30+ specialist teaching methods
Teaching placements arranged for you by Deakin
VIT-accredited teaching degree
Why choose teaching (secondary) at Deakin
Deakin’s Master of Teaching (Secondary) prepares you for a creative, challenging and rewarding career. Graduate in demand and classroom-ready with 60+ days professional placements built in and arranged by us. This accredited course also combines online and on-campus learning, making it easier to balance work and study.
Ranked #3 in Australia and #13 worldwide for education and educational research, Deakin is the only university to embed the Berry Street Education Model, using trauma-informed strategies in all initial teaching degrees. Choose from 30+ specialist teaching methods, including accounting, earth sciences, music, religious education, vocational education and training and more.
In this experience-rich course, you can opt to teach in a remote community interstate or overseas, developing skills in intercultural education. Learn how to manage safe, healthy and engaging learning environments while building positive relationships to promote academic success.
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Leading internationally
Deakin is ranked #3 in Australia and #13 globally for education and educational research.
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Placement built in
Complete 60+ days of professional placement and one-on-one mentorship in our network of 1,400 schools, plus a Teaching Performance Assessment benchmarked to national standards.
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Australian leader
Graduate with a Berry Street Education Model certificate from the only university to embed these recognised trauma-informed strategies into all initial teaching degrees.
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Achieve work-life balance
Deakin’s blend of online and on-campus learning means you can balance work, study and personal development.
Connected to industry
Deakin’s strong industry connections help shape your learning. Build practical experience in real workplace contexts through work-integrated learning, mentoring and networking opportunities. Industry advisory boards also help shape our degrees, which means what you study is current, relevant and aligned to what your future employers need.
Deakin puts employability first
Career outcomes
Prepare for registration as a secondary teacher and build transferable skills for roles in schools, youth services, museums, education policy and government or not-for-profit consulting.
Secondary school teacher
Plan and deliver subject-based lessons for students aged 12 to 18, assess their progress and create supportive learning environments that promote academic development and wellbeing.
- $103k
Typical annual salary in Australia
- 5.4%
Projected job growth in 5 years
Policy officer (education)
Research education issues, analyse evidence and consult stakeholders to develop policy advice, briefings and recommendations that support organisational or government decision-making.
- $113k
Typical annual salary in Australia
- 8.7%
Projected job growth in 5 years
Other jobs
- Secondary teacher in a public, independent or private school
- Youth worker
- Museum educator
- Policy manager
- Education consultant
“Coming from a migrant family that sacrificed so much to offer their children opportunities, I understand the power of education in changing lives. I wanted to learn the skills to be an effective teacher that could inspire, encourage, and support all my students.”
LakshalMaster of Teaching graduate
Stories that start here
Key dates
Direct applications
Trimester 1 2027 applications close 31 January 2027
Download a course guide
Study at Deakin and be rewarded with new skills that will give you an edge in the job market
FAQs
If your prior study does not meet the requirements for your preferred secondary teaching method, you may need to complete additional discipline study before or during your pathway. Deakin assesses method eligibility against your previous units, so use recognition of prior learning guidance and seek course advice before choosing extra study.
Yes, graduates may be able to teach VCE if their approved teaching methods align with VCE subjects and they meet registration requirements. The Master of Teaching (Secondary) develops curriculum, pedagogy, assessment and professional experience skills, supporting the pathway to registration with the Victorian Institute of Teaching.
Master of Teaching (Secondary) takes two years full time, with accelerated options depending on study plan. Your exact timeframe can change with part-time study, trimester choices or recognition of prior learning, so check the course structure before planning your enrolment.
Deakin's Master of Teaching (Secondary) is typically completed in two years full time, with an optional 18‑month accelerated pathway available. Students undertaking the accelerated course structure are required to enrol in Trimester 3. All students are advised to seek course advice prior to attempting the accelerated course structure.
Yes, you can apply for a Master of Teaching (Secondary) if your undergraduate degree is in another field, but your prior study must usually support approved secondary teaching methods. Deakin assesses your discipline background, so check recognition of prior learning and seek advice before planning extra study.
Education students can build confidence in specialised teaching spaces, classrooms and digital learning environments. At Geelong Waurn Ponds Campus, the Nyaal interactive learning precinct includes a 360-degree theatre and collaborative spaces that help you explore classroom scenarios and prepare for professional placements. At the Melbourne Burwood Campus, there are specialist arts spaces and science teaching labs available to support your learning.
*Deakin references data from a range of government, higher education and reputable media sources. Learn more about our achievements on our University rankings page, or explore our sources page for supporting references.
What will I study in the Master of Teaching (Secondary)?
Build the professional knowledge, curriculum expertise and classroom confidence to teach young people across two teaching methods. Start with core pedagogy and supervised practice and progress to research-informed teaching, inclusion and a confident transition into the profession.
Professional foundations
Understand learners and learning
Explore how learning, development and classroom design connect.
Build your two teaching methods
Develop curriculum and pedagogy for two method areas, with studies spanning middle and senior years.
Step into schools with support
Begin supervised professional experience early and connect theory to practice, building confidence in planning, teaching and reflection alongside mentors and teaching staff.
Research and transition
Teach for inclusion and belonging
Strengthen your practice in literacy, numeracy, diversity, wellbeing and culturally responsive teaching, including trauma-informed approaches.
Use evidence to improve practice
Complete research and capstone-style work that helps you analyse teaching, evaluate impact and make informed adjustments.
Graduate
Consolidate placements, complete the Teaching Performance Assessment and graduate ready to pursue teaching with skills that go beyond the classroom.
Course structure
To complete the Master of Teaching (Secondary) students must pass 16 credit points.
Most units are equal to one credit point. As a full-time student you will study four credit points per trimester and usually undertake two trimesters per year.
Are you a current student? For course information that applies to the year you started your degree, visit the handbook.
All students are required to meet the University's academic progress and conduct requirements
Units
Compulsory 0-credit-point units
To be completed in the first trimester of study:
To be completed in the first year of study:
Units
Professional readiness units*
(*please note unit rules for order in which these must be completed)
Plus
4 credit points of Secondary Curriculum Studies units
English
Mathematics
Single Science Method one of:
Biology
Chemistry
Environmental Science
Physics
Second Science Method:
Biology
Chemistry
Environmental Science
Physics
Humanities*
History*
A student who has Humanities and History would replace the second offering of EHU701 with EMM743 Teaching Strategies for the Middle Years
Language Other Than English (LOTE)
Teaching English to Speakers of other Languages (TESOL)
Health
Food Studies
Physical Education
Psychology
The Arts
Single Method one of: Dance, Drama, Media, Music or Visual Arts
Second Arts method: One of Dance, Drama, Media, Music or Visual Arts
Vocational Education and Training (VET)
Vocational Major
Method areas not listed above
Accounting*, business management*, commerce and business studies*, earth science, economics*, geography*, information technology, legal studies*, outdoor education, philosophy*, politics*, religious education, student welfare, technology
Single Method:
Second Method:
* Within the Victorian Curriculum 2, Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) and the Australian curriculum (V.9) these disciplines fall under the broader Learning Area of 'Humanities'. As such your professional experience placement in the middle years may be across these disciplines (mirroring the experience of teaching in Australian schools).
Professional recognition
This course is accredited by the Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT) as a nationally accredited course and students are eligible to apply for registration with VIT upon graduation. If you intend to apply for registration in Victoria or interstate you may be required to provide further information.
Applicants are advised to check the registration requirements in their state or territory, carefully.
What to expect while studying
You may be able to study available units in the optional third trimester to fast-track your degree, however your course duration may be extended if there are delays in meeting course requirements, such as completing a placement.
Students will be required to hold a valid Working with Children (WWC) Check prior to undertaking professional placements as part of this course. Learn more about Working with Children Checks.
Interstate applicants must check the requirements and meet all conditions for undertaking professional experience in schools for their state or territory before undertaking professional experience placements as part of this course.
Inherent requirements
It is expected that all students will be able to abide by, and ensure their behaviour is in accordance with the Deakin University initial teacher education inherent requirements.
Immunisations
Immunisation and/or vaccination requirements will be communicated by the Professional Experience Office in line with the Department of Education and Training's directions at the time of placement.
For further information contact the School of Education, Professional Experience Office.
Professional Experience Placements are a compulsory component of the course and a requirement for registration as a graduate teacher. Placement can occur at any time, including during standard holiday breaks. Learn about key dates at Deakin.
This course includes 60 days of supervised professional experience and requires students to successfully complete the Deakin Teaching Performance Assessment (DTPA) in their final year. If a student does not pass the DTPA, they must seek guidance from the Course Director.
Graduation from the course confirms that students have met the Graduate Teacher Standards and achieved all Core Content learning outcomes outlined in Schedule 2.
Students are required to check the placement calendars published on the Professional Experience Office website each year. Placement takes priority over employment and placement periods are generally block placements of 5 full-time days per week over 2-5 weeks.
Course delivery is blended and students are required to dedicate time to weekly engagement with located or online teaching and learning activities and resources. This is recommended at combined total 8-10 hours per week per unit including active learning/engagement either face to face or online, and independent study.
Some units will require students to attend schools or institutions for site-based learning and teaching experiences. Some units can only be completed face to face at Burwood or as online study. Trimesters where students are likely to be undertaking large blocks of placement might require units to offer intensive study face to face. Some units will require students to attend schools or institutions for site-based learning and teaching experiences. Some units can only be completed face to face at Burwood or as online study.
This is a graduate entry teaching course that introduces research-based practice throughout the core professional studies units (a total of six credit points), which includes demonstrating their application of knowledge and skills through their 60 days of professional practice in education-based contexts e.g. secondary schools. As part of the series of core professional studies units, students are also required to complete a capstone assessment in the final year to demonstrate their evidence-based professional practice informed by data analysis and scholarship of teaching and learning.
At Deakin, we're committed to ensuring an inclusive environment that supports all students to belong, thrive and succeed. We work closely with students, where needed, to identify potential barriers to participation and where possible, provide tailored support so students can engage with learning and assessment activities.
If you are neurodivergent, have a disability, health condition or mental health condition that may impact your study or participation in university life, and want to know how Deakin could support you, contact our Domestic students (opens in a new window) or International students (opens in a new window) or Disability Resource Centre (opens email client) teams for a collaborative and confidential discussion. This discussion is to support you to make plans for your studies and future career and will not have any bearing on your application to the course.
When can I start?
When you study depends on your course, location and available intakes. Check the table to see when you can start and how study is offered throughout the year.
* An optional accelerated course structure is available in this course, allowing students to complete the course in 1.5 years duration by enrolling into 4 consecutive trimesters. Students undertaking the accelerated course structure are required to enrol in Trimester 3. All students are advised to seek course advice prior to attempting the accelerated course structure from Student Central. Students have until the start of Trimester 2 of Year 1 to decide whether to enrol into the accelerated course structure.
International students on a student visa who complete the course earlier than the registered 2-year course duration will have their early completions reported to the Department of Home Affairs, resulting in their CoEs updating to 'Finished' status. International students who complete the course early are required to either enrol into another CRICOS registered course that is of the same AQF level as their visa was granted for or depart Australia within 28 days from the date of their early completion reporting. International students are advised to seek visa advice by contacting a Registered Migration Agent on the MARA website.
Deakin splits the academic year into three terms, known as trimesters. Most students usually undertake two trimesters each year (March-June, July-November).
Your course learning outcomes describe the knowledge, skills and capabilities you’ll develop and be able to demonstrate by the time you graduate. Built into your course through your units and assessments, they provide a clear picture of what you’ll be equipped to know, understand and do – preparing you to apply your learning with confidence beyond university.
| Course Learning Outcomes |
|---|
| Contribute to critical, professional debates about education theory; local, national and global trends; curriculum; Indigenous and intercultural perspectives; and legal, professional and ethical codes and standards, and critique and apply these understandings to inform their own practice. |
| Apply critical thinking, pedagogical knowledge and effective interpersonal, oral, written and multimodal communication skills to demonstrate empathy, foster learner agency, establish positive and inclusive learning-friendly environments, and build effective professional partnerships and trust with families/caregivers, teaching colleagues and other stakeholders. |
| Act in accordance with the ethical and legal frameworks and policy that inform responsible and ethical practice in digital environments, and critically discuss, evaluate and employ a range of appropriate digital literacies, resources and technologies for professional/community/learner engagement and agency. |
| Contribute to critical and professional debates about education trends, theory, policy and research and use these understandings to critically reflect on and evaluate own teaching practices and diverse learning data sets to make informed evidence-based judgements for enhancements and innovations to improve learner agency and outcomes. |
| Collaboratively and independently use evidence and research to identify, prioritise and creatively respond to problems that arise in professional learning and practice. |
| Engage autonomously and responsibly with critical self-reflection, self-assessment and feedback from others, to inform their own learning, plan for professional development and to balance academic demands with self-care /self-management. |
| Actively and collaboratively participate in, and/or lead learning communities, involving learners, families, community members, colleagues and the broader profession to deepen understandings of education and to optimise learning and learner well-being. |
| Apply culturally responsive, critically reflective and embodied self-knowledge of decolonial praxis in the design, delivery and evaluation of teaching and learning that honours and respects the educational expectations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and diverse learners, families and communities. |
Approved at Faculty Board 2025
- Award granted
- Master of Teaching (Secondary)
- Year
2027 course information
- Deakin code
- E779
- Level
- Higher Degree Coursework (Masters and Doctorates)
- Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) recognition
The award conferred upon completion is recognised in the Australian Qualifications Framework at Level 9
Fees
Estimated tuition fee
$4,908
for 1 yr full-time - Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP)
The estimated tuition (student contribution) fee above is based on a typical first-year full-time enrolment of 8 credit points and is provided as a guide only. Your student contribution is determined by the units you enrol in and will vary depending on the units you choose, your study load, the course duration, and any approved recognition of prior learning. You may also be eligible for a HECS-HELP loan to defer payment of all or part of your student contribution.
Check your eligibility or learn more about CSP or HECS-HELP.
Scholarships
A Deakin scholarship can open the door to new opportunities. Whether you have something unique to offer or simply need a bit of extra support to reach your goals, we’re here to help. Scholarships can assist with course fees, living costs and study materials – so you can focus on achieving your best.
Commonwealth Teaching Scholarship
The Commonwealth Teaching Scholarships Program provides up to $20,000 to new postgraduate teacher education students. In return for a scholarship, recipients need to teach in government schools or government-run early learning settings after finishing their degree.
Deakin’s Regional and Inclusive Secondary Education (RISE) program, funded by the Victorian Government Department of Education’s Teach Today initiative, gives eligible Master of Teaching (Secondary) students the opportunity to gain para-professional teaching employment within a Victorian Government Secondary School while still studying.
Victorian Government paid teaching placement
Take your teaching placement to a regional or remote Victorian Government school and receive $100-200 per day through the Victorian Government Pre-service Teacher Placement Grant.
If you're eligible, the Commonwealth Prac Payment (CPP) can help with the costs of completing a mandatory placement as part of your course.
Applications for 2027 are open
Ready to take the next step? Apply now to start your journey at Deakin and get ready for what’s next.
Key dates
Direct applications
Trimester 1 2027 applications close 31 January 2027
Apply now
Apply directly to Deakin
For information on the application process and closing dates, visit how to apply. Please note that closing dates may vary for individual courses.
Recognition of prior learning
We value your previous study and experience. Recognition of prior learning enables you to get credit for what you've already achieved. When you apply, we'll consider your previous study and experience for recognition of prior learning.
From 2026, all accredited Initial Teacher Education programs in Australia must deliver mandated Core Content requirements aligned with the AITSL Graduate Teacher Standards, which must be demonstrated within an accredited program for teacher registration eligibility. As the Master of Teaching (Secondary) has been redesigned to meet these national requirements, only secondary teaching methods undertaken within a recognised Master of Teaching course can be considered for RPL. You can also refer to the recognition of prior learning (RPL) system which outlines the credit that may be granted towards a Deakin University degree.