The Dual degree program, Bachelor of Fine Arts Bachelor of Education (Secondary) (BFA BEd) is a four-year program (192 UOC) for intending secondary school teachers. The program is a nationally accredited pre-service qualification.

The program enables students to pursue a teaching specialisation in Visual Arts, with the option of a second teaching specialisation in Graphics and Multimedia Technology. The program covers both theoretical and practical aspects of education, including 80 days supervised professional experience in at least two different secondary schools.

The aim of the UNSW BEd (Secondary) is to prepare its graduates for careers as secondary school teachers. It seeks to do this by providing instruction and experience in the areas of educational theory, pedagogy, planning, diversity and management.

The Graduate Attributes for the UNSW BEd (Secondary) are as follows:

The BFA program aims to:

1. Provide an opportunity for students to undertake rigorous and demanding studies at tertiary level from a wide range of approaches and disciplines within the visual arts.
   
2. Provide the opportunity for students to explore the visual arts through a critical examination of the possibilities they offer and by use of available technological resources.
   
3. Encourage students to develop increased self-motivation as developing independent and professional practitioners.
   
4. Provide students with:
   • an understanding of concepts relevant to aesthetics and the visual arts;
   • understanding of various media through practice and experimentation with such media;
   • an understanding of research practice in fine arts, and a capacity to engage with research;
   • a confidence and competence in decision making, together with an appreciative and informed awareness of viewpoints in the visual arts other than their own; and
   • an understanding of the historical and theoretical underpinning of contemporary fine art practice.
5. Encourage students to realise their own intellectual and creative potential.
   
6. Increase students' awareness of, and sensitivity to, their environment.

The basic requirements for the BEd in Dual mode (96 UOC) are:

Professional Experience

EDST2002, EDST6760 and EDST6761 provide students with a total of 80 days of professional experience in secondary schools and other educational settings.

Prescribed Education Methods

Students complete two courses in Visual Arts Method (12 UOC) and two courses in either Extension Visual Arts Method or Graphics and Multimedia Technology Method (12 UOC).

The teaching specialisation requirements are summarised below:

 

Prescribed Education Electives

A Prescribed Education Elective is any course chosen by the student from the offerings of the School of Education.

English Proficiency

Proficiency in English is essential in all Education courses.

It is expected that all applicants will have a Higher School Certificate minimum Band 5 in Standard English, English as a Second Language or Advanced English, or an overall IELTS score of 7.5, with a minimum of 8.0 in Speaking and Listening and a minimum of 7.0 in Reading and Writing, or the equivalent.

Participation and Enrolment Requirements

National Literacy & Numeracy Test for Initial Teacher Education Students (LANTITE)

Well trained, skilled and knowledgeable teachers provide the foundation for a high quality education system in which every Australian student receives excellent teaching. The National Literacy and Numeracy Test for Initial Teacher Education Students is designed to assess initial teacher education students’ personal literacy and numeracy skills to ensure teachers are well equipped to meet the demands of teaching and assist higher education providers, teacher employers and the general public to have increased confidence in the skills of graduating teachers.

The test has been introduced to assess those aspects of initial teacher education students’ personal literacy and numeracy skills that can be measured through an online assessment tool. All students enrolled in an initial teacher education course (either undergraduate or postgraduate) will be expected to sit and pass the test prior to graduation. At UNSW, you must complete the LANTITE test prior to starting your first teaching placement in EDST6760 Professional Experience 1.

In 2017 during the transition you have to be registered to take the LANTITE test before going on placement. As of Semester 2 2017 you will have taken and passed the LANTITE test before going out on your placement. The Professional Experience Handbook 2017 states that you are eligible to take EDST6760 if you have had a pass in the National Literacy and Numeracy test. You are supplied with information for the tests though Moodle and the link is provided at https://teacheredtest.acer.edu.au

Working with Children Check

The Commission for Children and Young People Act 1998 introduced mandatory requirements for background checking of people working with children. All Teacher Education Students must complete a Volunteer Working With Children Check having listened to a child protection lecture online and successfully completed a quiz.

Anaphylaxis Training & Certification

NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) and the Department of Education and Communities (DEC) require that all initial Teacher Education Students have training in managing anaphylaxis. The Director-General, DEC, has mandated the completion of anaphylaxis e-training for all permanent, temporary and casual employees who work in schools. Subsequently, all Teacher Education Students must complete the anaphylaxis e-training module provided by the Australian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA) in conjunction with practice using an adrenaline autoinjector training device prior to commencing any student placement in schools.

The e-training is a free, online module available at http://etraining.allergy.org.au/. On successful completion of the online module, participants will receive a certificate of completion which should be printed immediately. Students will then need to arrange with the Professional Experience Office practice using the adrenaline auto-injector training device and have this component of the training signed off before they commence their placement. Students are then required to upload this signed certificate to the OPS. NESA and the DEC require that students also present a copy of their certificate of completion to principals at the commencement of their professional experience placements. Students should also retain a copy of the certificate for future use within the two years of the certificate’s currency.

The NSW DEC advises that student teachers who do not successfully complete this training, as verified by the university and the principal of their placement school, will not be able to undertake professional experience activities in NSW public schools. The training is required to be successfully undertaken every two years. This is the only training that will be accepted by the DEC to meet the requirement of anaphylaxis training for initial Teacher Education Student

Award with Distinction

You are eligible for the award of your Pass Degree "with Distinction" if you achieve a Weighted Average Mark (WAM) of at least 75 in all courses and complete at least 50% of the requirements of your award at UNSW.

Honours

After completion of 144 UOC including all of the requirements of the Bachelor of Education (Secondary) dual degree, high achieving students may apply for admission to the Bachelor of Education (Secondary) (Honours) program 4509. A minimum WAM of 70 in the Bachelor of Education (Secondary) component of the dual degree is required for entry into Honours.

Bachelor of Education (Secondary) (Honours) program 4509

Academic Rules

To qualify for the award of the degree at Pass level, a student must:

Requirements for the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dual Mode

Program Structure

The basic requirements for the BFA in Dual mode (96 UOC) are:

UNSW Art & Design Studios

Students choose from the following UNSW Art & Design Studios:

Fine Arts Studios:

Design Studios:

Media Arts Studios:

Contextual Studies

Students must complete 12 UOC in Contextual Studies, normally in their 2nd year, from approved courses (as listed below):

For information regarding fees for UNSW programs, please refer to the following website:  UNSW Fee Website.

The Academic Rules for the UNSW BFA BEd (Secondary) and the online enrolment facility provide students with a wide range of course choices. The online enrolment facility checks that students meet the enrolment requirements for individual courses but not that a course complies with Program Rules. Students are responsible for ensuring they are enrolling in accordance with the Academic Rules outlined above. Students should not assume that because they have enrolled in a course online that the course is automatically credited to their degree program.

Contact the UNSW Arts and Social Sciences Student Centre for advice.
Tel: + 61 2 9385 2289
Email: arts@unsw.edu.au
Location: Room G1 Ground Floor, Morven Brown building (C20)
Opening Hours: Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm
Frequently asked questions