Graduate Diploma of Education (Early Childhood)

Early childhood education and care is an immensely satisfying career and a precious opportunity to give children the very best start in life. In 12 months (1 year), our Graduate Diploma of Education (Early Childhood) will effectively prepare you to work in early childhood education and care settings, long day care centres, kindergartens, and preschools. Our course covers key areas of early childhood education and care, theory, principles, and practices that best support children’s learning and development. Admission into the course is via an undergraduate degree in any discipline, including a teaching qualification OR a completed Diploma in Early Childhood Education and Care (AQF5 or above), with a minimum of five years’ relevant work experience (undertaken within the last seven years) in an Australian early childhood education and care setting with related leadership responsibilities. The Graduate Diploma of Education (Early Childhood) offers a direct pathway to the Master of Teaching (Early Childhood), facilitating advanced education opportunities*. This course includes 60 days professional experience learning via placement in early childhood education and care settings. Pre-requisites to meet national and state-based regulatory requirements, as detailed on the Faculty of Education Professional Experience Requirements website, must be met prior to attending professional experience placement. All professional experience learning days must be completed, and professional behaviour and conduct must be consistently demonstrated. * Graduate Diploma of Education (Early Childhood) students who entered the course via a diploma-experience pathway are ineligible to progress to a Master of Teaching (Early Childhood). Those students are advised to consider a Bachelor of Early Childhood Education pathway.