PG Certificate in Educational Studies (Inclusion and Special Education)

The Postgraduate Certificate in Education (Special Education, Inclusion & Early Intervention) is designed to meet the current guidelines of the Department of Education and Training in the training of teachers in special education. It addresses the need for all teachers to undergo ongoing training to fulfill the requirements for teacher registration as stipulated by the Victorian Institute of Teaching. The course is aimed at addressing the current international and local philosophy and practices inclusion, and the criteria established by the Council of Exceptional Children, an international professional association for special educators.

Students completing the Postgraduate Certificate in Educational Studies (Inclusion and Special Education) will be able to:

• Acquire knowledge and understanding in the general area of special education and specific practices
• Acquire and extend the knowledge on specific disabilities and impairments, and the impact on learning, language and social development
• Acquire knowledge of and apply informal and formal assessments
• Demonstrate skills in the design and implementation of Learning Support Plans
• Interpret, translate and apply current research in special education effectively in the learning and social environments of young children and students with a disability and impairment.

The course is comprised of two compulsory subjects and two elective subjects taken over one year part-time:

Compulsory Subjects

Elective Subjects (select two)

An applicant may be eligible for entry into the Postgraduate Certificate in Educational Studies (Special Education) if the applicant has:

• completed an approved degree and an approved teaching qualification or equivalent; or
• completed an approved four-year teaching degree or equivalent; or
• completed an approved equivalent qualification which is recognised by the Faculty as evidence of adequate preparation for the course and has a record of professional or teaching experience in a field and at a level acceptable to the Faculty.

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Student Support and Engagement Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Overview, Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Generic Skills sections of this entry.

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability may impact on meeting the requirements of this subject are encouraged to discuss this matter with a Faculty Student Adviser and Student Equity and Disability Support: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/disability