Program Overview

Bachelor of Early Childhood Education and Leadership

The Bachelor of Early Childhood Education and Leadership is a four-year undergraduate degree that prepares students for a rewarding career in early childhood education. This unique course allows students to dedicate four years of study to early childhood education with a focus on leadership.

Course Overview

The course is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of early childhood education, including child development, educational programs, and practice. Students will learn to support children's development and wellbeing, involve families in the learning process, and set children up for effective transitions to school.

Learning Outcomes

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

• Initiate teaching and learning practices that foster learner engagement in complex contexts
• Critically reflect on different ways of knowing, being, and doing
• Design teaching practices that reflect an ability to contextualize, question, resist, rethink, and act towards equity and the public good
• Exhibit a broad and coherent body of knowledge of pedagogy, curriculum, and assessment
• Analyze models of leadership and advocacy and apply principles of ethical leadership in early childhood education

Course Structure

To attain the Bachelor of Early Childhood Education and Leadership, students will be required to complete 384 credit points of core studies. The course is divided into four years, with each year comprising a range of units that focus on different aspects of early childhood education.

Year 1

• Reconciling Australian Humanities Education
• Personal and Professional Learning
• Human Development, Sustainability, and Wellbeing
• Creativity and the Arts in Education
• Playing with Play
• Professional Understandings of Quality Frameworks in Early Childhood
• Educational Programs and Practice
• Safe, Secure, and Supportive Relationships and Environments

Year 2

• Practice in Partnership 1
• Practice in Partnership 2
• History, Philosophy, and Early Childhood Education
• Engaging with Place through Rethinking Childhoods and Development
• Engaging with Place through Play
• Materiality in Early Childhood: Visual and Creative Arts
• Moving with Young Children
• Music, Movement, and Dramatic Arts

Year 3

• Thinking with Young Children: Language and Literacy
• Advocacy in Leadership and Management in Early Childhood Education
• Practice in Partnership 3
• Critical and Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood Education
• Equity, Social Justice, and Diversity in Early Childhood Education
• Thinking with Young Children: Science, Maths, and Technology
• Practice in Partnership 4

Year 4

• Understanding Play: Pedagogy and Possibilities
• Early Childhood in a Global Context
• The Image of the Child
• Ethical and Responsive Leadership
• Politics, Policy, and Impact
• Inquiry Project 1
• Inquiry Project 2
• Special and Inclusive Education in Early Childhood

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).

• Completion of an Australian Senior Secondary Certificate (VCE or equivalent) including Units 3 and 4: a study score of at least 30 in English (EAL) or 25 in any other English.
• Completion of an Australian Advanced Diploma or Diploma (or equivalent).
• IELTS (or equivalent): Overall score of 6.5 (with no band less than 6.0 in Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking).
• Completion of a Foundation course or equivalent.

Fees and Scholarships

The tuition fee for this course is AU$16,900 per semester for international students. Victoria University offers a range of scholarships to support students, including the VU Block Model International Scholarship, which offers eligible international students up to 30% off tuition fees for their entire first year of study.

Careers

Graduates of this course will be prepared for a range of careers in early childhood education, including kindergarten teaching, childcare management, and policy development. With the increasing demand for bachelor-qualified early childhood teachers, graduates can expect to earn above-average wages and enjoy the rewards of nurturing the next generation.