Monash University
Master of Education in Early Childhood Education
- Delivery: Face to Face
- Study Level: Postgraduate
- Duration: 24 months
- Course Type: Master's
Improve your skills, knowledge and experience in the early childhood sector.
Course overview
Addressing contemporary, emerging elements within an increasingly globalised world, you will build the capacity to engage with complex, relevant dialogue in the field. Your professional capacity will be enhanced as you respond to multifaceted issues affecting children, families and communities. You will be provided opportunities to enhance your skills and knowledge of inclusive teaching and learning practices for young children. This specialisation will allow you to engage academically with innovative curricula, teaching and policy within early childhood contexts.
Designed for early childhood educators, leaders and policy makers, this specialisation is aimed at enhancing your skills, knowledge and practice within the early childhood sector. Addressing contemporary and emerging elements in a globalised world, you will build capacity to engage with the complexities of the profession and participate in relevant dialogue, demonstrating leadership within the early childhood field. Your professional capacity will be enhanced as you respond to the multifaceted policy issues affecting children, families and communities. You will be provided with opportunities to enhance your leadership skills and knowledge of leading early childhood pedagogies as they relate to young children. This specialisation will allow you to engage academically with an innovative curriculum, teaching and policy, supporting you in becoming leaders within the early childhood context.
Key facts
What you will study
To complete the Master of Education in Early Childhood Education, students must complete 96 credit points. Unless otherwise indicated, each unit is worth six credit points.
You must complete the following units
- Interacting with research in education contexts (12 credit points)
- Investigating education issues in global contexts (12 credit points)
You must complete the following units
- Global leaders in early childhood education (12 credit points)
- Building STEM learning communities in early childhood
- Advanced play and pedagogy in early childhood settings
- Early childhood literacy and numeracy (12 credit points)
- 12 credit points of approved Level 5 units from selected Faculty of Education graduate coursework programs.
You must complete the following units
- Examining inclusion in children's media
- Child in context
- 12 credit points of approved Level 5 units from selected Faculty of Education graduate coursework programs.
A pathway to graduate research (e.g. master's by research, PhD) is available if you achieve a weighted average mark (WAM) of at least 75% in the units of this course.
If you are completing this pathway, you will need to make the following unit substitutions:
- EDF5613 Research approaches in education (12 credit points) to replace EDF5773 Global leaders in early childhood education (12 credit points) (Part B).
- EDF5614 Research project in education (12 credit points) to replace 12 credit points of approved Level 5 units from selected Faculty of Education graduate coursework programs (Part C).
Note: This pathway is not available at the point of entry; your eligibility to undertake this pathway will be checked before the commencement of EDF5613; if you are commencing at entry level 1 or 2, you must take the required two units in the final semester of your studies; and if you are commencing at entry level 3, you must transfer into the general education studies specialisation.
If you are completing this pathway, you must complete the following units.
- Research approaches in education (12 credit points)
- Research project in education (12 credit points)
Entry requirements
Entry level 1: Duration: Two years full-time, four years part-time (96 points to complete)
- An Australian bachelor's degree (or equivalent) with at least a credit (60%) average.
Entry level 2: Duration: 1.5 years full-time, three years part-time (72 points to complete)
- An Australian bachelor's degree (or equivalent) with at least a credit (60%) average and a minimum of two years of full-time equivalent relevant professional experience; OR
- An Australian bachelor's degree (or equivalent) in Education or a related discipline, including but not limited to teaching, special education, STEM education or social justice, with at least a credit (60%) average; OR
- A four-year Australian bachelor's honours degree or an Australian graduate certificate or an Australian graduate diploma (or equivalent) with at least a credit (60%) average; OR
- An Australian master's degree (or equivalent) with at least a credit (60%) average.
Entry level 3: Duration: One year full-time, two years part-time (48 points to complete)
- An Australian bachelor's degree (or equivalent) in Education or a related discipline, including but not limited to teaching, special education, STEM education or social justice, with at least a credit (60%) average and a minimum of two years of full-time equivalent relevant professional experience; OR
- A four-year Australian bachelor's honours degree or an Australian graduate certificate or an Australian graduate diploma (or equivalent) with at least a credit (60%) average and a minimum of two years of full-time equivalent relevant professional experience; OR
- A four-year Australian bachelor's honours degree or an Australian graduate certificate or an Australian graduate diploma (or equivalent) in Education or a related discipline, including but not limited to teaching, special education, STEM education or social justice, as relevant to the specialisation, with at least a credit (60%) average; OR
- An Australian master's degree (or equivalent) with at least a credit (60%) average and a minimum of two years of full-time equivalent relevant professional experience; OR
- An Australian master's degree (or equivalent) in Education or a related discipline, including but not limited to teaching, special education, STEM education or social justice, with at least a credit (60%) average.
Recognition of Prior Learning
Your previous studies can be acknowledged as credit towards your postgraduate studies, provided that they meet the relevant course requirements.
If you receive an offer of enrolment and you’ve undertaken prior learning, you may be eligible to apply for Recognition of Prior Learning. The procedure is governed by the university's Recognition of Prior Learning policy. Contact the university for more details.
Outcomes
Learning outcomes
- Demonstrate an understanding of an advanced body of knowledge that is contemporary and context-specific within an aligned professional practice and scholarship
- Interact with the significant theories and contemporary debates in the field through independent study and application of this interaction
- utilise your knowledge to critically evaluate and analyse research, literature and knowledge in the field and demonstrate this through independent judgement
- Communicate your understanding and awareness of contemporary debates through coherent, sustained and informed dissemination of knowledge, through academic writing for a particular audience, context and purpose
- Synthesise and apply knowledge to your own professional practice and research scholarship in education
- Demonstrate an understanding of theoretical methodologies within specific professional contexts
- Analyse and evaluate emerging research and professional practice through an alignment with contemporary and established research in the field
- Generate your own ideas on an abstract level, as they apply and interact with complex concepts and ideas in the field.
Fees and FEE-HELP
Indicative first-year tuition fee in 2026: $31,100 (domestic full-fee paying place).
All costs are calculated using current rates and are based on a study load of 48 credit points (normally eight units) per year.
A student’s annual fee may vary in accordance with:
- The number of units studied per term.
- The choice of major or specialisation.
- Choice of units.
- Credit from previous study or work experience.
- Eligibility for government-funded loans.
You may also need to pay the student services and amenities fee.
Student fees shown are subject to change. Contact the university directly to confirm.
FEE-HELP loans are available to assist eligible full-fee paying domestic students with the cost of a university course.