Course description
Professional recognition
Graduates of the course will be eligible for employment as kindergarten childcare centre teachers. The course has been accredited by the Victorian Department of Human Services upon recommendation from Early Childhood Australia (Victorian Branch).
Fees and charges
Equivalent Full Time Student Load (EFTSL)
EFTSL is the standard annual full time load. Eight credit points is the standard full time load for one year of study.
Commonwealth supported place (CSP)
A Commonwealth supported place is one for which the university receives some government funding. As such, students enrolled in these places are required to contribute only part of the cost of their course. To be eligible for a Commonwealth supported place you must be an Australian citizen, or a New Zealand citizen or holder of a permanent visa who will be residing in Australia for the duration of your unit/s of study. All Australian citizens, New Zealand citizens and holders of a permanent visa will receive a Student Learning Entitlement (SLE). The SLE entitles a student to the equivalent of 7 years of full time study in a Commonwealth supported place.
* The "indicative annual course fee" cited has been provided as a guide only. It has been calculated on the basis of a typical enrolment of a student undertaking the course in 2009, and reflects the cost involved in undertaking a full-time quota of units within the specified discipline.
The actual fees charged by Deakin University will depend upon the discipline from which each individual unit is chosen, and may vary from the indicative course fee cited, particularly if units are chosen from a number of disciplines.
Please note that the fees per unit/credit point may increase annually due to rises in the cost of course delivery and service.
Deakin assumes no responsibility for persons relying on "indicative course fees" to calculate the total future cost of their course.
Career opportunities
Graduates will have career opportunities in childcare facilities, kindergartens and also early learning centres, with scope in the future for positions such as institution director, coordinator, pre-school field officer, adviser or senior adviser within early childhood facilities. Opportunities also exist for employment in government agencies, community services or in not-for-profit organisations.
Course structure
Trimester 1
Two unit selected to suit the proposed topic area, chosen from:
ECE400 Cultural Perspectives Through Dance
or
ECE401 Advanced Management of Young Children's Behaviour
or
ECE402 Promoting Science and Environmental Awareness
or
ECE403 Developing Partnerships
and
ECE410 Valuing Experience: Early Childhood Management and Leadership
or
ECE411 Valuing Experience: Professional Advocacy
and
EXR480 Research Perspectives and Practices
EXR490 Research Design and Development
Trimester 2
ECE410 Valuing Experience: Early Childhood Management and Leadership
or
ECE411 Valuing Experience: Professional Advocacy
and
EXR498 Minor Thesis Part A
EXR499 Minor Thesis Part B
Trimester 3
ECE410 Valuing Experience: Early Childhood Management and Leadership
or
ECE411 Valuing Experience: Professional Advocacy
Notes:
(i) All units have a 1–credit-point value unless otherwise indicated:
EXR498 and EXR499 are 2-credit-point units.
(ii) ECE410 Valuing Experience: Early Childhood Management and Leadership and ECE411 Valuing Experience: Professional Advocacy are work experience in industry units and do not attract fee. They are available for enrolment in Trimesters 1, Trimester 2, and Trimester 3 (year round), and ECE410, and ECE411 are not to be enrolled in concurrently.
(iii) EXR490, EXR498 and EXR499 are individually supervised units. Regular contact with the supervising lecturer is required.
Admission requirements - general
Deakin University offers admission to undergraduate courses through a number of Admission categories. In all categories of admission, selection is based primarily on academic merit as indicated by an applicant's previous academic record.
For more information on the Deakin Admissions Policy visit The Guide.
Admission requirements - specific
The BECE(Hons) year is available to graduates of 3-year Bachelor's degrees in early childhood, and also to students who have completed year three of Deakin University's BECE. The BECE(Hons) is a two-year course, but successful applicants will be given advanced standing into the course so they only have one year to complete at Honours level.
To be considered, normally applicants will have a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 70% or more. Places will be limited and selection competitive, and experience in the early childhood field will be an advantage.
In addition to the academic entry requirements, international applicants must meet the Faculty of Arts and Education's English language entry requirements: an IELTS score of 7 with no band score less than 7.
As they will be researching in early childhood settings, students need a current Working with Children Check.
Advanced standing - general
The University aims to provide students with as much credit as possible for approved prior study or informal learning which exceeds the normal entrance requirements for the course and is within the constraints of the course regulations. Students are required to complete a minimum of one-third of the course at Deakin University.
You can also refer to the Advanced Standing System which outlines the credit that may be granted towards a Deakin University degree.
Advanced standing - specific
Students are advised to contact the Faculty for information regarding applying for credit for prior tertiary study.
How to apply
Applications for off-campus study must be made directly to the university through the Applicant Portal referring to closing dates for applications as dates for particular courses may vary.
Your faculty may require further information from you when submitting your application. Please refer to the faculty information website for further details.
Further study
Graduates of this course may be eligible to apply for admission into a higher coursework degree or a higher degree by research.
Working with Children Check
The Working with Children Act 2005 (Vic.) requires a person who engages in child-related work, as defined in the Act, to obtain an assessment notice under the Act, known as a Working with Children Check (WWCC). The Act is administered by the Department of Justice: justice.vic.gov.au
Professional experience placements in early childhood settings in the course of a university degree are “child-related work”. Under the Working with Children Act 2005 (Vic.), administered by the Department of Justice, a student teacher must obtain a Working with Children Check (WWCC) before commencing professional experience placements. The WWCC must remain current throughout the course. It is an offence under the Act to engage in professional experience without holding a WWCC.
While the University will hold on file documentation relating to the WWCCs obtained by students engaged in professional experience, it is each student’s responsibility to ensure that he or she can produce the WWCC card to the early childhood settings upon request and to keep the WWCC current under the Act.
Students are required to apply for a WWCC through a participating Australia Post outlet (which can be found on the Australia Post website or the Department of Justice website) and provide proof to the faculty that the WWCC has been undertaken.
Should a student fail to obtain a WWCC, practical training in an early childhood organisation will not be provided, and as practical training is a requirement for completion of a teaching degree, the student may be unable to complete the degree. Should such a situation arise, the University will provide advice on options for tertiary study.
It is the responsibility of students undertaking placements outside Victoria to enquire about and, where necessary, to meet any similar legislative or other requirements concerning working with children.
