Education (Secondary: Humanities and Social Sciences) and Arts

This combined degree offers students a secondary-school teaching qualification in: Aboriginal studies; English; drama; history; mathematics; economics; languages, including Arabic, Chinese, Classical Hebrew, French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese and Modern Greek; and classical Hebrew and Judaism as a social science.

Students must take a first teaching area from any of the areas mentioned above, which is linked to their major for the Bachelor of Arts. Students can also take a second teaching area from the list of majors above, as well as TESOL, geography, mathematics or science. Students who choose to have a second teaching area in TESOL, geography, mathematics or science must select their major from the humanities subjects offered by the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences in order to graduate with a Bachelor of Arts. Additionally, candidates who wish to teach only languages are able to choose to specialise in these curriculum areas instead of undertaking their second teaching area from a different subject area.

Students are highly recommended to refer to the Unit Selection Guide when choosing their units of study.

Requirements for completion

In order to complete this combined degree, the students must complete 240cp worth of study, including required Arts units for a major within the Bachelor of Arts, all professional experience placements and internship.

First year

In the first year, students begin the discipline studies for their respective teaching areas. Students are expected to complete at least 12 credit points worth of study for each potential teaching area, with priority given to their expected major and the Education core units, of which there is one each semester. The Semester One provides an introduction to teachers and teaching, and education in general while Semester Two is devoted to human development and education, focusing on children and adolescents.

Second Year

Students are expected to continue their discipline studies in the second year. For each semester in their second year, students have to enrol in 12cp in Education core studies as well as 12cp of study in Arts - 6cp for each of their respective teaching areas.

Third Year

In Semester 1, students are expected to begin their curriculum studies, worth 6cp for each teaching area. They are also expected to continue 12 credit points worth of studies in Arts towards their major in the Bachelor of Arts.

In Semester 2, the students are expected to engage in 24 credit points of Education studies, including their first professional experience.

Fourth year

In Semester 1, students are expected to continue their Education studies, worth 24 credit points, including their second professional experience.

In Semester 2, students are expected to commence studies in educational research as well as special education. The students are also expected to engage in 12cp worth of studies in Arts, in order to complete their Bachelor of Arts major.

Honours

Education Honours is an integrated program undertaken during the final three semesters of an undergraduate degree. It consists of two enrolled units Education Honours Preliminary (Year 4, Semester 2) and Education Honours dissertation (Year 5, Semester 2).

Contact/further information

Dr Alison O’Grady
Phone: 02 9351 7044
Email:

Learning Outcomes

Humanities Social Science graduates have:

• A deep understanding of the subject areas and disciplines in which they have undertaken major studies.
• An evolving and contemporary understanding of schooling, the role of teachers and the purpose and function of schooling.
• A capacity to innovate, construct, implement and apply appropriate syllabus and curriculum experiences for secondary students.
• The maturity and humanity necessary for excellence in professional teaching.
• An ability to maintain, enquire into and evaluate their own professional development.
• The capacity and ability to critically analyse new professional and policy developments.
• The flexibility to undertake various roles and responsibilities in educational contexts to prepare them for leadership roles