The
Diploma of Education, often abbreviated to DipEd or GradDipEd, is a
postgraduate qualification offered in many
Commonwealth countries including
Australia,
Sri Lanka,
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
, and the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
.
Overview
The diploma can build on the general or disciplinary knowledge of a
bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...
to prepare students to teach in
schools
A school is an educational institution designed to provide learning spaces and learning environments for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is sometimes compulsor ...
although this is no longer true of the UK where
Qualified Teacher Status is the recognized professional qualification for those wishing to teach in (state) maintained primary and secondary schools. However, in the UK holders of the
Cert Ed, awarded after completing a three-year teacher training course, could use the diploma as a route to degree equivalence, and if passed at the appropriate level progress to a master's degree in education. The Graduate Diploma in Education is a one-year teacher preparation program for students who already hold a tertiary degree.
Specialisation within the course usually enables one to become a
primary or
secondary teacher, or a teacher in an early childhood center or adult education environment such as
TAFE (a TAFE Teacher holding only a DipEd will typically be required to complete a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment
ertIVTAAor a Diploma in Vocational Education Teaching
ipVETin addition to their DipEd qualification) or a business college, and to join the relevant professional association. Achievement of a Diploma of Education does not normally confer registration status, but is a pathway to registration as a teacher.
The DipEd typically takes one year of full-time study (up to two years part-time) and students are generally required to undertake professional
practicum
A practicum (also called work placement, especially in the UK) is an undergraduate or graduate-level course, often in a specialized field of study, that is designed to give students supervised practical application of a previously or concurrent ...
s (or "pracs") alongside their theory units in order to graduate. It offers an alternative to the three- or four-year
Bachelor of Education for those who already have a degree in another area (e.g.
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years.
The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University o ...
or
Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four year ...
) and wish to specialise in that area.
In Australia, the Graduate Diploma in Education, typically a 1-year programme, was gradually phased out in favour of a 2-year Master of Teaching course. This is the result of a requirement by the Australian Institution for Teaching and School Leadership that post graduate qualification must be of 2 years' duration. All graduate diploma programs will be phased out by December 2017.
The course is referred to as a Diploma of Teaching in
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
.
Diploma of Education ensuring high quality teacher education is a first and critical step in delivering high-quality teaching in schools, particularly at a time when the role of teachers is becoming increasingly complex and demanding.
References
Educational qualifications in the United Kingdom
Resources
Eduquiv- International Degree Equivalence
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