Bachelor of Dance Education

The Bachelor of Dance Education at The Australian College of Physical Education is a four-year teaching degree for people who want to teach dance in Australian schools. It sits in the curriculum and instruction field, which means the focus is on how dance is taught, assessed and made meaningful for school students, not just on your own technique. You will study dance practice across styles, dance history and appreciation, safe dance practice and movement analysis, alongside the education units that lead to teacher registration. Expect units in curriculum planning, pedagogy, assessment and reporting, child and adolescent development, and inclusive education. The course also covers the senior secondary dance syllabus work you will eventually teach, so you graduate knowing how to take a class from Year 7 through to Year 12.

Australian bachelor degrees normally run three years full time, and this one runs four because it includes a teaching qualification and the professional experience that goes with it. Study is organised by semester or trimester, with each unit carrying a set number of credit points. You need to pass the required units and accumulate the credit points set by the college before you can graduate. The final year usually includes a professional experience placement in a school, where you plan and teach dance classes under the supervision of a registered teacher. Some students complete a capstone or research unit that ties together the teaching and dance sides of the degree. Work-integrated learning is central here because teaching is a registered profession, and placement is how you build the classroom hours you need.

What you gain is practical: the ability to write a dance unit of work, run a safe and inclusive class, manage a studio or gym space, choreograph for school performances, and assess student work against syllabus outcomes. You also build the general teaching skills that apply across the school day, including behaviour management, literacy and numeracy strategies, and working with parents and colleagues. Graduates are prepared for the classroom and for the admin side of teaching, which takes up more time than most people expect.

This degree suits school leavers who have danced seriously and want to teach, as well as mature students coming from studio teaching, community dance or the professional dance world who want a registered teaching qualification. If you want to teach dance in a high school, run a school dance programme, or move into curriculum leadership later, this is the pathway. International applicants need to meet the college's English requirement, and teaching courses in Australia generally ask for a higher IELTS score than other degrees, so check the published requirement before you apply. Student visa holders can work up to 48 hours per fortnight while studying, and graduates may be eligible for the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream. Tuition is published on the CRICOS register. Confirm all details, including placement requirements and registration steps, on the official page.

• Secondary school dance teacher in government, Catholic and independent schools
• Primary school teacher with a dance or performing arts specialisation
• Dance studio or private dance school teacher and programme coordinator
• Community arts and youth dance facilitator with councils and arts organisations
• Curriculum developer or resource writer for dance and performing arts education
• School dance coordinator or head of performing arts (with experience)
• Arts education officer in galleries, theatres and cultural institutions