Graduate Diploma in Education (Secondary)

This program is available to continuing students only.

The Graduate Diploma in Education program is a full-time pre-service teacher education program taught on the Callaghan Campus. The program may also be available on a part-time basis. The secondary specialisation is designed to provide professional teacher education preparation for suitably qualified graduate students who have sufficient course area studies in specialist areas to meet the needs of the secondary school curriculum. The program is delivered through lectures, tutorials, school visits, in-school teaching experiences and web-based online discussion. Specialisations available in 2007 may include English, Mathematics, Science, Visual Arts and Social Science/Human Society and its Environment, including History.

The University of Newcastle is the leading University in quality teaching, research and practice.

Opportunities exist for employment in Australian International Schools in Singapore, Vietnam and Dubai as well as Australian Schools generally. Students with two teaching areas may gain employment in Canada.

Available to continuing students only.

The Graduate Diploma in Education (Secondary) shall be awarded with merit where students achieve a grade point average (GPA) of 6.0 or above.

Two four-week periods of in-school professional teaching experience are included in the program along with a variety of short-term school visits associated with course requirements.In-school professional teaching experiences may involve placement in schools in a variety of geographic regions outside the Newcastle area, principally in the Upper Hunter, Taree, Wingham, Bulahdelah, Tamworth and Central Coast regions. In-school professional teaching experiences are supervised by school or university staff, and students are expected to satisfy a range of professional teaching competencies as part of the successful completion of the program.

From 2009 the Graduate Diploma in Education will not be on offer at the University of Newcastle. All students enrolled in the Graduate Diploma in Education will have up until the end of 2009 to complete the program in order to be accredited by the NSW Institute of Teachers.

However, any student enrolled in the Graduate Diploma in Education (Primary or Secondary) who does not finish by the end of 2009 and wishes to be accredited as a teacher in NSW, will need to apply to transfer to the new Master of teaching (Primary) or Master of Teaching (Secondary) program in 2010. Entry to the Master of Teaching is based on pre-requisite knowledge as well as a completed undergraduate degree. Students who complete the Graduate Diploma in Education by the end of 2009 should also note that they must have their undergraduate study assessed by the NSWIT, or a private provider in order to gain accreditation in NSW.

International applicants attempting to seek accreditation to teach should seek clarification of accreditation requirements with their proposed/intended employment authority prior to undertaking the program. Responsibility for clarification of suitability of the undergraduate qualifications for employment with an employing authority rests with the applicant.

The Faculty of Education and Arts accepts responsibility for providing reasonable accommodations for students with special needs, in liaison with the Student Support Unit, which offers practical assistance and advice to students with a disability or chronic illness.

Applicants are strongly advised to approach specific teacher employing authorities as early as possible, and prior to applying for the DipEd program, to establish the suitability of studies in completed formal award programs. It is not the responsibility of the University to provide advice on suitability of qualifications for future employment prospects with school systems in Australia or overseas, nor does acceptance into the DipEd guarantee that employment criteria will be met in any school system. Each employing authority has particular criteria for recruitment of teaching staff depending upon pattern of studies in an undergraduate degree, Key Learning Areas studied and identified contributions to the school curriculum.

Applicants should be aware that the NSW Department of Education and Training expects prospective teachers to be competent in a range of computer operations relevant to teaching and learning. Students will be expected to demonstrate relevant computer competencies within course assessment.

The program involves attendance at lectures, tutorials, workshops, school visits and in some courses, access to a computer to complete study requirements through online discussion and submission of assessment items via the web. Full-time study pattern requires enrolment in 80 units over the academic year, 40 units per semester, including attendance at assigned schools to complete blocks of professional teaching practice. Classes are held during the day or late afternoon and students are expected to be available to attend scheduled classes throughout the week, i.e. Monday - Friday.

Timetable information is available on the University of Newcastle website just prior to the commencement of the academic year. Information on general academic requirements and course requisites can also be obtained from the website. In broad terms students should expect to devote an equal amount of time in out-of-class preparation and study to that spent in scheduled class activities.

All students will be required to complete phase one Child Protection Training before being allowed into schools.

From 2009 the Graduate Diploma in Education will not be on offer at the University of Newcastle. Students who are already enrolled in the program who do not complete by the end of 2009 and wish to be accredited as a teacher in NSW, should apply to transfer to the Master of Teaching (Primary) or Master of Teaching (Secondary). Entry to the Master of Teaching is based on pre-requisite knowledge as well as a completed undergraduate degree.