Overview 2024
Location
This course may not be available to international students. Please see the list of distance courses (i.e. online and taken outside Australia) that are offered to international students
View archived years for this course
For years prior to 2015, please view the Course and Unit Handbook Archive
View the current year's course page
This course values the critical role that Education Support workers play in enabling learners to overcome their barriers to learning success. As a distinctive profession in its own right, Education Support is critical to the provision of educational access and equity, particularly for children and adults who may have distinct learning difficulties, lack confidence or motivation in learning, or who might otherwise be disengaged or marginalised from conventional educational systems or practices.
The course is informed by core theoretical knowledge and evidence-based practice in learning support. It is underpinned by a strong research-practice nexus and is guided by our Faculty’s commitment to social justice as a core value for the work that educators and education support workers do. By experiencing a curriculum that values access and equity, and embeds inclusive education practices as well as attention to social and emotional learning, our students come to recognise that positive relationships with self, others, cultures and place are critical to learning success.
By working with partners to provide work-integrated learning opportunities, we guide and mentor our students to embark on personally and professionally fulfilling learning pathways as they develop:
- an empathic, critically reflective and global perspective;
- a collaborative and contextual approach;
- the capacity to work effectively in highly diverse contexts;
- the capacity to be creative and resilient practitioners, and lifelong learners.
We engage with students at all stages of their journey toward becoming confident education support workers capable of making a real difference to people’s lives.
Learning Outcomes
Career outcomes
Graduates will be highly sought in education careers and in particular in classroom settings as Integration Aides, Teacher Assistants, and School Support Officers. Graduates will also be highly sought after in the industry training sector, and will be suited to communication-based jobs, public relations and other sectors that value graduates with well-developed problem-solving, communication and critical thinking skills.
Course structure
The Associate Degree in Education Support requires the completion of 200 credit points comprising:
- 175 credit points of Core Units
- 25 credit points of Elective units
It is strongly recommended that you complete EDU106 Academic Literacies in your first semester of study. This unit introduces you to the expectations of university study and assists you to develop the skills you need to engage successfully with higher education.
If you are starting in 2023 you can find your course planner here. Your course planner gives you a visual representation of your course and will help you plan which units to enrol in and when.
For course planners from previous years, refer to the handbook entry for that year.
Year 1
This unit introduces you to the study of teaching as a profession and provides opportunities for you to critically examine the nature of teachers’ work. Through reflecting on your past educational experiences and dispositions (that is, your attitudes and beliefs)…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Launceston | Semester 1 | ||||
| Launceston | Semester 2 | ||||
| Cradle Coast | Semester 1 | ||||
| Online | Semester 1 | ||||
| Online | Semester 2 | ||||
This introductory unit prepares educators from a variety of disciplines to meet the maturational needs of diverse learners by providing a foundational base of knowledge regarding physical and cognitive development from conception through adulthood, with an emphasis on early childhood…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online | Semester 2 | ||||
| Online | Summer school | ||||
View all details for EDU104 Growth and Motor Development Across the Lifespan
Do you know how you learn best? Do you know what skills you will need to be successful in your university studies? Academic literacies are the skills that you need to engage successfully with higher education, and this is a…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Launceston | Semester 1 | ||||
| Cradle Coast | Semester 1 | ||||
| Online | Semester 1 | ||||
| Online | Semester 2 | ||||
This unit introduces you to pedagogies appropriate for supporting the learning of literacy in classrooms. Opportunities are provided for you to develop your personal literacy skills and identify where these skills can be applied in the context of education support.…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online | Semester 1 | ||||
This unit introduces concepts and theories that deepen and broaden your understanding of the professional activity undertaken by education support workers in the classroom. It discusses the practical skills required in work contexts and provides opportunities to critically examine the…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online | Semester 1 | ||||
This unit introduces you to pedagogies appropriate for supporting the learning of mathematics in classrooms. The unit will provide opportunities for you to develop your personal numeracy skills and to identify where these skills can be applied in the context…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online | Semester 1 | ||||
This unit will assist you to develop your understanding of working with children in the classroom in a support capacity. It will provide opportunities to engage in practical activities through work-integrated learning, online collaboration, and discussion. The unit has a…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online | Semester 2 | ||||
In this unit you will learn about Music and the Visual Arts as key areas of the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) and the Australian Curriculum: The Arts. You will become familiar with the research that supports the practice of…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Launceston | Semester 2 | ||||
| Cradle Coast | Semester 2 | ||||
| Online | Semester 2 | ||||
View all details for EPR130 Arts Education: Music & Visual Arts
Year 2
The unit will explore the theoretical and practical issues concerned with establishing and maintaining positive learning environments that allow all students to participate fully in educational opportunities. The unit will explore preventive strategies to establish a positive classroom climate in…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Launceston | Semester 1 | ||||
| Cradle Coast | Semester 1 | ||||
| Online | Semester 1 | ||||
| Online | Summer school | ||||
In this second English unit, you will further the work commenced in ESH110/EPR110 in language, closely integrating this with the Literacy Strand of the Australian Curriculum: English. The unit has a particular focus on contemporary approaches to the teaching of…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Launceston | Semester 1 | ||||
| Cradle Coast | Semester 1 | ||||
| Online | Semester 1 | ||||
View all details for EPR210 Developing Understandings of English
This unit focuses on the nature of inclusive education in the 21st century, with an emphasis on diversity and exceptionality. Based on a philosophical foundation that values every child/student and acknowledges the right of every child/student to the most appropriate…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Launceston | Semester 1 | ||||
| Cradle Coast | Semester 1 | ||||
| Online | Semester 1 | ||||
View all details for EPR303 Inclusive Practices in Education Settings
This unit provides a range of strategies to cater for students with diverse needs in learning mathematics. The learning needs may include: difficulties directly related to the learning of mathematics, such as dyscalculia; difficulties that are not directly related to…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online | Semester 2 | ||||
This is the first of four units of study that focuses on contemporary issues relating to the health of young people in Australian society. The unit emphasis follows the Teaching as Inquiry model by having a focus inquiry, whereby you…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Launceston | Semester 1 | ||||
This unit extends your understanding of the emotional, intellectual, spiritual, interpersonal, social and environmental dimensions of health and wellness. The content focuses on critical aspects of social and emotional learning (SEL) to ensure you can successfully implement a program of…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online | Semester 1 | ||||
Elective
This unit explores the relationships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous, histories perspectives and cultures. It encourages you to develop an ethical position grounded in critical reflection which will enable you to identify and challenge racial and social…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Launceston | Semester 2 | ||||
| Cradle Coast | Semester 2 | ||||
| Online | Semester 2 | ||||
| Online | Summer school | ||||
This unit is designed for educators with an interest in special and/or inclusive education. The Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians (MYCEETYA, 2008) and the Disability Standards for Education (2005) make it clear that students with disability should…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online | Semester 2 | ||||
View all details for EES201 Educating Students with Multiple Disabilities
This unit focuses on the theories behind student disengagement and takes a solution focused approach towards re-engagement practices. By the end of this unit, you will have developed a comprehensive understanding of the risk factors that lead to student disengagement,…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online | Semester 2 | ||||
¿Young children develop their abilities to communicate, make meaning, represent ideas, and problem-solve in many ways. Literacy development begins at birth, while mathematical thinking flourishes as they begin to explore their world. In this unit, you will explore how this…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online | Semester 1 | ||||
View all details for EPR301 Literacy and Numeracy 5 to 8 years
This unit is designed for students enrolled in the Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood) specialising in teaching young children from birth to 8 years. The unit introduces and interrogates current early childhood curriculum frameworks that guide reflective practice in child…
Credit Points: 12.5
This unit is currently unavailable.
View all details for ESH105 Curriculum and Pedagogy in Early Childhood
This unit will provide opportunities to briefly explore past practices to deepen understanding of current practices in early childhood settings. Historical teaching practices are embedded within, and inform, contemporary practices. The past therefore, informs the present and potentially future practice…
Credit Points: 12.5
This unit is currently unavailable.
View all details for ESH241 Early Childhood Theories of Teaching and Learning
The importance of play is recognised as being integral to young childrens learning and development and is therefore, embedded within the Early Years Learning Framework. This unit comprises of three modules, namely: What is play? Play and the curriculum; and…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online | Semester 2 | ||||
This unit explores Indigenous lived realities through an Indigenous lens. Using the theoretical concept of the lifeworld, the focus is the Palawa/Aboriginal People of Lutruwita/Tasmania but includes a comparative study of Navajo (US) peoples to demonstrate the shared historic, socio-cultural…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online | Semester 2 | ||||
View all details for HSS113 Indigenous Lifeworlds: Sovereignty, Justice, Society
This unit explores Indigenous lived realities through an Indigenous lens. Using the theoretical concept of the lifeworld, the focus is the Palawa/Aboriginal People of lutruwita/Tasmania. Country is integral to Palawa knowledge and wellbeing, and core learnings are built around a…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online | Semester 2 | ||||
View all details for HUM113 Indigenous Lifeworlds: Story, History, Country
Entry requirements
For Domestic students
We recommend students enrolling in this course undertake at least one day of paid or volunteer work in a classroom setting. If you are providing home schooling we recommend that you are registered with the Home Education Advisory Council to provide home schooling.
Domestic applicants who have recently completed secondary education
Applicants are ranked by ATAR and offers made based on the number of places available. In 2023, the lowest ATAR to receive an offer into this course was 51.4. The lowest ATAR to receive an offer may change from year to year based on the number of applications we receive.
Applicants who have recently completed senior secondary studies but have not received an ATAR may still be eligible for admission. We will consider your study plan and subject results on a case-by-case basis when we assess your application.
Domestic Applicants with Higher education study
- Completed University Preparation Program or equivalent or;
- Successful completion of 1 (12.5 credit point) undergraduate unit of study
Domestic applicants with VET / TAFE study
- = Certificate III or equivalent in any discipline
Domestic applicants with work and life experience
- Statement of personal competencies (includes work and life experience)
Special Consideration
If your ability to access or participate in education has been affected by circumstances beyond your control, you can apply for special consideration as part of your application. We will consider a range of factors for special consideration, including economic hardship, a serious medical condition or disability.
We can only approve applications for special consideration where we are confident that you have the necessary skills and knowledge to succeed in your studies. If your application is not approved, the admissions team will work with you to find the best alternative pathway to your chosen course.
For International students
This course is not available to international applicants. International students may consider the following alternative courses:
Articulation
If you have completed the Undergraduate Certificate in Education Support, you can receive advanced standing for four 12.5 credit point units of the Associate degree in Education Support.
Detailed Admissions Information
Detailed admissions information and advice for all undergraduate courses, including comprehensive, course-level student profiles, is available from UTAS Admissions.
Fees & scholarships
Domestic students
Cost shouldn’t get in the way of you studying.
If you’re a domestic student, you may be eligible for a Commonwealth Supported Place in this course. This means your fees will be subsidised by the Australian Government. You’ll only need to pay the student contribution amount for each unit you study within the course.
You may also be able to defer payment of the student contribution amount by accessing a HECS-HELP loan from the Government. If eligible, you’ll only have to pay your tuition fees once you start earning above a specific amount.
Further information is available at Scholarships, fees and costs.
Student contributionStudent contribution amounts are charged for each unit of study. This means that how much you’ll pay will depend on which units you choose. Find out more about student contribution amounts.
Further informationDetailed fee information for domestic students is available at Scholarships, fees and costs, including additional information in relation to the compulsory Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF).
Scholarships
For information on general scholarships available at the University of Tasmania, please visit the scholarships website.
How can we help?
Do you have any questions about choosing a course or applying? Get in touch.
- Domestic
- 13 8827 (13 UTAS)
- International
- +61 3 6226 6200
- Course.Info@utas.edu.au
- Online
- Online enquiries