Education is one of the largest undergraduate enrolments in WA. UWA, Curtin, Notre Dame, ECU and Murdoch all offer Bachelor of Education degrees across Early Childhood, Primary, and Secondary specialisations.
The prerequisites are softer than law or medicine, but ATAR cutoffs are now meaningful (typically 70+) and secondary teaching specialisations require subject-specific Year 12 study.
What each WA university requires
| University | Required ATAR subjects | Typical ATAR cutoff |
|---|---|---|
| UWA Bachelor of Education (Primary) | None specified | ~75 to 80 |
| Curtin Bachelor of Education (Primary) | None specified | ~70 |
| Notre Dame Bachelor of Education (Primary) | None specified | ~70 |
| ECU Bachelor of Education (Primary or Early Childhood) | None specified | ~70 |
| Murdoch Bachelor of Education (Primary) | None specified | ~70 |
| UWA Bachelor of Education (Secondary) | Specialisation-specific (see below) | ~75 to 80 |
| Curtin Bachelor of Education (Secondary) | Specialisation-specific | ~75 |
Primary education has no ATAR subject prerequisites. Secondary teaching does, depending on specialisation.
Secondary teaching: prerequisite by specialisation
If you want to teach a specific subject in secondary school, you typically need to have completed that subject at ATAR level:
| Secondary specialisation | Typical Year 12 prerequisite |
|---|---|
| Mathematics teaching | Mathematics Methods (Specialist preferred) |
| Science teaching | One science (Chemistry, Physics, Human Bio, or Biology) |
| English teaching | English ATAR (Literature acceptable) |
| Humanities teaching | Modern History or relevant humanities ATAR |
| LOTE teaching | The relevant language at ATAR level |
| Health/PE teaching | Physical Education Studies (or Outdoor Ed) |
| Music teaching | Music ATAR |
| Art teaching | Visual Arts ATAR |
The rule: you cannot teach what you have not learned. Start your secondary teaching pathway at Year 11 by enrolling in the ATAR subjects you would later teach.
The optimal 5-subject combination for primary teaching
For primary teaching, the strongest combination is:
- English (mandatory for WACE).
- Mathematics Applications or Mathematics Methods (build numeracy literacy; Methods if you might switch to secondary).
- Psychology (directly relevant to child development; scales modestly).
- Modern History or Geography (humanities engagement; scales near neutral).
- One creative subject: Visual Arts, Music, or Drama. Scales near neutral but supports primary teaching range.
ATAR projection: 78 to 88 for competent students.
The optimal 5-subject combination for secondary teaching
For secondary teaching of mathematics:
- Mathematics Methods (mandatory)
- Mathematics Specialist (highest scaling)
- English
- Physics or Chemistry (for ATAR scaling)
- One subject of personal interest
For secondary teaching of English:
- English ATAR
- English Literature (recommended for depth)
- Modern History
- Mathematics Applications (for ATAR floor)
- One subject of personal interest
Why Psychology matters for primary teaching
Psychology ATAR covers child development, cognitive development, behavioural management, and learning theory. All of these appear directly in first-year primary education units.
Psychology scales by 1 to 2 marks at the median. The scaling boost is small, but the first-year preparation is significant. Many primary teaching students wish they had taken Psychology at Year 12.
Career outlook
Education graduates in WA enter teaching roles in public schools, Catholic schools, independent schools, and Department of Education early childhood centres. Starting salaries in WA public schools typically run $73k to $80k. Independent and high-fee Catholic schools may pay higher.
WA has growing teacher demand in regional and remote areas, with significant retention bonuses. Specific specialisations (mathematics, science, special education) face critical shortages in WA, with priority hiring incentives.
What to actually do this week
- Decide between Primary and Secondary teaching. The subject prerequisites diverge significantly.
- If Secondary, identify your subject specialisation. Confirm you have enrolled in the relevant Year 12 ATAR subject.
- Open the UWA, Curtin and Notre Dame Bachelor of Education admission pages. Note the prerequisites and ATAR cutoffs.
- Use our ATAR calculator with the recommended subjects.
If you want to talk through subject choice for teaching, book a free trial at our centres.