Autism Teaching Institute Postgraduate Programs
Autism Teaching Institute Postgraduate Programs
Applications are now open for our next round of enrolments for
The courses will run from March 2027 - December 2028, and consist of the Graduate Certificate in Teaching Autistic Students and Graduate Diploma of Teaching Autistic Students, each with a year duration. Most lectures and workshops are held on Saturdays to minimise disruption to the teachers’ home schools.
The courses have a high practical component, with 10 practicum days split between the teacher’s own classroom, Western Autistic School or one of its partner specialist schools.
The programs are fully funded by the department for teachers in Victorian government schools who teach autistic students.
Please see below for further information.
What is the Graduate Certificate in Teaching Autistic Students?
The Graduate Certificate in Teaching Autistic Students is a specialised postgraduate qualification for fully qualified teachers currently teaching students with autism designed to enhance their professional practice.
Graduate Certificate Units
The Graduate Certificate program consists of the following units delivered concurrently over three school terms:
Use communication to build relationships
Apply knowledge of autism to develop a holistic profile of an autistic student
Create environments that promote participation and success of autistic students
Collaborate to design an individual learning plan for an autistic student
Benefits for Graduate Certificate Graduates
The Graduate Certificate in Teaching Autistic Students will provide graduates working, or seeking to work in, special schools or mainstream primary and secondary schools with the skills and knowledge to develop and implement effective ways of teaching autistic students, as a specialist resource within their school.
Time commitment
The lectures and workshops making up the Graduate Certificate course consist of eight full days of learning across the year duration. These are augmented by five full days of workplace training and assessment in students’ classrooms and five full days of teaching practicum. The written assessment tasks, research and reading entailed in the Graduate Certificate require a commitment of approximately three hours a week.
What is the Graduate Diploma of Teaching Autistic Students?
Following successful completion of the Graduate Certificate, students will be elgible to enrol in the Graduate Diploma of Teaching Autistic Students. These qualifications are developed to be delivered as a single course, with the Diploma building on the knowledge and competencies students developed in the Certificate, enabling them to:
develop a deep understanding of the current policy context for inclusive schooling
access, analyse and evaluate research related to autistic students and educational best practice
apply insights from research in their classroom practice to improve learning outcomes for autistic students
implement proactive teaching approaches that support the wellbeing of autistic students
implement strategies to help students solve problems within their environment.
Graduate Diploma Units
Integrate research and lived experience perspectives into practice when teaching autistic students
Develop teaching approaches that support the wellbeing of autistic students
Deliver and evaluate the effectiveness of an individualised learning program for an autistic student
Benefits for Graduate Diploma Graduates
Successful graduates will be able to apply acquired skills and knowledge as highly skilled teachers, learning specialists, leading teachers, or principal class employees with responsibilities for inclusive leadership in special schools and mainstream primary and secondary schools.
Application Process
Applications for the combined 2027/2028 Graduate Certificate/Graduate Diploma of Teaching Autistic Students opened on the18th August.
Potential applicants for these courses are encouraged to register to attend a briefing session using the form below.
To apply for a place on these courses, use the below form to do the following:
Download, and complete the Application for Registration
Upload your completed aplication along with:
Current resume
Response to the key selection criteria
Principal endorsement
Evidence of current VIT
Applications for these courses will close on the 18th September, and successful candidates will be contacted in October regarding outcomes of applications.
Further Information
To be eligible to apply, applicants must meet the minimum course requirements:
Current full VIT teacher registration
Current employment as a teacher, leading teacher, or learning specialist, in a Victorian Government school
For the duration of the course, applicants must be responsible for the planning, teaching and assessment of an autistic student
Applicants must also gain endorsement by their school principal for their participation in both courses across the two years.
Successful applicants are eligible for the Department of Education (DE) postgraduate funded place in the Autism Teaching Institute 22684VIC Graduate Certificate in Teaching Autistic Students and 22685VIC Graduate Diploma of Teaching Autistic Students whilst they remain employed with DE.
If a successfully funded place recipient resigns from their employment in Victorian government schools, their scholarship funded place in the course will cease.
If a recipient changes employment to another Victorian government school whilst undertaking the course, they must notify the Course Coordinator, and a new Principal Endorsement form is required to be completed.
Funded place recipients are unable to defer their first semester of study. Students may apply for a deferral if they have completed their first semester, and their scholarship funded place will be held for them to return to study with the next student intake (with a maximum study break time of two years).
Candidates should also submit their current USI number as part of their application. Students who do not currently have a USI, should see the following website for information: https://www.usi.gov.au/