Bachelor of Early Childhood Education

Name: Bachelor of Early Childhood Education
Price: <p>Tuition: per semester AU$16,100</p> AUD

VU course code: EBEC | CRICOS: 096869G, 115485G | Level of study: Undergraduate

Duration

3 years

Delivery mode

In Person

Fees

Tuition: per semester AU$16,100

Location

City Tower & Footscray Nicholson Campus

Next start date

29 September 2025

View all start dates

Overview

Become an in-demand early-childhood teacher, equipped with effective skills and practical experience, with a Bachelor of Early Childhood Education at Victoria University (VU).

Be part of the massive future growth expected in early childhood education, with over 10,600 new jobs expected to be added in the next five years.

Now’s the time to kickstart your career as a kindergarten teacher or other early-childhood educator, with Victorian Government scholarships and financial incentives available to early childhood students and teachers.

Your Bachelor of Early Childhood Education will prepare you for a rewarding career nurturing the development and wellbeing of children from birth to five years. As a degree-qualified early childhood teacher, you’ll:

support young children with the important foundations to set them up for success in life
develop techniques for involving families as important contributors to the learning process
set children up for effective transitions to school.

At VU, you will learn to support children to feel capable and confident. You’ll build a strong sense of social justice, understand child development in the early years and develop ethical professional teaching practice that includes Indigenous perspectives.

: On successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

Initiate teaching and learning practices that foster learner engagement in complex contexts and foreground Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander standpoints in early childhood education.

Critically reflect on different ways of knowing, being, and doing founded on the view of children and families as capable contributors to conceptual and pedagogical decision-making in learning and teaching.

Design teaching practices that reflect an ability to contextualise, question, resist, rethink, and act towards equity and the public good.

Exhibit a broad and coherent body of knowledge of pedagogy, curriculum and assessment in relation to the changing nature of education in a rapidly-evolving global context.

Critically review and articulate a range of oral and written communication techniques, including in the use of Information and Communication Technologies, to engage and connect with students, their parents/carers and the wider community,

Design learning opportunities that embrace a rich and varied curriculum, ensure that learning and teaching approaches are based on sound ethical principles and foster reciprocal relationships in early childhood settings.

Entry requirements

Applicants for this course will need to meet the entry criteria outlined below. If you don’t meet the entry criteria, you may be able to gain entry by first completing a related course or unit(s). We call this a ‘pathway’.

If you've completed a qualification where English was the primary language of instruction, you may be eligible for an exemption of English-language requirements.

In some cases, there may be additional entry requirements.

Learn more about entry requirements for international students.

Entry criteria

Credit & Entry pathways into this course

If you don’t meet the entry requirements for this course, there may be an alternative study ‘pathway’ to achieving your goal. In some cases, you may receive credit for your previous study or work experience, reducing the time it takes to complete your course.

You’ll find information about any pathways to higher qualifications that may be available to you after completing this course under the ‘careers’ section of this page.

Find out more about pathways at VU.

: If you have completed any of the following course(s), you will be guaranteed a place in this course.

Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care

96 credit points

Diploma of Education Studies

96 credit points

Diploma of Teacher Education Preparation

24 credit points

International Foundations at VU

Guaranteed entry only

International Foundations at VU (Extended)

Guaranteed entry only
: If you have completed any of the following course(s), you will be guaranteed a place in this course. In some cases, you may receive credit for your previous study, reducing the time it takes to complete your course.

Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care

Bendigo Kangan Institute, Australia | 96 credit points

Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care

Melbourne City Institute of Education, Australia | 96 credit points

Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care

The Gordon, Australia | 96 credit points

Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care

Melbourne City Institute of Education, Australia | 96 credit points

Diploma of Sport

SEDA Group, Australia | Guaranteed entry only

Diploma of Sport

SEDA Group, Australia | Guaranteed entry only
: If you have completed any of the following course(s), you will be guaranteed a place in this course. In some cases, you may receive credit for your previous study, reducing the time it takes to complete your course.

Diploma in Early Childhood Education

Prospects College of Higher Education, Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka | 96 credit points

Diploma in Montessori Method of Education (AMI - Early Childhood Education) with Basic Child Psychology

Lorelle Institute, Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka | 96 credit points
: If you have completed study with another university or institution you may be eligible to receive credit for skills and past study.

Use our credit calculator to find out what credit you may be eligible for based on your previous studies.

Note that if your previous study can’t be found through the credit calculator, you may still be eligible for credit.

Units can be credited if they are part of the course structure for the course you are applying for. Please note that credits relating to prior VU subjects are automatically granted and no further action is required.

calculate your credit

Victoria University is committed to providing a transparent admissions process. Find out more about how to apply for our courses, and our commitment to admissions transparency. Meeting the minimum admission criteria does not guarantee entry into this course. Past academic performance may be considered.

Course structure

To attain the Bachelor of Early Childhood Education students will be required to complete:

288 credit points of Core studies

Students also undertake practical placements that include 80 days supervised professional experience.

Units

Course delivery

For your first year of bachelor-level study, you’ll enjoy the supportive experience of our VU First Year College® program in the heart of Melbourne in-person at our City Campus.

For years two and three, you can choose from three flexible study options:

in-person at Footscray Nicholson campus
online in real-time via Zoom, three nights per week
online self-paced, with one weekly support session.

Summer & winter block intakes for 'fast-track' students

Our accelerated program for students who have completed a Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care allows you to study continuously over summer and winter and graduate in just 18 months. The summer block in January and winter block in June/July is only open to our 'fast-track' students.

Fees & scholarships

As an international student at Victoria University, you will be required to pay your tuition fees up front each semester.

There may be additional materials fees throughout your studies, depending on your chosen course, as well as an administrative fee as part of your course.

Victoria University is proud to support our international scholarship recipients and sponsored students.

Save up to 30% off your fees!

The VU Block Model® International Scholarship offers eligible international students up to 30% off tuition fees for their entire first year of study. Study well and you’ll have the chance to increase or extend the scholarship for the whole duration of your course.

Find out more

Fees

Scholarships

Careers

Take advantage of the high demand for bachelor-qualified early childhood teachers with funded three-year-old kindergarten rolling out across Victoria and an expected 21.6% growth in childcare jobs by 2026. With this nationally accredited degree, you can work around Australia in:

public or private kindergartens
long day care centres
early childhood centres in Australia
policy development with government bodies.

Thanks to the essential experience you’ll get from teaching in childcare settings and kindergartens during your placements, you’ll be ready to register as a teacher as soon as you graduate.

Enjoy the rewards that come with nurturing the next generation and expect to earn above-average wages.