Graduate Coursework

Graduate Certificate in Sexual Health

• #2 in Australia for Public Health (ShanghaiRanking)
• #17 in the world for Public Health (ShanghaiRanking)

Course code: GC-SEXHLTH

This course is available to domestic students only

Overview

• Gain highly desired knowledge and skills in sexual and reproductive health from both clinical and public health viewpoints.
• Connect and network with passionate students and professionals in the sexual health field.
• Receive an internationally recognised qualification that can boost your career locally or globally.

The Graduate Certificate of Sexual Health will give you a comprehensive understanding of sexual and reproductive health from both a clinical and public health perspective. As a graduate of this course, you'll gain highly sought-after knowledge, skills, and expertise that are needed in the industry. You'll also have opportunities to meet and network with other students who share your aspirations of working in sexual health. Many will be from health-related fields and bring a wide range of interests within clinical and public health, creating a rich learning environment. For nurses, this qualification also counts as graduate training.

Graduate Certificate in Sexual Health careers

The Graduate Certificate in Sexual Health offers many exciting opportunities for graduates looking to specialise in this important area of health. This qualification is one of the few courses of its kind in Australia, making it an ideal foundation for your career in sexual health, whether you plan to work locally or internationally.

Previous graduates from this program have successfully found work in:

• Specialist sexual health clinical services
• Sexual health promotion in community health centres
• Government health roles
• Sexuality education in schools
• Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) focused on sexual health

If you're a nursing student who graduates from this course, you'll gain a sexual health qualification that counts towards extra training and significantly increases your eligibility for career advancement.

Previous graduates have also gone on to participate in sexual health management programs overseas for various NGOs, highlighting the global reach of this qualification.

Profile

Susan Rose

I was working as a registered nurse at the Royal Women’s Hospital and I wanted to consolidate my knowledge and have a specialist qualification, so I chose to study the Graduate Certificate in Sexual Health.

My end goal was to work at Melbourne Sexual Health, and I’m pleased to have achieved that. Completing the Certificate certainly helped me get the job - it meant I was well-qualified and I also knew some people who worked there through the placements.

The teaching was exceptional, I was really impressed. There were a lot of guest lecturers from Melbourne Sexual Health and they all had up-to-date, relevant knowledge.

There was also a nice balance between academic theory and practical learning. In our seminars the lecturers would set up clinical scenarios to demonstrate skills like taking a sexual health history. But we also referred to the literature and the assignments were challenging, so it was a nice mix.

The course has given me a new perspective in some areas of my work. Previously I didn’t have much experience in the testing and treatment of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and it helped me think about the area from a more epidemiological, public health perspective rather than just considering the individual patient.

I also really enjoyed the focus on teen health and I use a lot of what I learned about working with younger patients in my day-to-day role now. Because the pre-frontal cortex doesn’t develop until our early 20s, I am conscious that adolescents’ ability to weigh up risk versus benefit is very different to my own as an adult. So I use different language and I reserve judgement. Going in with an “I know best” attitude doesn’t work!