Advance your career in the early childhood education sector and learn the theory of education while you practice through our school and community partnership program. We emphasise student mentoring in this three-year course and you can upgrade your qualifications to a Masters with another year of study.

Successful completion of the graduate diploma means you may enrol in a Master of Education or Master of Teaching degree.

• Location:
  St Albans
• Faculty:
  Faculty of Arts, Education and Human Development
• School:
  School of Education
• Study mode:
  Full Time and Part Time
• Delivery mode:
  Burst Mode, On campus, On-line and Working in the Workplace
• Course code:
  AGEE
• Duration:
  1 year
• This information is for Australian residents.
  Click here to search for courses available to non-residents

How to apply

Graduates of this course find employment as:

• early childhood supervisor
• kindergarten teacher

Learn more about your career options on the Australian government's Career Information and Resources website.

Within the objectives of Victoria University, the Graduate Diploma in Early Childhood Education aims to:

• develop teachers as active and reflective practitioners, equipped with the critical awareness, teaching competence, knowledge and attitudes to teach children in both early childhood services and primary schools in the 21st century;
• develop teachers' critical understanding of the changing nature of society (technological, economic, environmental and cultural) and its implications for education;
• introduce teachers to a range of approaches for the education of children, enabling the development of personal teaching practices which are suitable for teaching in early childhood services in economically and culturally diverse communities;
• develop in teachers insights into patterns of the cultural and political relations in which early childhood services are located, with particular reference to education in economically and culturally diverse communities;
• graduate teachers with the commitment to develop their teaching further in their own interests, those of young people and those of the early childhood services and communities in which they teach.

• Action Research 1

  Unit code

  AEE5101

  Credits

  12

• Action Research 2

  Unit code

  AEE5102

  Credits

  12

• Child Development 3

  Unit code

  AEE5103

  Credits

  12

• Learning, Teaching and Social Justice

  Unit code

  AEE5104

  Credits

  12

• Integrating Theory, Research and Practice in Community Services

  Unit code

  ASH5002

  Credits

  12

• Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood Contexts

  Unit code

  AEE5106

  Credits

  12

• Indigenous Studies

  Unit code

  AEE5107

  Credits

  12

The Graduate Diploma in Early Childhood is a 96 credit point (eight unit) one-year full-time award which may be studied in part-time mode.

• Mature: Prerequisite: Applicants must hold a three-year teaching degree in Early Childhood (or equivalent*) that covers birth to eight years. *Applicants must refer to the list of approved early childhood teacher qualifications available at http://www.education.vic.gov.au/ecsmanagement/ or http://www.legislation.vic.gov.au/ Selection Mode: Academic record, form, interview. See Extra requirements for specifics.
• Other:

  Form: Applicants must complete and submit a VTAC Pi form

  Interview (some applicants only): Details will be provided by telephone or mail to the applicants required to attend.

Special admission requirements

Form: Applicants must complete and submit a VTAC Pi form

Interview (some applicants only): Details will be provided by telephone or mail to the applicants required to attend.