Graduate Diploma in Child and Family Health Nursing

Graduate Diploma in Child and Family Health Nursing

POSTGRADUATE

Advance your midwifery career and further develop your skills and knowledge. 

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Student type:
Learning mode:
On campus
Entry score:

Not applicable*

Duration:
Full-time 1 year
Part-time 2 years
Fees:

Commonwealth Supported Places

Next intake:
February, July
Location:
Bundoora
Learning mode:
On campus
Entry score:

Not applicable

Duration:
Not applicable
Next intake:
Not applicable
Location:
Not applicable

The Graduate Diploma in Child and Family Health Nursing prepares registered nurses (with qualifications as midwives) for advanced practice in community child and family health nursing.

You will develop the ability to critically analyse and apply principles of primary healthcare, to help you secure a rewarding role as a maternal and child health nurse.

As a student in this in-demand field, you will be eligible to apply for scholarships and bursaries offered by the Health Department, designed to help increase the capacity of Victoria's world-class maternal and child health nursing workforce.

RMIT is at the forefront of nursing education and research. We are one of the oldest providers of nursing education in Australia with a history of industry partnership and strong graduate employability for over 40 years.

Why choose the Graduate Diploma in Child and Family Health Nursing at RMIT?

Clinical practice

Complete 300 hours of clinical experience in approved early childhood agencies, including observations and visits to community agencies.

State-of-the-art facilities

Practise your skills in simulated environments that mirror real-world situations, with guidance and feedback from experts.

Professional membership

On completion, apply to join the Victorian Association of Maternal and Child Health Nurses (VAMCHN).

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Are you ready for a future in health? 

Discover a rewarding career and seize your opportunities for professional development with a qualification from RMIT. 

Please note: this graduate diploma is not available for international students intending to study on a student visa. If you are holding a temporary visa (other than a student visa) and your visa has a full study entitlement, you may be eligible to apply. For more information, see the international students with other temporary (non-student) visas.

Details

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Learning and teaching

You will experience a range of learning approaches including learner-centred curriculum, learning activities and projects.

You will have the opportunity to take advantage of our state of the art simulated learning facilities. You will participate in simulated practice within these facilities in preparation for placement. As a part of participation you may be filmed for learning, teaching, reflection and assessment and this is considered an inherent part of our curriculum. Recordings will be maintained in accordance with our assessment, document retention and privacy policies.

In addition to child and family health specialty subjects, this graduate diploma offers a dedicated elective in parent‑infant mental health.

Approximately 80% of teaching is conducted online, with some face-to-face workshops, independent study and clinical experiences across a range of early childhood services. The face-to-face contact at RMIT develops strong clinical skills in child health and enables regular support and discussion to enhance learning.

Assessment methods

Your assessment in this graduate diploma will depend on the requirements of your subjects, but may include group and individual project work, reflective journals, self and peer assessments, and class tests.

Learning at RMIT

The types of classes you have will depend on the course you’re studying. Classes are offered in various formats designed to provide meaningful engagement with staff, industry and peers and provide for access and use of spaces where learning can be applied and active, including an array of specialised equipment.

Most RMIT courses do not include passive large-scale classes such as lectures, instead the content traditionally provided in lectures is made available online. This may be in the form of readings, videos or other on-demand learning materials. This content will also support the basis of interactive learning that takes place in on-campus classes.

RMIT Capabilities

The world is constantly changing, and there are universal skills that can help you adapt to the evolving nature of work and global engagement.

As part of your study experience at RMIT, we provide 6 future-focused RMIT Capabilities:

  • Ethical Global Citizens
  • Connected
  • Adaptive
  • Digitally Adept
  • Expert
  • Critically Engaged.

RMIT Capabilities are built into your course as well as some of our extracurricular experiences. They inform the design and delivery of your learning activities and assessments, so by the time you graduate, you’ll be ready to apply these capabilities in your life and work.

This graduate diploma is in a flexible delivery mode, including units with significant online modules that can be studied from home.

It also includes 300 hours of clinical placements and visits.

Units are mostly offered in online attendance mode.

As a graduate of this course, you will be equipped with an advanced knowledge of family and child health theory and development, as well as how to use a systematic approach to apply this knowledge in various real-world settings. In your professional practice, you will conduct and appraise assessments for maternal, child and family health and wellbeing by interpreting findings, and responding to care needs, including referrals when appropriate. You will also utilise evidence-based knowledge to conceptualise and deliver safe and effective practice in a variety of contexts, and demonstrate your ability to analyse and generate appropriate solutions to patient health challenges while complying with ethical, legal and regulatory standards.

Essential to your work in this field will be your ability to communicate in an effective, sensitive and culturally appropriate way to engage and support families, young children and groups from diverse backgrounds in a partnership approach. As part of your continual professional development, you will also demonstrate responsibility and accountability for professional decisions and resolves challenges through application of critical thinking, reflective practice and a commitment to lifelong learning.

These learning outcomes of nursing programs are based on the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council Incorporated (ANMCI) National Competency Standards for registered nurses, Codes of Ethics and Professional Conduct, the Maternal and Child Health Service Program Standards (2009) and the Victorian Maternal and Child Health Professional Standards of Practice (Victorian Association Maternal and Child Health Nurses, 2024).

The Graduate Diploma in Child and Family Health Nursing consists of 96 credit points.

The curriculum is structured to enable you to:

  • critically analyse and apply the principles of primary health care related to child and family health
  • analyse and evaluate nursing strategies designed to promote and maintain wellbeing for children and their families
  • apply evidence-based practice to primary care within the scope of the Maternal Child Health (MCH) service
  • critically examine key ethical issues relevant to professional health care practice in community settings.

You will complete 6 core subjects and 2 elective subjects.

Clinical practice

To meet curriculum requirements, you must complete a minimum of 300 hours of clinical experience in approved early childhood agencies. While most experience occurs in approved MCH centres, almost one-third of your clinical experience will include observations and visits to community agencies. These include childcare centres, early intervention services, early parenting centres, MCH Line, community day stay programs and other key services.

Course structure

Choose a plan below to find out more about the subjects you will study and the course structure.

Graduate Diploma in Child and Family Health Nursing
Program code: GD159
Title
Location
Duration
Plan code
CRICOS
Graduate Diploma in Child and Family Health Nursing
Bundoora Campus
Full-time 1 Years, Part-time 2 Years
GD159
Location
Bundoora Campus
Duration
Full-time 1 Years, Part-time 2 Years
Plan code
GD159
CRICOS
View plan

Career

Graduates work in maternal and child health nursing in local government, early parenting centres and community services.

Jobs and Skills Australia projects that work opportunities for registered nurses are set to increase by 12.2% to 2028.

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This program is not accredited by any external industry or professional body.

The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia no longer accredits specialist postgraduate nursing certificates or diplomas such as the Graduate Diploma in Child and Family Health Nursing since these are post "Entry to Practice" programs.

Successful graduates may be eligible to join the Victorian Association of Maternal and Child Health Nurses (VAMCHN), subject to meeting specific criteria set by the professional body.  

Entry requirements and admissions

You need to satisfy all of the following entry requirements to be considered for entry into this degree.

Applicants must have:

  • a Bachelor of Nursing degree or equivalent;
  • a Graduate Diploma in Midwifery, Bachelor of Midwifery or equivalent;
  • current AHPRA registration as both a Nurse (Division 1, General) and Midwife (General);
  • completed one of the following clinical experience pathways:
    • Pathway 1: completed a minimum of 1 year (full-time equivalent) post-registration clinical experience as a registered nurse and 1 year (full-time equivalent) post-registration clinical experience as a registered midwife (2 years total);
    • Pathway 2: completed a minimum of 1 year (full-time equivalent) post-registration clinical experience as a registered nurse and a Graduate Year Program in Midwifery; or
    • Pathway 3: completed a minimum of 5 years (full-time equivalent) post-registration clinical experience as a registered nurse or a minimum of 5 years (full-time equivalent) post-registration clinical experience as a registered midwife.

AND

  • demonstrated recent clinical experience, defined as a minimum of 1 year (full-time equivalent) employment within the last 5 years as a registered nurse OR a registered midwife.

To have industry or employment experience assessed as part of meeting the entry requirements you will need to provide a detailed CV/resume listing previous positions, dates of employment and position responsibilities; a statement from your employer confirming these details (or contact details of employer so RMIT can seek confirmation); and evidence of any relevant professional development undertaken.

International qualifications are assessed for comparability to Australian qualifications according to the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF).

 

Clinical place arrangements

Applicants are required to arrange a clinical place with a local Maternal Child Health (MCH) service and submit confirmation of this as part of the application process. Please refer to the Municipal Association of Victoria website for information about arranging a clinical place, to see the list of Councils and available places, and the forms you are required to complete.

There are no prerequisite subjects required for entry into this qualification.

A selection task is not required for entry into this qualification.

You must meet the University's minimum English language requirements to be eligible for a place in this program.

Additional information

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Students who are successful in obtaining a place in the program must meet a number of Immunisation and Compliance requirements upon commencement of their studies in the program.

Immunisation and vaccination requirements*

  • Diphtheria/Tetanus/Pertussis (dTpa – adult dose), must be this immunisation. NOT ADT (Adult Diphtheria/Tetanus – as this does not contain the pertussis component)
  • Measles/Mumps/Rubella (MMR, 2 vaccination doses OR serology to confirm positive serology for IgG measles, mumps and rubella
  • Hepatitis B: primary course of 3 vaccination doses and serology to confirm anti-HBV level is greater than or equal to 10mIU/ml OR serology to confirm anti-HBV level is greater than or equal to 10 mIU/ml
  • Varicella: 2 vaccination doses OR serology to confirm immunity
  • Influenza Vaccination: an annual requirement. Students will be guided as to the timing of obtaining this.
  • Tuberculin Screen: Tuberculin Skin Test OR Quantiferon TB Assay and serology to show a negative result.
  • COVID19 Vaccination*:  You will be required to be fully vaccinated (boosted). A person is fully vaccinated (boosted) if the person has received a booster dose.  A person has received a booster dose if they have received:
    • a second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine after receiving one dose of a one dose COVID-19 vaccine; OR
    • a third dose of a COVID-19 vaccine after receiving two doses of a two-dose COVID-19 vaccine including different types of two dose COVID-19 vaccines.

While Government legislation has relaxed, our vaccination policy will align with that of our Industry Partners, who have indicated that their policies remain unchanged.

Please note: A full course of immunisations can take up to 7 months to complete, you should contact your medical practitioner prior to entering the program to commence immunisations. It is a requirement that you will have commenced all immunisations and will continue to progress this until completion of the vaccination courses by the deadlines set by the university.  Only an Australian Medical Practitioner will be able to complete the relevant Immunisation Form that you will be provided with. If you have had overseas vaccines, you will need to take a copy of these to an Australian Medical Practitioner for completion of the relevant form.

Compiance requirements

  • Working with Children Check (valid for 5 years): Students must hold a valid Working with Children Check prior to undertaking the clinical components of this program.
  • Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check: Students must present evidence of a successful Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check prior to undertaking the clinical components of this program (Annual requirement for the duration of your Program). Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Checks are conducted via fit2work. An account with fit2work will be created using the student’s name and the RMIT issued student email address, once studies in the program have commenced. Further information will be provided once enrolment has been completed.
  • NDIS Worker Screening Check*: You will be required to apply for and receive an acceptable NDIS Worker Screening Check. Further information will be provided once enrolment has been completed.
  • Other requirements as advised on commencement of Program

*All relevant screening and compliance check fees are the responsibility of the student. 

For more information or if you have any questions about these requirements please contact RMIT Connect – Work and Study Opportunities where your enquiry will be dealt with accordingly.

Pathways and further study

You can gain entry to this graduate diploma from a range of RMIT undergraduate programs, if you meet the entry requirements.

Learn more about RMIT undergraduate programs

Credit, recognition of prior learning, professional experience and accreditation from a professional body can reduce the duration of your study by acknowledging your earlier, relevant experience.

Credit and exemptions will be assessed consistent with the principles of the RMIT Credit Policy.

Find out if you might be eligible

Upon successful completion of this program you may be eligible to proceed to a master by research.

Explore postgraduate research degrees

Fees

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Entry for this program is primarily through Commonwealth Supported Places (CSPs).

Government financial assistance is available to eligible students regardless of the type of place you enrol in.

2026 indicative fees

Commonwealth supported places

  • 2026 Commonwealth supported places (CSP) range from AU$4,738 to AU$17,399*. 

Full-fee places

  •  Full-fee places: AU$28,800* (2026 total)

Additional expenses

  • Student services and amenities fee (SSAF): AU$373 maximum fee for 2026*.
  • Other items related to your program, including field trips, textbooks and equipment.

Annual fee adjustment*

Amounts quoted are indicative fees per annum, and are based on a standard year of full-time study (96 credit points). A proportionate fee applies for more or less than the full-time study load.

*Fees are adjusted on an annual basis and these fees should only be used as a guide.

Defer your payment

  • You may be eligible to apply for a HELP loan, which can be used to defer payment of up to the full amount of your student contribution fees. You may also be eligible to apply to defer payment of your SSAF through the SA-HELP loan scheme.
  • For more information and to learn how to calculate your exact tuition fees see postgraduate study fees.

Paying your fees and applying for refunds

For information on how to pay your fees or how to apply for a refund, please see Paying your fees and applying for refunds.

If you are offered a Commonwealth supported place, your tuition fees are subsidised by the Australian Government.

Your share of the fee (student contribution) is set on an annual basis by the government and is determined by the discipline areas (bands) of your individual enrolled courses, not the overall program.

How much can I expect to pay for my Commonwealth supported place?

The Australian Government has introduced changes to university funding and student contribution fees under its Job-ready Graduates Package. 

The fees in the table below apply to students who commence their program in 2026. Fees for continuing students are available at fees for Commonwealth supported students.

Each course (subject) falls into a band. The band determines the student contribution amount for the course.

Amounts listed in the table below are based on a standard, full-time study load (96 credit points per year) with all courses in the same band. A proportionate fee applies for more or less than the full-time study load or for enrolment in courses (subjects) from a combination of bands.

You can learn how to calculate your exact tuition fees for units from different bands at Fees for Commonwealth supported students.

Maximum student contribution amount for Commonwealth supported places in 2026 for commencing students

Student contribution band by course (subject)

Maximum annual student contribution amount (per EFTSL) in 2026
Education, Postgraduate Clinical Psychology, English, Mathematics, Statistics, Nursing, Indigenous and Foreign Languages, Agriculture $4,738 per standard year
$592 per standard (12 credit point) course
Allied Health, Other Health, Built Environment, Computing, Visual and Performing Arts, Professional Pathway Psychology, Professional Pathway Social Work, Engineering, Surveying, Environmental Studies, Science, Pathology $9,537 per standard year
$1,192 per standard (12 credit point) course
Dentistry, Medicine, Veterinary Science $13,558 per standard year
$1,694 per standard (12 credit point) course
Law, Accounting, Administration, Economics, Commerce, Communications, Society and Culture $17,399 per standard year
$2,174 per standard (12 credit point) course

Student Learning Entitlement

On 1 January 2022, the Government implemented the Student Learning Entitlement (SLE).

  • The SLE allows students 7 years of full-time subsidised study in Commonwealth Supported Places (CSP).
  • Your total SLE amount will be reduced in accordance with your overall study load in a CSP. 
  • Once you have utilised all your SLE, you can no longer study in a CSP.
Visit Study Assist for more information about SLE

If you are offered a full-fee place, you will need to pay the full tuition costs of your program. However, eligible students (such as Australian citizens or holders of an Australian permanent humanitarian visa) may apply to defer payment of some or all of their tuition fees via the Commonwealth Government’s FEE-HELP loan scheme.

In addition to tuition fees, you will be charged an annual student services and amenities fee (SSAF), which is used to maintain and enhance services and amenities that improve your experience as an RMIT student.

The SSAF is calculated based on your enrolment load and the maximum fee for 2026 is $373.

You may also be required to purchase other items related to your course, including field trips, textbooks and equipment. These additional fees and expenses vary from course to course.

HECS-HELP Loans

The Australian Government provides financial assistance via the HECS-HELP loan scheme, which allows eligible students (such as Australian citizens or holders of an Australian permanent humanitarian visa) to defer payment of up to the full amount of their student contribution.

FEE-HELP loans

Eligible students (such as Australian citizens or holders of an Australian permanent humanitarian visa) may apply to defer payment of some or all of their tuition fees via the Commonwealth Government’s FEE-HELP loan scheme.

SA-HELP Loans

You may be eligible to apply to defer payment of the Student services and amenities fee (SSAF) through the SA-HELP loan scheme. If you use SA-HELP, the amount will be added to your accumulated HELP debt.

How does a HELP loan work?

If your HECS-HELP, FEE-HELP and/or SA-HELP loan application is successful, the Australian Government will pay RMIT, on your behalf, up to 100% of your fees. This amount will become part of your accumulated HELP debt.

You only start repaying your accumulated HELP debt to the Australian Government once you earn above the minimum income threshold for repayment, which is set each year by the Australian Government (this also applies if you are still studying). The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) will calculate your compulsory repayment for the year and include this on your income tax notice.

For more information about loan repayment options see Commonwealth assistance (HELP loans) or Study Assist.

You may be eligible for student income support payments from the Commonwealth Government if you are undertaking a graduate certificate, graduate diploma or an approved professionally oriented masters by coursework program. For more information see Income support for Masters students.

If you are enrolled in an eligible program you will also need to satisfy all other student payment eligibility requirements. You can contact Centrelink or Services Australia for further information about student income support entitlements, your eligibility and how to apply.

You may be eligible to apply for income tax deductions for education expenses linked to your employment.

See the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) for more information.

RMIT awards more than 2000 scholarships every year to recognise academic achievement and assist students from a variety of backgrounds.

Explore scholarships

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Looking for answers or more general information?

Use our Frequently Asked Questions to learn about the application process and its equity access schemes, find out how to accept or defer your offer or request a leave of absence, discover information about your fees, refunds and scholarships, and explore the various student support and advocacy services, as well as how to find out more about your preferred program, and more.

Visit our Frequently Asked Questions

This course is not available for international students intending to study on a student visa.

Information for international students

Sorry, this course is not available for international students intending to study on a student visa. If you hold a different visa type, you may be eligible. Please contact Study@RMIT for more information.

 

Information for local students

If you are a local student please select 'switch to local' below to view the full course information.

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Acknowledgement of Country

RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business - Artwork 'Sentient' by Hollie Johnson, Gunaikurnai and Monero Ngarigo.

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