Education is one of the central functions of a university. It is not
surprising, therefore, that one of Monash's first-established faculties should
have been the Faculty of Education. This faculty is concerned with both the
professional education of teachers and related professionals and with research
into the many-faceted ways in which education is conducted in society and in
which education, society and individuals interact with each other.
The faculty's tradition of scholarly research, professional education and
community service is substantial, having been built up since its foundation in
1964, and the faculty is constantly revising its courses and their constituent
subjects and exploring new research opportunities.
While many students enrolled with the faculty are intending to teach in schools
or in early childhood settings or are teachers already, there are an increasing
number of students who wish to study education for other reasons. Education
takes place in the community in many ways and in many institutions other than
schools. The faculty's courses have become increasingly attractive to educators
in the fields of health, business, nursing, social work, industrial training,
commerce, law, public service, professional associations, tertiary institutions
and community fields generally.
Undergraduate preservice courses are offered on all three campuses. These
programs range from innovative double-degree programs to stand-alone three and
four-year degrees. Preservice graduate diploma of education courses are also
offered on each campus.
All campuses offer graduate and postgraduate certificates and diplomas by
coursework and degrees by both coursework and research. Many of these courses
are available by distance education. Postgraduate courses cater mainly for
students who have had some years of professional experience. For these students
the faculty offers a wide range of subjects, many of which have a flexibility
that encourages students to define their own interests and to draw on their
considerable professional and life experience. These opportunities reflect a
recognition that there is a mutuality and reciprocity in the contributions to
learning that are made by both staff and students.
The faculty's usual research degrees - the Master of Education and the
Doctor of Philosophy - may be taken on any campus by students who wish to
engage in individually supervised courses of research leading to the submission
of a thesis, the prime purpose of which is the extension of knowledge for its
own sake. The MEd degree may be undertaken by thesis or a mixture of thesis
(66 per cent minimum) and coursework (33 per cent).
The faculty also offers a professional doctorate (the Doctor of Education
(EdD)) which requires up to four years of full-time or up to eight years of
part-time study. This degree program offers experienced and appropriately
qualified educators the opportunity to upgrade their professional
qualifications by engaging in study at a level equivalent to that of the PhD
but involving a combination of coursework and research culminating in the
production of a thesis, the prime purpose of which is to use novel research
findings to improve professional practice.
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