Master of Teaching (Primary)

2 Years On Campus Masters Program

Edith Cowan University

Program Overview

The Master of Teaching (Primary) at Edith Cowan University (ECU) is a two-year, nationally accredited initial teacher-education qualification designed for graduates who already hold a bachelor’s degree in a field other than Education and want to become primary school teachers. The program combines curriculum and pedagogy with extensive professional practice, allowing students to develop specialist knowledge in a primary curriculum area while maintaining broad generalist teaching skills.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1:
The first year establishes the foundations of primary teaching through Learners and Learning, Foundations of Literacy Learning, Teaching the Arts, and Primary Mathematics Education, alongside the First Professional Practice placement. In the second semester, students develop their understanding of classroom environments and curriculum through Positive Learning Environments, Teaching Humanities and Social Sciences (Primary), Literacy in the Early Years of School, Primary Science Education, and the Second Professional Practice placement.

Year 2:
The second year focuses on more advanced curriculum planning, assessment and professional practice through Aboriginal Contexts in Primary Education, Programming and Assessment in Numeracy, Literacy in Middle and Upper Primary School, and Teaching Performance Assessment, together with the Third Professional Practice. In the final semester, students prepare for the profession through Transition to Teaching, Teaching English to Speakers of Diverse Languages, Primary Technologies, and Teaching Health and Physical Education, with the option to deepen expertise through a curriculum specialisation such as Children's Literature in the Classroom, Diagnosis and Intervention, Teaching Languages in Primary School, or Managing the Behaviour of Students with Special Educational Needs.

Focus areas

Primary education, literacy, numeracy, mathematics, science, humanities and social sciences, arts education, inclusive education, Aboriginal education, educational technologies, health and physical education, classroom management, assessment, curriculum planning, teaching English to speakers of diverse languages.

Learning outcomes

Graduates develop the ability to investigate and evaluate teaching theory in authentic settings, design innovative curriculum and assessment activities, collaborate effectively, critically reflect on education research and practice, and independently plan and undertake extended professional teaching practice.

Professional alignment (accreditation)

The course is an AQF Level 9 Masters Degree (Coursework) and is professionally accredited by the Teacher Registration Board of Western Australia (TRBWA). Graduates must satisfy the TRBWA requirements, including literacy and numeracy proficiency, to become eligible for teacher registration in Western Australia.

Reputation (employability rankings)

ECU highlights a strong postgraduate student experience, including five-star ratings for overall postgraduate experience, skills development, student support and teaching quality in the latest Good Universities Guide. ECU also states that it has a strong reputation among young universities globally, while the Master of Teaching (Primary) itself is nationally accredited and supported by partnerships with more than 850 schools and early childhood settings, providing a substantial professional-practice network for aspiring teachers.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

The Master of Teaching (Primary) at Edith Cowan University (ECU) places professional experience at the centre of the program, allowing students to develop teaching skills in authentic school environments while progressively taking on greater responsibility. Students complete three supervised professional-practice placements—4 weeks and 5 weeks in Year 1, followed by 6 weeks in Year 2—and can gain experience across public, private, metropolitan, regional, rural and remote schools through ECU’s partnerships with more than 850 schools and early childhood settings.

The program also provides dedicated teaching spaces and digital resources that allow students to practise before and alongside their school placements:

Simulated primary pedagogy spaces: ECU has newly designed primary pedagogy teaching spaces that replicate authentic classroom environments, allowing pre-service teachers to practise teaching strategies, test approaches and build confidence before entering professional placements.
Professional Practice placements: Students complete WPL6115 – First Professional Practice (4 weeks), WPL6215 – Second Professional Practice (5 weeks) and WPL6335 – Third Professional Practice (6 weeks), progressively developing classroom teaching and professional skills.
School partnerships: ECU works with more than 850 schools and early childhood settings, giving students opportunities to experience different educational, geographic and socioeconomic contexts.
Primary teaching demonstration facilities: ECU's teaching facilities include spaces designed to mirror modern primary classroom environments, enabling practical work with school students and classroom simulation.
Science laboratories: The School of Education's upgraded facilities include new science laboratories where students can undertake inquiry-based, hands-on activities that they can later adapt for primary-school science teaching.
Food technologies kitchen: A dedicated on-campus food technologies kitchen allows students to develop practical skills relevant to curriculum delivery in food technologies and related primary learning activities.
Art and creative facilities: ECU provides ceramics and printmaking studios, a display gallery, music spaces and performance facilities, supporting practical preparation for teaching the Arts.
STELLAR Studio: The School of Education has a STELLAR Studio, an immersive virtual-reality space supporting podcasting and simulation development, giving students exposure to digital and multimodal approaches to education.

Progression & Future Opportunities

Graduates of the ECU Master of Teaching (Primary) are prepared to enter the primary teaching profession with a nationally accredited postgraduate teaching qualification and substantial supervised school experience. Successful completion provides the opportunity to seek employment as a primary teacher, with professional experience across ECU's network of more than 850 schools and early childhood settings helping graduates build experience in varied educational contexts.

Typical job roles: Primary School Teacher, Generalist Primary Teacher, Specialist Primary Teacher, Education Officer

The program's professional practice, industry connections and graduate-support infrastructure provide several pathways into employment:

ECU career support: ECU provides career-readiness support through targeted career advice and support, alongside work-integrated learning and other employability initiatives designed to prepare graduates for employment.
Employment outcomes: ECU reports that 93% of its graduates are in full-time employment within three years of completing their degrees, while 71.8% are in professional or managerial positions. These are university-wide GOS-L outcomes rather than statistics specifically for the Master of Teaching (Primary).
Salary: ECU reports an average graduate salary of A$86,900 per year three years after graduation, the highest average among WA universities in its reported comparison. This figure is university-wide rather than specific to primary teachers.
University–school partnerships: ECU has partnerships with more than 850 schools and early childhood settings, covering public, metropolitan, rural, regional and remote environments. These partnerships directly support professional experience and expose students to different school communities.
Employment-based pathway: Eligible students can also pursue HAT@ECU (High Achieving Teachers), an accelerated 18-month Master of Teaching pathway involving partnership schools, professional experience and paid employment. The program is delivered with support from the Australian Government Department of Education and partnerships involving the WA Department of Education, Catholic Education Western Australia and the Association of Independent Schools of Western Australia.
Long-term accreditation value: The qualification is an AQF Level 9 Masters degree and is professionally accredited through ECU's teacher-education framework, supporting graduates seeking teacher registration in Western Australia. Graduates must still satisfy the relevant teacher-registration requirements.
Graduation and employment readiness: The course culminates in a final Teaching Practicum, giving students an extended opportunity to demonstrate their teaching capabilities in a school before graduation. ECU also notes that students can undertake a fast-tracked final year and become eligible for employment in schools from Term 4 of that year, subject to the applicable requirements.
ECU reputation for teaching: ECU reports 19 consecutive years of five-star Good Universities Guide ratings for Teaching Quality and identifies Teacher Education among its areas with particularly strong graduate employability.

Further Academic Progression: After completing the Master of Teaching (Primary), graduates can continue into postgraduate education studies at ECU, particularly the Master of Education, including advanced or accelerated pathways, to develop expertise in areas such as educational leadership, curriculum, pedagogy or learning support. For those interested in research and academic careers, further postgraduate research study may also be considered, subject to ECU's admission requirements. ECU itself lists the Master of Education (Accelerated Online), Master of Education (Advanced) and Master of Education as progression options for graduates interested in continuing in education.