Early Childhood - Southern Cross University

Learn transformative ways to teach

Early childhood education is an important and immensely fulfilling career, one that provides a precious opportunity to give children the best start in life.

At Southern Cross University, our courses deliver the skills, knowledge and understanding to succeed in this rewarding field.

Within 10 months, our Graduate Diploma in Education (Early Childhood) will prepare you to work in early childhood education and care services, long day care centres, and preschools.

Our Bachelor of Early Childhood Education gives you a three-year qualification to work in early childhood settings with children from six weeks to six-years-old. (These settings are known differently throughout Australia, some as preschools and others as kindergarten. The course does not qualify graduates to teach in primary school settings).  The University has accreditation from the Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority.

“It was a challenge with two kids under two and working full-time, but my lecturers at Southern Cross were incredibly supportive, and my husband as well.”

Bachelor of Early Childhood Education:

Inspire young minds during their formative years with our Bachelor of Early Childhood Education, designed to teach children aged 6 weeks to 6 years old in early childhood education centres and preschools.

It covers core units such as early childhood principles and practices, child development theory and application, supporting children’s learning and pedagogical approaches for early childhood education.

Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood/Primary):

Step confidently into the teaching profession with our Bachelor of Education, majoring in Early Childhood and Primary, which allows you to teach in both early childhood and primary settings with ages from 6 weeks old to Year 6.

The four-year full-time degree includes child development and learning, Indigenous education, sustainability, inclusive education, along with curriculum and pedagogy learning across disciplines.

You'll also complete a minimum of 55 days of Professional Experience in a primary setting and two different early childhood environments, giving you hands-on teaching practice in diverse settings.

Master of Teaching:

The Master of Teaching is designed for those with prior studies seeking a career change to teaching. Our two-year full-time program qualifies you to be a teacher in Australia and overseas.

Students will complete a research project, 480 hours of professional experience and deepen their learning with subjects in Indigenous education, digital disruptions, inclusive education and education for impact.

Your knowledge, skills and opportunities are enhanced by learning under our unique Southern Cross Model – designed to deliver greater momentum and motivation, achieve milestones quickly, and set you up for success at university and beyond.

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Undergraduate

Postgraduate

Why choose Early Childhood Education with Southern Cross?

Top 400

We're rated among the top 400 universities worldwide in Education.

(Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2025)

Graduate job-ready

Extensive and meaningful professional experience placements ensure that graduates are profession-ready.

Accredited Course

Accreditation of all our teaching courses provides career opportunities in New South Wales, Queensland and across Australia.

I'm Dulari Gonawala, I work for Good Start Early Learning. I'm a teacher mentor for Victoria.

So I migrated to Australia nearly 10 years ago. I was a secondary teacher back in Sri Lanka, and when I came here my kids were very young. We came as skilled migrants. Because I already had my bachelor's back from Sri Lanka, I wanted to make use of it.

So I did a bit of research. That's how I ended up doing the postgraduate diploma in early childhood education. So the main reason why I chose Southern Cross

University was I was looking for a fully online course and also I wanted flexibility because I was working full-time, having two young children. When I graduated from Southern Cross University, I got recruited as early childhood teacher straight away with Good Start, and then I was an educational leader, and now I'm working as a teacher mentor.

Recently I got a call and they said that I've won the national Excellence in Teaching Awards from early childhood category. Yeah, when I first heard, when I received that phone call| it actually gave me goosebumps, so I just stood up from my chair and yeah, I couldn't believe myself. So I was nominated because I've been doing a lot of STEM- related projects with children, because science is my background, and also reconciliation-related activities. We've established a Bush Tucker Garden in our centre, and we now share the Bush Tucker products with the community.

So my kids, they know that mom has won something big. So yeah, I think they're, they're really proud of me.

Since I enrolled in Southern Cross Uni, everybody who I met have been really supportive the enrolment officer, the lecturers, all the other officers I met throughout the whole journey.

Yeah, I'm looking at doing a Masters in Education, whether it's something on leadership. So once I decide that I think I'll do it with Southern Cross University as well.