Semester dates 2024

Orientation (first year only):

Monday 19 February and Friday 23 February

Semester 1 (12 teaching weeks):

Monday 26 February to Sunday 26 May 

Easter Non-Teaching Week: Friday 29 March April to Sunday 7 April

Results release date: Friday 5 July

Semester 2 (12 teaching weeks):

Monday 22 July to Sunday 20 October

Non-Teaching Week: Monday 23 September to Sunday 29 September 

Results release date: Friday 29 November

Key University Dates

Course Structure 

You will have enrolled in the course as a part-time or full-time student.

• The Graduate Certificate is only offered part-time over one year.
• The Graduate Diploma is offered full time over one year and part time over two years.
• The Masters is offered part time over four years with an option to compress the first two years into one.

Note however, that you may increase or decrease your study load to suit changed circumstances. It’s vital that you consult the course coordinator to be sure you have explored all your options.

Course work and independent learning will take approximately 10 hours per week, per subject.

Students who have competed the graduate certificate may also advance to the graduate diploma.

The Graduate Diploma and Graduate Certificate in Adolescent Health and Wellbeing are 100% online and can be undertaken from anywhere in the world. Masters subjects are offered in a variety of on-campus modes through the School of Population Health, including week-long blocks and weekends. Online subject alternatives should be explored with the course coordinator.

A downloadable version of the course structure is available here - AHW course outline 24.

Graduate Certificate in Adolescent Health and Wellbeing

There are two streams: health promotion and oncology. For both you must satisfactorily complete two core subjects and two specialisation subjects (50 points). Additional course information can be found here.

Graduate Diploma in Adolescent Health and Wellbeing

You must satisfactorily complete eight subjects: four core and four electives (100 credit points). Additional course information can be found here.

Master of Adolescent Health and Wellbeing

After completing the Graduate Diploma in Adolescent Health and Wellbeing, you must satisfactorily complete 5 subjects and a minor thesis (200 credit points). Additional course information can be found here. In years 3 and 4 you will construct a study plan to suit your research interest with the support of the course co-ordinator. 

Electives may be methodology based or content based depending on the focus of the minor thesis. Examples of methodology electives include:

Community-Based Participatory Research POPH90201

Health Program Evaluation 1 POPH90058

Health Program Evaluation 2 POPH90090

Qualitative Research in Public Health POPH90231

For further enquiries or clarification about the course or enrolment process, please email Dr Ani Wierenga on  wierenga@unimelb.edu.au .

Course subjects

Core subjects

YOUNG PEOPLE IN CONTEXT

This subject introduces and critiques the concepts ‘adolescence’ and ‘health’, and examines various frameworks for understanding the phenomenon of adolescent development. The diversity of adolescent experience is explored, and the impact of various socio-environmental contexts of adolescence on young people’s health and wellbeing is identified.

PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE IN CONTEXT

This subject asks students to examine the assumptions, values, experiences, skills, forms of knowledge and broader influences on your work with young people. The subject is structured into four connected modules that build on each other across the semester: Reflective practice; Working with resilience; Working with other professionals; Being resilient.

SOCIO-ENVIRONMENTAL CONTEXT OF ADOLESCENTS

This subject investigates how social determinants and social worlds affect the health and wellbeing of young people and examines social life from historical, global and cultural perspectives. Students will draw on a diversity of theoretical perspectives to analyse how society operates and how social changes influence the health, wellbeing and behaviours of young people.

HEALTH PROMOTION AND YOUNG PEOPLE

This subject explores key practices, principles and frameworks for health promotion and community capacity building aimed at enhancing the health and wellbeing of young people. Participants will be encouraged to develop a more systematic approach to health promotion practice, particularly in identifying adolescent health needs and in planning, implementing and evaluating health promotion approaches relevant to particular communities/ settings.

Electives

ADOLESCENT SEXUALITY AND SEXUAL HEALTH

This subject explores two main themes: 1. The social construction of sexuality - how our understandings of sexuality are developed in socio-cultural contexts; and 2. Sexual health - how it is defined and measured, what factors contribute to it, and practical issues to consider when interacting with adolescents and trying to have an impact on their sexual health and wellbeing.

YOUNG PEOPLE EXPERIENCING VULNERABILITY

This subject explores health and social issues for young people experiencing vulnerability. Specific groups of young people to be studied will be chosen from the areas: disability, indigeneity, homelessness, justice-system involvement, ethnic diversity, and sexual and gender diversity.

YOUNG PEOPLE AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE

This subject enables students to build a framework for analysing and responding to the complex issues pertaining to young people and drug use. This involves the examination of prevalence rates and current trends in drug use among adolescents in the contemporary Australian context and an analysis of the dominant perspectives that influence policy makers, treatment providers, media outlets, families and young people themselves.

MENTAL HEALTH AND YOUNG PEOPLE

This subject introduces conceptual frameworks for understanding mental health in young people and the importance of social contexts for mental health. The subject analyses the emotional dimensions of mental health and assists professionals to recognise emotional distress of a young person and ways that it can be manifested.

CANCER CARE AND YOUNG PEOPLE

Increasingly successful treatments and improved survival rates for adolescents and young adults with cancer has led to the need for better management of the many complex issues arising out the experience of cancer for this group. A better appreciation and understanding of the psycho-social dimension of a young person’s life and cancer experience has emerged, and with this the need for new skills and approaches to care.

ADOLESCENT HEALTH PROJECT

In this subject, participants will draw on ideas from research, along with theoretical frameworks and strategies explored during the course to develop and review a critical inquiry project relevant to their professional practice workplace / setting that influences outcomes for young people. Participants will be supervised through each stage of the project and will be required to present their findings, perspectives and reflections to different audiences using appropriate media.

Masters only

ADOLESCENT HEALTH MINOR THESIS

The purpose of this subject is to develop independent research skills, including design and implementation, and the analysis and interpretation of data that informs our understanding of young peoples’ health and well-being. This process involves exploring a research question and establishing a rationale for the enquiry, refining the aims and objectives, identifying the relevant theoretical and/or conceptual frameworks, and resolving the appropriate methodological approach to satisfy the aims and objectives.

PRINCIPLES OF SOCIAL RESEARCH DESIGN

This subject will give students an understanding of the principles underlying social research. The topics covered will be relevant for students interested in social research specifically, and for health research students who want to learn about qualitative and quantitative research as it applies to social health research. 

Masters electives

COMMUNITY-BASED PARTICIPATORY RESEARCH

This subject will give students an understanding of, and experience in, Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR). CBPR is a collaborative approach to research that emerges from the interests or problems of a specific group or community, and is enacted through a specific set of social values.

HEALTH PROGRAM EVALUATION 1

This subject examines the diverse purposes health program evaluations can serve and the wide range of environments in which health program evaluations are conducted. Using Australian and overseas evaluation examples, students gain an overview of conceptual and methodological issues in the key evaluation approaches.

HEALTH PROGRAM EVALUATION 2

This subject provides an extension of studies in health program evaluation introduced in Health Program Evaluation 1. It focuses on issues relating to the selection and development of a preferred evaluation approach for a particular health program or policy. While it does so from an applied, practical perspective, key theoretical underpinnings of different evaluation approaches are also examined.

QUALITATIVE RESEARCH IN PUBLIC HEALTH

This subject will introduce students to qualitative research in public health - both the principles underlying design and the strengths and weaknesses of different qualitative methodologies. It will cover a range of methods, such as individual interviews, group interviews, visual and participatory methods. Students will learn how to design, plan and evaluate qualitative research as sources of evidence in public health.

Learning and Assessment Guidelines

Presentation of assignments

Assignment requirements are as follows:

• A cover sheet, with all the following details: course, subject name, subject code, your name and student number, title of assessment task, description of assessment task, date due, date submitted and word count.
• All pages numbered with name, student ID, and subject name or code (e.g. POPH90167) in header or footer
• Double spaced lines
• 2.5-centimetre margins
• Arial or Times New Roman font in size 12 pt
• Assignments must not be password protected

Submitting your assessments

• Assignments are submitted electronically via Turnitin in the LMS subject assessment submission page.
• Name your document as follows: Surname_First Initial-  (e.g. Smith_S- YPC LAT1).
• Always keep a copy of each assignment.
  

Applying for an extension

 Extensions can be granted by the subject co-ordinator in extenuating and unforeseen circumstances.   

• Students should contact the subject co-ordinator well before the due date, to discuss their need for an extension.
• The  extension form must also be completed and submitted to the subject co-ordinator well before the due date.
• The extension will not normally exceed 10 working days (two weeks).

Special consideration

There may be unexpected circumstances that significantly affect your studies, or you may have acute or ongoing health issues or official commitments that require study adjustments. It is vital to discuss any issue seriously impacting on your progress with the course coordinator, as soon as they arise. 

There are two types of support categories available and it’s important to understand the difference between them.

1. Special Consideration (unexpected circumstances) is available where the expected duration of impact is less than six weeks. Circumstances might include sudden illness or bereavement. All students have the right to apply throughout the duration of their studies.
2. Special Consideration (ongoing support) is available where the expected duration of impact is six weeks or more. Circumstances might include a chronic or permanent health condition or an official commitment. Students register and attend an interview to discuss study adjustments and support needs.

Special consideration applications are made directly to the university. Please visit the University website for additional information.

An application for Special Consideration does not mean that the application has automatically been approved. 

Applications for Special Consideration will not be considered:

• submitted later than three days after the assessment is due
• without supporting evidence such as a medical certificate, court report or other appropriate evidence 

Penalties for late submission of assessment tasks

Work submitted past the due date without an extension may incur a penalty, with a loss of marks.

Work that has been granted an extension, but is not submitted by the agreed date, likewise may incur a penalty.

Failure of a component of assessment

• Each learning and assessment tasks (LATs) in a subject, including online posts, hurdle requirements and written assignments, must be submitted for assessment.
• Failure to complete a learning and assessment task can result in a subject fail.
• A student may be asked to resubmit an assignment.
• Resubmitted assignments cannot be given a mark greater than sixty-five percent.

Accessing results

Your marked assignments will be returned to you electronically via the relevant My Grades page of the LMS subject. Your overall subject mark will be available via the Student Portal.  

Withdrawal from a subject

It is possible to withdraw from a subject after commencement. Before you apply to withdraw from a subject, it is recommended that you discuss your options with the course coordinator to ensure that all options have been explored. Deadlines apply for withdrawing from subjects:

• A census date is set for each subject, usually the 31^st March for semester 1, and 31^st August for semester 2.
• Students are liable for fees if they withdraw after the census date.

Please visit the University website for additional information.

Withdrawal from a course

It is possible to withdrawn from a course. Before you apply to withdraw from a course, it is recommended that you discuss your options with the course coordinator to ensure that course withdrawal is your best option. Please visit the University website for additional information. 

Leave of Absence (LOA)

You may request a Leave of Absence (LOA) (before census only) from the course. Be sure to discuss your options with the course coordinator.

• A leave of absence may be granted for only one or two semesters. 
• Applications for LOA can only be considered after the successful completion of at least one subject

Student information website

The University of Melbourne has a student information website which includes information on subject grades, timetables, library details, financial support and handbooks.

Contact us

Administrative Support

Dr Ani Wierenga

Academic Coordinator, Adolescent Health and Wellbeing

Centre for Adolescent Health 
T +61 (0)3 93456676
E  wierenga@unimelb.edu.au