Master of Teaching (Primary)

During this course students will gain knowledge and skills in the following areas:

1. Creative Teaching - Engage students through innovative and imaginative approaches to the curriculum.
2. Research Methods - Develop a range of research methods that can be used to improve educational outcomes for students.
3. The Digital Age - Develop a vision for contemporary teaching in a digital age.
4. Teaching the Child - Take on a holistic approach to focus on ‘teaching the child’ rather than ‘teaching the subject’.
5. Classroom Techniques - Head into a school to teach independently, and research classroom techniques prior to graduation.

Guide the development of young minds in your classroom.

If you have an undergraduate degree and want to take the next step into teaching, the Master of Teaching will qualify you to teach in primary schools across Australia. You will build on your prior study and develop effective teaching techniques that engage and inspire your students.

Led by experienced education professionals with recent or current teaching practice, this course combines online learning with teaching placements in real school classrooms. Our students get great feedback from their placement schools – we ensure you are prepared and supported to make your placement a positive experience.

Are you ready for more placement opportunities? The Master of Teaching (Primary) is also uniquely designed to run across four teaching periods a year to better align with Victorian school terms and dates. This new course structure will help you find more teaching placements that suit your personal teaching goals.

As a Swinburne Online student, you will also have access to unique development opportunities as part of the Access Quality Teaching Initiative. Through this initiative you will be placed in professional experience placements in regional, remote and/or lower socio-educational advantage schools in Victoria, giving you valuable experience with a diverse range of educational communities.

When you graduate, you’ll be qualified to practice as a primary teacher, with accreditation from the Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT).

This course is not available to international students.

Recommended study pattern

Education Foundation units

Understanding Theories of Teaching, Learning and Development (EDU60017)

Curriculum Development, Assessment and Responsive Pedagogy (EDU60043)

Education Discipline units

Arts and Design Technology in Primary School (EDU70006)

English in Primary School (EDU70007)

Health and Physical Education in Primary School (EDU70008)

Humanities in Primary School (EDU70009)

Mathematics in Primary School (EDU70010)

Science in Primary School (EDU70011)

Advanced Educational units

Understanding Indigenous Education & Perspectives (EDU80012)

Teaching for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (EDU80014)

Literacy Across the Curriculum (EDU80016)

Numeracy Across the Curriculum (EDU80017)

Supporting Students with English as an Additional Language (EDU80047)

Building and Sustaining Positive Relationships (EDU80048 )

Primary Specialisation (EDU80052)

Supervised Professional Experience units

Supervised Professional Experience 1 (EDU60044)

Supervised Professional Experience 2 (EDU70016)

Supervised Professional Experience 3 (EDU80015)

Placement Requirement - Master of Teaching (Primary):

3 Units x 20 days. Total: 60 days.

Award requirements

To qualify for the award of Master of Teaching (Primary), students must complete 200 credit points comprising of:

• Two (2) Educational Foundation units (25 credit points)
• Six (6) Educational Discipline units (75 credit points)
• Seven (7) Advanced Educational units (87.5 credit points)
• Two (2) Supervised Professional Experience units (two non-credited units)
• One (1) Supervised Professional Experience units (12.5 credit points).

Open Universities Australia is a not-for-profit organisation. You will not pay any fees for using our services.

Indicative total fee $52,896

The amounts shown here are indicative for an Australian citizen studying full-time, which is typically 8 subjects per year.

Fees may vary depending on:

• the subjects you choose
• credit from previous work experience
• your eligibility for government funding loans or subsidies such as HECS-HELP or a Commonwealth supported place.

To learn more, go to Fees or contact a student advisor.

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QS World University Ranking 2026, within Australia:

19

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15

To gain entry to this course, applicants must have completed a recognised bachelor degree relevant in one or more areas of the Primary curriculum and meet the English language requirements.

You will also need to complete the CASPer suitability tool in line with the AITSL and government Initial Teacher Education (ITE) requirements.

If you miss the last CASPer test date for our upcoming intake, we have an alternative pathway available to ensure you can commence your studies without any delays!

Graduate Certificate of Educational Studies

The Graduate Certificate of Educational Studies is a supported non-accredited pathway into the Master of Teaching (Primary), designed specifically for students who miss the last CASPer test date, to ensure you can still commence your studies in our upcoming intake, without any delay.

The entry requirements for the Graduate Certificate of Educational Studies are the same as the Master of Teaching (Primary), except for the requirement of the CASPer suitability test.

You’ll study the same units in the Graduate Certificate of Educational Studies as you would in the Master of Teaching (Primary), meaning the units you have completed in the Graduate Certificate of Educational Studies will be credited towards your teaching degree.

Your Graduate Certificate typically takes up to 6 months to complete if you’re studying full-time, or part-time equivalent. You will gain knowledge in a range of areas, including educational theory, systems and practice. You will also develop broad knowledge of the theoretical concepts impacting primary Education in Australian and global contexts.

Credit for Prior Learning

If you have completed recent prior studies you may be eligible to request course credit or subject exemptions to reduce the duration and cost of your program.

Credit for prior learning evaluates your previous studies related to your chosen subjects.

This is assessed on a case-by-case basis, where every applicant is assessed individually.

Placements are flexible

Professional experience, or placements in primary school settings, form part of the Master of Teaching (Primary) course. Placements are a key part of your education course and are a requirement for teacher registration.

Swinburne Online offers pre-service teachers the unique opportunity to engage in a flexible placement model during each Quarter. This means pre-service teachers are able to choose dates within each Quarter to complete the required number of days specified for each Professional Experience. This flexible model supports Swinburne Online pre-service teachers to organise placements around their work or family commitments.

During this time, all Swinburne Online pre-service teachers are also enrolled in a professional experience or placement unit and are supported by eLearning Advisors (eLAs), who are also teachers themselves. They are passionate professionals with years of industry experience, specially trained for teaching online students. They will help to guide pre-service teachers through their unit content and are on-hand to help with any placement related questions.