Diploma of Health

Nursing, sport and exercise science, occupational therapy, speech pathology, psychology, biomedical science, osteopathic studies, podiatry and pedorthics …there are so many career paths in health.If you're uncertain about which one is right for you, our Diploma of Health can provide the clarity you need for your future as a health professional.

You can even tailor your learning by choosing a specialisation from a range of health disciplines.Graduates can seek professional outcomes in several areas, including as allied health assistants, personal care assistants, lab assistants, and case workers.

This Diploma is also an ideal pathway towards further study at Southern Cross University and provides guaranteed entry to a range of Bachelor degrees.This course is offered through SCU College.

Additional support through workshops to develop academic and study skills is available to all SCU College students.If you are interested in studying online, please see important information below under major areas of study.

Please note not all units are available Online. Students should select 1 Specialisation from the following:

Applicants for admission to candidature to the Diploma of Health must have an assessable entry qualification from a country where English is the main language and where the medium of instruction for that qualification was English, or have completed an International English Language Test (or comparable test scores*) with: All specialisations except Nursing and Speech Pathology: A minimum overall score of 5.5 and a minimum score of 5.0 in each subtest (or comparable test scores*), except for writing with a minimum score of 5.5.

Nursing Specialisation:

A minimum overall score of 6.5 and a minimum score of 6.0 in each subtest (or comparable test scores*). Speech Pathology Specialisation: A minimum overall score of 7.5 and a minimum score of 7.5 in each subtest (or comparable test scores*). *comparable scores include SCU College Placement Test scores, CPE, CAE and TOEFL PBT (see www.scu.edu.au/englishskills)

To be eligible to receive the Diploma of Health, students must complete the equivalent of 8 units (96 credit points), comprising:

• 8 units (96 credit points) from one of the following specialisations: Occupational Therapy, Podiatry and Pedorthics, Speech Pathology, Sport and Exercise Science, Biomedical Science, Osteopathic Studies, Psychological Science, and Nursing.

Requirements following completion of the Diploma:

Nursing Specialisation:

Graduates of the course in this specialisation who have an Academic IELTS 7.0, with no band less than 7.0, qualify for direct entry into the Bachelor of Nursing (BN) at Southern Cross University. To be accepted into the BN, applicants need to meet the English Language standards specified by NMBA registration standards at: https://www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au/Registration-Standards.aspx in order to meet the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC) accreditation standards.

If you intend to enrol into the Bachelor of Nursing at Southern Cross University, you will need to study the Health Assessment unit in Session 3 and it will be necessary for you to be fully compliant for professional experience placement prior to enrolment into the degree. See the School of Health and Human Sciences professional experience page for further information.

Speech Pathology Specialisation:

Graduates of the course in this specialisation who have an Academic IELTS 8.0, with no band less than 8.0, qualify for direct entry into the Bachelor of Speech Pathology at Southern Cross University. Up to 8 units of advanced standing is included in this pathway.

Other Specialisations (except for Biomedical Science and Psychological Science):

Graduates of the course in the Allied Health specialisations who have an SCU College English Language Test score comparable to Academic IELTS 7.0, with no band less than 7.0, qualify for direct entry into the relevant Bachelor course at Southern Cross University.

Evidence of compliance for Placement must be provided prior to any professional experience placement and some compliance requirements can take up to 4 months to fulfil. Please see the School of Health and Human Sciences professional experience page for more information.

Course Learning Outcomes express learning achievement in terms of what a student should know, understand and be able to do on completion of a course. These outcomes are aligned with the <a href="/staff/teaching-and-learning/graduate-attributes/">graduate attributes</a>.