Graduate Diploma of Arts (Civil Ceremonies)

• Aims
• Professional recognition
• Entry requirements
• Special requirements
• Course structure
• Assessment
• Advanced standing for previous studies
• Further information
• Completed applications

Course code: 2157 + Clayton campus + Full-fee-paying: unit fee $1650; course fee $6600 + International students: unit fee $3375, course fee $13,500 + Attendance not required (however, as all four units include an assessment component in performance and presentation skills, students studying by off-campus distributed learning will be required to either attend one weekend seminar per semester at Monash, or present a videotape of the activity to be assessed, or participate in a video conference)

Aims

Upon successful completion of the Graduate Diploma of Arts (Civil Ceremonies), students should have demonstrated an ability to:

• understand the history, cultural variety and social traditions of rites of passage at points of birth, majority, graduation, marriage, divorce and death
• identify emotional, legal and ethical aspects of rites of passage related to birth, marriage, divorce and death, and to be able to respond sensitively, including making appropriate referrals for professional advice
• interview bereaved people in order to arrange a funeral and couples preparing for marriage
• prepare funeral and marriage ceremonies including literary and musical content
• conduct funeral and marriage ceremonies
• prepare and conduct ceremonies for the public expression of grief such as the recognition of a divorce, memorial service
• prepare and conduct other public ceremonies for other rites of passage such as name-giving, coming of age, and graduation
• display a sense of professional responsibility, including familiarity with the literature in the field, with standards of practice and performance and accountability to clients and colleagues.

Professional recognition

For practice as a Civil Marriage Celebrant, registration with the Attorney General's Department is required. The department currently has its policy for the appointment of new civil marriage celebrants under review. For other rites of passage there is at present no recognised licensing authority.

Entry requirements

The program is open to candidates with a bachelors degree or holders of the Faculty Certificate in Civil Ceremonies.

Special requirements

Access to a word-processing package is highly desirable.

Course structure

The Graduate Diploma of Arts (Civil Ceremonies) requires the satisfactory completion of four 12-point, one-semester units accumulating a total of 48 credit points. Students must complete:

• CVL4010 Rites of passage: culture and celebrating lifecycle events
• CVL4020 Lifecycle events in music and literature
• CVL4030 Celebrant and client: legal, ethical and personal issues
• CVL4040 Professional celebration of rites of passage

As all four units in the Graduate Diploma of Arts (Civil Ceremonies) have an assessment component in performance and presentation skills, all off-campus distributed learning students must attend either one weekend seminar or present a video tape of the activity to be assessed, or participate in a video conference for each unit.

Assessment

Assessment methods include reflective essays, fieldwork reports, and videotaped presentations or participation in a video conference in-class exercises. There are no examinations.

Advanced standing for previous studies

Twenty-four credit points obtained by candidates having completed the Faculty Certificate in Civil Ceremonies with credit average grades.

Further information

For more detailed information, contact Ms Judy Watt, Centre for Studies in Religion and Theology, Clayton campus, telephone (03) 9905 2036, fax (03) 9905 2210, or email judy.watt@arts.monash.edu.au.

Completed applications

Completed applications are to be forwarded to Ms Judy Watt, Centre for Studies in Religion and Theology, Monash University, Victoria 3800, by 30 October 2001 to be considered for a first-round offer.

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