Study Adolescent Health and Wellbeing at the University of Melbourne

Australia's only postgraduate course in Adolescent Health and Wellbeing is delivered online by the Centre for Adolescent Health at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne. Adolescence is the foundational period in the lives of individuals and for the health of our community. Investments in adolescent health maximise human capabilities that play out across the course of life and into the next generation.

Of all age groups in Australia, young people are the only group whose health has not improved over the past three decades. To improve young people's health and wellbeing, we need to build the knowledge and capabilities of all those who work with young people, including teachers, nurses, social workers, doctors, youth workers, community workers, and others.

During this course you will:

  1. Gain the skills to communicate effectively with young people from different sectors, families, cultural and community backgrounds
  2. Build a repertoire of professional, legal and ethical capabilities for implementing effective programs and practices in the settings where young people live, work, learn and play
  3. Engage with some of the world’s experts in adolescent health research and practice.

Graduate Certificate

Delivered online, the Graduate Certificate will provide you with introductory training in the latest knowledge of adolescent health and development, prevention frameworks and skills to work more effectively with individuals and populations in schools and communities, and within health services. Open to domestic and international students. Duration: 1-year part-time.

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Graduate Diploma

Delivered online, the Graduate Diploma will provide you advanced training in the latest knowledge of adolescent health and development, prevention frameworks and skills to work more effectively with individuals and populations in schools and communities, and within health services. Open to domestic and international students. Duration: 1-year full time/ 2-years part-time.

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Masters

The Masters program builds on the Graduate Diploma, with a further year of full-time study or 2 years of part-time study that supports a minor thesis. A choice of Master subjects are available, some of which are not available online. Open to domestic students only.

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Flexibility in study pathways

The Graduate Certificate/Graduate Diploma is offered fully online, making it accessible to multi-disciplinary learners no matter whether you live locally in Melbourne, in regional or rural Australia, or internationally (international students pay the same tuition fees as domestic students). This allows you to study at times of the day that suit you, and around your personal and professional commitments.

Supporting cross-sectoral practice

The course integrates knowledge from a range of disciplines including medicine, psychology, sociology, social work, youth work, public health, and health promotion, and examines the different theoretical frameworks and professional approaches these disciplines bring to working with young people. This is reflected in the strong ethos of cross-sectoral practice throughout the course.

Upcoming information session

Adolescent Health and Wellbeing Information Session

When:  Tuesday 29 August 2023, 5.30-6.30pm (Melbourne, Australia Time)

Hear from Academic Coordinator, Dr Ani Wierenga, and current students in this interactive session to learn more about the program, student experience, how to apply and much more.

Register here

Have a question?

Please contact Adolescent Health and Wellbeing Academic Course Coordinator, Dr Ani Wierenga at wierenga@unimelb.edu.au

Student profile

The course was particularly attractive to me due to the cross-sectoral nature of participants – learning alongside social workers, nurses, teachers, child protection staff and police officers has enhanced my understanding of holistic adolescent health and wellbeing support and approaches.

- Nicky Sloss

Masters of Adolescent Health and Wellbeing student

Meet our graduates

Lily, registered nurse

Lily is a registered nurse from Melbourne, who is now working in Dublin, Ireland. She has worked in Paediatric Haematolgy/Oncology for the past 3 years, including at the Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne. Her interest in adolescents and young adults reflects that “they are a special bunch that are too often forgotten about”. She enrolled in the course in order to improve the care she provides to her patients.

Jordanna, secondary teacher

Jordanna is an experienced secondary teacher from Busselton, West Australia. She is wanting to learn how to implement wellbeing activities and initiatives into the educational environment. She describes seeing an increase in the issues that adolescents face and is wanting to ensure that current educational structures evolve to better meet students’ needs.

Yuki, NGO worker

Yuki has an academic background in Law and Development Studies, specializing in Women, Gender and Development. She previously worked with UNICEF in Latin America as an adolescent development and participation officer, managing projects focused on sexual and reproductive health and rights, HIV/AIDS, nutrition, and gender-based violence. With experience leading advocacy initiative with young people, she is currently working with an NGO in Japan to develop a leadership program to 6-15 year old girls.

Tom, paediatrician

Tom is an experienced paediatrician from the Sunshine Coast Health Service in Queensland, Australia, where he is the lead for adolescent healthcare as well as chairman of a working party on improving care for adolescents and young adults in the region. He enrolled in the course as he is “passionate about improving AYA care in our health service and in adolescents more broadly”.

Jen, youth worker

Jen is a degree-qualified youth worker who for the past 5 years has largely worked in the out-of-home care sector. “I am passionate about the well-being of young people and really enjoy my work”. She is wanting to expand her knowledge of adolescent health and having spent the past few months travelling around Australia, is excited about what she can take back out into the community.

Minaira, artist and youth worker

Minaira is an artist whose creative experiences across the Pacific have cultivated “a deep love for collaborative projects, a faith in the unity and diversity of human relationships, and a determination to contribute meaningfully to the betterment of society through educating children and young people”. She works as a Livewire Facilitator with the Starlight Foundation in Queensland and enrolled in the course with the goal of “strengthening my communication and engagement skills with adolescents and their families, learning about implementing effective programs and practices, and the value of exploring social cohesion through creative and artistic means”.