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Bachelor of Education - The Early Years

Build expertise in early childhood development. Gain confidence through hands-on experiences. Make lasting differences for children, families, and communities.

For personalised assistance with UOW courses, please reach out to our Future Students Team:

Our team is available during Australian business hours, 9 am to 5 pm.

For other UOW contact details, click here.

For personalised assistance with UOW courses, please reach out to our Future Students Team:

Our team is available during Australian business hours, 9 am to 5 pm.

For other UOW contact details, click here.

If you’re planning to study at UOW immediately after finishing your HSC, International Baccalaureate (IB), or an interstate equivalent, you can apply for Early Admission to this course. Applications can be submitted via the UOW Early Admission website during the designated period, usually June – August each year.

Students can also apply through the .

If you’re a non-school leaver (e.g., completed Year 12 previously and/or have a TAFE qualification or equivalent), you can apply directly to UOW.

Before applying, please review the requirements, intakes, and deadlines for your chosen degree.

International students can apply to study at the University of ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ (UOW) in several ways. Your application options will depend on your individual circumstances.

Explore your options at UOW Apply.

International students are encouraged to apply with the support of an approved UOW agent to help you navigate the application process, ensure that you submit all necessary documentation, and provide you with visa counselling services. Applying through an approved UOW agent is offered at no cost to students.

For your nearest agent, please see our UOW agent list.

Need help?

Contact the UOW Future Students Team:

For more details about this course

Australia: 1300 367 869. International: +61 2 4221 3218

Student ?
Domestic
Year ?
Campus ?
ATAR-SR ?
70
IBAS ?
26.25
Delivery ?
Online
Duration
4 years full-time, or part-time equivalent
Starts
  • Autumn 2026
Codes
UAC: 755111
UOW: 1816
Reset options

Overview

Shape children's learning during the years that matter most. The Bachelor of Education - The Early Years prepares you to become a qualified Early Childhood Teacher for children from birth to five. Ranked #1 in Australia for undergraduate Teacher Education in the national QILT survey, UOW combines specialised learning with strong student support and practical experience. 
 
There are two pathways to qualification:

Two-year Accelerated program (Spring commencement)
For diploma-qualified educators with two or more years industry experience, this fully online intensive pathway, developed in partnership with the NSW Department of Education and Early Learning and Care Council of Australia (ELACCA), builds on existing knowledge to support progression into Early Childhood Teacher roles.

Four-year program (Autumn commencement)
For school leavers, career changers and diploma-qualified educators with less than two years' experience or those who are seeking a slower pace of study. Available on campus or online, with full-time and part-time study options.

Throughout this course you will develop a deep understanding of child development, play-based learning, inclusive education, family partnerships, and early intervention. Alongside your studies, you'll complete professional experience placements in early childhood and community settings, applying your learning in real educational environments

What sets this degree apart is its specialised focus on birth to 5 years. You'll explore how children learn, communicate, and develop relationships: building the foundations for future success. You’ll also develop the practical skills needed to create engaging, safe and inclusive learning environments.

Graduates are prepared for careers as Early Childhood Teachers, Educational Leaders, Early Intervention Specialists, Service Director and other roles supporting children, families and communities.

For more information on this degree, including scholarship opportunities, visit the School of Education webpage.

See the  for more information.

Build confidence through up to 80 days of professional experience across early childhood education and care services and community settings. Placements are organised by UOW, and many students can complete up to two placements within their workplace, creating opportunities to earn while they learn while applying new knowledge in a familiar professional setting.

Learning extends beyond the classroom through UOW's Discovery Space and Early Start Research Institute, where you engage with children, families and communities in authentic learning environments. These experiences help you connect theory with practice and deepen your understanding of how young children learn, develop and interact with the world around them.

You will also explore emerging trends shaping the future of early childhood education and informed by the latest research, including world-leading work undertaken at UOW through the Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child.

Students in the accelerated pathway receive support from trained sector mentors with leadership experience in early childhood education, providing professional guidance throughout their studies and expanding their networks. 

Strong industry connections, practical experience and a specialised focus on birth to five learning ensure you graduate with the knowledge, professional networks and workplace experience valued across the early childhood sector.

See more

Careers

  • Children’s Hospital Educator
  • Community Educator
  • Early Childhood Teacher
  • Early Intervention Specialist
  • Education Centre Manager
  • Education Consultant
  • Education Program Coordinator
  • Education Policy Officer
  • Educational Leader
  • Family Day Care Operator
  • Family Support Practitioner
  • Inclusion Support Coordinator
  • Management Roles (Government)
See more

Accreditation & professional recognition

The Bachelor of Education - The Early Years is accredited through the .

Admissions information

A range of admission options are available for students of all ages and academic backgrounds. The procedures governing admission are defined in UOW's , and the UOW College .

For specific advice or to ask any questions regarding an application, please contact the UOW Future Students Team.

Assumed Knowledge
UOW assumes students will have studied any two units of English. 

Recommended Studies
Ideally, students will have studied any two units of Mathematics.

Entry Requirement for The Early Years (Accelerated Program) (2 years)

  • Hold a Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) or an ACECQA-equivalent qualification that is less than 10 years old, AND
  • Provide a Statement of Service or a letter from their employer confirming the equivalent of two years of full-time work experience in early education.
  • Recent Secondary Education

    If you are a current high school student in Australia, or you’ve finished high school recently, your admission to UOW will likely be based on your Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR) or International Baccalaureate admissions score (IBAS). 

    Other high-school qualifications UOW considers for entry include: 

    • GCE A-Levels
    • New Zealand NCEA Level 3
    • Overseas senior secondary qualifications comparable to Australian qualifications 

    Students may be admitted to this course via Early Admission.  

    See UOW Admissions for more information. 

    Selection Rank

    Your Selection Rank is based on your ATAR or equivalent qualification, plus any adjustment points you are eligible to receive.

    The Selection Rank published for this course and campus is indicative and may change depending on demand, available places and applicant performance each year.

    Adjustment points may increase your Selection Rank. UOW may consider factors such as your performance in relevant subjects, the location of your school, or your eligibility for equity and access schemes.

    ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ out more about UOW's adjustment factors.

  • Higher Education Study

    For your application to be assessed on your university results you need to have completed at least half a year of full-time study (or part-time equivalent) at a Bachelor's degree level or higher. Your grades will be converted to a selection rank to be used for admission purposes. Students may also be eligible for credit for prior learning.

  • Work and life experience

    Admission to UOW is primarily based on your academic qualifications, with work or life experience generally not considered. If you do not meet the academic requirements for this course, we recommend exploring recognised pathway programs, such as those offered by or the TAFE Tertiary Preparation Certificate (TPC).

    For more information, please refer to the UOW Admissions Information page.

Compulsory Work Based Placement
This course contains approximately 88 days of compulsory work-based placements, completed over 18 weeks (totaling 616 hours, at 34 hours per week) throughout the degree.

  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

    UOW's Woolyungah Indigenous Centre's Indigenous Admissions Program (IAP) offers an alternative pathway for Indigenous Australians aged 17 and over who are seeking entry into an undergraduate course at UOW. Upon completing the IAP, applicants will be considered for admission based on an interview and assessment of both academic and non-academic qualities. For further details, including the application process, please contact Woolyungah Indigenous Centre.

  • Domestic applicants with overseas qualifications

    UOW recognises a range of overseas secondary, vocational and higher education qualifications. Your qualifications will be assessed for equivalence to Australian qualifications and the admission requirements for this course.

    Documents issued in a language other than English must be accompanied by an official English translation. An official English translation is a verified translation of your documents into English, completed by a qualified translator so it can be accepted as part of your application.

    For more information, contact the UOW Future Students Team.

  • English language proficiency

    All UOW courses are taught in English and require varying levels of proficiency. If English is not your first language, you must meet the University’s English Language Requirements, which differ by course.

    Accepted international test results include IELTS, TOEFL, PTE, Cambridge, and OET for specific health-related courses.

    Alternatively, you can fulfill the requirement by completing an English course at .

  • Workload

    Full-Time Study Load

    As a full-time student, you can expect to commit around 48 hours of study per week. This includes class time and independent study. You may need to factor more time for examination study, practical work and placements.

    Part-Time Study Load

    For part-time students, study hours will vary based on the number of units taken, with similar expectations for class and independent study.

    For more details on course workloads, please refer to the UOW Handbook.

  • Record Check

    New enrolling students will be required to complete the new online and clearance must be obtained prior to attending Professional Experience.

    Please note: Professional Experience is a compulsory component embedded in our undergraduate and Master of Teaching courses. Therefore it is an expectation that students who participate in these courses are capable of meeting the demands of navigating their own way to, from and around the Professional Experience contexts (e.g. school sites). It needs to be noted that the off-campus environment is beyond the control of UOW.

  • Credit for Prior Learning

    If you have completed prior studies or relevant professional experience, you can request course credit or subject exemptions to reduce the duration and cost of your program.

    Credit for prior learning evaluates your previous study or work experience related to your chosen subjects.

    UOW values lifelong learning and recognises various types of prior learning, regardless of how or where it was obtained. For more information, refer to UOW's Credit for Prior Learning page.

More detail

Commonwealth Supported Places (CSPs) available. For eligible domestic students, Australian government funding will contribute towards your tuition fees. The remaining proportion, known as a student contribution, will depend on when you begin study (enrolment year) and study area. Read more domestic student fees and CSPs.

  • Autumn Session, 2026 at UOW

    Application Deadline
    Applications must include all required documents to be considered complete. If submitted late, your application may be reviewed for a future session if a decision cannot be made in time for your preferred session. 

    ApplicationDate
    Domestic (UAC Early Bird)30 September, 2025
    International9 December, 2025
    Domestic (direct)31 December, 2025
    Domestic (UAC final round)29 January, 2026

    Session Details
    For more detailed information like enrolment cutoffs and exam periods, see key dates. 

     Date
    OrientationCheck your campus details
    Session start2 March, 2026
    31 March, 2026
    Mid-session recess20 - 24 April, 2026
    Session end25 June, 2026
  • Spring Session (Accelerated Entry), 2026 at UOW

    Application deadlines:
    The two-year accelerated distance program enables diploma qualified early childhood educators to get their qualification faster. Accelerated entry is not available for international applicants. 

     Date
    Direct applications29 June, 2026
    UAC final round19 June, 2026

    Session dates:
    For more detailed information, including enrolment cutoffs and exam periods, see key dates. 

     Date
    Orientation
    Session start22 July, 2026
    31 August, 2026
    Mid-session recess28 September - 2 October, 2026
    Session end19 November, 2026
  • Autumn Session, 2027 at UOW

    Application Deadline
    Applications must include all required documents to be considered complete. Applications submitted after the advertised closing date will still be accepted. We will endeavour to process late applications in time for the nominated session, however this cannot be guaranteed.

    ApplicationDate
    Domestic (UAC Early Bird)30 September, 2026
    InternationalSee International students page for key application cut-off dates
    Domestic (direct)31 December, 2026
    Domestic (UAC final round)28 January, 2027

    Session Details
    For more detailed information like enrolment cutoffs and exam periods, see key dates. 

     Date
    OrientationCheck your campus details
    Session start1 March, 2027
    31 March, 2027
    Mid-session recess19 - 23 April, 2027
    Session end24 June, 2027
  • Spring Session (Accelerated Entry), 2027 at UOW

    Application deadlines:
    The two-year accelerated distance program enables diploma qualified early childhood educators to get their qualification faster. Accelerated entry is not available for international applicants. 

     Date
    Direct applications30 June, 2027
    UAC final round18 June, 2027

    Session dates:
    For more detailed information, including enrolment cutoffs and exam periods, see key dates. 

     Date
    Orientation
    Session start26 July, 2027
    31 August, 2027
    Mid-session recess27 September - 1 October, 2027
    Session end18 November, 2027

    Indicative enrolment

    The tables below contain information on the 2025 commencing student cohort, which indicates the likely profile of students for 2026.

    Student profile

    This table shows the breakdown of the applicant background of the student group at UOW for this course. It provides data on students that commenced undergraduate study and continued study beyond the census date at UOW in 2025.

    Student profile table
    Applicant background 2025 intake 2025 intake (%)
    Higher education study 40 23%
    Vocational education & training study 123 70%
    Work & life experience 0 0%
    Recent secondary education
    ATAR Only 0 0%
    ATAR plus additional criteria 0 0%
    Other criteria only (non-ATAR) 12 7%
    International students 0 0%
    All students 175 100%

    < 5: Number of students is less than 5
    N/A: Data not available for this item
    N/P: Not published (hidden to prevent calculation of other numbers less than 5)

    ATAR profile

    This table relates to all students selected on the basis of ATAR alone or ATAR in combination with adjustment factors. For more information on adjustment factors commonly available to applicants, see ATAR-based admission.

    ATAR profile table
    ATAR profile of ATAR-based offers in 2025 ATAR Selection Rank
    Highest rank to receive an offer <5 <5
    Median rank to receive an offer <5 <5
    Lowest rank to receive an offer <5 <5

    < 5: Less than 5 ATAR-based offers made
    N/A: Data not available for this item
    N/P: Not published (less than 5 ATAR-based offers made)

    More information

    For more information about UOW admission pathways, see UOW Admission Information.

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