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This course from the Sydney School of Education and Social Work will give you a professional qualification to teach children from birth to five years in early childhood education settings.
Our innovative four-year teacher education program incorporates introductory and advanced curriculum units, a strong social justice and leadership focus, 630 hours of work-based placement in early childhood settings that exceed minimum requirements, scope to develop and apply research skills in an honours strand, and opportunities to develop strong practical and research skills.
You will study specialist units in early childhood education and development, complemented by generalist units in education and professional studies, as well as elective units of study in the sciences, social sciences and humanities offered by the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, the Faculty of Science, and the University of Sydney Business School.
During your candidature you will undertake professional experience in an early childhood setting with children from birth to three years. By fourth year you will be competent to teach in an early learning centre using your professional judgement and autonomy.
Your final, fourth-year, 30-day internship will be complemented by a practitioner inquiry research project in which you focus on an area of specialisation.
For full course details see our Handbook.
Under normal progression, a student shall undertake and successfully complete all units of study to the value of 24 credit points per semester as prescribed for the course. Students are required to attend all lectures, tutorials and other activities prescribed for their units of study. Except with the permission of the Dean, a candidate must complete all unit of study requirements specified for each year, including professional experience units, before proceeding to the next year.
Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood)
| Year | Sem | Unit of study | |||
| 1 | 1 | Education, Teachers and Teaching | Introduction to Early Childhood Education | Learning through Play in Early Childhood | Junior Arts elective (Table A or S) |
| 2 | Human Development and Education | Health and Wellbeing in Early Childhood | History and Philosophy of Early Childhood Education | Junior Arts elective (Table A or S) | |
| 2 | 1 | Educational Psychology | Ethics, Politics and Social Justice | Language and Communication in Early Childhood | Science in the Early Years |
| 2 | Social Perspectives on Education | Creative Arts in Early Childhood | Professional Experience EC 1 | Professional Communication | |
| 3 | 1 | Positive Approaches to Special Education | Mathematics in Early Childhood | Infant-Toddler Learning and Development | Professional Experience EC 2 |
| 2 | Reading and Applying Educational Research (or Education Honours Preliminary) | Creative Arts in Early Childhood 2 | Leading and Managing Qualty EC Services | Professional Experience EC 3 | |
| 4 | 1 | Partnering with Families on the Margins | STEM in Early Childhood | Language and Literacies | Education III Research with Young Children |
| 2 | Early Childhood Policy and Advocacy | Internship Research Project | Early Childhood Internship | Education III Option Unit of Study (or Education Honours Dissertation) | |
Honours is available to meritorious students who complete an alternative set of units of study in Semester 2 of Year 3 and Semester 2 of Year 4. Admission to the honours program is by permission of the program coordinator after the completion of Semester 1 of Year 3. Admission and award requirements for honours in the Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood) are set out in the Resolutions of the Sydney School of Education and Social Work.
Admission to this course is on the basis of the following criteria:
Admission pathways are open to domestic applicants on the basis of equity or other adjustment factors, including for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants. For details, visit admission pathways.
To assist students to make informed choices about their study, the Sydney School of Education and Social Work has identified inherent requirements for coursework-award courses in Early Childhood Education. In order to successfully complete such a course, students must possess these qualities and skills (PDF).
If you’ve already completed university-level or equivalent subjects, you may be able to apply for credit for previous study.
The Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood) includes significant professional experience placements in early childhood settings. The placements begin in the second year of the course and the amount of responsibility and duration of the placements progressively increases until the final placement in which students are competent to teach under minimal supervision.
The Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood) is listed under the Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) approved qualification list.
Examples include teaching in a range of early childhood (0-5) settings. Early childhood is a high priority for both Commonwealth and state governments in Australia. Qualified early childhood teachers are in high demand.
Our graduates can be found in a broad range of careers and roles, including:
Indicative Undergraduate Student Contribution Amount
The student contribution amount for a Commonwealth Supported Place is an indication only of the amount payable in Year 1 for a standard full time load of 48 credit points (1.0 EFTSL). The exact student contribution that you pay will depend on the calendar year in which you undertake your study in the course, and the specific units of study in which you enrol. For further information about how to calculate your specific total student contribution, please refer to the University's Tuition Fees website.
Annual review and fee increases
Importantly, student contribution amounts are subject to annual review by the University, and will increase each year of your period of study (subject to a Commonwealth specified cap), effective at the start of each calendar year.
Additional incidental costs
Please note that for some courses there are additional costs in addition to the student contribution. Some of these additional costs are significant, for example, course-specific materials, tools, protective clothing, and equipment. Please consult the University's web page for more information: https://sydney.edu.au/students/materials-and-equipment.html.
Visa/MasterCard/American Express/JCB surcharge
Please note that a surcharge of 1.53% will apply for payments made by Visa, MasterCard, American Express or JCB. The surcharge is subject to review and may change. Information about payment methods and the surcharge is set out at: http://sydney.edu.au/study/finances-fees-costs/fees-and-loans/paying-your-fees.html.
Potential for inaccuracy
Whilst every reasonable effort has been made to include correct and up to date information here, you are also advised to consult directly with the Student Centre so that they can provide you with specific and up to date information about fees.
Indicative International Tuition Fees for Undergraduate Students
The tuition fee for international undergraduate students is an indication of the fees payable in Year 1 for a standard full time load of 48 credit points (1.0 EFTSL). Depending on the calendar year in which you undertake your study, and if your study load is more or less than the 1.0 EFTSL, your tuition fee will differ from the indicative amount. For further information about how to calculate your specific total tuition fees, please refer to the University's Tuition Fees website
Annual review and fee increases
Importantly, tuition fees are subject to annual review, and will increase each year of your period of study, effective at the start of each calendar year.
Additional incidental costs and health insurance
For some courses there are incidental costs additional to the tuition fees. Some of these incidental costs are significant, for example, course-specific materials, tools, protective clothing, and equipment. Further information about these costs is available from https://sydney.edu.au/students/materials-and-equipment.html. In addition to the fees indicated here for the course of study, International Students studying on an Australian Student Visa must have appropriate health insurance for the duration of their studies on a Student Visa through a government approved provider of the Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) scheme. This is a requirement of the Australian Government, unless otherwise exempted by the Government. Further information is available from https://sydney.edu.au/study/finances-fees-costs/living-costs/health-insurance.html.
Visa/MasterCard/American Express/JCB surcharge
Please note that a surcharge of 1.53% will apply for payments made by Visa, MasterCard, American Express or JCB. The surcharge is subject to review and may change. Information about payment methods and the surcharge is set out at: http://sydney.edu.au/study/finances-fees-costs/fees-and-loans/paying-your-fees.html.
Potential for inaccuracy
Whilst every reasonable effort has been made to include correct and up to date information here, you are also advised to consult directly with the Student Centre so that they can provide you with specific and up to date information about fees.
