Course

Bachelor of Arts (Pathway to Teaching Secondary) Dean's Scholars

Approved Abbreviation: BA(DeansSchol)

Western Sydney University Course Code: 1823.4

AQF Level: 7

CRICOS Code: 097517B

Students should follow the course structure for the course version relevant to the year they commenced. This version applies to students whose commencement year for this course is 2020 or later.

Units may be revised or replaced to ensure students are provided with up to date curriculum throughout their studies, and this may result in a new course version. Refer to the Check My Course Progress page in MySR for the most up to date information for your course.

Commencement Year 2019 - 1823.3 Bachelor of Arts (Pathway to Teaching Secondary) Dean's Scholars

Commencement Year Spring 2018 - 1823.2 Bachelor of Arts (Pathway to Teaching Secondary) Dean's Scholars

Commencement Year 2017 to Autumn 2018 - 1823.1 Bachelor of Arts (Pathway to Teaching Secondary) Dean's Scholars

Graduates of this degree are eligible for direct entry into the Master of Teaching (Secondary) via Transition to Teaching pathway. Completion of both the Bachelor’s and Master’s courses provides a teaching qualification for Secondary. Eligible students will receive advice during their final study session in the Bachelor of Arts (Pathway to Teaching Secondary) regarding how to accept an offer into the Postgraduate course to attain a teaching qualification.

The BA (Pathway to Teaching Secondary) Dean’s Scholars is a three year degree for high achieving students specially designed to lead into the Master of Teaching (Secondary), an accredited postgraduate teaching qualification. Together, the two degrees provide direct access to a teaching career in five years and improved prospects for career advancement. The Bachelor of Arts (Pathway to Teaching Secondary) Dean’s Scholars component provides focussed study in a teaching discipline, such as English, History, Mathematics, a Language Other than English or Human Society and Its Environment, as well as opportunity to study an Education Studies Sub-major that develops understandings of contemporary education issues, teaching and learning.

This degree is exclusively for high-achieving students. Students in the BA (Pathway to Teaching Secondary) Dean’s Scholars program are automatically enrolled in The Academy at Western Sydney University, which offers interdisciplinary leadership programs, professional development and local and international internship and engagement opportunities for students.

Director of Academic Program - Dr Di Dickenson

For further information concerning the requirements for secondary teaching, students are advised to consult the Subject Content Requirements for Primary and Secondary Teaching NSW (Abridged) from the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA).

Study Mode
Three years full-time or six years part-time.

Admission

Assumed knowledge: two units of HSC English.

Recommended studies: HSC English Standard, or equivalent.

ATAR score of at least 90 required.

Applications from Australian and New Zealand citizens and holders of permanent resident visas must be made via the Universities Admissions Centre (UAC). Use the links below to apply via UAC or Western Sydney University. Applications made directly to Western Sydney do not have an application fee.

Applicants who have undertaken studies overseas may have to provide proof of proficiency in English. Local and International applicants who are applying through the Universities Admissions Centre (UAC) will find details of minimum English proficiency requirements and acceptable proof on the UAC website. Local applicants applying directly to the University should also use the information provided on the UAC website.

http://www.uac.edu.au/

https://westernsydney.uac.edu.au/ws/

International applicants must apply directly to the Western Sydney University via the International Office.

International students applying to The University through the International Office can find details of minimum English proficiency requirements and acceptable proof on their website.

International Office

Overseas qualifications must be deemed by the Australian Education International - National Office of Overseas Skills Recognition (AEI-NOOSR) to be equivalent to Australian qualifications in order to be considered by UAC and Western Sydney University.

For students wishing to qualify as a teacher of music by completing the major “Music in Secondary Teaching”

Students undertaking this major will be selected on an interview/audition in which personal aptitude, professional experience and educational qualifications are taken into consideration. After you have applied to UAC you are required to book yourself in for an interview/audition and download a questionnaire at this University’s online audition booking system available at

Online audition booking system: https://admissions.westernsydney.edu.au/

If you have difficulty in accessing the web, call 1300 897 669. Please bring the completed questionnaire with you to the audition. At your audition you will be asked to perform from two contrasting pieces of music. For more information, please contact a Bachelor of Music Academic Course Advisor via the email address listed under Course Advice above.

Course Structure

Qualification for this award requires the successful completion of 240 credit points with no less than 60 credit points at Level 3 or higher.

All students must enrol in and complete:

40 credit points Bachelor of Arts Core
80 credit point Arts Major
40 credit point Education Studies sub-major
40 credit point sub-major from the list below or other approved area of study (contact your Course Advisor for further information)
20 credit points of electives
20 credit points from the Bachelor of Arts Engaged Learning pool

Core Components

The 40 credit points of core units are as follows

Year 1 Core units

102738

Australian Politics and Active Citizenship

102736

Diversity, Language and Culture

102735

Foundations of Academic English

102737

Thinking Critically About Texts and Society

Majors - First Teaching Area

All students must complete one of the following Majors. This will meet the NESA (NSW Education Standards Authority) content requirements for your first teaching area. Explanation of these Majors can be found under the program listings below.

Note: Not all majors are available on all campuses, please check availability.

Note: The following Majors and Sub-majors have inherent requirements; Arabic, Chinese, Indonesian and Japanese.

Click here for details of the Inherent Requirements

Arabic

Chinese

English

Geography and Urban Studies

Indonesian

Japanese

Mathematics

Modern History

Music for Secondary Teaching

Education Studies Sub-major

All students must complete the Education Studies Sub-major

SM1100

Education Studies

Second Teaching Area

All students must also complete a second different specialisation (major or sub-major) from the list below.

Please seek advice from an Academic Course Adviser about good first and second teaching area combinations.

Note: Not all Arts sub-majors are available on all campuses.

SM1077

Arabic

SM2052

Business Studies for Secondary Teaching

SM1078

Chinese

SM1116

Creative Writing

The Creative Writing sub-major is only available to students completing an English Major as their first teaching area

SM2053

Economics for Secondary Teaching

SM1071

English

SM1093

Geography and Urban Studies

SM1049

Indigenous Australian Studies

SM1112

Indonesian

SM1080

Japanese

SM1119

Linguistics

The Linguistics sub-major is only available to students completing an English Major as their first teaching area

Mathematics

Modern History

Studies of Religion

Physics

The Physics sub-major is only available to students completing a Mathematics major as their first teaching area. Note this sub-major on its own does not meet the NESA content requirements to become a secondary Physics teacher.

Bachelor of Arts Engaged Learning Pool Level 3 Units

Choose 20 credit points from

100961

Humanities Internship

Service Learning

Group Project

Study Tours

We Are The University: Students Co-creating Change

Recommended Full-time Sequence

Autumn session

BA core unit (Level 1)

BA core unit (Level 1) or Major unit*

Major unit or sub-major unit

*The number of BA core units on offer will vary depending on your campus of enrolment.

Spring session

BA core unit (Level 1)

BA core unit (Level 1) or Major unit

Major unit or sub-major unit

Elective sub-major unit

Year 2

Autumn session

Major unit

Education Studies or sub-major/second teaching area unit

Spring session

Major unit

Education Studies or sub-major/second teaching area unit

Year 3

Autumn session

Major unit

Education Studies or sub-major/second teaching area unit

Engaged Learning Pool unit

And one elective unit

Spring session

Major unit

Education Studies or sub-major/second teaching area unit

Engaged Learning Pool unit

And one elective unit