Course overview
- Description
This course is designed for clinicians (doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, paramedics and other health professionals). It teaches the skills necessary for successful students to undertake clinical research and apply research evidence to clinical practice. It is taught by experienced clinicians and researchers. The course trains students to become critical consumers of the clinical research literature, to apply research evidence to clinical practice and to develop the skills necessary to undertake clinical research.
- Course title
- Graduate Certificate in Clinical Science
- Award abbreviation
- GCertCSc
- Course code
- 90250
- Course type
- Postgraduate certificate
- Status
- Current / 2025
- Administered by
- Medical School
Course details
- Intake periods
- Beginning of year and mid-year
- Attendance type
- Part-time only
- Credit points required
- 24
A standard full-time load is 24 points per semester. - Standard course duration
- 1 year part-time
- Time limit
- 2 years
- Delivery mode
- Multi-mode
- Locations offered
- UWA (Perth)
- Domestic fee type
- Postgraduate fee-paying/FEE-HELP
- Available to international students
- No
- Course Coordinator(s)
- Associate Professor Sunalene Devadason
- Fees
- Visit the fees calculator.
Enquiries and course advice
- Note
Due to the high proportion of this course being on-line it is not available to International students with a Student Visa, however it is available to International students with non-student visas, or those outside Australia, as well as domestic students. Note that not all the optional units are available on-line. While the final exam can be invigilated at a distance, prospective students are advised to contact the course coordinator to ensure that this will be possible. All students require good internet facilities.
Prospective students should see the Future Students website for details on admission requirements, intake periods, fees, availability to international students, careers information etc.
No study plans found for this course. See study plans for more information.
Specialisations
Course structure
Key to availability of units:
- S1
- Semester 1
- S2
- Semester 2
- N/A
- not available in 2025 – may be available in 2026 or 2027
- NS
- non-standard teaching period
All units have a value of six points unless otherwise stated.
Take all units (12 points):
| Availability | Unit code | Unitname | Unit requirements | Contact hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S1, S2 | MEDC5805 | Principles of Research Methods in Medicine | None | Predominantly online course, approximately 8 hours per week |
| S1, S2 | MEDC5806 | Principles of Evidence-Based Practice | None | Predominantly online course, approximately 8 hours per week |
Take unit(s) to the value of 12 points:
| Availability | Unit code | Unitname | Unit requirements | Contact hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S2 | AHEA5801 | Aboriginal Health Research and Ethics | None | lectures/seminars: 3 hours per week |
| S2 | PAED4401 | Research Conduct and Ethics |
| online modules only |
| S1, S2 | PUBH4401 | Biostatistics I |
| lectures: 2 hours per week; tutorials: 1.5 hours per week |
| S1, S2 | PUBH4403 | Epidemiology I | None | lectures: 60-70 minutes recorded lectures per week; online tutorial worksheets: ~ 2-3 hours per week |
| S2 | PUBH5752 | Health Systems and Economics | None | lectures/tutorials: 3 hours per week |
| N/A | PUBH5757 | Clinical Epidemiology | None | offered intensively |
| S2 | PUBH5769 | Biostatistics II |
| lectures: 2 hours per week; tutorials: 1.5 hours per week |
| NS | PUBH5785 | Analysis of Linked Health Data | None | offered intensively (1 week full-time) |
| S2 | PUBH5805 | Qualitative Research Methods in Health | None | seminar: 3 hours per week |
See also the rules for the course and the Student Rules.
Rules
Applicability of the Student Rules, policies and procedures
1.(1) The Student Rules apply to students in this course.
(2) The policy, policy statements and guidance documents and student procedures apply, except as otherwise indicated in the rules for this course.
Academic Conduct Essentials and Communication and Research Skills modules
2.(1) A student who enrols in this course for the first time irrespective of whether they have previously been enrolled in another course of the University, must undertake the Academic Conduct Essentials module (the ACE module) and the Communication and Research Skills module (the CARS module).
(2) A student must successfully complete the ACE module within the first teaching period of their enrolment. Failure to complete the module within this timeframe will result in the student's unit results from this teaching period being withheld. These results will continue to be withheld until students avail themselves of a subsequent opportunity to achieve a passing grade in the ACE module. In the event that students complete units in subsequent teaching periods without completing the ACE module, these results will similarly be withheld. Students will not be permitted to submit late review or appeal applications regarding results which have been withheld for this reason and which they were unable to access in the normally permitted review period.
English Language competency requirements
3. To be considered eligible for consideration for admission to this course an applicant must satisfy the University's English language competence requirement as set out in the University Policy on Admission: Coursework.
Admission requirements
4. To be considered for admission to this course an applicant must have—
(a) a bachelor's degree in a relevant clinical or biomedical discipline, or a clinical professional postgraduate degree from this University, or equivalent as recognised by the School ;
AND
(b) a course weighted average mark of at least 65 per cent;
OR
(c) a minimum of two years of relevant postgraduate professional experience.
Admission ranking and selection
5. Where relevant, admission will be awarded to the highest ranked applicants or applicants selected based on the relevant requirements.
Articulations and exit awards
6.(1) The following courses form part of an articulated sequence:
- 90250 Graduate Certificate in Clinical Science (24 points)
- 90740 Master of Clinical Science (48 points)
(2) Units completed in the Graduate Certificate will only be credited towards a 48 point Masters course if the Graduate Certificate is not conferred.
Course structure
7.(1) The course consists of units to a total value of 24 points which must include course core units and specialisation units. The course comprises the following specialisations:
(2) Units must be selected in accordance with the course structure, as set out in these rules.
Satisfactory progress
8. To make satisfactory progress a student must pass units to a point value greater than half the total value of units in which they remain enrolled after the final date for withdrawal without academic penalty.
9. A student who has not achieved a result of Ungraded Pass (UP) for the Communication and Research Skills module (the CARS module) when their progress status is assessed will not have made satisfactory progress even if they have met the other requirements for satisfactory progress in Rule 8.
Progress status
10.(1) A student who makes satisfactory progress in terms of Rule 8 is assigned the status of 'Good Standing'.
(2) Unless the relevant board determines otherwise because of exceptional circumstances—
(a) a student who does not make satisfactory progress for the first time under Rule 8 is assigned a progress status of 'On Probation';
(b) a student who does not make satisfactory progress for the second time under Rule 8 is assigned a progress status of 'Suspended';
(c) a student who does not make satisfactory progress for the third time under Rule 8 is assigned a progress status of 'Excluded'.
11. A student who does not make satisfactory progress in terms of Rule 9 is assigned the progress status of 'On Probation', unless they have been assigned a progress status of 'Suspended' or 'Excluded' for failure to meet other satisfactory progress requirements in Rule 8.
Award with distinction
12. This rule is not applicable to this course.
Deferrals
13. Applicants awarded admission to the course are entitled to a deferral of up to 12 months, as per the University Policy on: Admissions (Coursework).