Diploma of Education

The Diploma of Education, often abbreviated to DipEd or GradDipEd, is a postgraduate qualification offered in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth countries such as Australia which certifies the awardee to practice as a teacher. Specialisation within the course usually enables one to become a primary or secondary teacher, or a teacher in an adult education environment such as TAFE or a business college, and to join the relevant professional association in the relevant jurisdiction. The DipEd typically takes one year of full-time study (up to two years part-time) to complete and students are often required to undertake professional practicum (or "pracs") alongside their theory units in order to graduate. It offers an alternative to the three- or four-year Bachelor of Education for those who already have a degree in another area (e.g. Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts) and wish to specialise in that area. The course is referred to as a Diploma of Teaching in New Zealand. full article at wikipedia