General faculty information - Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences

Unless otherwise stated in an individual course entry in this publication, English language requirements and credit for prior studies are standard and listed below.

English language requirements

English is the student's first language of instruction, or applicants for whom English is not the first language of instruction must have taken an English Language Proficiency test within 24 months prior to study commencement and have achieved the following results:

• IELTS (International English Language Testing Service academic) - minimum score of 6.5. With no individual band score less than 6.0. Preference will be given to IELTS test results.
• TOEFL (American Test of English as a Foreign Language) - minimum score of 550 with a TWE (Test of Written English) score of 4.5 Scores must be available for both TOEFL and TWE.
• Computer-based TOEFL achieving a minimum score of 213 with an essay rating (ER) of 5.

Note that postgraduate courses offered through the Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine and Department of Scoal Work require an IELTS score overall of 7.0 with no individual band scores of less than 6.0, or a TOEFL 600 with a TWE of 5, or a computer-based TOEFL 250 with an essay rating (ER) of 5.

Documentary evidence must be supplied with application.

Entry requirements

Coursework programs

Except where otherwise determined by the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences applicants for postgraduate coursework studies must have qualified for an appropriate degree or have other qualifications or professional experience deemed a satisfactory substitute by the faculty board and the relevant department or school. In some instances there may also be a professional requirement necessary for entry in addition to an educational requirement. For a full description of entry requirements for any of the graduate programs offered within the faculty please contact the relevant department or school.

Research programs

As research candidature has specific entry admission requirements for each program these will be listed under the individual higher degree entries.

Clinical placement/employment requirements

In situations where assessed clinical placements are a requirement of the program, students are advised to check procedures with their departments prior to enrolment. There are however, specific requirements attached to particular programs within departments and schools within the faculty. As a general rule these may be characterised as follows:

School of Nursing and Midwifery

For some of our specialist nursing and midwifery postgraduate courses, students must gain employment with an affiliated hospital in their specialty area. It is the students' responsibility to apply to the hospital of their choice for a student placement. Evidence of employment must be provided to the school.

Department of Medical Imaging and Radiation Sciences

Prior to admission to the clinical units, applicants must provide written evidence verifying that they are actively engaged in clinical employment in the relevant discipline. The university does not accept any responsibility for finding clinical placements. Suitably qualified international students wishing to undertake the diploma in their country of residence must also satisfy the Department of Medical Imaging and Radiation Sciences in respect to the appropriateness of their clinical supervision.

School of Psychology, Psychiatry, Psychological Medicine

Where clinical placements are a requirement, these placements must be arranged in consultation with the academic in charge of the course/unit, the organisation and the student.

Department of Community Emergency Health and Paramedic Practice

Courses offered by this department have specific employment requirements prior to application and commencement. Students must consult with the department regarding their employment situation prior to enrolment.

Credit for prior studies

Faculty guidelines regarding credit for prior studies state that students may receive, with the approval of the course coordinator, up to 50 per cent credit towards their program. No credit will be granted for work completed more than ten years prior to admission of candidature, for some areas the recency requirement may be less, please check with the relevant department. Applications for credit will be assessed on an individual case-by-case basis.

Application for credit (`advanced standing') forms are available from the department and must be accompanied with full documentation, including course outlines and content.

Study modes

Monash offers courses in a variety of study modes. These include 'on-campus' group teaching and a variety of forms of 'off-campus' delivery. Studies undertaken in 'multimode' combine these two approaches. The study modes available are listed in the course and unit entries in this handbook.

Doctor of Psychology programs

Three Doctor of Psychology (DPsych) programs - the DPsych in Clinical Psychology, the DPsych in Clinical Neuropsychology, and the DPsych in Organisational Psychology - are offered on-campus by the School of Psychology, Psychiatry and Psychological Medicine.

Each DPsych is a research degree consisting of a combination of research, coursework and supervised practical experience. All DPsych programs are administered by the Research Graduate School Committee under the rules and regulations applying to doctoral degrees unless stipulated otherwise by the committee.

Course structure

Each of the degrees is based on a 48-week study year, and comprises three components: thesis (70 per cent), coursework (20 per cent) and supervised placements (10 per cent).

The first two years are taken on a full-time basis. Students wishing to complete the DPsych in three-and-a-half years can take the final 18 months on a full-time basis; those who opt to complete the final 18 months on a part-time basis will need a total of five years to complete the program. Part-time paid internships may be offered to selected students who wish to study part-time while gaining supervised experience.

Thesis

The thesis is expected to provide a significant contribution to knowledge and/or practice in the relevant field of specialisation and to demonstrate the capacity of the student to carry out independent research. The word length of the thesis is approximately 60,000 to 70,000 words.

Coursework

Refer to the individual Doctor of Psychology course entries in this section of the handbook for details.

Practicum placements

Students will complete a minimum of three practicum placements (125 days) in a variety of settings.

Assessment

The thesis is marked by two external examiners. Coursework is assessed using the Monash University system of grades. Participation in seminars and practical sessions is taken into consideration in the assessment process. Performance in practicum placements are assessed as either satisfactory or unsatisfactory, with supervisors providing detailed reports on students' progress.

Students should note that satisfactory performance in all three components is necessary throughout the course and that progression is always contingent upon satisfactory completion of previous requirements. In addition, an assessment of personal suitability to undertake or continue work as a clinical psychologist will be made prior to each practicum. Students who fail the meet the required standards in the first year will be required to leave the program. Students may seek admission to, or transfer to, other programs of study.