Graduate Diploma of Arts (Civil Ceremonies)

• General information
• Entry requirements
• Course structure

General information

Course code: 2157 + Course fees (on campus): local students -- $A6600; international students -- 13,000 (full- time) + Course fees (by off-campus distributed learning): Local students -- $A6600; international students -- $A13,500 (full-time) + Course director: Ms Judith Watt
In addition to providing an understanding of cultural variation and sensitivities in public statements of lifecycle events, this course prepares celebrants to plan and conduct public ceremonies of grief, such as funerals and divorce, and ceremonies of recognition, such as weddings, namings and majority. The course is designed to provide the training required to practise as a civil celebrant in Australia. In the light of the university's continuing engagement with developments in society and its commitment to the social sciences, it is appropriate that Monash University provide a course in this field.
At the invitation of the Attorney General, the faculty has submitted the course to him for approval as a formal course to provide the necessary training for those seeking to become certified as civil marriage celebrants. Most celebrants work independently.

Entry requirements

The course is available to applicants with a bachelors degree or equivalent education and experience. Students who have completed a Faculty Certificate in Civil Ceremonies with grades of credit average or above will obtain 50 per cent credit and can then go on to complete the graduate diploma in half a year of full-time study or one year of part-time study.

Course structure

Four units are required for the Graduate Diploma of Arts (Civil Ceremonies):

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

All four units will be offered on campus at the Caulfield campus and by off-campus distributed learning in 2002. As each unit in the Graduate Diploma of Arts (Civil Ceremonies) has an assessment component in performance and presentation skills, all off-campus distributed learning students must attend either one weekend seminar at Monash University or present a video tape of the activity to be assessed, or participate in a video conference for each unit.

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