CRICOS Code: 061013A

This program applies to students who commenced in 2021 or later.

Students should follow the program structure for the session start date relevant to the year they commenced.

Commencement Year 2019 and 2020 - 1652.8 Bachelor of Arts (Pathway to Teaching Secondary)

Commencement Year 2017 and 2018 - 1652.7 Bachelor of Arts (Pathway to Teaching Secondary)

Commencement Year 2015 and 2016 - 1652.6 Bachelor of Arts (Pathway to Teaching Secondary)

Commencement Year 2013 and 2014 - 1652.5 Bachelor of Arts (Pathway to Teaching Secondary)

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 programs provides a teaching qualification for Secondary. Eligible students will receive advice during their final study session in the Bachelor of Arts (Pathway to Secondary) regarding how to accept an offer into the Postgraduate program to attain a teaching qualification.

The BA (Pathway to Teaching Secondary) is a three year degree 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 four years and improved prospects for career advancement. The Bachelor of Arts (Pathway to Teaching Secondary) component provides focussed study in a teaching discipline, such as English, History, a Language Other than English or Human Society and Its Environment, as well as opportunity to study an Education Studies Minor that develops understandings of contemporary education issues, teaching and learning. As well as being equipped with all the necessary elements of an initial teacher qualification, Bachelor of Arts (Pathway to Teaching Secondary) graduates are prepared for a wide range of alternate employment opportunities with strong communication and people skills, creativity and capacity for independent thought, flexibility and adaptability in new situations, all increasingly demanded by employers. 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).

https://educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/Subject Content Knowledge Requirements

• Director of Academic Program - Dr Charles Barbour

Study Mode

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

Program Advice

enquiriesHCA@westernsydney.edu.au

Prospective students should visit the following websites for general enquiries about this program.

Enquire about this program| Local Admission | International Admission |

Location

Location

Campus	Attendance	Mode	Advice
Bankstown City Campus	Full Time	Internal	See above
Bankstown City Campus	Part Time	Internal	See above
Parramatta Campus - Victoria Road	Full Time	Internal	See above
Parramatta Campus - Victoria Road	Part Time	Internal	See above
Penrith Campus	Full Time	Internal	See above
Penrith Campus	Part Time	Internal	See above

Admission

Assumed knowledge: two units of HSC English.

Recommended studies: HSC English Standard, or equivalent.

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

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

Applicants who have undertaken studies overseas may have to provide proof of proficiency in English. Local 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.

International students currently completing an Australian Year 12 in or outside Australia, an International Baccalaureate in Australia or a New Zealand National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) level 3 must apply via UAC International.

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

All other International applicants must apply directly to the 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 Program Advisor via the email address listed under Program Advice above.

Program 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 complete

• 40 credit points Bachelor of Arts Core subjects
• 80 credit point Arts Major from the list below
• 40 credit point Education Studies minor

And

• A second specialisation and electives, comprised of either:
  • 40 credit point minor from the list provided and 40 credit points of electives, or
  • 80 credit point major from the list below

BA Core Subjects (40 credit points)

Subject List

Subject	Title	Credit Points
HUMN 1052	Australian Politics and Active Citizenship	10
LANG 1030	Thinking Critically About Texts and Society	10
HUMN 1053	Diversity, Language and Culture	10
LANG 1029	Foundations of Academic English	10
Total Credit Points		40

Majors - First Teaching Area

All students must complete one of the following Majors. This will meet the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) 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.

Inherent Requirements

The following majors and minors have inherent requirements that must be met in order to complete the major or minor:  Arabic, Chinese and Japanese. Make sure you read and understand the requirements for these majors and minors online.

Click here for details of the Inherent Requirements

Education Studies - Secondary Teaching Minor

Please note that subjects within the Education Studies minor are mainly available at Bankstown or Penrith campuses with some subjects on offer at Parramatta Campus and online.

Education Studies - Secondary Teaching, Minor

Second Teaching Area

All students must also complete a second different major or minor from the list below.

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

Note:  not all majors and minors are available on all campuses, please check availability.

Note restrictions on some majors as follows:

• The Creative Writing major is only available to students completing an English Major as their first teaching area.
• The Linguistics major is only available to students completing an English Major as their first teaching area.

Majors

Minors

Note restrictions on some minors as follows:

• The Creative Writing minor is only available to students completing an English Major as their first teaching area.
• The Linguistics minor is only available to students completing an English Major as their first teaching area.

Replaced Minors

The minor listed below counts towards completion of this program for students who began studying this minor prior to the years indicated.

SM3050 Physics, discontinued 2020

• The Physics minor is only available to students completing a Mathematics major or minor. Note this minor on its own does not meet the NESA content requirements to become a secondary Physics teacher.

Additional Minors

Students with remaining elective subjects may complete an additional minor from the list below. Many of these minors may be used as an additional teaching area or to supplement your skills and knowledge.

Replaced Minors

The minors listed below count towards completion of this program for students who began studying these minors prior to the years indicated.

SM3038 Food Technology - Secondary Teaching, discontinued 2020

SM3050 Physics, discontinued 2020

• The Physics minor is only available to students completing a Mathematics major or minor. Note this minor on its own does not meet the NESA content requirements to become a secondary Physics teacher.

Recommended Full-time Sequence

Note that the number of Bachelor of Arts core subjects on offer each session will vary depending on your campus of enrolment.

Plan of Study Grid

Year 1
Autumn session		Credit Points
Select one BA core subject (Level 1)		10
Select one BA core subject (Level 1)		10
Select one BA core subject (Level 1) or Major subject		10
Select one Major subject or minor subject		10
	Credit Points	40
Spring session
Select one BA core subject (Level 1)		10
Select one BA core subject (Level 1) or Major subject		10
Select one Major subject or minor subject		10
Select one Elective minor subject		10
	Credit Points	40
Year 2
Autumn session
Select one Major subject		10
Select one Major subject		10
Select one Elective minor subject		10
Select one Elective minor subject		10
	Credit Points	40
Spring session
Select one Major subject		10
Select one Major subject		10
Select one Elective minor subject		10
Select one Elective minor subject		10
	Credit Points	40
Year 3
Autumn session
Select one Major subject		10
Select one Education Studies - Secondary Teaching minor subject		10
Select one Education Studies - Secondary Teaching minor subject		10
Select one Education Studies - Secondary Teaching or Elective minor subject		10
	Credit Points	40
Spring session
Select one Major subject		10
Select one Education Studies - Secondary Teaching minor subject		10
Select one Education Studies - Secondary Teaching minor subject		10
Select one Education Studies - Secondary Teaching or Elective minor subject		10
	Credit Points	40
	Total Credit Points	240

Minor elective spaces

Elective subjects may be used toward obtaining an additional approved minor (40 credit points).  Western Sydney University offers minors in a range of areas including Sustainability and Indigenous Studies.

Global Sustainability Minor 
Indigenous Australian Studies Minor

Western Sydney University also offers the following innovative transdisciplinary Challenge Minors which we encourage those students who have elective space to consider.

Equitable Technologies
Urban Evolution
Migration and Global Change  
Personal Innovation    
Innovating, Creating and Problem Solving 
Eco-Socially Conscious Design and Manufacturing
Water for Life 
Climate Justice
Creative and Visual Communication
Global Workplaces
Innovating For Humans 
Creative Living for Cultural Wellbeing  
Ideate.Strategise.Innovate.
Humanising Data

For more information, visit the Challenge Minor website.  

Search for majors and minors

Students can apply for an elective minor via Western Now.

WesternNow