Bachelor of Arts (Pathway to Teaching Secondary)

Western Sydney University

About

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) 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 five 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, 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.

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).

Structure

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

All students must complete

And

Either:

Core Components

The 40 credit points of core units are as follows

Code	Name
102738	Australian Politics and Active Citizenship

Code	Name
102737	Thinking Critically About Texts and Society

Code	Name
102736	Diversity, Language and Culture

Code	Name
102735	Foundations of Academic English

The core units listed below count towards completion of this course for students who passed these units in 2019 or earlier.

100958 - Australia and the World

100960 - Contemporary Society

100968 - Texts and Traditions

100846 - Analytical Reading and Writing

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.

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

Click here for details of the Inherent Requirements

Code	Name
M1059	Arabic

Code	Name
M1060	Chinese

Code	Name
M1053	English

Code	Name
M1071	Geography and Urban Studies

Code	Name
M1093	Indonesian

Code	Name
M1062	Japanese

Code	Name
M3054	Mathematics

Code	Name
M1118	Modern History

Code	Name
M1130	Music for Secondary Teaching

Education Studies Sub-major

Code	Name
SM1100	Education Studies

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

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 majors and sub-majors are available on all campuses, please check availability.

Code	Name
M1059	Arabic

Code	Name
M1060	Chinese

Code	Name
M1113	Creative Writing

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

Code	Name
M1053	English

Code	Name
M1071	Geography and Urban Studies

Code	Name
M1041	Indigenous Australian Studies

Code	Name
M1093	Indonesian

Code	Name
M1062	Japanese

Code	Name
M1119	Linguistics

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

Code	Name
M3054	Mathematics

Code	Name
M1118	Modern History

Code	Name
M1130	Music for Secondary Teaching

Code	Name
SM1077	Arabic

Code	Name
SM2052	Business Studies for Secondary Teaching

Code	Name
SM1078	Chinese

Code	Name
SM1116	Creative Writing

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

Code	Name
SM1071	English

Code	Name
SM1093	Geography and Urban Studies

Code	Name
SM1049	Indigenous Australian Studies

Code	Name
SM1112	Indonesian

Code	Name
SM1080	Japanese

Code	Name
SM1119	Linguistics

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

Code	Name
SM3025	Mathematics

Code	Name
SM1134	Modern History

Please note: SM1121 Modern History has been replaced by SM1134 Modern History for students who commence this course from the 2020 academic year. Continuing students enrolled in SM1121 are able to remain in and successfully complete the unit requirements of this specialisation.

Code	Name
SM1136	Studies of Religion

Code	Name
SM3050	Physics

The Physics sub-major is only available to students completing a Mathematics major or sub-major.

Note this sub-major on its own does not meet the NESA content requirements to become a secondary Physics teacher.

Students with remaining elective units may complete an additional sub-major from the list below. Many of these sub-majors may be used as an additional teaching area or to supplement your skills and knowledge.

Code	Name
SM1077	Arabic

Code	Name
SM2052	Business Studies for Secondary Teaching

Code	Name
SM1078	Chinese

Code	Name
SM1116	Creative Writing

Code	Name
SM1070	Cultural and Social Analysis

Code	Name
SM2053	Economics for Secondary Teaching

Code	Name
SM1071	English

Code	Name
SM3038	Food Technology - Secondary Teaching

Code	Name
SM1093	Geography and Urban Studies

Code	Name
SM1049	Indigenous Australian Studies

Code	Name
SM1112	Indonesian

Code	Name
SM1073	International Relations and Asian Studies

Code	Name
SM1074	Islamic Studies

Code	Name
SM1080	Japanese

Code	Name
SM1119	Linguistics

Code	Name
SM3025	Mathematics

Code	Name
SM1134	Modern History

Code	Name
SM1076	Philosophy

Code	Name
SM1136	Studies of Religion

Code	Name
SM3050	Physics

The Physics sub-major is only available to students completing a Mathematics major or sub-major.

Note this sub-major on its own does not meet the NESA content requirements to become a secondary Physics teacher.

Recommended Full-time Sequence

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.

BA core unit (Level 1)

BA core unit (Level 1) or Major unit

Major unit or sub-major unit

Elective sub-major unit

Major unit

Education Studies or Elective sub-major unit

Major unit

Education Studies or Elective sub-major unit

Major unit

Education Studies or Elective sub-major unit

Major unit

Education Studies or Elective sub-major unit

Sub-major Elective Spaces

Elective units may be used toward obtaining an additional approved sub-major (40 credit points).

Western Sydney University offers sub-majors in a range of areas including Sustainability and Indigenous Studies.

Indigenous Australian Studies Sub-major

Global Sustainability Sub-major

Search for sub-majors

Students can apply for an elective major or sub-major via MySR.

MyStudentRecords (MySR)

Institution