Advance your midwifery career and further develop your skills and knowledge.
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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.
Complete 300 hours of clinical experience in approved early childhood agencies, including observations and visits to community agencies.
Practise your skills in simulated environments that mirror real-world situations, with guidance and feedback from experts.
On completion, apply to join the Victorian Association of Maternal and Child Health Nurses (VAMCHN).
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.
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 includes family partnership training which is highly regarded by industry and also offers a dedicated elective in parent-infant mental health.
Your learning will be further supported by face-to-face lectures, some online learning, 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.
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.
This graduate diploma is available on-campus but includes 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 full-day attendance mode.
The knowledge and skills you will acquire throughout this degree and how they can be applied in your career are described in the learning outcomes.
The Graduate Diploma in Child and Family Health Nursing consists of 96 credit points.
The curriculum is structured to enable you to:
You will complete seven core units and one elective unit.
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.
Choose a plan below to find out more about the subjects you will study and the course structure.
Graduates work in maternal and child health nursing in local government, early parenting centres and community services.
Job Outlook projects that work opportunities for registered nurses are set to increase by 11.7% to 2024. Job Outlook also estimates that the most common annual salary for a mental health nurse in Australia is between $90,000 and $100,000, and for a nurse manager is between $120,000 and $140,000.
Graduates can join professional organisations such as the Victorian Association of Maternal and Child Health Nurses (VAMCHN).
You need to satisfy all of the following entry requirements to be considered for entry into this degree.
Applicants must have:
AND
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. You are encouraged to discuss this early in the application process with the program coordinator, who will also provide a specific form for this requirement.
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).
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.
If you are successful in obtaining a place in this program, you must meet a number of professional compliance requirements upon commencement of your studies.
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.
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.
*All relevant screening and compliance check fees are the responsibility of the student.
You can gain entry to this graduate diploma from a range of RMIT undergraduate programs, if you meet the entry requirements.
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.
Upon successful completion of this program you may be eligible to proceed to a master by research.
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.
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.
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.
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 2023. 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.
Student contribution band by course (subject) |
Maximum annual student contribution amount (per EFTSL) in 2023 |
|---|---|
| Education, Postgraduate Clinical Psychology, English, Mathematics, Statistics, Nursing, Indigenous and Foreign Languages, Agriculture | $4,124 per standard year $515 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 | $8,301 per standard year $1,037 per standard (12 credit point) course |
| Dentistry, Medicine, Veterinary Science | $11,800 per standard year $1,475 per standard (12 credit point) course |
| Law, Accounting, Administration, Economics, Commerce, Communications, Society and Culture | $15,142 per standard year $1,892 per standard (12 credit point) course |
On 1 January 2022, the Government implemented the Student Learning Entitlement (SLE).
For more information about SLE, visit Study Assist.
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 2023 is $326.
For more information about calculating your actual SSAF see Paying SSAF.
You may also be required to purchase other items related to your program, including field trips, textbooks and equipment. These additional fees and expenses vary from program to program.
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.
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.
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.
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.
This program is approved for income support.
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.
For Graduate Diploma in Child and Family Health Nursing students who are Division 1 nurses and midwives.
For postgraduate by coursework students enrolled full-time in a health-related discipline who can demonstrate circumstances which impact their study; worth up to $5,000.
RMIT awards more than 2000 scholarships every year to recognise academic achievement and assist students from a variety of backgrounds.
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.
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 'Luwaytini' by Mark Cleaver, Palawa.
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.
