Graduate diploma · university
Graduate Diploma of Early Childhood Education
A Graduate Diploma of Early Childhood Education is a qualifying route into early childhood teaching for people who already hold a degree, often in another area.
- How long it takes
- 1 year
- full time
- Level
- Graduate diploma
- University
- Leads on to
- Early Childhood Teacher
- $99,100 median pay, In demand
- Taught by
- 11 providers
- 4 states and territories
Is this course right for you?
What the Graduate Diploma of Early Childhood Education asks of you, and what you might want to check first.
Before you start
Each provider sets its own entry requirements, so check the ones you are considering.
Where this course can take you
Jobs this qualification is a recognised route into, and the study that can follow it.
Jobs you can do with it
Early Childhood Teacher
Early childhood teachers plan and run play-based learning programs for children from birth to about five, in the years before formal school starts.
What else you need
Choose a program approved as an early childhood teacher qualification, usually alongside a prior degree. Complete placements, screening and applicable teacher registration requirements; the course alone does not confer registration. This catalogue groups awards: verify the chosen provider, programme and intake; the family-level link is not confirmation that every offering is approved.
Median pay$99,100
In demand
Pay is the median for everyone in the job, and “In demand” means the job is on the national shortage list.
Where you can study this course
There are 11 places you can study this course. When you compare them, check they teach it the way you want to study, how far you'd be from a campus, what it will cost you and what past students say about the teaching and support. They're listed by how often people search for them, and none of them pays to be here or to move up.
- Website for Griffith University (opens in a new tab)
Griffith University
Brisbane South (Mt Gravatt), Brisbane South (Nathan), QLD
4.3from 1,317 Google reviews
What students like
- Lecturers and tutors are supportive and approachable
What to weigh up
- Tutors can be slow to reply to emails
- Enrolment and admin can be slow
- Website for Deakin University (opens in a new tab)
Deakin University
Deakin University, Melbourne Burwood, VIC
4.4from 2,192 Google reviews
What students like
- Lecturers are approachable, supportive and knowledgeable
- Support services are helpful for students
What to weigh up
- Enrolment and admin can be slow
Polytechnic Institute Australia
5 campuses, NSW, VIC
Acknowledge Education
4 campuses
Alphacrucis University College
Alphacrucis College Limited - 30 Cowper Street, NSW
Australian Guild of Education
376 Victoria St, North Melbourne, VIC 3051, VIC
Australian School of Accounting
Level 5, 540 George Street, Sydney NSW 2000, NSW
Australian School of Business
Unit 6, 435-437 Sydney Road, Coburg VIC 3058, VIC
What you’ll learn
The main topics covered in the Graduate Diploma of Early Childhood Education.
- Child development and learning
- Play-based curriculum and pedagogy
- Working with families and communities
- Supervised professional placements
- Inclusion and diverse learners
Questions to ask before you enrol
Providers run this course differently, so the answers change from one to the next.
- When is the next intake, and how many are there each year?
- What is the total cost, including materials, checks and any placement costs?
- Can I study part time or online, and how does that change the length?
- Who arranges the work placement, and how many hours does it involve?
- Do the units count towards a higher qualification if I go on to study further?