Young woman teaching a group of infant aged children

Study to become a teacher: this is how you do it

Dreaming of a career where you can have a positive impact? Want to be a role model? And lead a balanced lifestyle? Then study to become a teacher! But where do you start? The path to becoming an inspirational in-demand teacher starts at Charles Sturt University. After all, when you study with the #1 uni in Australia for grads who get jobs, you set yourself up for career success.

Your journey to becoming a teacher

Here are the steps you’ll need to take to be a teacher in New South Wales.

Find the right undergraduate teaching course for you

Firstly, you’ll need to have an idea of the type of teacher you want to be. Maths, science, English, history – you name it. When you’re considering a career in teaching, it helps to know which subjects you’d like to teach. Enjoy a bit of everything? You could be well suited to becoming a primary teacher where you’ll teach a broad range of subjects. Have a particular goal to teach in a kindergarten? Then you can specialise as an early years educator.

Wherever you want to take your career, Charles Sturt University’s undergraduate education courses have got you covered.

Bachelor of Education (Birth to Five Years)

Early years educators are in demand. Learn online with practical work placements in real educational settings throughout your course.

Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood and Primary)1

Become an in-demand educator and help children thrive. You’ll obtain extensive experience using the latest equipment and techniques found in schools and early childhood services.

Bachelor of Education (K–12)

Get qualified to teach children from early childhood to age 12. This is your opportunity opportunity to become a teacher with the skills and knowledge to teach in both primary and secondary schools.

Apply to Charles Sturt to study to become a teacher

If you’re in Year 12 and want to study your teaching degree on campus – such as Bathurst, Port Macquarie or Wagga Wagga – you’ll apply to study with Charles Sturt via UAC or VTAC. If you’re coming to teaching after a bit of time in the workforce and/or want to study online, then you can simply apply direct to us.

Study to become a teacher!

Your degree will usually take around four years of full-time study. Moreover, at Charles Sturt, you can expect to do plenty of hands-on learning and placements in schools. This is where you’ll get to test out all your new skills, learn from other educators and also find your feet as a teacher. In fact, you’ll get hands-on from day one!

Apply for approval to teach in NSW schools

It’s time to prepare yourself for your teaching career. If you’re applying to teach in NSW schools, you’ll need approval to teach with the NSW Department of Education. This is done online. Once you’re in your final year of study, you can start the process with a graduate teacher application. This option lets you apply for a 12-month interim approval to teach. You’ll also need to provide a range of professional experience/practicum reports and academic transcripts. You can also expect to undertake teacher suitability assessments and interviews online too. Check teach.NSW for info on becoming a teacher.

Graduation

Congratulations!

(Just imagine what it’s going to feel like walking across the stage at graduation to receive your teaching degree.)

Get accredited with NESA

As a first-time teacher, you’ll need to be accredited to work in schools or centre-based early childhood services. You could be granted conditional or provisional accreditation. Apply for conditional accreditation if you’re in your last year of study and provisional if you’ve completed an approved teaching degree. Here’s some helpful information on the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) accreditation process.

Apply for teaching positions… and become a teacher!

The time has come to apply for your first teaching gig! It’s a good idea to become familiar with the teach.NSW website so you can start job hunting as soon as you’re qualified. Here, you’ll find loads of job opportunities, from rural and remote jobs, to temporary, casual and also permanent teaching positions.

Ready to study to become a teacher?

So, let’s do this! Next step: choose your course.

#1 in NSW for education postgrads who get jobs.

Good Universities Guide 2023/24

1Cricos: 017967E