Global Utilities

La Trobe University
University Handbook 2008

Faculty of Health Sciences

General information

The Faculty of Health Sciences caters for a wide range of interests in the education of health professionals by offering a wide range of undergraduate, postgraduate coursework and Graduate Entry Master Programs. The Faculty also provides opportunity for research at both a Master and Doctoral level. Students from other Faculties of the university may apply to enrol in some individual health sciences units.

The Faculty consists of four Divisions:

  • Allied Health;
  • Health Studies;
  • Nursing and Midwifery; and
  • Research.

Courses are offered at the Albury-Wodonga, Bendigo, Melbourne (Bundoora and City), Mildura and Shepparton campuses. The Faculty also teaches at a number of hospitals, offers some courses via distance education and teaches some courses overseas.

There are several externally funded centres and institutes that are part of the Faculty including:

  • Australian Institute for Primary Care
  • Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society
  • Mother and Child Health Research Centre
  • Musculoskeletal Research Centre
  • The Bouverie Centre – Victoria’s Family Institute, which provides family therapy clinical services and offers postgraduate programs in family therapy.

Requirements for admission to undergraduate courses

Information about the VCE prerequisite units and other admission requirements are available from the University’s Office for Prospective Students or from the Faculty of Health Sciences.

Course regulations

All courses offered by the Faculty are governed by a University regulation that specifies the entrance and other requirements of the course.

Each course also has its own rules of progression and most schools produce specific procedures that operate under the authority of the University Regulations and Faculty guidelines. Details of assessment in each unit are available on discipline notice boards from the beginning of the academic year.

A student in a full-time professional course may be required to pass all units of a specified year level before proceeding to units at the next year level, or achieve such a standard as to be awarded a pass in the year as a whole. A conceded pass in a unit, which is not a prerequisite for studies in the following year, will normally entitle a student to proceed to the next year, provided that all other units are passed. A conceded pass is not awarded for a unit which is a prerequisite unit for a unit which must be taken later in the course.

It is faculty policy that where a professional placement unit has a prerequisite unit, the prerequisite unit must be passed within the previous three years.

The Faculty applies the University academic progress rules along with a time limit rule where a student must complete the course in a specified period of time equivalent to twice the full-time length of the course plus one year. This time limit includes any intermissions.

For further information, consult the relevant Division or Faculty office.

Students with a disability

Most of the courses conducted by the Faculty of Health Sciences include some type of clinical or professional practice experience which is a compulsory requirement of the course. The Faculty recognises that professional and clinical placements can present particular challenges to students with disabilities. Every effort will be made to make reasonable adjustments to the learning experience and assessment requirements of a clinical or professional practicum within the requirements of the course. In order to do this, students who have a temporary or permanent disability of any type which may have an impact upon their ability to complete course requirements are encouraged to meet with the course coordinator prior to the commencement of the course.

Health procedures

It is strongly suggested that students undergo a medical examination with a view of preventing or detecting disease.

To further reduce health risks, it is strongly recommended that:

  • tuberculin testing be undertaken prior to attending hospital clinics, with follow-ups as necessary
  • all students be immunised against hepatitis B
  • all students be immunised against rubella, measles and mumps
  • all students be up-to-date with their immunisation against poliomyelitis, diphtheria and tetanus.

Students with an infectious condition such as HIV or HBV should take every reasonable precaution to ensure that no other person is placed at risk of infection, as advised by their treating doctor.

Students should note that many hospitals require students to be immunised prior to allowing students to attend a professional placement. Students who are not immunised may jeopardise their ability to gain access to a suitable (or any) professional placement(s), and may therefore delay or prevent completion of the course

Uniforms and class materials

Some courses require a prescribed uniform for hospital and clinical activities. Details are available from the relevant course coordinator or administrative officer.

Schools may charge students for expendable materials supplied where the materials are consumed by students to their direct personal benefit or where students may wish to retain continuing possession of the materials concerned. Students may be charged deposits for non-consumable items issued for temporary use. Schools may recover the cost of lecture notes and other printed material issued to students, provided that no student is compelled to acquire such notes or materials.

Professional placements

Please note that most courses require students to undertake unpaid professional placements. In most courses that require students to undertake professional placements, the placement involves being assigned to an agency on a full-time basis over a period of weeks. Students may be required to attend placements located in either metropolitan or regional areas for which the student is expected to meet any travel and accommodation costs. Some financial support from the Faculty may be available but there is no guarantee of financial support. In some cases, students undertake placement interstate or overseas. For overseas placements, students may be eligible to apply for the Government OS-Help Loan.

The types of places where students may attend a professional placement include major hospitals, health care networks, schools, community centres and clinics.

The University maintains insurance policies to protect students undertaking professional placement outside of the University as a compulsory course requirement or other work undertaken off-campus as part of a course or approved research work. Further information is available from the University Insurance Office (website: www.latrobe.edu.au/insurance/), Faculty office or Division.

National Police Record Check

In those courses where students are required to undertake professional placements, students may come into contact with vulnerable people. Most agencies require students to provide the results of a National Police Record Check. The cost of obtaining a record check from the Victorian Police is payable by the student directly to Victoria police. In 2007 the volunteer fee for the record check was $13.30. Students should obtain the Consent to Check and Release National Police Record application form from their division of enrolment or it can be downloaded from the Victoria Police website. Students should complete the application form and obtain a signature from the division office which will allow the check to be obtained at the volunteer rate. The certificate is valid for the current year only. Students will be expected to obtain a new police security clearance each year in which a professional placement is required.

Students undertaking placement in New South Wales will also require a National Police Record Check. This check will include a ‘Working with Children’ check. Details are available from the division of enrolment.

Students being placed in Victoria may also be required to obtain a ‘Working with Children’ check.

Confirmation of a criminal record may jeopardise a student’s ability to gain access to a suitable (or any) professional placement(s), and may therefore delay or prevent completion of the course. Any questions or concerns relating to these checks should be directed to the relevant school office or placement coordinator.

Flexible teaching arrangements

In order to accommodate student needs, some units are taught in a mode different from the normal face-to-face or regular weekly classes. For example, modes may include block mode (i.e., intensive weekend or week-long classes), classes taught outside of the normal teaching period dates such as placement units, or classes taught via distance education or web-based teaching. Please refer to unit descriptions for those units that are offered by flexible teaching arrangements.

Fees

The Australian Government has introduced a new system of fees for Australian universities. From 2005, the Higher Education Loan Programme (HELP), available to Australian citizens and holders of permanent humanitarian visas will be available to assist students with the payment of their university fees.

  • HECS-HELP – for Australian citizens and holders of a permanent humanitarian visa if enrolled in a Commonwealth-supported place
  • FEE-HELP – for eligible fee-paying students enrolled at eligible higher education providers. Loans will cover up to the full amount of their tuition fees with students able to borrow up to an amount determined by the Federal Government
  • OS-HELP – for eligible full-time Commonwealth supported students who wish to study one or two study periods overseas. Loans will be up to $5000 per six-month study period. OS-HELP loans will be subject to a 20% loan fee.

For more information, please refer to www.hecs.gov.au.

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