ArtsEducation (Secondary)
Arts/Education (Secondary)
Overview
Study secondary teaching at UNSW
The role of teachers should never be underestimated. There are few careers where you have such a significant impact on the way future generations participate in the world. As a UNSW Bachelor of Education student you will learn to stretch yourself and your students.
Our partnerships with local schools, industry and government mean you will enjoy a unique learning experience which is intellectually stimulating and professionally engaging.
UNSW School of Education is at the forefront of teaching excellence and a preferred provider of professional development and training for the NSW Education Standards Authority (formally BOSTES).
Combining arts and education
The Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Education is a dual degree for undergraduate students who want to become secondary school teachers.
Structure
What will you study?
The Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Education is a four-year dual award program for intending secondary school teachers.
As an Arts and Education student, you will complete the following as part of your degree:
- a major sequence in Education including core courses, electives and placements
- a major and a minor in your chosen teaching specialisation(s)
- a requirement of one Arts elective subject
Teaching specialisations
Students combine methods in one double or two single approved teaching disciplines, from the options below.
- Drama
- English (double or single method)
- English as a Second Language (ESL)*
- Geography
- History (double or single method)
- Indigenous Studies
- Languages: Chinese, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, French, German, Spanish
- Legal Studies*
- Music
- Society & Culture
*ESL and Legal Studies may only be taken as a second teaching specialisation.
Placements
From the second year onwards of your Arts and Education program, you will develop skills in classroom competence and spend up to 80 days in supervised teaching in at least three different secondary school contexts.
Careers
The Education program at UNSW prepares graduates to pursue a career in secondary school teaching in New South Wales, Australia and overseas.
Other career options include policy development and leadership within schools or supervisory, corporate training, customer relations and managerial roles in a variety of industries.
Key classroom skills
Our teaching programs are practical and prepare you for a career as a professional educator.
We place great importance on:
- enhancing your communication skills to ensure effective communication with your students
- the practice of reflective teaching
- continual improvement of your professional knowledge and practice
- effective unit and lesson planning, and assessment and reporting design
Practical opportunities
Our Arts and Education students develop skills in classroom competence and spend up to 80 days in supervised teaching in at least three different educational school contexts.
Opportunities
International exchange
As one of Australia’s most international universities, UNSW offers you the opportunity to spend a term overseas studying at one of our partner institutions as part of your Education degree.
UNSW manages a large and active exchange program with over 200 different student exchange opportunities in 38 countries.
Honours
Education students who meet the academic requirements may elect to undertake an Honours program in either their fourth or fifth year of study.
The Honours program may be undertaken in either Education or your teaching discipline.
Additional requirements
- Student undertaking a major or extended minor in a language other than English as a first or second teaching specialisation may be asked to take an additional assessment of their language skills before being permitted to enrol in their specific language teaching specialisation (i.e., method). This is to ensure they have the necessary language competence, including in both spoken and written language, to teach the target language to HSC level in NSW schools.
Prior to their first school placement, all NSW teacher education students will be required to:
- Undertake and pass The Literacy and Numeracy Test for Initial Teacher Education (LANTITE). For further details please visit the NESA website.
Tests are available through the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) website. To book the test, click here.
- Undertake a Working with Children check
The Commission for Children and Young People Act 1998 introduced mandatory requirements for background checking of people working with children. All Teacher Education Students must complete a Volunteer Working with Children Check having listened to a child protection lecture online and successfully completed a quiz.
Complete this check by going online: https://www.kidsguardian.nsw.gov.au/child-safe-organisations/working-with-children-check
- Complete Anaphylaxis training
The NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) and the Department of Education (DEC) now require that all initial Teacher Education Students have training in managing anaphylaxis. Students must complete the anaphylaxis e-training module provided by the Australian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA) in conjunction with practice using an adrenaline autoinjector training device.
The e-training is a free, online module available at http://etraining.allergy.org.au/
- Confirm that they are fit for their school placement and meet the inherent requirements of a teacher education student. This is to be filled out prior to EVERY placement through the online placement system (OPS)
UNSW handbook
Degree program structure and academic rules information:
If you are a current student, please refer to the Online Handbook in the year you commenced your degree.
Alumni Profile
Howard Cheng
Read Howard's insights into what it takes to be a secondary teacher and how UNSW prepared him for this journey
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Domestic
International
| 4053 | |
| 422100 | |
| 4FT | |
| Term 1, Term 3 | |
| Bachelor | |
| 80 (2019 Lowest Selection Rank) / 80 (2020 Guaranteed Entry) | |
| None | |
| 192 | |
| BA/BEd | |
| Yes | |
| On Campus + Off Campus Practicum | |
| Accepted Qualifications | |
| Band 1 |
Degree Structure
 | (PDF) [282 Kb] |