Graduate Certificate in Animal Welfare*

• Course structure
• Advanced standing
• Inquiries

This course is offered in the off-campus distributed learning mode, however students will be required to attend weekend workshops at Caulfield campus. Access to course content as well as academic and other support will be provided primarily by printed materials. Additional academic support will be provided by telephone, email, fax and face-to-face contact at the weekend workshops.
Graduates of the course will:

• understand animal welfare and ethics within the disciplines of science, history, sociology and politics
• be able to assess animal welfare issues objectively
• be able to apply the knowledge gained in this course effectively in theory and practice in areas such as animal well-being, welfare inspection and assessment, research management, and the preparation and updating of welfare codes, legislation and regulations
• be aware of the complexity of debate concerning animal issues and able to distinguish between fact and value, examine factual claims for accuracy and address conflicts between different value systems
• be able to identify problems, areas of controversy and areas of agreement, in particular with regard to duty of care to animals, animal housing, animal husbandry, animal rights, conservation and biodiversity, and ethics and welfare
• be able to implement Standard Operating Procedures in their area of practice with a focus on the three Rs (replace, refine and reduce) and quality of life
• be able to undertake independent research contributing to knowledge and/or practice in the field of animal welfare and ethics
• have furthered their educational, personal and professional development and lifelong patterns of learning.

Applicants must have a bachelors degree (pass), or equivalent, or three years relevant work experience at an appropriate level (to be determined at the discretion of an academic selection panel). There are no formal unit prerequisites.

Course structure

The course is offered on a part-time basis and can be completed in two to four semesters. It comprises four six-point units -- GCAW1 and GCAW2 will be offered in the first semester and GCAW3 and GCAW4 in the second semester.

• GCAW1 Ethics and welfare: ethics, law and animal rights and regulations, applied animal welfare, stress and welfare, conservation and biodiversity
• GCAW2 Biology and ethology: evolution of behaviour, human-animal interactions
• GCAW3 (a) Domestication and management: urban management of domestic animals
• GCAW3 (b) Industry placement: 10 -- 20 days.
• GCAW 4 Research project: observing behaviour

The contents of units GCAW 1, 2 and 3 will have a major component of material presented to students in printed form that is teacher-designated. However, students will be responsible for directing the pace of their learning. In addition, students will be required to undertake projects, deliver oral and poster presentations and participate cooperatively in group discussions and workshops. Successful participation in these discussion and workshops will rely on students general knowledge, which they will be encouraged to expand by reading and interpreting popular discussion, magazines and newspapers and listening to the radio and watching television.
In GCAW3, students are required to undertake an industry placement whereby the focus is on experiential learning.
The unit GCAW4 requires students to undertake a research project. Each student's project will be unique, with the content to be negotiated between teacher and student. This research component of the course will require students to undertake independent investigation, analysis and research. They will also be required to read and critique academic papers
Although the units are offered as part of a course, students may elect to undertake, and be credited for completing, one or more units as single units.

Advanced standing

Provision of up to 50 per cent will be made for credit transfer or advanced standing for previous post-secondary study or recognised prior learning (to be determined at the discretion of an academic selection panel).

Inquiries

Inquiries should be directed to the Department of Psychology on telephone (03) 9903 2691 or (03) 9905 3968.
SUBJECT TO UNIVERSITY APPROVAL.

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