Course details

Summary

Enhance your career prospects with the specialised study of teaching at secondary level.

Get the skills and knowledge you need to be a confident and effective secondary school teacher.

Study with the School of Education in this one-year, full-time, programme that will give you a grounding in the principles and theories of teaching and learning, human development and curriculum studies in secondary school subjects.

If you have an undergraduate degree that includes two secondary teaching subjects, one to 200-level and one to 300-level, the GDipTchg(Secondary) is designed for you.

If you have only one teaching subject in your undergraduate degree, you may still be able to do the GDipTchg(Secondary) as long as your teaching subject is approved by the Dean as a high demand subject.

Teacher experience

You'll do two, seven week blocks of compulsory teaching in the classroom gaining valuable experience, applying what you've learned and building relationships with teachers and learners.

Successful completion of TE is a mandatory requirement of some courses.

The Teaching Experience Office will find placements for you, so you shouldn't approach any schools to set up a TE placement on your own.

Study and workload

As well as completing the compulsory blocks of teaching experience in schools, you can choose to study this qualification on campus or online. The requirements and content are the same for both modes of delivery and you can expect around 40-50 hours of course work and study per week.

On campus study includes timetabled lectures, tutorials and exams in Wellington.

If you're looking for a more flexible study and have good self-management skills, you can attend your classes online.

Curriculum Studies subjects

If you're planning your study pathway through to teaching, check that your undergraduate degree choices are aligned with the New Zealand Curriculum school subject areas.

Choose two of the Curriculum Studies areas relevant to your qualifications and experience

• English
• Learning Languages
• Health - taught online only in 2017
• Music
• Mathematics and Statistics
• Physical Education
• Performing Arts including: Dance and Drama
• Social Sciences including: Accounting, Business Studies, Economics, Geography, History and Social Studies
• Science including: Biology, Chemistry and Physics
• Visual Arts
• Technology

After you graduate

New Zealand is facing a shortage of secondary teachers so employment prospects are good for those who can teach Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics, Te Reo 毛利, or Technology.

This Graduate Diploma will allow you to apply for provisional teacher registration from the Education Council as well as apply for a teaching position in schools through New Zealand.

Qualification requirements

For this programme you’ll need to:

Complete 155 points

Include eight courses at 300 level:

• The Learner in Context (TCHG 301)
• The Teacher in Context (TCHG 302)
• Matauranga Maori in Education (TCHG 303)
• Teaching Models and Strategies (TCHG 304)
• Four courses from TCHG 330-359

Entry criteria

To be accepted into this programme you'll need:

• A Bachelor's degree that includes two teaching subjects, normally in two different areas of the New Zealand curriculum, one to 300-level and the other to at least 200-level or an equivalent overseas qualification
• To meet the requirements of the Good Character and Fit to be a Teacher Policy of the New Zealand Teachers Council
• To be accepted by the associate dean (students) as capable of proceeding with the proposed course of study
• If English isn't your first language, you must gain a band score of 7.0 or better in each component of the academic IELTS test before you begin the programme