Undergraduate certificates are being reviewed
This qualification may no longer be offered after 30 June 2025. Find out how this may affect your studies.
Undergraduate Certificate in Teaching Education Studies
UndergraduateCUR-HTE-CTF2025
Course information for 2025 intake View information for 2024 course intake
Work towards your future in early childhood teaching
Study 4 core subjects in teaching children—and get entry and credit in Curtin’s Bachelor Degree. Topics include language, literacy, and curriculum. Start thinking about your career as a professional early childhood or primary educator.
Apply today with no entry requirements
- Study method
- 100% online
- Assessments
- 100% online
- Applications close
- 23 Feb 2025,
- 25 May 2025,
- 24 Aug 2025,
- 23 Nov 2025
- Credit available
- Yes
- Duration
- 6 months full time or part time equivalent
- Total subjects
- 4
- Available loans
- Australian Higher Education Loan Program (HELP)
- CSP available
- Yes
Undergraduate Certificate in Teaching Education Studies
About this degree
This undergraduate certificate aims to enable students to:
- apply principles and concepts of teaching in a variety of contexts relevant to paraprofessional work and/or further learning
- apply critical and creative thinking and problem solving skills to generate innovative solutions to teaching problems
- use technology appropriately to communicate effectively with students, parents, teachers and other members of the school community
- consider global perspectives on education and international teaching standards
- demonstrate respect for Indigenous values, cultures and knowledges and consider Indigenous perspectives on education and teaching.
The Undergraduate Certificate in Teaching Education Studies is designed for people who are interested in pursuing a career in early childhood or primary education and gives the student entry (and credit for the four subjects completed) into the Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood) or (Primary) degree at Curtin. You will explore the world of child development, the use of technology in the classroom for younger school-aged learners, and explore emerging literacy. This course will also examine some of the issues and trends that impact on teaching and schooling.
Recommended study pattern
Students must complete 4 subjects.
Award requirements
To qualify for the award of Undergraduate Certificate in Teaching Education Studies students must complete all four core subjects.
Degrees are usually made up of core subjects and electives. Some degrees include a choice of majors, so you can focus your studies on a specialisation.
This list is a general overview. Download the full Degree Guide for more information.
Open Universities Australia is a not-for-profit organisation. You will not pay any fees for using our services.
Indicative total fee $2,312
The amount shown here is indicative for an Australian citizen studying full-time, which is typically 8 subjects per year.
Fees may vary depending on:
- the subjects you choose
- credit from previous work experience
- your eligibility for government funding loans or subsidies such as HECS-HELP or a Commonwealth supported place.
To learn more, go to Fees or contact a student advisor.
Start your career with Curtin’s globally recognised courses and extensive industry connections. Through OUA, their online courses offer an interactive and collaborative learning experience that gets you the same degree as if you studied on campus. Curtin is a global university with a vibrant culture of innovation and collaboration and is ranked in the top one per cent of universities worldwide.
Learn more about Curtin University.
Explore Curtin courses.
- QS Ranking 2024:
- 14
- Times Higher Education Ranking 2024:
- 15
Entry requirements
This undergraduate certificate has no entry requirements and is open to everyone.
During your application
We’ll ask you to provide your education history. It’s for government data collection only and will not impact your application.
Skip the questions in the Entry Requirements section by selecting Higher Education. Then enter “n/a” in all the Previous Higher Education Studies boxes.
Although you'll need to consent to an academic results search, we won't conduct it when we process your application.
Not applicable.
Why study an undergraduate certificate?
If you want to get a recognised qualification without committing to a degree straight away, an undergraduate certificate could be for you.
Start small
Gain a recognised qualification in as little as six months.
Use your certificate to work in education
An undergraduate certificate is a stepping stone towards becoming a qualified teacher in Australia. If you’re not sure you want to be a teacher, you can use your certificate to work in education after completing just four subjects.
Continue studying to become a qualified teacher
Enter an education degree with full credits from your certificate. You’ll study for the same amount of time as students who go straight into the degree.
We're here to help answer your questions. Speak to a student advisor today.
Study method requirements
Important Note: The Undergraduate Certificate qualification was introduced temporarily to the Australian Qualification Framework Second Edition January 2013 to help upskill workers displaced by COVID-19. Currently, the qualification can only be issued by Universities until June 30, 2025, unless extended by the Government. Students must complete their studies before 30 June 2025 to be eligible to be awarded an Undergraduate Certificate.
Career opportunities
Australian job snapshots
Data sourced from Australian Jobs 2023.
Role | Earnings | Employment change |
|---|---|---|
Primary School Teachers | $93K to $120K | Up 4.7% |
Degree FAQs
How long does it take to finish an online degree?
That's up to you! Because we let you choose when to study online, you can actually pick up and pause study when it suits you. Many universities have a set time you need to complete your degree within. For some this is up to 10 years, and for others there is no limit.
There are some degrees that are stricter about when you can take breaks, and about how many years you can take to complete your degree. Please always check with your uni what the limits are.
As a general guide, Commonwealth supported place students have 10 years to finish their undergraduate degree through OUA, However, if you're studying with Griffith University, there's a limit of 8 years to complete your studies. If you want to take a break that lasts more than two study terms, you'll need to apply for a leave of absence. You can apply for a leave of absence for up to 12 months, as long as you complete your studies within the maximum time allowed for your degree.
If you're studying with Macquarie University, with the exception of certain degrees, there's no limit to how long you can take. But, please check with Macquarie Student Administration to be sure.
If you're studying with the University of Adelaide, you have up to 9 years to complete your undergraduate degree and graduate.
If you're studying with La Trobe University and want to take a break of minimum 1 study term, you must apply for leave of absence to avoid being inadvertently withdrawn from your degree.
Through OUA, you can study all year round, so it's possible to fast-track and finish up sooner than studying at a traditional uni would allow. That said, you need to spend around 12 hours a week on each undergraduate subject you do, so taking on extra work to finish ahead of time can be challenging.
How can I pay for my studies?
You may be eligible for a HELP loan from the Australian government, depending on your citizenship status and where you'll be living during your studies. You can also pay upfront with your credit card.
Payment options are explained in Fees, and you can contact a student advisor for more information.
How does studying through Open Universities Australia work?
You might find learning through OUA a little different to how you've studied in the past. It can take time to develop the skills you need for independent online study.
We connect you with subjects and degrees that are taught by leading Australian universities. You can complete single subjects, or follow a degree structure to work towards a specific qualification. Subjects are offered in several study terms throughout the year, so you can choose to study part-time or full-time, continuously or with breaks.
We help you find the subjects or degree that's right for you, and we handle your enrolment in uni and some administration. Your uni sends you your study materials and deals with all academic matters. They're also in charge of your assessment and graduation. If you go on to complete a degree, you'll graduate from the uni offering your degree, for example, RMIT University or Griffith University.
How do I know if I‘m eligible to apply for a course?
Before starting an enrolment, it's important to read the entry requirements for your chosen course to ensure that you're eligible to apply. If you don't quite meet the requirements, we can help you find a pathway into your course through open-entry subjects, which anyone can study. Contact us to find out more.
When is my cut-off date for enrolment?
Our close of enrolment times vary. You can check the cut-off dates for upcoming study terms by visiting Key dates.
Why should I study online through Open Universities Australia?
There are a lot of reasons to study your course online through us.
You can enrol without entry requirements
We have a unique open-door policy that makes it possible for everyone to enrol in university study, no matter their academic history. If you don't meet the entry requirements for a degree, we'll help you get in through single undergraduate subjects and transition into a qualification from there.
You have total control over how you study
Upskill without committing to a whole degree upfront. Or enrol in a full degree, but take it a subject at a time. We'll introduce you to flexible study options you didn't even know about, so you can fit uni around what matters to you.You'll graduate with the same qualification as an on-campus student
Once you enrol through us, you'll study online with the university that provides your degree. This means that when you complete your qualification, you'll graduate with the same degree as on-campus students.We'll help you navigate the university world
Our friendly student advisors will be your guide every step of the enrolment journey. They'll help you compare universities, choose a course, provide documentation and understand your finance options.
How do I enrol?
Here at Open Universities Australia, we make enrolling online as straightforward as possible. To get started, find the course for you by browsing the options on this page. You can also compare different qualifications using our handy comparison tool, or request help from one of our student advisors.
When you've made your choice, click 'Apply now' on the relevant course page and follow the prompts to begin your enrolment. We'll ask you to supply some supporting documentation, including proof of your identity, your tax file number, and a unique student identifier (USI) during this process.
Your university will get in touch with you via email to confirm whether or not your application has been successful.
If you get stuck at any time, reach out to a student advisor and we'll talk you through it.
You can also take a look at our online self-service enrolling instructions.