Graduate Diploma in Rural Health

• General information
• Course structure
  • Generic core subjects
  • Electives
    • Category A
    • Category B
  • Year one
    • First semester
    • Second semester
  • Year two
    • First semester
• Credits/exemptions
• Time limits
• Assessment
• Inquiries

General information

The Centre for Rural Health offers this distance education course which may be undertaken full-time over one year or part-time over two years.
The course aims are to enable graduates to provide high-quality health care specifically oriented to the health needs of rural communities; to develop and extend the knowledge, skills and attitudes of rural health care professionals; and to prepare health practitioners to live and work in rural communities.
Candidates are selected on the basis of academic and professional merit. Special consideration is given to candidates who hold current registration in a relevant health discipline and who are working in rural areas or are preparing for a career in rural practice. Candidates must have a minimum of a pass bachelors degree or a qualification deemed equivalent and a minimum period of one year's relevant clinical experience.
Access to personal computer facilities is desirable but not essential. Residential attendance is not compulsory.

Course structure

The coursework graduate diploma consists of four generic core subjects and four elective subjects over four part-time semesters.

Generic core subjects

The four generic core subjects are:

• CRH1000 Rural health issues and practice
• CRH1001 Research methods
• CRH1002 Rural health politics and policy
• CRH1003 Health education and promotion

Electives

The completion of four discipline-specific clinical practice subjects or a sequence of units is required. These subjects/units may be selected from either category A or B or a combination of both.

Category A

This category offers the following coursework subjects which are offered by distance education:

• CRH1005 Drug and alcohol issues in rural communities
• CRH1006 Counselling for rural practitioners
• CRH1007 Managing rural health services
• CRH1008 Rural remote mental health practice
• CRH1009 Rural women's health
• CRH1010 Aboriginal health
• CRH1011 Care for the rural elderly
• CRH1012 Rural primary health care
• CRH1013 Rural occupational health and safety
• CRH1014 Applied pharmacology in rural practice
• CRH1015 Rural nutrition and health practices
• CRH1016 Rural and remote nursing practice
• CRH1017 Complementary health care in rural practice

Category B

This category offers individual students the opportunity to negotiate clinical units based on an extended area of practice, depending on resources available. CRH1021, CRH1022, CRH1023 units will be conducted by a supervised learning contract.

Year one

First semester

• CRH1000 Rural health issues and practice
• CRH1001 Research methods

Second semester

• CRH1002 Rural health politics and policy
• CRH1003 Rural health education and promotion

Year two

First semester

• Elective subjects 1-2 (category A or B)
• Elective subjects 3-4 (category A or B)

Credits/exemptions

There will be no more than 25 per cent of total credit granted for subjects previously completed in approved courses. These subjects must have a close correlation with subjects offered within the Graduate Diploma of Rural Health.

Time limits

The course of study for the Graduate Diploma of Rural Health must be completed in not less than two years and not more than four years of part-time candidature.

Assessment

Assessment is by written assignments and papers, projects, student journals, literature review and formal assessment.

Inquiries

Inquiries should be directed to Dr J Chesters, Centre for Rural Health, c/- PO Box 424, Traralgon, Victoria 3844.

Previous page | Next page | Section contents | Title and contents