Study secondary teaching in Australia as an international student

Course options and duration

A Bachelor of Education (Secondary), sometimes combined with a subject-specific bachelor's degree (Bachelor of Arts/Education, Bachelor of Science/Education), typically runs four years and covers both your teaching methodology and your subject-area specialisation. For students who already hold a relevant subject-area bachelor's degree, a graduate-entry Master of Teaching (Secondary) is a common route, typically taking around two years.

What you study your teaching subject in matters more here than in most other fields — secondary teacher registration and AITSL assessment both look for evidence you're qualified to teach specific subjects (mathematics, English, science and so on), so your subject-area major or minor is functionally part of your professional qualification, not just an academic interest.

What it costs

As at 2026, published international tuition for a Bachelor of Education typically sits in the broad AUD $26,000–40,000-a-year band, and a graduate-entry Master of Teaching is often in a similar or slightly higher per-year range given its compressed structure. These are sticker prices from the provider's current fee schedule, not net cost after any scholarship — check the specific university, since fees are revised annually.

Work rights while studying, and the graduate visa window

On a student visa (subclass 500), work is capped at 48 hours per fortnight during term and uncapped during scheduled breaks — as at 2026. Teaching degrees include mandatory supervised professional-experience placements in schools, generally treated separately from paid work hours, though confirm this against your specific course structure.

After graduation, the 485 Post-Higher Education Work stream currently grants two years to bachelor's and coursework master's graduates and three years to research master's/PhD graduates, with a further one to two years possible for eligible regional-campus study. Confirm current age and English settings before relying on them, as these are periodically reviewed.

The migration pathway: occupation, AITSL assessment and the skilled list

Secondary School Teacher sits at ANZSCO 241411, and AITSL is the designated assessing authority for this occupation (alongside primary, middle, special-needs and special-education teaching — AITSL's remit covers most teaching occupations except early childhood, which moved to ACECQA in December 2024). AITSL's assessment checks your qualification and English proficiency criteria against defined standards, with IELTS Academic specifically required rather than other English test formats accepted elsewhere in the migration system.

Secondary School Teacher has appeared on Australia's skilled occupation lists in various subject-specific or general forms over recent cycles, but list status and points value are reviewed periodically — check the current list, and confirm your specific circumstances with a MARA-registered agent.

AITSL assessment vs state teacher registration — two separate steps

A positive AITSL skills assessment supports a skilled visa application — it is not the same as being registered to teach. To actually work as a teacher in an Australian classroom, you need separate registration with the relevant state or territory teacher regulation authority (for example the NSW Education Standards Authority, the Victorian Institute of Teaching, or equivalent bodies in other states), each with its own process, and in some cases its own additional requirements beyond what AITSL checks.

This two-layer structure catches some international graduates by surprise — a positive AITSL assessment supporting a visa doesn't automatically mean you're ready to walk into a school and start teaching; budget time and, in some states, additional cost for the separate state registration process too.

Is secondary teaching a strong choice for a migration-focused international student?

Secondary teaching benefits from a clear assessing authority and generally consistent demand, particularly in specific shortage subject areas (mathematics, science and some regional postings tend to feature more prominently than others). The trade-off is the two-layer registration structure — AITSL plus separate state registration — and a subject-specific qualification requirement that makes your degree's subject major genuinely load-bearing for your eventual eligibility.

This article is general orientation, not confirmation of your personal fit. A MARA-registered agent can confirm your pathway across both AITSL and state-registration requirements — Migratio matches you with one free.

Does an AITSL skills assessment let me teach in an Australian school?

No — an AITSL positive assessment supports a skilled migration visa application. To actually teach, you also need separate registration with your target state or territory's teacher regulation authority, which is a distinct process with its own requirements.

Does my subject major matter for teacher migration?

Yes, genuinely — both AITSL assessment and state teacher registration look for evidence you're qualified in specific teaching subjects (maths, English, science and so on), so your subject-area major or minor functions as part of your professional qualification, not just an academic interest.

Is secondary school teacher on Australia's skilled occupation list?

Secondary School Teacher has appeared on Australia's skilled lists in various forms over recent cycles, but list status and points value are reviewed periodically. Check the current list, particularly for subject-specific shortage areas, and confirm with a MARA-registered agent.

How long can I work in Australia after a teaching degree?

As at 2026, the 485 Post-Higher Education Work stream grants two years to bachelor's and coursework master's graduates and three years to research master's/PhD graduates, plus a possible further one to two years for eligible regional-campus study. Confirm current age and English settings before relying on this.