Bachelor of Arts (Pathway to Teaching Early Childhood/Primary)

This degree is for people who want to teach young children, but who also want a proper grounding in the social sciences before they commit to a teaching qualification. You spend three years studying sociology and related subjects, then move into a teaching degree, usually the Master of Teaching (Early Childhood or Primary), once you have finished. The sociology side matters more than it sounds. You look at how families, communities, class, culture and inequality shape the way children arrive at school and how they learn once they are there.

How the degree is put together

Like most Australian bachelor degrees, it runs over three years full time, split into semesters. You take units of study, eight standard units a year is the usual load, and each unit carries credit points. You need a set number of credit points to graduate, and the exact figure sits in the handbook. Expect core sociology units, some electives you choose yourself, and a sequence that prepares you for the teaching master's. Some versions of this pathway include a capstone unit in your final year where you pull your sociological thinking together into a research or applied project. Check the handbook for the current structure, because the units do shift.

What you actually study

Sociology units cover things like social theory, research methods, education and society, and the sociology of childhood or family life. You learn to read research critically, run a small study, write an argument, and talk about data without overselling it. Those are the same skills you use later when you are standing in front of a class deciding why a particular child is disengaged, or when you are writing to a parent, or when a school asks you to look at its NAPLAN results. Western Sydney University sits in one of the most culturally diverse parts of Australia, and the teaching placements that come with the pathway are generally in greater western Sydney schools, which is useful if you want to teach in a community that looks like the one you grew up in.

Who it suits

This suits school leavers and career changers who are sure about teaching but want more than a narrow methods course. If you are interested in why schools work the way they do, not just how to run a classroom, the sociology half will keep you interested. It also suits people who want a bit of room to change their mind: the bachelor degree stands on its own, so if you finish it and decide against teaching, you still have a social science qualification. If you are an international student, note the English requirement, teaching sits at the higher end, generally IELTS 7.0–7.5, above the 6.0–6.5 used for most undergraduate courses. The Student visa has its own separate English threshold set by the Department of Home Affairs, and while you hold that visa you can work up to 48 hours a fortnight during study. After you graduate, the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream may be available depending on your circumstances. Tuition is published on the CRICOS register under course code 110879G. Confirm the current structure, English requirements and fees on the official university page before you apply.

Most graduates use this degree as the first step into teaching, then complete a Master of Teaching to register as an early childhood or primary teacher. Beyond the classroom, the sociology background opens up other work in Australia.

• Early childhood teacher (after further teaching qualification and registration)
• Primary school teacher (after further teaching qualification and registration)
• Education support officer or teacher's aide in NSW public and Catholic schools
• Early learning centre educator or room leader
• Community services or family support worker
• Policy or research assistant in education departments and not-for-profits
• Youth worker or caseworker in community organisations
• Program coordinator in out-of-school-hours care or playgroups

The main employers are NSW public schools, Catholic and independent schools, early learning centres, community health and family services, local councils, and education-focused not-for-profits.