"The first few weeks of teaching were just life changing for me."

Tahlia McGahey

Principal, Arcadia College. Bachelor of Education (Secondary) graduate

Education - it's a wonderful career opportunity working with young people whether it be in primary or secondary setting, it is an absolutely rewarding career and just seeing their faces light up and knowing that we are actually changing lives.

Hi I'm Tahlia and I'm the principal of Arcadia College and I studied education at Southern Cross University.

So Arcadia College is for disengaged youth or youth at risk of disengaging from other formal educational settings the young people are obviously the heart and soul of this organisation and to ensure that they are being given the opportunity to access education and have a second chance and in some cases a final chance at education.

It's an absolute privilege to watch them go through and graduate. We offer our diverse range of programs the arts adventure-based learning and experiential learning there's not many schools that have their own rock climbing wall - it's a pretty cool thing. We have a recording studio and a half basketball court and then we've got a very extensive social emotional learning program as well on top of the already targeted Australian curriculum.

So I guess for me being a role model for these young people and for the staff here is I believe that we're always learning and we always should be learning. Part of what I love doing most I love being in and amongst the students I love being visible I love them knowing that I'm always around to support them and I love being in all the art classes it's amazing.
Southern Cross University Gold Coast campus is in a brilliant location right next to the airport. It's a nice buzzing little campus that has all of the resources that you need. The education degree itself I found excellent, the staff were really top-notch and very high quality.

They had been in schools and had worked in schools for some 20-plus years so there was that authentic approach that they had. I also found the professional experience side of it was probably one of the most beneficial parts of the education degree that for me solidified that I was in the right place and wanted to do education and I made the right choice.
The first few weeks of teaching was just life changing for me so excellent.

Education and Teaching

Teachers can have a lasting and profound impact on the lives of their students, from the early childhood years right through to secondary school.

Our education and teaching courses are designed to amplify the scope of your teaching practice and all degrees include extensive and meaningful work placements.

Equipped with experience from substantial and meaningful work placements, education graduates will be thoroughly prepared and qualified to work as a teacher in either:

Early Childhood settings
Primary schools
Secondary schools
Technology and Applied Studies (TAS) in secondary schools.

In the words of Professor Amy Cutter-Mackenzie-Knowles, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Education, what we do matters. We make a difference by preparing outstanding educators and educational researchers for a highly complex and changing world. We make children and young people’s lives better. We lead and contribute to Australian and international curriculum and policy.

Skip to interest areas

A teacher in the classroom with a young student

spacer

cover image of Southern Cross University Quick Course Guide

Why choose Education and Teaching with Southern Cross?

5-star rating

5-star rating for overall experience and student support in education and training (GUG 2022)

Higher starting salary

Graduates have a higher starting salary than national average in Teacher Education (Graduate Outcomes Survey 2017-2019)

Graduate employment

90% of graduates employed within four months of completing their course (Graduate Outcomes Survey 2017-2019)

Browse by interest area

Education

Early Childhood Education

Research

Our education and teaching courses are delivered on our campuses in Lismore, Coffs Harbour and the Gold Coast, with many courses also offering online and flexible study options.

spacer

The Faculty of Education is developing outstanding teachers for the future, offering a range of undergraduate and postgraduate course options in childhood, primary, secondary, vocational education and training and higher education.

Whether you join us for a teaching qualification, to build upon your existing professional experience, or to contribute to educational research, being a student at Southern Cross University’s Faculty of Education makes you not only part of our professional network but also part of an education experience that matters.

Visit the Faculty of Education