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Graduate Certificate in Educational Leadership

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Duration0.5 years full-time, 3 years part-time
Location
Online
Next start termHyperflexible Annual Term, 2025
Study modeOnline
Course codeCM21
First-year fee
$8,418 (Indicative) (FFP)
A teaching student standing in front of the camera holding a textbook. In the background another student is practising teaching.

Overview

Whether you are a current or aspiring educational leader the Graduate Certificate of Educational Leadership is ideal if you are seeking professional development and advanced learning to support your career in educational leadership. You will develop the knowledge and skills to navigate social complexities and shape positive learning outcomes for students and their communities, required of educational leaders. This course provides a pathway into the Master of Educational Leadership. 

The Graduate Certificate of Educational Leadership will suit educational leaders in schools and educational settings, seeking career advancement and specialised educational leadership, underpinned by research-informed initiatives and pedagogy. This course is aligned with the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) Professional Standards for Principals.

During your course, you will examine the responsibilities of educational leaders and their role in effectively managing change and seeking opportunities to innovate. You will develop an advanced understanding and critical knowledge of creating and maintaining professional learning communities including community engagement, negotiation and managing competing interests. You will explore, critique and apply contemporary leadership ideas and strategies to promote advocacy, facilitate change initiatives and evaluate educational performance against relevant educational policies and frameworks. 

Delivered entirely online, you will benefit from a hyperflexible delivery meaning you can study at your own pace, access your learning material anytime, and tailor your learning to an educational context of your choosing. Whether you choose to study full-time and complete the Graduate Certificate of Educational Leadership in 12 months, or part-time at a pace that fits your needs, you'll be supported by a dedicated academic staff member. 

A recommended study sequence allows students to satisfy the Graduate Certificate of Educational Leadership and pathway into the Master of Educational Leadership. Each unit is made up of approximately three modules which can each be studied as a standalone microcredential within a professional learning context.

Study experience

  • Authentic Learning Experiences
  • Flexible Online Study
  • Industry Relevant
  • Seamless Pathways
  • Self Paced
  • Start Anytime
  • Ben Waddell smiling
    “
    The course allows me some perspective on how leadership operates within the school that I'm currently at, and the different requirements of those roles, as opposed to being a classroom teacher. It causes you to think beyond the scope of your current position.

    Ben Waddell

    Master of Educational Leadership

Career Opportunities

The Graduate Certificate in Educational Leadership together with relevant practical leadership experience may enhance employment opportunities in leadership roles in schools and other educational contexts. Graduates have specialised knowledge and skills in educational leadership. The course enables the development of professional and research skills to work productively with teams, communities and stakeholders to enhance organisational curriculum and pedagogical capacity and wellbeing.  Graduate Certificate in Educational Leadership units may be used as evidence of continuing professional development and/or to support career advancement. On completion of the course units, students may enrol in the Master of Educational Leadership

Structure & Availability

Wondering how a self-paced postgraduate course works and what to expect? Explore the course details below to find out more.

COURSE STRUCTURE
The Graduate Certificate of Educational Leadership is comprised of four core units. The fourth unit will orient you to research processes leading to the research component in the Master of Educational Leadership and/or enable completion of a mini workplace initiative or project. Each unit requires a time commitment of 150 hours, equating to a total of 600 hours of study which is approximately 12 months of part-time study when compared to a typical university term structure of two terms per year. However, you will have up to three years from enrolment to complete the course at your own pace.

Following a hyperflexible design, each unit is made up of approximately three modules with each module designed to be completed in approximately 50 hours. Each module can be studied as a micro-credential through our Centre for Professional Development presenting even greater flexibility to dip in and out of the course to suit your learning needs. Students intending to aggregate the modules to form a unit must also complete relevant assessments successfully, and must meet other relevant course entry requirements. We recommend studying modules and units in a sequence to gain appropriate foundational and core knowledge.

ASSESSMENTS
Assessments are completed at your own pace - no deadlines or due dates - and focus on issues in an educational context of your choosing.

RECOMMENDED COURSE STRUCTURE
We strongly recommend you follow the sequence below for this course.

EDED20497Orientation to Educational Leadership
EDED20498Educational Change and Improvement
EDED20499Leading Learning and Community Engagement
EDED20500Engaging with Educational Research

Upon completion of the above four units, students will satisfy the Graduate Certificate in Educational Leadership.

Online Availability

IntakeLocations
Hyperflexible Annual Term, 2023Available Online
Hyperflexible Annual Term, 2024Available Online
Hyperflexible Annual Term, 2025Available Online

When you study this course via our flexible online Be Different learning platform, not only will you study high-quality course content delivered by our supportive educators, but you also get to set your pace. You are not bound by our traditional term dates for completing your study or assessments. 

Majors and minors are not applicable to this course.

This course has no residential schools.

Requirements

To be eligible

For your application to be considered, you must meet the following entry requirements. 

During your study

While not needed to apply, you'll need to meet the following requirements throughout your studies. 

Fees & Scholarships

Indicative First-Year Fee

$8,418
Indicative first-year FFP place

The Indicative First-Year Fee is the approximate cost of enrolling in this course for one academic year for a Full Fee Paying (FFP) Place. For a graduate certificate, this is usually four units studied full-time over one term or part-time over two terms. Your actual fees may vary depending on the units you select to study and your study load. Fees are reviewed each year and are subject to change. 

Understanding your fees.

You may be eligible for FEE-HELP, an Australian Government loan scheme that helps eligible students pay their tuition fees. Provided you meet the FEE-HELP eligibility criteria, you can choose to use FEE-HELP to cover all or part of your tuition fees. 

Learn more about paying for university or view the FEE-HELP information booklet on the Australian Government’s Study Assist website.

There may be additional costs as part of your studies, such as technology expenses. Learn more about other study costs.

How to apply

How to apply

Check what you need to do to apply to study this course. 

Your application options

Follow these steps

1
Check you meet the course requirements
2
Get a Unique Student Identifier
3
Submit your application
Applications are open year-round.

Extra admission information

Learn about the assessment of applications and everything you need to know about receiving and accepting an offer to study with CQU.

Start your application

Use the Apply button below to access our Apply Online portal and start your application.

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