Course overview
Guide students through adolescence and prepare them for a successful life ahead.
This initial teacher education degree prepares you for a rewarding career in secondary school teaching and enables you to pursue specialist interests. You will develop the critical knowledge and skills to support and inspire future generations of learners.
Career outcomes
With 158,500 secondary school teachers employed in Australia, and 5,100 new positions added in the past twelve months, this in-demand profession offers opportunities to make a meaningful impact across a range of subject areas.¹
Careers
- Secondary school teacher
- Policy development officer
- Special programs officer
- Trainer, mentor or coach
- Curriculum designer
Industries
- Education (government and non-government)
- Training
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¹ Source: Jobs and Skills Australia
Professional accreditation and recognition
This course is accredited in Western Australia by the .
Why study at Curtin?
Teachers are in-demand
There is a nation wide shortage of teachers, presenting you with strong job opportunities (Job and Skills Australia, Occupation Shortage List 2024)
Work experience
You will undertake 18 weeks of teaching practice, which includes a 10-week internship where you will be responsible for students’ learning, under the mentorship of a qualified teacher.
Professional recognition
This course is recognised by the Teacher Registration Board of Western Australia and countries that recognise Australian teaching qualifications.
Your student experience

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Choosing where to study for your degree is a major decision. You want to enjoy your university years in a place that is welcoming, offers unique experiences, and will give you a globally recognised degree.
Course structure
What you’ll learn
You can specialise in one or two curriculum areas, gaining specialist discipline knowledge and units that develop your pedagogical knowledge.
You’ll also study units that establish your understanding of teaching practice, such as educational psychology, Indigenous education, and teaching students with diverse learning needs.
All units are mapped to the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers, ensuring you graduate with the relevant competencies required to teach successfully.
Throughout your studies, you will build a professional digital portfolio that showcases your teaching abilities to potential employers.
Teaching placements
During your studies, you will complete four professional placements in schools. Totalling 720 hours of supervised teaching practice, these placements are undertaken in full-time blocks, regardless of your study mode. You may be able to undertake a rural, interstate or overseas placement.
Your supervised teaching practice will comprise:
- a two-week full-time block in the first year of your course
- a three-week full-time block in the second year of your course
- a three-week full-time block in the third year of your course
- a block of one full school term (typically 10 weeks) in the fourth year of your course.
Detailed course structure and unit information
For detailed information and course structure, visit our .
Customise your degree
Customise your degree by first choosing the major you want to specialise in, and then selecting from two options to complete your degree structure.
Your major prepares you with the content and pedagogical knowledge you need to teach across your chosen curriculum area from years 7 to 12, as well as in your specialist subject area in years 11 and 12.
You will choose your major when you apply for the course (you won't need to complete your degree structure until after you've accepted your offer and enrolled).
Note that your choice of units will depend on your Education major.
Step 1: Choose your major
Choose from:
- English
- Humanities and Social SciencesÌý(HASS) (Geography)
- HASS (History)
- HASS (Economics)
- HASS (Politics and Law)
- Physical Education
- Mathematics
- Science (Biology)
- Science (Chemistry)
- Science (Human Biology)
- Science (Psychology)
- Science (Physics)
- The Arts (Drama)
- The Arts (Media Production and Analysis)
- The Arts (Visual Arts)
Step 2: Complete your degree structure
Complement your major with one of the options below. This step happens after you accept Curtin’s offer for your chosen major, however your choice of second specialisation is dependent upon the education major you select.
Refer to the specific majors for more information about available second specialisations.
Option 1:ÌýChoose a minor teaching area
Expand your scope as an educator with a minor teaching area.
Option 2: Extend your major teaching area
Broaden your understanding of your specialist subject area by studying additional discipline-specific units. You will also extend your curriculum and pedagogical knowledge of your major.
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Entry requirements
To apply for entry into this course, you must have met:
- the course ATAR (Australian Tertiary Academic Rank) or equivalent recognised overseas qualification
- any course-specific requirements
- the English language requirement.
I am an domestic student
See entry requirement details for domestic students.
Course-specific requirements
You’ll also need to meet any specific requirements to be eligible to apply for this course.
Academic equivalences
You’ll need to demonstrate ATAR equivalence using a recognised qualification. The table below shows common qualifications recognised by Curtin and their indicative equivalent cut-off scores for this course.
Admission cut-off scores by qualification
Australian qualification
Score
ATAR
70
Equivalent qualification
GCE A Level / STPM (best of 3)
5
HKDSE
15
International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma
24
Canadian Provincial High School Diploma %
60
WAUFP (CPS)
54
India (CBSE and ISC) %
60%
India (HSC) %
65%
Sri Lanka GCE A level
5
Qualification not listed?
Find your qualification by searching for your home country to find the score you’ll require to demonstrate ATAR equivalence.
Select country:
Get credit towards your degree
You may be able to receive credit for recognised learning (CRL) from past study or professional experience, which could reduce the time it takes to finish your course.
Check the for course-specific details about credits.
Additional information
Notes about this course
Make sure you check the course notes for any other important information.
Fees
2026 International indicative fees
Indicative year 1 fee
$38,188*
Total indicative course fee
$152,752*
2027 International indicative fees
Indicative year 1 fee
$42,006*
Total indicative course fee
$168,024*
Important information about fees
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Fees are indicative only.
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*First-year fees are based on a first-year full-time study load of 200 credits. Your fees will vary depending on the units you choose.
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Tuition fees may increase by up to 8 percent each year and are subject to legislative changes.Ìý
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This indicative fee does not include other fees like administrative and incidental fees (such as lab coats or art supplies) or the cost of your textbooks. Visit fees and charges for more information.
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These fees apply to international students enrolled at one of Curtin’s Australian campuses. For information about fees at Curtin’s global locations, visit the relevant campus website.
Scholarships
Get the support you need to succeed with our diverse range of scholarships. Whether it’s financial support, assistance with relocation, or recognition for your academic achievements, we have scholarships tailored to your unique needs.
Curtin Global Future Leaders Scholarship
Curtin Global Future Leader Scholarship provides eligible students a one-off credit of AUD$12,500 against the tuition fee of the course they are undertaking.
Curtin English Scholarship
When you complete a Curtin English course as a pathway into a ºìÌÒÊÓÆµ degree course, you will receive a one-off credit of up to AUD$7,496 towards your tuition fees.
How to apply
Follow these steps to make sure you’re eligible, prepared and ready to apply for your course.
Check entry requirements
Entry requirements differ by course and your previous work and study experience.
Prepare your documents
The documents you need may vary depending on your course and application pathway.
Check application deadlines
Deadlines vary by course and whether you’re applying as a domestic or international student.
Choose your application pathway
Apply through an agent
A registered Curtin agent will lodge your application to Curtin on your behalf. They can also answer any questions you may have about applying, courses, student visas and scholarships.
Apply directly to Curtin
Depending on your country’s requirements, you may be able to apply directly to Curtin without using an agent.
Application deadlines can vary by course. Make sure to check application deadlines before you apply.
Apply nowLocation and delivery
Thinking about starting soon? Course availability can vary by location and study period. for details on when and where you can start your studies.
For full entry requirements, fees and information for international students, visit the course page.
Explore more
Find more resources to help you take the next step in your Curtin journey.