Graduate Certificate in Education (Learning Difficulties) program

Teachers in all Victorian government schools and regional workforces wishing to enhance their knowledge in learning difficulties, including dyslexia and dyscalculia are eligible to apply for this postgraduate opportunity.

Regional workforces must obtain support and endorsement from respective managers, Executive Directors and Student Wellbeing and Engagement. Please contact your Inclusive Education Coordinator, Disability Inclusion Implementation Branch, to discuss your application and complete a nomination form.

Program objectives

Designed for practising teachers, the course aims to 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 learning difficulties.

Undertaking targeted postgraduate study in inclusive education can give school-based and regional recipients the capability and confidence to assist their school to:

plan for and support students with a disability and diverse educational needs
use contemporary evidence-based, best practice approaches.

This course will develop program recipients' understanding of learning difficulties and the interactions between different types of learning difficulties, including dyslexia and dyscalculia.

Each of the 4 required subjects runs for 12 weeks and includes 4 online synchronous teaching days combined with self-directed reading and assignment work to be completed online. These are scheduled on weekends (Saturday or Sunday), ensuring recipients can balance study commitments with work and personal responsibilities.

Visit Faculty of Education's course page Graduate Certificate in Education (Learning Difficulties) - The University of Melbourne (unimelb.edu.au) for detailed subject descriptions and intended learning outcomes.

Visit Q&A: The University of Melbourne - Graduate Certificate in Education (Learning Difficulties) to view an on-demand Q&A webinar with Faculty of Education.

Successful applicants will start studying in Semester 2 (July) 2025 and complete the course part-time over 12 or 24 months. No casual relief teacher provision is required as this course has no practicum component.

Pathway to the Master of Learning Intervention Stream A course, specialising in learning difficulties

If you wish to apply for the Master of Learning Intervention (Stream A) course with a specialisation in learning difficulties through the University of Melbourne, you will need to:

Step 1: Apply for the Graduate Certificate in Education (Learning Difficulties) course.
Step 2: On completion, apply for the Master of Learning Intervention course, specialising in learning difficulties.
Step 3: Apply for 50% Recognition of Prior Learning for the 4 subjects completed through the Graduate Certificate.
Step 4: Complete another 4 subjects and graduate with the Master of Learning Intervention qualification.

For further information about this pathway, please contact the Inclusive Education Scholarships Unit. See contact details below.

Eligibility

For the program to have the broadest impact, schools that have not previously been awarded a scholarship from previous rounds will be prioritised. In addition, please note the following:

Schools with multiple campuses will be eligible for additional scholarships (1 per campus)
For schools with over 750 students but less than 1,000, an extra scholarship can be allocated
The program has committed to providing 2 scholarships per Specialist and Supported Inclusion School.

Teachers keen to apply for the course should discuss their interest with their principal before applying. Principal class workforce are also encouraged to apply for the program to disseminate their acquired knowledge among other staff members.

To prevent any potential disappointment, we encourage you to reach out to the IESU to confirm your school's eligibility for a scholarship in Round 4. There is a possibility that your school may already have a recipient or graduate from the program.

Regional workforces must obtain support and endorsement from respective managers and Executive Director Student Wellbeing and Engagement via a regional nomination process. Please contact your manager to discuss your application.

All prospective applicants must have full registration with the Victorian Institute of Teaching.

Before applying

Please consider scholarship obligations below:

The Department of Education (the department) has made a significant financial investment in capability-building for schools and regional workforces to build the skills and knowledge of inclusive education to better support the needs of all students. Employment and Financial obligations for successful applicants are clearly outlined on the program webpage, in the guidelines and the application form.

If you are unable to meet the program employment and financial obligations, you will be required to repay to the department the course fees associated with the course/subjects taken, regardless of whether you have passed or failed. (See the Debt Recovery policy in the program guidelines.)

The cost of the courses through the program are provided below - please take note of the cost associated with this course as you will be required to repay the course fees if you are unable to adhere to the program obligations.

University	Course	Subjects	Course Cost	Cost per subject
University of Melbourne	Graduate Certificate in Education (Learning Difficulties)	4	$12,750	$3,187

Employment and financial obligations:

If the recipient chooses to withdraw from a unit of study post-census, they will be liable for costs associated with re-enrolment of that unit.
If the recipient chooses to withdraw from the course entirely, they will be liable for the repayment of costs associated with units already engaged (passed or failed).
If the recipient voluntarily ceases to be employed by the department while studying or during the 2 years post completion, then the recipient must re-pay the department the course fees paid on their behalf.
During study or within 2 years post completion, if the recipient/graduate moves into a role that does not support students with a disability or additional learning needs, or that works with schools to strengthen inclusive practices, they will be deemed ineligible and required to repay the funds.
Please ensure you consider carefully whether this is the right course for you and your school.

General recipient obligations:

Although recipients can complete their courses in a shorter timeframe, the department provides 2 years to complete the course studying on a part-time basis.
If a recipient changes roles, schools, or chooses to change their enrolment status (defer, intermission, withdraw, etc.), they must contact the Inclusive Education Scholarships Unit for approval.
Recipients are not able to defer their first semester of study (Semester/Trimester 2, 2025).

How to apply

Applicants are required to discuss their interest in the program with their principal/manager and confirm alignment with school and regional strategic priorities for inclusive education.

More details about eligibility criteria, recipient obligations, and how to apply are available in the current round application guidelines (accessible below).

Guidelines for round 3, 2024

GCE Application Guidelines for Round 3, 2024 (PDF, 595.5 KB)

GCE Application Guidelines for Round 3, 2024 (DOCX, 1.08 MB)

Successful applicants

The IESU will announce outcomes approximately one month after the round closes on Monday 17 March 2025 via email and successful applicants will be provided with a 'provisional place'. If you are successful, you will need to apply through the University of Melbourne and meet the admission requirements of the course. To finalise your placement with the department, you will need to provide the IESU with your signed induction pack documents. Further information regarding this process can be found in the program guidelines.

Support available

The support given to recipients includes:

full tuition fees*
allowance of 2 years to complete the course.

* The department funds full tuition fees associated with the course. However, if a recipient does not meet the program employment and financial obligations, they will be required to repay fees associated with the course.

See what motivated teachers to participate

"Anything that's going to support a student with learning difficulties is going to be worth it."
Narelle De Young pinched herself the day she learned about the Graduate Certificate of Education (GCE) program.
A leading teacher at Greenvale Primary School in Melbourne's north-west, she had been devouring professional learning opportunities, especially those relating to learning difficulties.
"I could already see in our classrooms how things like a phonics scope and sequence were transforming learning, especially for kids who were struggling.
"But I could also see how some of the expertise and research that's out there has been slow to flow through to the classroom. I was looking at doing my Master's, but then I discovered that not only was the department running a scholarship program, there was a course – the Grad Cert – that ticked all the boxes for me."
Narelle's application to Round 1 of the GCE program was successful, and in July 2022, she and 46 other program recipients started their two-year part-time course – with fees covered by the department.
Narelle teaches Year 4 in a job-share, spending the rest of her time working with the school's professional learning communities (PLCs) and Strategic Action Teams (SATs). She allocated Sunday afternoons – "in the front room with a pot of tea" – for the bulk of her study, and looked forward to the collaboration and broad benefits that would flow from the course.
"It's not as if you go to a lecture for two hours, and then go home," she explains. "The way the program works, you can actually go back in, re-visit the information, let it sit with you, then workshop it with fellow students and colleagues.
"I don't have to leave school to go to school. I'll still be there in my leading teacher role, and through the PLCs or the SATs we can start investigating, fine-tuning or changing things as we gain more knowledge and understanding."
Narelle is also on the committee for the Hume-Moreland English Network (NET) which presents professional learning to the region once a term, and is a facilitator for the department's Inclusive Classrooms 'Learning Difficulties including Dyslexia' professional learning module.
"I think doing the course will make me a little bit more comfortable and confident in these roles," Narelle says.
Of course, the ultimate beneficiaries remain the students.

"Anything that's going to support a student with learning difficulties or dyslexia is going to be worth it – and not only that, it's going to help every student in that grade," Narelle says. "It's not just like it's beneficial to one person – it's just really good, explicit teaching."
"I have to keep deepening, refining and adding to my knowledge – there's no end to learning."
"There is not one learning model that fits all students," says educational leader Maria Saric. "And what works one day with one student might not work the next. So I can't be static. I have to keep deepening, refining and adding to my knowledge – there's no end to learning."
Maria is among the first intake of DET scholarship recipients who have just started the new Graduate Certificate in Education (Learning Difficulties) at the University of Melbourne.
She has only just started a new job – as an Education Improvement Leader within the Department's Diverse Learners' Hub – but had no hesitation in returning to university at the same time.
"I thrive on a challenge," she says, laughing. "That's probably what sparked my passion for inclusive education. At 18, I thought I wanted to be a kindergarten teacher … then while I was studying I got a job teaching swimming to adults with disabilities. I fell in love with the challenges – and the even greater rewards – that come with helping people of all abilities to realise their potential."
Maria is confident the GCE and her new role will "complement each other perfectly". The Hub, as the name suggests, is at the core of the Victorian Government's landmark Disability Inclusion initiatives, supporting teachers, schools and leaders to meet the needs and aspirations of every student in the state.
A former special school teacher, Maria has experience in working with diverse learners, especially those with autism. Completing the course means she is linked to contemporary evidence-based practice for supporting students with learning difficulties that can be shared with the partner schools she works with in the region.
"I know I've got a lot in my bank of resources already to take to schools, but I can't wait to add to that, so I'm as prepared as I can be to help – and to inspire," she says.
"And it's not like the old days of teaching courses, where you took everything you heard in lectures at face value. I'm looking forward to the collaboration, the support, the questioning. Saying 'what would you do in this situation?' "
Wendy Roberts, Maria's manager in the North Eastern Region, shares Maria's enthusiasm.
"It's such an exciting time," says Dr Roberts. "The GCE has been co-designed by DET and the University of Melbourne – so it's perfectly tailored for the Victorian context, and for Victoria's inclusive ambitions. It's a ripple that will start a wave – of being open to change, and to really wanting to do better and support the change in how we support diverse learners."

Relevant professional learning

Interested in getting a head start on understanding learning difficulties?

Check out the department's learning difficulties webpages.

Information and resources for supporting students with learning difficulties

Or explore these modules in the Inclusive Classrooms Professional Learning Catalogue:

Media release: Helping teachers become diversity, Inclusion Champions
Diverse Learners Hub: Extensive professional resources and information for teachers supporting diverse learners, inclusive education and learning difficulties, including dyslexia and dyscalculia
Disability Inclusion: increased support for students with disabilities
Disability Inclusion overview.

Additional postgraduate study opportunities 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.

For more information, visit Master of Inclusive Education program | Schools Vic.

Contact the Inclusive Education Scholarships Unit

Email: inclusive.ed.scholarships@education.vic.gov.au(opens in a new window)
Phone: 03 9084 8496

Education

Updated 3 July 2024