Education is one of the central functions of a university. It is not surprising, therefore, that one of the first faculties established at Monash should have been the Faculty of Education. This faculty is concerned with 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 the faculty's
foundation in 1964, and the faculty is constantly revising its courses and
their constituent units and exploring new research opportunities.
While many students enrolled within the faculty are intending to teach in
schools or early childhood settings or are teachers already, there is 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, the public service, professional
associations, tertiary institutions and community fields generally.
Undergraduate preservice courses are offered on all three campuses. These
programs include double-degree programs and 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 and
degrees, both by coursework and research. Many of these courses are available
in off-campus mode or in mixed mode. Postgraduate courses cater mainly for
students who have had some years of professional experience. For these students
the faculty offers a wide range of units, many of which have a flexibility that
encourages students to define their own interests and 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 Master of Education 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 -
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.
Previous page | Next page | Section contents | Title and contents