Professional Certificate in History Education

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

The Melbourne Graduate School of Education and the School of Historical and Philosophical Studies combine disciplinary and pedagogical expertise to explore a range of topics drawn from the Australian Curriculum (The Ancient World, The Ancient to the Modern World, The Making of the Modern World, and The Modern World and Australia). The national curriculum explores Australian history in a world context. The certificate equips teachers to adopt this approach. It also engages with the exciting area of historical thinking.

Students examine leading international models of historical thinking and use them to enhance their teaching. They also develop teaching resources for use in schools.

On completion of this Professional Certificate students should:

• Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of theory and practice in history education;
• Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of a range of historical periods included in the Australian Curriculum (including social, political, economic and cultural developments);
• Engage in historical thinking through analysis of primary and secondary sources;
• Critically analyse leading models of historical thinking and their implications for learning and teaching;
• Demonstrate sufficient depth of knowledge and understanding to design, use and evaluate resources for teaching history.

There are two compulsory subjects.

Core subjects

1. In order to be considered for entry, applicants must have completed:
• either
– an undergraduate degree and a fourth-year level teaching qualification, or equivalent, or
– a four-year teaching degree, or equivalent.
Meeting these requirements does not guarantee selection.

2. In ranking applications, the Selection Committee will consider:
• prior academic performance.

3. The Selection Committee may seek further information to clarify any aspect of an application in accordance with the Student Application and Selection Procedure.

4. Applicants are required to satisfy the university’s English language requirements for postgraduate courses. For those applicants seeking to meet these requirements by one of the standard tests approved by the Academic Board, performance band 7 is required.

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.

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.