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Advance your clinical and research expertise within rural and remote communities. Cultivate strong leadership skills, with a focus on developing and evaluating health service delivery to enable high-quality patient care in low-resourced communities. Emerge with a degree that is flexible and applicable to a rural generalist in your health discipline.

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#1 in Queensland

for median graduate salary Good Universities Guide 2023, PG Health Services

#1 in Queensland

for regional rural and remote health professionals 2016-2020 QILT Graduate Outcomes Survey

#1 in Queensland

for full-time employment outcomes Good Universities Guide 2023, PG Health Services

Online

Online: February, July

$8,301.00⁺

$30,700.00^{^}

⁺estimated annual Commonwealth Supported Fee for a full-time study load

^{^}estimated annual tuition fee for a full-time study load

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

1.5 years full-time

or part-time equivalent

117504

What to expect

Learn how to best utilise your full scope of practice in rural, regional and remote locations. This degree will prepare you to better meet the needs of your communities with this industry-developed specialist course.

The Master of Rural Generalist Practice will equip you to demonstrate clinical leadership across your chosen specialisation and contribute to combating the challenges of practice in rural settings. Undertake a range of subjects that allow you to deliver rural and remote health services effectively and confidently in low-resource settings.

Begin by examining the unique opportunities and contexts that come with practice in rural and remote areas. You will develop an understanding of teaching for learning, enabling you to both lead and share your knowledge with peers and the wider community.

Hone your research skills with an advanced look at data and resources relevant to the health profession, with an understanding on how best to incorporate research into everyday practice. You will learn to evaluate and utilise current and evolving evidence, including biostatistics and other health data, to develop innovative solutions for complex local health and community services challenges.

Study your way by learning online, empowering you to access expert lecturers and learning resources with minimal need to leave your community. Examine real-world issues as well as solutions that can be designed, developed and implemented in your own community’s context to further health and wellbeing.

For entry to this course, you must have achieved a health-related bachelor’s degree and have at least two years’ professional experience in one of the following Allied Health practice fields: Nutrition/Dietetics, Occupational Therapy, Pharmacy, Physiotherapy, Podiatry, Psychology, Radiography, Social Work or Speech Pathology.

Career Opportunities

JCU’s Master of Rural Generalist Practice provides Allied Health professionals with a pathway for advancing their academic and clinical expertise in a wide range of community and clinical settings.

As a JCU graduate, you will emerge equipped with specialist, sought-after skills that allow you to work and lead effectively in rural and remote communities.

Graduates advance their careers as nutritionists/dieticians, occupational therapists, pharmacists, physiotherapists, podiatrists, psychologists, radiographers, social workers and speech pathologists, among other roles.

Handbook

Handbook year	Information valid for students commencing in 2023
Course code	117504
Course type	Masters Degree (Coursework) (AQF Level 9)
Owner	Academy
College	Healthcare Sciences

Award Requirements

Admission Requirements

Pre-requisites	Completion of an AQF level 7 or AQF level 8 degree in a relevant health discipline, more than 2 years prior to admission.
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	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.

Academic Requirements for Course Completion

Credit points	36 credit points as per course structure
Course learning outcomes	On successful completion of the Master of Rural Generalist Practice, graduates will be able to: Apply advanced knowledge and skills autonomously across the full scope of their professional practice to a rural and/ or remote health or community context Critically evaluate, synthesise, reflect on and utilise current and evolving evidence to develop innovative solutions for complex local health and community service challenges Demonstrate clinical leadership by planning, undertaking and evaluating service development or research projects appropriate for the rural and/ or remote context Expertly communicate using high level oral and written communication skills to a range of audiences

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: Inherent Requirements.
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

OT5200:03 Advanced Practice Within the Rural and Remote Context

HS5405:03 Teaching for Learning in the Health Professions

Select one of the Options listed below

Option 1

HS5603:06 Health Service Evaluation 1 and HS5604:06 Health Service Evaluation 2

Option 2

RH5203:06 Research 1: A Literature Review – Part 1 of 2 and RH5204:06 Research 2: A Research Project – Part 2 of 2

Plus

Select 3 credit points from List 1

Plus

Select 3 credit points from List 2

Plus

Select one of the Options listed below

List 1

HS5102:03 Qualitative Research Methods for Health Professionals

RH5200:03 Rehabilitation Research and Evidence Based Practice

TM5516:03 Biostatistics for Public Health

List 2

NS5331:03 Effective Clinical Governance

TM5513:03 Public Health Management, Leadership, Planning and Policy or NS5339:03 Leading and Managing in Health

TM5541:03 Managing Effective Health Programs

Options

Option A – Credentialed Diabetes Educator

HS5381:03 Health Education and Self Management

NS5380:03 Foundations of Clinical Diabetes

NS5382:03 Applied Clinical Diabetes Education

NS5383:03 Diabetes Education Professional Practice

Option B – Dietetics

Select 9 credit points from List 4, and

Select 3 credit points from List 1, List 2, List 3, or List 4

Option C – Occupational Therapy

Select 9 credit points from List 5, and

Select 3 credit points from List 1, List 2, List 3, or List 5

Option D – Pharmacy

Select 9 credit points from List 6

Select 3 credit points from List 1, List 2, List 3 or List 6

Option E – Physiotherapy

Select 9 credit points from List 7, and

Select 3 credit points from List 1, List 2, List 3 or List 7

Option F – Podiatry

Select 9 credit points from List 8, and

Select 3 credit points from List 1, List 2, List 3 or List 8

Option G – Speech Pathology

Select 9 credit points from List 9, and

Select 3 credit points from List 1, List 2, List 3 or List 9

Option H – Psychology

Select 9 credit points from List 10, and

Select 3 credit points from List 1, List 2, List 3 or List 10

Option I –Social Work

Select 9 credit points from List 10, and

Select 3 credit points from List 1, List 2, List 3 or List 10

List 3

HS5800:03 Introduction to Lifestyle Medicine

HS5801:03 Health Coaching and Behaviour Change

HS5802:03 Models of Care and Innovation in Lifestyle Medicine

HS5803:03 Lifestyle Medicine Assessment and Prescription

NS5341:03 Business and Finance for the Health Manager

PS5109:03 Ergonomics

TM5528:03 Health Promotion

List 4

HS5381:03 Health Education and Self Management

NS5367:03 Advanced Topics in Dietetics Practice

NS5380:03 Foundations of Clinical Diabetes

RH5202:03 Rehabilitation for Chronic Conditions

RH5205:03 Palliative Care for Health Professionals

List 5

HS5111:03 Alcohol and Other Drugs

HS5112:03 Trauma and Crisis Management

OT5005:03 Advanced Topics in Clinical Practice

OT5201:03 Advanced Mental Health Practice

OT5202:03 Cultural Competency Principles in Australian Healthcare Practice

RH5201:03 Rehabilitation for Disability across the Lifespan

RH5202:03 Rehabilitation for Chronic Conditions

RH5205:03 Palliative Care for Health Professionals

RH5206:03 Assistive Technology Strategies to Enable Personal Autonomy

List 6

NS5380:03 Foundations of Clinical Diabetes

RH5202:03 Rehabilitation for Chronic Conditions

RH5205:03 Palliative Care for Health Professionals

List 7

PS5101:03 Clinical Expert Updates for Physiotherapy

PS5108:03 Advanced Musculoskeletal Practice

RH5201:03 Rehabilitation for Disability across the Lifespan

RH5202:03 Rehabilitation for Chronic Conditions

RH5205:03 Palliative Care for Health Professionals

List 8

HS5381:03 Health Education and Self Management

NS5380:03 Foundations of Clinical Diabetes

RH5202:03 Rehabilitation for Chronic Conditions

RH5205:03 Palliative Care for Health Professionals

RH5800:03 Advanced Topics in Podiatric Practice

List 9

RH5201:03 Rehabilitation for Disability Across the Lifespan

RH5202:03 Rehabilitation for Chronic Conditions

RH5205:03 Palliative Care for Health Professionals

SL5200:03 Advanced Practice in Dysphagia

SL5201:03 Advanced Practice in Adult Speech Pathology

SL5202:03 Advanced Practice in Paediatric Speech Pathology

List 10

HS5102:03 Qualitative Research Methods for Health Professionals

HS5111:03 Alcohol and Other Drugs

HS5112:03 Trauma and Crisis Management

OT5201:03 Advanced Mental Health Practice

RH5201:03 Rehabilitation for Disability Across the Lifespan

RH5202:03 Rehabilitation for Chronic Conditions

RH5205:03 Palliative Care for Health Professionals

Location

COURSE AVAILABLE AT	NOTES
JCU Townsville (Mixed)	Some subjects may require face-to-face attendance at JCU Townsville

Candidature

Expected time to complete	1.5 years full-time or part-time equivalent
Maximum time to complete	4 years
Maximum leave of absence	1 year Please refer to the Coursework Enrolment Procedure

Progression

Course progression requisites	Nil
Course includes mandatory professional placement(s)	No
Course includes mandatory fieldwork	No
Special assessment requirements	Nil
Professional accreditation requirements	Nil
Supplementary exam for final subject	A student who has failed the final subject towards the award and who gained 40% or more of the marks for that subject, may be granted a supplementary examination in that subject. However if that subject is required for accreditation, then the criteria specified by that accreditation will apply.

Credit

Eligibility	Students may apply for credit for previous tertiary study in accordance with the Credit Transfer Procedure
Maximum allowed	9 credit points except where a student transfers from one JCU award to another, then credit may be granted for more than two-thirds of the new award, where there is subject equivalence between the awards
Currency	Credit will be granted only for subjects completed in the 5 years prior to the commencement of this course
Expiry	Credit gained for any subject shall be cancelled 8 years after the date of the examination upon which the credit is based if, by then, the student has not completed this course.-
Other restrictions	Not applicable

Award Details

Award title	MASTER OF RURAL GENERALIST PRACTICE
Approved abbreviation	MRurGenPrac
Exit with lesser award	Students who exit the course prior to completion, and have completed the relevant number of credit points and appropriate subjects, may be eligible to receive one of the following awards: Graduate Diploma of Rural Generalist Practice Graduate Certificate of Rural Generalist Practice
Course articulation	Not applicable
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: $AUD8,301.00

Estimated annual tuition fee: $AUD30,700.00

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

Consult the admission requirements section in the Handbook for prerequisites and pathways into this course.

How to apply

Complete an online application through our Online Application Portal.

Alumni

Andric Lu

Graduate Diploma of Rural Generalist Practice

I studied a Graduate Diploma of Rural Generalist Practice through JCU, which allowed me to advance my clinical skills and develop leadership styles. Currently, I am developing a workplace-based project to improve access and service delivery through an inpatient telehealth Physiotherapy model of care.
Alumni

Emma Rewald

Graduate Diploma of Rural Generalist Practice

I chose to study a Graduate Diploma of Rural Generalist Practice at JCU as I saw it as an excellent opportunity to develop my clinical and non-clinical capabilities. JCU’s online learning allowed me to progress through the course content in my own time, juggling commitments with working fulltime.
Lecturer

Dr Anne Jones

Course Coordinator, Graduate Diploma of Rural Generalist Practice

It can be difficult to access ongoing training and support when you work and live outside the major centres so this program is fully online. Allied Health Rural Generalist training is practical, work integrated development relevant to the needs of rural and remote communities.
Employer

Helen Weisemann

Midwifery Unit Manager, Mater Health Services NQ

I hire JCU graduates because they’re very resilient and resourceful, and they understand the requirements of working in rural and remote environments. They’re real assets to the team.