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
March, July
AUD $18,000 (2026 indicative first year fee). Commonwealth Supported Places (CSPs) are not available
Student experience
Overview
- Understand the broad factors that shape sexual and reproductive well-being, and public health initiatives.
- Engage with a vibrant, diverse cohort of students and professionals who are passionate about sexual health.
- Gain a unique qualification as the only course of its kind in Australia, preparing you for local and international impact.
As a student of the Graduate Certificate in Sexual Health, you'll learn about the broad and diverse factors that influence sexual and reproductive well-being. You'll also gain a firm understanding of the important public health initiatives in sexual health that can truly have positive impacts on the health of communities.
Most teaching is online, but there are many opportunities to network and meet fellow students through face-to-face tutorials and online meetings. You'll be joining an enthusiastic and interested group from varied backgrounds, including nursing, education, health promotion, and international development, among many others.
Highlights of the Graduate Certificate in Sexual Health experience
Expert academics
This program will help you deepen your knowledge and refine the skills you need for a fulfilling career in this growing sector. You'll explore this specialised field from many angles and immerse yourself in diverse subjects taught by leading global experts. All teaching staff are experienced professionals working in the field and bring a different focus into this broad area of health. They are coordinated by experienced teachers and sexual health practitioners who ensure you have a relevant, up-to-date, stimulating, and smooth learning experience. The course draws on national and international developments in the prevention, management, and public health control of sexually transmissible infections and HIV.
You'll gain access to a strong sexual health research team at the University of Melbourne, whose research informs practices nationally and internationally. Additionally, learning from connections with the Melbourne Sexual Health Centre – an internationally recognised leader in providing clinical services with a public health approach – will enrich your understanding and add a unique dimension to your experience.
Flexible learning
This course can be taken part-time or full-time, it’s taught through a blend of online and on-campus learning. This flexible approach equips graduates to understand, promote, and help improve the sexual health of communities through effective public health strategies. A broad mix of subjects and learning modules will give you a solid grounding in public health, preparing you to apply your knowledge across a range of health careers.
The online portal allows you to connect with other students, teachers, and guest speakers. You can set your own learning pace and contribute to open discussions about complex subject matter. Expert educators and industry professionals cover a wide range of subjects, from Chlamydia control to sex industry regulation, and maternal and child health in resource-poor settings.
Opportunities
This is one of the few courses of its kind in Australia and offers an ideal specialised learning environment for anyone wishing to work in public health and/or sexual and reproductive health. As a student of this Graduate Certificate, you'll benefit from a strong focus on local and international networking with sexual health professionals, peers, and former students.
The Melbourne School of Population and Global Health (MSPGH) places a strong emphasis on industry networking throughout the study year. You'll benefit from regular discussions with active sexual health professionals, including alumni who teach course material and guide discussion boards. Plus, there will be opportunities to join professional sexual health organisations and remain connected after graduation – through a special interest alumni group.
Profile
Tameaka Lakey
I am a Health Promotion Officer in Ballarat, and my role consists of promoting and coordinating health and wellbeing programs in schools.
I’d always been interested in sexual health and we were being inundated with requests from schools for information about issues like puberty and safe sex. And when I learned that Ballarat has the highest rate of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in Victoria I wanted to help do something about it.
So my manager suggested this course, and now talking about sexual health in schools is my full-time role.
The course was fantastic. In particular learning about adolescent development and health really helps me pitch information at the right level, depending on the age of the students I’m talking to.
I get a lot of questions about STIs and I’m much more confident answering them now, because we had a whole subject devoted to that area, as well as touching on it in the other subjects.
Before signing up to the course I was worried it was going to be really challenging and I was going to feel isolated because it’s mainly online, but all the teachers were amazing and got back to us so quickly that was never the case.
Using the online portal was really easy and I even Skyped my supervisor a few times as well. She organised regular meetings so we had some face-to-face time and the opportunity to meet other students and help each other out. We also did a two-week placement at the Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, which was really helpful.
Each subject also included some group work so I got to talk with other students and meet them online via Skype and Facebook. I never felt like I was doing it on my own.
