Graduate Certificate in Education
School of Education
Are you passionate about educating children with special needs in an inclusive school setting? If you are an experienced 4-year trained teacher, The University of Notre Dame Australia’s Graduate Certificate in Education (Special and Inclusive Education) is your ideal qualification. This program is available face-to-face and online with flexible part-time and full-time study options. Get in touch today to enrol.
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Why study this degree?
If you are devoted to including children with special learning needs in mainstream classrooms, this postgraduate program will build on your existing knowledge and experience. Our program will provide you with the skills and qualifications to become a specialist teacher or leader in special education.
Throughout your studies, you must complete four courses from a range that includes Educating Children with Special Needs, Teaching Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders, Behaviour Management and Social Skills Instruction and more.
Contact us today to be supported by academic staff who are specialists in their field and rigorous in-depth mentoring.
Graduates of this program may choose to enrol for a Master of Education at Notre Dame.
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Program summary
To be eligible for the Graduate Certificate of Education students must complete four (4) courses within one of the following streams:
Required Courses for Leading Gifted and Talented Education Stream
- EDUC5015 Understanding and Identifying Gifted and Talented Learners
- EDUC5016 Differentiated Instruction for Gifted and Talented Learners
- EDUC5027 Special Populations in Gifted and Talented Education
- EDUC5028 Social and Emotional Needs for Gifted and Talented Students
Required Courses for Leading Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages Stream
- EDUC5029 English Language in the TESOL Context
- EDUC5030 Leadning Learning and Teaching in TESOL
- EDUC5031 Assessment and Profiling in TESOL
- EDUC5032 Commmunicative Competency and EAL/D Learners
Required Courses for General Stream
- Four (4) Elective 5000-6000 level Courses
Students may commence their studies in the Summer Term (January), in Semester 1 (February) or April Intensive, in Winter Term (July), in Semester 2 (July) or October Intensive, subject to the availability of each course.
Full details of the program requirements are contained in the Program Requirements.
Please note: the availability of these courses is indicative only and may be subject to change.
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Entry requirements
To be eligible for admission to The University of Notre Dame Australia, all applicants must meet the University’s minimum requirements for admission. The requirements for admission are detailed in the University’s Policy: Admissions.
To be eligible for admission to the Graduate Certificate in Education applicants must also meet the following specific requirements:
- Hold a recognised four-year bachelor-level teaching qualification or equivalent, or
- A recognised postgraduate teaching qualification, and
- Have at least one year of relevant professional experience
Applicants who have not successfully completed their secondary education in an English-speaking country will be required to sit the IELTS Academic Test and achieve a minimum overall score of 7.5 in IELTS Academic, with no score lower than 8.0 in speaking and listening and no score lower than 7.0 in reading and writing.
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Learning outcomes
Upon successful completion of The Graduate Certificate in Education graduates will be able to:
- Lead teaching, learning and assessment in a range of educational environments
- Apply evidence-based solutions to school practices and systems
- Interpret student data to design and implement pedagogy that promotes innovation and risk taking, and responds to a diverse range of learners
- Critically analyse new instructional methods and technologies that enhance learning outcomes
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Career opportunities
A Graduate Certificate in Education (Special and Inclusive Education) will provide qualified and experienced teachers with the skills and knowledge to become leaders in the field of inclusive education in Government, independent and Catholic primary and high schools. Careers include special education teachers and curriculum leaders.
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Real world experience
You will learn from our academics, who are leaders in their field. There are no practicum requirements for this program.
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Scholarships
Scholarships provide financial support to students while they are completing their studies. There are various scholarships available to prospective and current students, across all study levels and campuses.
These can be funded by Notre Dame, industry, individuals and non-profit organisations, to provide financial assistance to students to support costs associated with study. This could include buying food, paying rent, transport, and household bills, raising children as single parents, being a single-income household, becoming unemployed or caring for a sick loved one.
Please visit the Scholarships Finder to see which scholarships are available to Postgraduate students.
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Fees and costs
This Program has the following loan scheme(s) available for eligible students:
Domestic Fee-Paying
A domestic fee-paying place is a place at university where the student is responsible for the full cost the program.Eligible domestic fee-paying students may apply for the FEE-HELP loan scheme which assists eligible fee-paying students with the payment of all, or part, of their tuition fees, not including additional study costs such as accommodation or textbooks. Your FEE-HELP debt will be indexed each year in line with the Consumer Price Index.
For indicative fees and information on how to pay, including Government loan schemes and our online calculator, visit our Fees, costs and scholarships page.
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More information
Considering your uni options?
Our advisers provide support while choosing a program of study and completing our application process.If you need advice about studying at Notre Dame, the Prospective Students Office can help. Talk to one of our career advisors for a personalised advice session.
Phone: 1800 878 916
Email: sydney@nd.edu.au
Address: 128-140 Broadway, Chippendale, NSW 2008

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