The Diploma of Early Childhood Education is your pathway to an exciting career as an early childhood educator. In this higher education diploma, you will study the significance of the learning and development that occurs between birth and starting school for every child.

Throughout the two years, you will be provided with the opportunity to develop skills in play pedagogy; safety, health and wellbeing; documentation, planning and assessment; sustainability education; working with families and communities; understanding and guiding children’s behaviour; diversity and inclusion; and curriculum approaches and teaching strategies.

As part of the course, you will also actively engage in two professional experience placements with babies, toddlers, and pre-schoolers in a variety of early childhood education settings.

The Diploma of Early Childhood Education will prepare you to be a highly competent, skilled, and transformative early childhood educator.

This course meets the required guidelines as specified by the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF), and the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA).

Studying Early Childhood Education at Ikon…

Start your journey in early childhood education

Our higher education diploma is for progressive and motivated students ready to embark on a meaningful career as early childhood educators. You’ll learn how to inspire young children’s wonder and creativity through innovative content and approaches to early years education. We collaborate with international and local communities to ensure our future teachers are perfectly primed for the world they’ll inspire.

Belong to a like-minded, connected community

When you join our Early Childhood Education program at Ikon, you’ll become part of a diverse and collaborative community united by the drive to positively influence young lives. You’ll walk out our doors with not only an unsurpassed higher education, but also the knowledge you’re part of a bigger collective cause.

Educate yourself for a world of opportunities

Qualified and inspiring teachers are in demand the world over. As you learn how to educate young children, you’re also opening up a world of possibilities for your own future. Our degrees are internationally respected and our unique approach merges grounded academic theory and contemporary concepts with practical learning and real-life workplace experiences.

Be the inspiration every young child needs

Through our degree you will become an inspiring teacher, leader, and advocate, for every child you educate. You’ll be armed with the absolute latest knowledge and contemporary perspectives on learning in the early years so you can be the champion of children’s voices across the globe.

International applicants must have an English Language Proficiency Score of IELTS 6.5 (Academic) with no skills band less than 6.0, or equivalent.

Our admission pathway options include:

1. Applicants with Recent Senior Secondary Education (within the past two years) must have completed an Australian Senior Secondary Certificate (Year 12) or equivalent.
2. Applicants with Higher Education (HE) study must have a successful completion (or partial completion) of a higher education qualification.
3. Applicants with Vocational Education and Training (VET) study must have completed a vocational qualification at Diploma level or higher.
4. Applicants with Work/Life experience who left senior secondary education more than two years prior to their application, and have not undertaken VET or HE study since, may gain entry based on professional or work experience and/or any non- formal courses undertaken in preparation for tertiary study or that are relevant to the subject area. Work/Life experience applicants must submit a written admission statement outlining their reasons for undertaking the intended course of study. For more information about writing your admissions statement click here.

All applicants must submit a 600-word statement outlining reasons for wanting to become an early childhood teacher, and may be required to participate in an informal interview with an Ikon representative. 

• The importance of play-based learning and how it facilitates children’s learning and development.
• How to nurture children’s identity through respecting and supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion in early childhood settings.
• The significance of the contexts, culture and dynamics of families, communities, and society on young children’s development and learning.
• The links between child development and behaviour, and how to guide behaviour in ways that support children to develop resilience through self-regulation and connecting with others.
• Personal and professional development through two placements in early childhood settings under the supervision of professional educational leaders, giving you a real sense of early childhood educator practices.

The Diploma of Early Childhood Education prepares graduates for an exciting career as an early childhood educator with the skills to educate children from birth to five years in early childhood settings. Graduates will also be eligible for further education to become an early childhood teacher.

Professional Recognition

The course is recognised by the Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) as an approved early childhood qualification for Diploma Educators under the National Quality Framework.