Back

Advance your career in health care with a Graduate Certificate of Infection Control. You’ll develop the skills to implement effective infection prevention and treatments as well as control procedures that protect those in hospital and clinical settings and those in the general public. Upon completion, you will be equipped to make a significant contribution to the health of not only patients, but the wider community.

Save

Download brochure

Enhance your career

Increase your expertise

Unique contribution

Specialise your skills

Access the best

Connect with leading lecturers and industry experts

Online

Online: February, July

$3,723.00⁺

$14,076.00^{^}

⁺total estimated Commonwealth Supported Fee

^{^}total estimated tuition fee

Plus Student Services and Amenities fee
Fee deferral and scholarships available if eligible

6 months full-time

AQF level 7 bachelor degree in medical, nursing or other relevant health professional qualification; or at least five years' experience in a health profession

76711

What to expect

Make a significant contribution to the health of patients, staff, and the general public with the Graduate Certificate of Infection Control at JCU. Advance your career in healthcare with the flexibility to continue working while you study.

You will learn infection prevention and control in a variety of health contexts including rural, remote and Indigenous settings in developed and developing countries. Exercise your professional judgement as you design, implement, and evaluate infection management strategies.

Develop the expertise to analyse data and find solutions to complex problems. JCU Infection Control graduates have the specialised knowledge and technical skills needed to successfully manage a variety of health care risks.

Consult the handbook for more information.

Inherent requirements

Inherent requirements are the identified abilities, attributes, skills, and behaviours that must be demonstrated, during the learning experience, to successfully complete a course. These abilities, attributes, skills, and behaviours preserve the academic integrity of the University’s learning, assessment, and accreditation processes, and where applicable, meet the standards of a profession. For more information please review the inherent requirements for the Graduate Certificate of Infection Control.

Career Opportunities

JCU Infection Control graduates have a broad range of health care skills that enable them to contribute valuably to the field of infection control.

Graduates go on to work in public and private hospitals, aged care settings, education programs, and policy development in metropolitan, regional, and rural settings.

You could find employment as a health care administrator, infection control advisor in governmental settings, Clinical Nurse in Infection Control, project officer, or policy officer. Upon graduation you will be eligible for entry into the Graduate Diploma of Nursing or Master of Nursing.

Handbook

Handbook year	Information valid for students commencing in 2024
Course code	76711
Course type	Graduate Certificate (AQF Level 8)
Owner	Academy
College	Healthcare Sciences

Award Requirements

Admission Requirements

Course pre-requisites	Completion of an AQF level 7 bachelor degree in medical, nursing or other relevant health professional qualification; or at least five years' experience in a health profession.
Minimum English language proficiency requirements	Applicants of non-English speaking backgrounds must meet the English language proficiency requirements of Band 3a – Schedule II of the JCU Admissions Policy.
Additional selection requirements	It is recommended that applicants have completed a minimum of one year of graduate experience (or part-time equivalent) in a health-related field. Information published by JCU or otherwise made available to students when applying, may specify additional criteria to be considered in ranking applicants in order of merit if the number of applications exceeds a quota or other limit on the places made available for the course. Information provided by applicants during the application process and any other information obtained by JCU in the application process may be used by JCU to rank applicants in order of merit by reference to those additional criteria.
Special admission requirements	For mixed delivery option, computer and internet access is required.
Closing date	January 1 or June 1 of each year. Students can commence in February or July.

Academic Requirements for Course Completion

Credit points	12 credit points
Course learning outcomes	Graduates of the Graduate Certificate of Infection Control will be able to: Apply and adapt specialised knowledge, skills and technical competencies pertaining to infection prevention and control across a variety of health contexts, including rural, remote and Indigenous settings in developed and developing countries Critically analyse and synthesise a range of data and evidence to provide solutions to complex problems related to infection prevention and control Appraise the significance of healthcare-associated infections and their causative pathogens, and exercise high-level and independent judgement in the design, implementation and evaluation of strategies for their management across tropical, rural, remote and Indigenous communities Appraise and synthesise knowledge related to the education and continuing professional development of health personnel in infection prevention and control Communicate theoretical knowledge, skills and treatment modalities using high-level oral and written language skills, to a variety of audiences and cultural groups Demonstrate responsibility and accountability for professional development based on reflection on current competence, industry standards and published evidence.

Inherent Requirements

Inherent Requirements	Inherent requirements are the identified abilities, attributes, skills, and behaviours that must be demonstrated, during the learning experience, to successfully complete a course. These abilities, attributes, skills, and behaviours preserve the academic integrity of the University's learning, assessment, and accreditation processes, and where applicable, meet the standards of a profession. For more information please visit: Graduate Certificate of Infection Control
Reasonable adjustments	All JCU students have the opportunity to demonstrate, with reasonable adjustments where applicable, the inherent requirements for their course. For more information please visit: Student Disability Policy and Procedure.

Course Structure

CORE SUBJECTS

HS5555:03 Infection Prevention and Control in Health Care Settings

NS5331:03 Effective Clinical Governance

TM5515:03 Epidemiology for Public Health

OPTIONS

Select 3 credit points of any NS, HS and TM level 5 or level 6 subjects

Location

COURSE AVAILABLE AT	NOTES
External

Candidature

Expected time to complete	6 months full-time or 1 year part-time
Maximum time to complete	3 years
Maximum leave of absence	1 year

Progression

Course progression requisites	Nil
Course includes mandatory professional placement(s)	No
Special assessment requirements	Nil
Professional accreditation requirements	Nil
Supplementary exam for final subject	Not applicable

Credit

Eligibility	Students may apply for a credit transfer for previous tertiary study or informal and non-formal learning in accordance with the Credit Transfer Procedure
Maximum allowed	6 credit points
Currency	Credit will be granted only for studies completed in the 10 years prior to the commencement of this course.
Expiry	Credit gained for any subject shall be cancelled 13 years after the date of the examination upon which the credit is based if, by then, the student has not completed the course of study prescribed for the degree.
Other restrictions	Not applicable

Award Details

Award title	GRADUATE CERTIFICATE OF INFECTION CONTROL
Approved abbreviation	GCertInfectCont
Inclusion of majors on testamur	Not applicable - this course does not include majors
Exit with lesser award	Not applicable
Course articulation	Students who complete this course are eligible for entry to the Graduate Diploma of Nursing or Master of Nursing and may be granted credit for subjects completed under this course.
Special awards	Students may receive an Award of Recognition in accordance with the Recognition of Academic Excellence Procedure

Fees and scholarships

Estimated annual Commonwealth Supported fee: $AUD3,723.00

Estimated annual tuition fee: $AUD14,076.00

A Student Services and Amenities fee is payable per subject up to a maximum amount per year.

A variety of Scholarships are available to suit different student types.

Pathways to JCU

JCU offers multiple Pathways to University. If you do not meet the entry requirements for this course, consider exploring our available Pathways options.

Contact our friendly team today to discover which pathway is right for you.

How to apply

Complete an online application through our Online Application Portal.

Alumni

Alyson Martin

Graduate Certificate of Infection Control Graduate

Infection prevention and control is an underpinning core value that all nurses should have and it can set you apart in the workforce. It provides a huge range of knowledge and skills regardless of your nursing area. The most valuable thing within the course is the relationship you develop with your lecturers and tutors
Lecturer

Vanessa Sparke

Course Coordinator, Graduate Certificate of Infection Control

The Graduate Certificate of Infection Control has a rural, remote, and tropical focus on top of the baseline requirements that infection control professionals have to plan for. With work-integrated assessment students can develop a plan for infection control and apply it to their current health facility straight away.