Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) - General Practice and Primary ...

Enrolments
POST GRADUATE CERTIFICATE/DIPLOMA IN PRIMARY CARE NURSING
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Can I enrol as a division 2 nurse?
If you are an enrolled nurse you are unable to apply for a postgraduate course, a ‘conversion’ degree from enrolled
nurse to registered nurse is not available at the University of Melbourne. Information on the range of bachelor
degrees that prepare you for graduate nursing studies are available from the nursing website:
http://www.nursing.unimelb.edu.au/future_students/what_kind_of_student_am_i
Can I enrol as an international student?
Australian or overseas qualified nurses who hold a 3 year degree or diploma of nursing or approved equivalent
AND have at least one (1) year professional experience in a clinical setting are eligible to apply for our courses.
Some subjects have assessments involving a clinical placement, which will require registration as a nurse in
Australia; therefore, these subjects are not available to international students.
How do I enrol?
Applying for the certificate/diploma is available online on the General Practice website:
http://www.gp.unimelb.edu.au/prospective_students/pgrad/
Applying for the Community Access Program, please visit CAP section of the General Practice website:
http://www.gp.unimelb.edu.au/prospective_students/pgrad/sse.html
Students need to complete the application form and submit to the Student Centre via the online application
system. Students undertaking a Community Access Program will also need to submit an online CAP application.
Closing dates are displayed on the website and on the last page of FAQ.
All applications must have attached the following documents:
• Certified copy of current National Division 1 registration
• Certified copies of your academic transcript showing subjects and results
• Document showing evidence of at least one year professional experience in a clinical setting – this should
take the form of a letter of reference or an employment contract. The provision of Curriculum Vitae is not
a sufficient evidence of professional experience.
• Certified copy of your passport/birth certificate for verifying citizenship
• Certified copy of documentation of name change if applying in a married name (ie marriage
certificate/name change documentation)
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Author: Weilun Nien Authorised by: Prof Kelsey Hegarty © The University of Melbourne

• A police check, working with children and CPR certificate are requirements for some subjects. These will
need to be produced once you are admitted to the subject and prior to any workshops or clinical
placement. The CPR course must cover adult, children and infants; the accepted course is HTLAID001 or
equivalent.
Do I need the police check?
The University of Melbourne, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences requires all students enrolled in
courses managed by the Faculty to have a current police check. Further information on how to apply for this
document are available at the following web address:
http://www.police.vic.gov.au/content.asp?Document_ID=274
How much does it cost?
Police checks cost $42.00 but students can apply for a reduced fee due to their student status. To get the reduced
fee of $15.9, you will need to get Section E option 2 of the form signed by an officer in the student centre, please
see:
http://sc.mdhs.unimelb.edu.au/sites/studentcentre/files/MDHS-Police-Check-policy-Oct-2012.pdf
When can I withdraw without penalty?
Students can withdraw from subjects and courses prior to census dates in each of the semesters. If you withdraw
from one or more subjects (including course discontinuation or leave of absence), the University will refund some
or all of the tuition fees you have paid in advance if you give timely, formal notice. If you are a continuing student,
any amount owing to you will be credited towards your next fee instalment or can be refunded on lodgement of a
refund request.
Notice given of subject withdrawal
Refund
By close of business on the census date* for
the subject
A full refund of all the fees you have paid in advance for
that subject.
After the census date* for the subject
No refund will be given for subjects with census dates that
have passed.
* The census dates for standard semester 1 and semester 2 subjects are 31 March and 31 August respectively.
Census dates for other teaching periods may vary. Census dates for the subjects in which you are enrolled are
detailed on your Enrolment Record and the census date for every subject offered by the University is published in
the Subject Fee Calculator.
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Can I take a leave of absence from course?
All students are eligible to apply for leave of absence for personal, medical, compassionate or other reasons. Leave
of absence is subject to the approval of the subject coordinator and will be considered on a case by case basis.
How do I apply for an extension?
Where a student’s capacity to prepare a piece of assessment has been affected by factors beyond their control,
such as illness or some other unexpected occurrence, students may apply for an extension. All applications require
supporting documentation (i.e. medical certificate, statutory declaration, etc) indicating the extent of the
extension. Extension applications should be made as soon as it becomes evident that an extension is required.
The application form for submitting an extension request will be available online on the Learning Management
System (LMS). Students should complete the form and return by email to the subject coordinator.
Where do I go to for help?
The Academic Skills Unit (ASU) assists postgraduate students with a wide range of issues. Common problems
include reading for research, writing literature reviews, preparation of presentations, thesis, essay and assignment
structure and organisational, motivational issues and developing academic writing style. ASU has a flexible
appointment program to try and best meet the needs of postgraduate students. Individuals can make individual
appointments with advisors that generally run for 50 minutes. There is also the option of after-hours
appointments. http://services.unimelb.edu.au/academicskills
ASU also run in conjunction with the Graduate Student Association (GSA) (http://www.gsa.unimelb.edu.au/) and
the Melbourne School of Graduate Research (MSGR) (http://www.gradresearch.unimelb.edu.au/) workshops on
topics such as reading for research, organising literature reviews and thesis management.
Course
What are core subjects?
Core subjects are the subjects required to be completed to enable the student to gain either the diploma or
certificate. Details follow:
Diploma course - Core subjects
GENP60004: Chronic Disease Management (25 points; this is a year-long subject.)
GENP60003: Quality Systems and Safety (25 points; this is a year-long subject.)
GENP60002: Preventive Health Care (12.5 points)
Certificate course – Core subjects
GENP60004: Chronic Disease Management (25 points; this is a year-long subject.)
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Date: 20 January 2012 Revision Date: 18 June 2014 – Version 1.0 General Practice and Primary Health Care Academic Centre
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GENP60002: Preventive Health Care (12.5 points)
What are elective subjects?
Elective subjects are subjects chosen by the student in their area of interest and to enable completion of the
certificate or diploma. The certificate requires the student to complete 50 points of subjects and the diploma
requires the student to complete 100 points of subjects. Each elective subject is 12.5 points. The student is
required to complete the 2 core subjects and 1 elective subject for the certificate; 3 core subjects and 3 elective
subjects for the diploma.
Elective subjects:
GENP90011: Mental Health in Primary Care (previous subject name was Communications Skills in General Practice)
GENP90015: Youth Health in Primary Care
GENP90017: Immunisation and Travel Health
GENP90008: Women’s Health Screening (previous subject name was Taking Pap Test: Theory and Practice)
GENP60001: Significant Issues in Women’s Health
NURS90045: Pregnancy Care in General Practice
POPH90069: Sexual and Reproductive Health
POPH90068: Sexually Transmissible Infections
NURS90071: Applications of Clinical Pharmacology
NURS90009: Evidence for Practice
How do I submit an assignment?
Please note all assignments must be typed for electronic submission. No written assignments will be accepted, this
includes reflective journals and portfolios. Assignments must be submitted directly via TurnItIn the online webbased
software that is connected to Learning Management System (LMS). The University of Melbourne has been
using this software since July 2004 and it is providing a valuable addition to existing methods for supporting the
University’s policy on academic honesty.
How much do subjects cost in 2014?
The complete certificate/diploma course is banded under the Australian Postgraduate subject fees for Melbourne
School of Health Sciences – 100 credit points (1 EFTSL). Single full fee subject (12.5 points) = $2052. Further
clarification re fees please refer to: http://fee.acs.unimelb.edu.au/ and follow the links for your individual
circumstances.
CAP subjects are banded under the CAP fees for graduate subjects – each subject is $1616 in 2014.
Students can calculate their exact fees based on their fee-type and the subject(s) enrolled, at
http://futurestudents.unimelb.edu.au/admissions/fees
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Local students may be eligible for fee help through the higher education loan scheme, visit
http://studyassist.gov.au/sites/StudyAssist/ for further information.
Can I get recognised prior learning?
The University’s credit policy allows for students to receive credit for 25% of the course based on accredited
postgraduate studies. However, each credit application is assessed on a case-by-case basis, you must provide
appropriate supporting documentation for your application such as transcripts and subject outlines including
assessment details. Forms for credit application will be available online on the Learning Management System
(LMS). Students should complete the form and return to the subject coordinator with all supporting
documentation.
How long does the course take usually?
Most students enrol in 1 subject per semester thus enabling them to study and still maintain their work/lifestyle.
The certificate would take 2 years to complete and the diploma 4 years to complete with this timetable, subjects
are all distance education with topics and curriculum information available online via LMS.
When is the application closing date for 2014 Semester 1 and 2?
The applications for Postgraduate courses in Primary Care Nursing will be closed in late November 2013. However,
late application will be considered. The semester 1 2014 commences 4 March and concludes 2 June. Students can
also apply for mid-year entry; semester 2 applications will close in early June. The semester 2 2014 commences 28
July and concludes 27 October. Community Access Program (CAP) applications will close in February 2014 for
semester 1 entry and July 2014 for semester 2.
Important Dates for 2014
Key events Semester 1 dates Semester 2 dates
Postgraduate Diploma and Certificate
application deadlines
30 November 2013 20 June 2014 for mid-year entry
Accepting late applications
CAP application deadline 7 February 4 July
Semester commences 3 March 28 July
Semester concludes 1 June 26 October
Program completion 11 July 12 December
UNCONTROLLED DOCUMENT To Be Revised: Annually Page 5 of 5
Date: 20 January 2012 Revision Date: 18 June 2014 – Version 1.0 General Practice and Primary Health Care Academic Centre
Author: Weilun Nien Authorised by: Prof Kelsey Hegarty © The University of Melbourne