 58)
- Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE): minimum of 185 with no less than 176 in any component.
Working with Children Check (WWC)
You will be required to hold a valid Working with Children Check prior to undertaking professional placements. For more information visit the Working With Children Check website.
The following information outlines the tasks you will be required to undertake during professional experience placement and on-campus learning activities.
The non-academic abilities listed are provided for your information only and are not entry requirements.
If there are any activities outlined which may be difficult for you to undertake, there are a range of adjustments to your study conditions available to enable and support you to demonstrate these abilities. Please contact the Equitable Learning Service to discuss any adjustments you may require.
The following information outlines the tasks you will be required to undertake during professional experience placement and on-campus learning activities.
The non-academic abilities listed are provided for your information only and are not entry requirements.
If there are any activities outlined which may be difficult for you to undertake, there are a range of adjustments to your study conditions available to enable and support you to demonstrate these abilities. Please contact the Equitable Learning Service to discuss any adjustments you may require.
By understanding the types of activities you’ll participate in, you can:
- understand more about the program
- determine if you may need support during your studies
- make an informed decision about whether the program is suitable for you
If you are living with disability, long-term illness and/or a mental health condition, we can support you by making adjustments to activities in your program so that you can participate fully in your studies.
To receive learning adjustments, you need to register with Equitable Learning Service
The University considers the wellbeing and safety of all students, staff and the community to be a priority in academic and professional experience placement settings.
Pathways
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)
If you have already developed areas of skill and knowledge included in this program (for example, through prior studies or work experience), you can apply for credit once you have enrolled in this program. There is information on the RMIT University website about how to apply for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).
Fees
Entry for this program is primarily through Commonwealth Supported Places (CSPs).
Government financial assistance is available to eligible students regardless of the type of place you enrol in.
2021 indicative fees
- Commonwealth supported places (CSP) range from AU$3,700 to AU$14,500*.
- Full-fee places: AU$23,040*.
Additional expenses
- Student services and amenities fee (SSAF): AU$313 maximum fee for 2021.
- Other items related to your program, including field trips, textbooks and equipment.
Annual fee adjustment
Amounts quoted are indicative fees per annum, and are based on a standard year of full-time study (96 credit points). A proportionate fee applies for more or less than the full-time study load.
Fees are adjusted on an annual basis and these fees should only be used as a guide.
Defer your payment
You may be eligible to apply for a HELP loan, which can be used to defer payment of up to the full amount of your student contribution fees. You may also be eligible to apply to defer payment of your SSAF through the SA-HELP loan scheme.
For more information and to learn how to calculate your exact tuition fees see postgraduate study fees.
Payments and refunds
For information on how to pay your fees or how to apply for a refund, please see Paying your fees and applying for refunds.
If you are offered a Commonwealth supported place, your tuition fees are subsidised by the Australian Government.
Your share of the fee (student contribution) is set on an annual basis by the government and is determined by the discipline areas (bands) of your individual enrolled courses, not the overall program.
How much can I expect to pay for my Commonwealth supported place?
The Australian Government has announced amendments to university funding and student contribution fees under its Job-ready Graduates Package.
The fees in the table below apply to students commencing their program in 2021 and are subject to the passage of legislation. Fees for continuing students are available at fees for Commonwealth supported students.
Each course (subject) falls into a band. The band determines the student contribution amount for the course.
Amounts listed in the table below are based on a standard, full-time study load (96 credit points per year) with all courses in the same band. A proportionate fee applies for more or less than the full-time study load or for enrolment in courses (subjects) from a combination of bands.
You can learn how to calculate your exact tuition fees for units from different bands at Fees for Commonwealth supported students.
Maximum student contribution amount for Commonwealth supported places in 2021
Student contribution band by course (subject) |
Maximum annual student contribution amount in 2021 |
Agriculture, english, languages, mathematics, nursing, postgraduate clinical psychology, teaching |
$$3,700 per standard year $462 per standard (12 credit point) course |
Architecture, creative arts, engineering, environmental studies, health, information technology, science |
$7,700 per standard year |
Dental, medical and veterinary science |
$11,300 per standard year |
Arts, commerce, communications, economics, humanities (excluding languages), law, management |
$14,500 per standard year |
How does a HELP loan work?
If your FEE-HELP, HECS-HELP and/or SA-HELP loan application is successful, the Australian Government will pay RMIT, on your behalf, up to 100% of your fees. This amount will become part of your accumulated HELP debt.
You only start repaying your accumulated HELP debt to the Australian Government once you earn above the minimum income threshold for repayment, which is set each year by the Australian Government (this also applies if you are still studying).
The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) will calculate your compulsory repayment for the year and include this on your income tax notice.
For more information about loan repayment options see Commonwealth assistance (HELP loans) or Study Assist.
This program is approved for income support.
You may be eligible for student income support payments from the Commonwealth Government if you are undertaking a graduate certificate, graduate diploma or an approved professionally oriented masters by coursework program. For more information see Income support for Masters students.
If you are enrolled in an eligible program you will also need to satisfy all other student payment eligibility requirements. You can contact Centrelink or Services Australia for further information about student income support entitlements, your eligibility and how to apply.
In addition to tuition fees, you will be charged an annual student services and amenities fee (SSAF), which is used to maintain and enhance services and amenities that improve your experience as an RMIT student. The SSAF is calculated based on your enrolment load and the maximum fee for 2021 is $313.
You may be eligible to apply to defer payment of the SSAF through the SA-HELP loan scheme. If you use SA-HELP, the amount will be added to your accumulated HELP debt.
For more information about calculating your actual SSAF see Paying SSAF.
You may also be required to purchase other items related to your program, including field trips, textbooks and equipment. These additional fees and expenses vary from program to program.
The total indicative tuition fee for 2021 commencement is AU$29,760.
In addition to tuition fees you also need to pay for:
- Student services and amenities fee (SSAF) in each calendar year.
- Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) - Student visa holders must have cover for the total duration of their visa.
- Some programs incur additional expenses.
You also need to account for your living expenses. Estimate the cost of living in Melbourne.
Applying for refunds
For information on how to apply for a refund as a continuing international student, please see Refunds.
Looking for answers or more general infomation?
For frequently asked questions or how to find more information regarding applications and enrolments, fees, student support services, university policies and more, please visit our Frequently Asked Questions.