Graduate Certificate in Education (Learning Difficulties) program

Application Round 2 is open until 11:59 pm on Tuesday 28 March 2023.

Register on Arc (Access. Resource. Collaborate) to attend the course Q&A webinar with the Melbourne Graduate School of Education (MGSE) at the University of Melbourne in February 2023.

The Graduate Certificate in Education (Learning Difficulties) program (the program) is for teachers in Victorian government mainstream schools interested in enhancing their capacity to support students with learning difficulties, including dyslexia and dyscalculia, through tertiary study.

How to apply

Prospective applicants can apply online via this link to SmartyGrants.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to discuss their interest in the program with their school principal to clarify alignment with school strategic priorities for inclusive education, and literacy and numeracy goals.

Important details about Round 2 eligibility criteria, recipient obligations, and how to apply are available in the Round 2 application guidelines (accessible below).

Round 2 application guidelines

Eligibility

Learning specialists, leading teachers and classroom teachers currently working in mainstream government primary or secondary schools and directly supporting students with learning difficulties are encouraged to apply.

Prospective applicants must be qualified practising teachers with full registration with the Victorian Institute of Teaching.

Teachers keen to apply for the course should discuss their interests with their principal before applying.  Principal class applicants should contact the Inclusive Education Scholarships Unit (the IESU) to confirm their eligibility before submitting an application.

Check your eligibility

If you have questions about eligibility, you can:

  1. check the School Eligibility Tool on Arc to see whether your school already has a recipient.
  2. contact the IESU.

Course details

This online postgraduate course is designed and delivered for the department by MGSE.  

The program will deepen the disciplinary knowledge and pedagogical practice of teachers, so they have the skills, expertise, and confidence to meet the needs of all students, including students with dyslexia and dyscalculia, through contemporary, evidence-based strategies and fidelity of practice.

The four subjects in the course aim to develop teachers' understandings of learning difficulties and the interactions between different types of learning difficulties, including dyslexia and dyscalculia.

Check out MGSE's course page Graduate Certificate in Education (Learning Difficulties) - The University of Melbourne (unimelb.edu.au) to see whether the program aligns with your postgraduate study needs and your school's goals for increasing support for students with learning difficulties. 

Program overview

Each round of this program has 75 places available. Successful applicants start the program in Semester 2 (July) each year and complete the course part-time over 12-24 months.

Designed for working teachers, each subject will run for 12 weeks and consist of four online teaching days combined with self-directed reading and assignment work to be completed online. The online synchronous teaching days will be scheduled on weekends (Saturday or Sunday), ensuring recipients can balance study commitments with work and personal responsibilities.

No casual relief teacher provision is required as this course has no practical component. 

See what motivated teachers to join the program

"Anything that's going to support a student with learning difficulties is going to be worth it." 

"I have to keep deepening, refining and adding to my knowledge – there's no end to learning." 

Relevant professional learning

Interested in getting a head start on understanding learning difficulties? 

Check out the department's Learning Difficulties web pages.

Or explore these modules in the Inclusive Classrooms Professional Learning Catalogue

Information about Disability Inclusion and related programs

Additional postgraduate study opportunities are available

Through the Master of Inclusive Education Program, teachers can make a significant contribution to how their schools plan and support students with disabilities and additional learning needs, using contemporary evidence-based, best-practice approaches.

The long-term vision of the master's program is that every Victorian government school will have a masters-qualified inclusive education teacher on staff, creating and leading a more inclusive school environment for all students across the state, regardless of their abilities and backgrounds.

For more information, visit Master of Inclusive Education program.

Contact the Inclusive Education Scholarships Unit