Professional Certificate in Arts Education

The introduction of a national arts curriculum is a significant development for education in Australia. The Professional Certificate in Arts Education provides comprehensive support to teachers as they implement this reform.

The Melbourne Graduate School of Education and the School of Arts Education combine disciplinary and pedagogical expertise to explore connections between artistic practice and pedagogy that reflect the structure of the Australian Curriculum: The Arts where the two strands – Making and Exploring – are interdependent. The Certificate equips teachers to acquire knowledge and skills in the distinctive forms of learning in the visual and performing arts and how outcomes of this learning are evidenced in research, literature, praxis, policy change and advocacy. Students will engage in artistic processes, presentations/performances and the examination of their beliefs associated with being an artist and teacher.

The Professional Certificate will prepare students to: develop knowledge and understanding of educational theory and practice in arts education; engage in thinking and express informed opinions through analysis of primary and secondary sources; demonstrate sufficient depth of knowledge and understanding to design, use and evaluate resources for teaching the arts; and show an understanding of recent developments in education research within arts education.

On completion of this Professional Certificate students should:

• Be skilled professionals who can effectively articulate and justify their teaching practices;
• Understand the significance of developing their practice on the basis of research evidence;
• Demonstrate highly developed analytic and problem-solving skills;
• Demonstrate a capacity for independent critical thought, inquiry and self-directed learning;
• Have the capacity to participate fully in collaborative learning and to confront unfamiliar problems;
• Demonstrate openness to new ideas, intellectual curiosity and creativity.

There are two compulsory subjects:

• EDUC90606 The Arts: Engagement and Learning
• EDUC90607 Teaching and Artistic Practice

Compulsory Subjects

The Selection Committee will evaluate the applicant’s ability to pursue the course successfully using the following criteria –

• an undergraduate degree and a fourth-year level education qualification, or equivalent, or
• a four-year education degree, or equivalent.

2. The Selection Committee may conduct interviews and tests and may call for referee reports or employer references to elucidate any of the matters referred to above.

The Melbourne Graduate School of Education welcomes applications from students with disabilities. It is University and Graduate School policy to take reasonable steps to enable the participation of students with disabilities, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student’s participation in the Graduate School’s programs.

The core participation requirements for study in the Melbourne Graduate School of Education are:

In all courses

1. The ability to comprehend complex information related to education and the disciplines in which the student is teaching.
2. The ability to communicate clearly and independently in assessment tasks a knowledge of the content, principles and practices relating to education and other relevant disciplines.
3. Behavioural and social attributes that enable a student to participate in a complex learning environment. Students are required to take responsibility for their own participation and learning. They also contribute to the learning of other students in collaborative learning environments, demonstrating interpersonal skills and an understanding of the needs of other students. Assessment may include the outcomes of tasks completed in collaboration with other students.

Students who feel a disability will prevent them from meeting the above academic requirements are encouraged to contact Disability Liaison.

Graduates may progress to a range of other graduate coursework programs.

The Professional Certificate (Arts Education) will enable graduates to achieve the following University of Melbourne Graduate Attributes:

Academically excellent

Graduates will be expected to:

• have a strong sense of intellectual integrity and the ethics of scholarship
• have in-depth knowledge of their specialist discipline(s)
• reach a high level of achievement in writing, generic research activities, problem-solving and communication
• be critical and creative thinkers, with an aptitude for continued self-directed learning
• be adept at learning in a range of ways, including through information and communication technologies

Knowledgeable across disciplines

Graduates will be expected to:

• examine critically, synthesise and evaluate knowledge across a broad range of disciplines
• expand their analytical and cognitive skills through learning experiences in diverse subjects
• have the capacity to participate fully in collaborative learning and to confront unfamiliar problems
• have a set of flexible and transferable skills for different types of employment

Leaders in communities

Graduates will be expected to:

• initiate and implement constructive change in their communities, including professions and workplaces
• have excellent interpersonal and decision-making skills, including an awareness of personal strengths and limitations
• mentor future generations of learners
• engage in meaningful public discourse, with a profound awareness of community needs

Attuned to cultural diversity

Graduates will be expected to:

• value different cultures
• be well-informed citizens able to contribute to their communities wherever they choose to live and work
• have an understanding of the social and cultural diversity in our community
• respect indigenous knowledge, cultures and values

Active global citizens

Graduates will be expected to:

• accept social and civic responsibilities
• be advocates for improving the sustainability of the environment

In addition to learning specific skills associated with the Professional Certificate in Arts Education, graduates will develop the following generic skills:

• Cognitive, technical and creative skills to investigate, analyse and synthesise complex information, problems, concepts and theories and to apply established theories to educational knowledge or practice;
• communication and technical research skills to justify and interpret theoretical propositions, methodologies, conclusions that inform professional decisions in the field of education;
• technical and communication skills to design, evaluate, implement, analyse, and theorise about developments in education research that contribute to professional practice or scholarship in the field of education.