Why study with us?
Ranked 25th in the world for education by the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2021.
Study in acclaimed research institutes including the Australian Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology and the Charles Perkins Centre.
In response to COVID-19, the University of Sydney has reviewed the availability of courses to be delivered remotely for students commencing their studies in Semester 1, 2021.
Some units of study and/or placements relating to this course cannot be delivered remotely or online for students commencing their study in Semester 1, 2021. You will be required to attend in-person on campus from Semester 2, 2022.
Note: The University intends to offer as many units of study as possible in a remote as well as face-to-face learning method of delivery in Semester 1, 2021 and subject to ongoing border closures and public health orders impacting attendance on campus, in Semester 2, 2021. However, some units of study and courses require students to study in-person at the relevant University of Sydney campus/es and host locations for placements and will not be available remotely.
About this course
Inspire our next generation in this professional qualification to teach in a primary school with children aged five to 12 years.
Gain extensive work-based placements at schools throughout this four-year program, with school placements commencing in your first year.
Begin with observing and interacting with small groups of primary school students, and later expand to include patterns of classroom interaction, teacher-developed curriculum materials and whole-school activities.
When you undertake professional experience in fourth year, you will be fully competent to teach without close supervision.
This degree covers all the key learning areas (primary subject areas), with special attention to the mandatory areas of Aboriginal education, teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL) and special education.
Throughout your studies you will take generalist units of study in education and professional studies, along with units 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.
Students who demonstrate high achievement in mathematics through secondary school or the first-year mathematics content may also elect to undertake a specialisation study pathway in mathematics.
Please note: From 2022, the University will be offering a new version of this degree, course details for the new degree will be available in due course.
There are no majors in this degree. Instead, we offer general units in child development and learning, education and professional studies, specialist studies in Key Learning Areas (eg language, arts, mathematics, health and wellbeing, science). Units in the humanities, sciences and social sciences are offered by the faculties of Arts and Social Sciences and Science, and the Business School.
Depends on your qualification, citizenship status
Prospective domestic students apply through the Universities Admissions Centre (UAC) for a Commonwealth supported place . Refer to the UAC website for key dates. Separate scholarship deadlines apply, visit the scholarships website for details.
For other useful information, visit our How to apply page.
Current University of Sydney students applying to transfer from one bachelor's degree to another apply directly to the University. The exact process will depend on the course you are currently in and the course to which you wish to transfer. For more information visit the Change your course page.
Current students applying to transfer from a diploma to a bachelor's degree must apply through UAC.
Refer to the UAC website . Separate Scholarship deadlines apply - visit the scholarships webpage for details.
Semester 1 (March)
Visit the How to apply page for detailed information on if you need to apply directly to the University or through the Universities Admissions Centre (UAC). If you are a direct applicant, when you are ready to apply select the `Apply’ button on this course page.
Current University of Sydney students applying to transfer from one bachelor's degree to another apply directly to the University. The exact process will depend on the course you are currently in and the course to which you wish to transfer. For more information visit the Change your course page.
Closing dates
Direct applicants:
Semester 1 - 31 January of the commencing year.
We strongly encourage international applicants to apply as early as possible to allow time for visa and travel arrangements. Separate scholarship deadlines apply - visit the scholarships webpage for details.
UAC Applicants: Refer to the UAC website
Semester 1 (March)
The Bachelor of Education (Primary) is undertaken full-time over four years. Students enrol in 48 credit points per year. Students study all key learning areas (KLAs) of the primary curriculum, English, mathematics, creative arts, science, PDHPE and HSIE with additional areas such as TESOL, Indigenous education, ICT and special education. Eligible students may undertake specialist units in order to receive NESA specialisation in Mathematics or Science.
Students are introduced to teaching by observing and interacting with small groups in first year. This will later expand to include patterns of classroom interaction, teacher-developed curriculum materials and whole school activities. The expectation is that by the final professional experience placement in year four, a student teacher is fully competent to teach without close supervision.
Mandatory work component = 560 hours.
This mandatory work component must be completed as part of the award requirements for the course.
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 (Primary)
| Year | Sem | Unit of study | ||||
| 1 | 1 | Education, Teachers and Teaching | English, Literacy and Learning | Primary Science and Technology | Junior Arts elective (Table A or S) | |
| 2 | Human Development and Education | Creative Arts 1 | Mathematics and Numeracy | Junior Arts elective (Table A or S) | ||
| 2 | 1 | Educational Psychology Creative Arts 2 Learning to be Literate PDHPE 1: Physical Activity Aboriginal Education K-6 |
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| 2 | Social Perspectives on Education Primary Science and Technology 2 Mathematics Education 1: Early Number Intercultural Understanding in HSIE K-6 Professional Experiences 2 (Primary) LANTITE (Undergraduate) |
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| 3 | 1 | Positive Approaches to Special Education PDHPE 2: Active and Healthy Primary Schools Human Society and its Environment 2 Teaching in Multilingual Classrooms Creative Arts 3 |
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| 2 | Reading and Applying Educational Research (or Education Honours Preliminary) Mathematics Education 2 English: Becoming Literate Professional Experiences 3 (Primary) Science and Technology 1 PDHPE 3: The Health Promoting School |
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| 4 | 1 | Science and Technology (K-6) 2 Mathematics Education 3 English: Being Critically Literate Professional Experiences 4 (Primary) Primary IV Option Unit of Study Education III Option Unit of Study |
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| 2 | Professional Experiences Internship Teaching Children with Special Needs Human Society and its Environment 3 Primary IV Option Unit of Study Education III Option Unit of Study (or Education Honours Dissertation) |
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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 (Primary) 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.
Students entering teaching programs will need to have achieved a minimum of three Band 5s in their NSW Higher School Certificate, one of which must be English (not ESL). Similar requirements will be applied to the IB and other Australian Year 12 qualifications. For other secondary qualifications applicants will need to achieve the minimum scores provided as a guide as well as achieve good results in English (not ESL). Applicants who must meet English proficiency requirements through an English proficiency test such as IELTS must meet those requirements separately. Applicants must also meet any additional requirements as set by regulatory bodies or accrediting agencies.
Literacy and Numeracy Test for Initial Teacher Education Students (LANTITE)
The requirement to complete the LANTITE applies to all students enrolled in the BEd (Primary); BEd (Health and PE); BEd (Secondary:Humanities and Social Sciences)/BA; BEd (Secondary: Maths)/BSc; BEd (Secondary: Science)/BSc; and all Master of Teaching programs except MTeach (Early Childhood).
Information about LANTITE for students commencing their studies in 2017 and beyond will be required to have successfully completed testing as follows: All BEd students commencing their studies in 2017 and beyond will be expected to sit and pass the test within the first two years of candidature.
For information about teacher-accreditation requirements in NSW, including the testing, visit the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA).
Inherent requirements for programs in primary education
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 Primary Education. In order to successfully complete such a course, students must possess these qualities and skills (PDF).
The Bachelor of Education (Primary) includes significant professional experience placements in schools. 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.
Sydney undergraduate Education courses are accredited by the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA). All graduates of the Bachelor of Education (Primary) degree have an AITSL specialisation in English.
Our graduates can be found in a broad range of careers and roles, including:
The Bachelor of Education (Primary) provides national and international primary school teaching recognition.
Examples include teaching, curriculum consultancy, educational research, corporate training and development, government (policy development), educational administration, management, tourism and politics.
