Accreditation summary template

National summary statement about the accreditation process

The accreditation process involves a rigorous assessment of an initial teacher education (ITE) program against a set of nationally agreed standards. Accreditation standards and procedures are designed to ensure that all graduates of ITE meet the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers at the Graduate career stage. This ensures the program is of high quality and prepares pre-service teachers for the teaching profession. The process also includes an assessment of a provider’s quality assurance and continuous improvement mechanisms, as well as ensuring that the provider has a nationally endorsed teaching performance assessment which all graduates must successfully complete.

In Queensland, each program is assessed by a panel of nationally trained assessors that includes school leaders, employers, practising teachers and higher education representatives. A mandatory site visit involving forums with school partners, graduates, ITE students and the teaching staff of the ITE program is embedded in Queensland reaccreditation processes. Panels make a recommendation to the QCT’s Professional Standards Committee, which holds responsibility for granting accreditation and determines the length of the accreditation period. A maximum of five years accreditation may be granted.

More information on the accreditation process may be found at: www.aitsl.edu.au/deliver-ite-programs/standards-and-procedures.

Jurisdiction QLD
Provider James Cook University
Program title Master of Teaching and Learning (Secondary)
Program type Postgraduate
Program duration in equivalent full-time student load (EFTSL) 2 years
Minimum program duration 2 years
Stage of schooling Secondary
Mode(s) of delivery On Campus / Online
Campus location(s) Townsville, Cairns
Date of current accreditation 18/11/2022
Accreditation outcome* Five-year accreditation period granted
Accreditation expiry date (optional) 31/12/2027
Quality assurance processes in place

Quality assurance data collection processes include, but are not limited to:

  • Evidentiary Portfolio of achievement of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers at the Graduate career stage
  • Graduate Teaching Performance Assessment (GTPA) data
  • Professional Experience Performance Report (QPERF)
  • Graduate employment data, student experience, and employer satisfaction data (QILT)
  • Professional Partnership survey data.

Program description and rationale

To graduate with a Master of Teaching and Learning (Secondary) students are required to complete 16 units, including core educational studies subjects, and curriculum and pedagogy subjects that align with two secondary teaching areas, as defined by students’ undergraduate degree.

Discipline teaching areas:

  • Biology
  • Business
  • Chemistry
  • Economics
  • English
  • French
  • Geography
  • Health and Physical Education
  • History
  • Information Communication Technologies
  • Japanese
  • Legal Studies
  • Mathematics
  • Physics
  • Music
  • Visual Arts

The Master of Teaching and Learning (Secondary) includes 60 days of supervised professional experience in secondary schools (Years 7–12), plus 20 days of service in a school setting that integrates coursework learning. Students undertake a further 20 days of community-based service learning.

For further information including entry requirements and career opportunities, please visit: Master of Teaching and Learning (Secondary) 

James Cook University graduates have successfully passed the national literacy and numeracy test (LANTITE), the final Queensland Professional Experience Reporting Framework (QPERF) and the Graduate Teaching Performance Assessment (GTPA). 

* Nationally accredited ITE programs delivered in Queensland are subject to ongoing monitoring, including:

  • submission of an annual report on the operation of the program
  • prior approval of any significant changes to the program
  • employment of only registered teachers to supervise or assess the work of a preservice teacher in a prescribed school.