Adelaide University
Graduate Diploma in Maternal, Child and Family Health
- Delivery: Face to Face
- Study Level: Postgraduate
- Duration: 12 months
- Course Type: Graduate Diploma
Enhance your understanding of the social, legal, moral, socio-economic and political frameworks that inform contemporary models of care.
Course overview
Adelaide University’s Graduate Diploma in Maternal, Child and Family Health will equip you with skills to nurture healthier Australian families.
This customisable qualification offers you a choice of electives, all focusing on the health of the mother, child and family. Covering both the nursing and midwifery disciplines, you’ll study topics that integrate into your everyday practice and advance your skills into areas of clinical need.
Expand your perspective of the areas that impact family care and learn ways to address them. Understand how family health can be influenced by domestic violence, disability, chronic disease, culture and geographic location. Learn practical skills and strategies to provide care, including communication, ethical and legal requirements and more.
Fit study around your work and life with online and part-time study options. Engage in workshops and learn from your fellow nurses and midwives.
You’ll graduate with the skills to provide better, more individualised care and the perspective to improve policies and practices for mothers, children and families.
CSP Subsidised Fees Available
This program has a limited quota of Commonwealth Supported Places (CSP). The indicative CSP price is calculated based on first year fees for EFT. The actual fee may vary if there are choices in electives or majors.
Key facts
What you will study
Complete 48 units comprising:
- 12 units for all core courses
- 36 units for electives
Unless otherwise indicated, each course is worth six units.
Core courses
Complete 12 units for all of the following:
- Maternal, Child and Family Health (12 units)
Electives
Complete 36 units comprising:
36 units from Program electives
- Primary Health Care (12 units)
- Perinatal Mental Health for Health Professionals (12 units)
- Best Practice in Adolescent Mental Health (12 units)
- Leadership and Management in Nursing and Midwifery (12 units)
- Prescribing for clinicians
- Pharmacotherapeutics for Advanced Clinical Practice (12 units)
- Advanced Lactation and Breastfeeding
- Women’s Sexual and Reproductive
- Clinical Inquiry
Entry requirements
Admission criteria
To be eligible, an applicant must have achieved the following minimum entry requirements and demonstrate that they fulfil any prerequisite and essential criteria for admission. In cases where there are more eligible applicants than available places, admission will be competitive with ranks based on the entry criteria.
- A completed bachelor's degree (AQF level 7) or higher from a recognised higher education institution.
- Hold or be eligible to hold registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA).
Recognition of Prior Learning
You may be able to get credit for your course based on prior formal, non-formal or informal learning. To apply, you will need to provide supporting documentation outlined by the university. Contact the university for more information.
Outcomes
Career outcomes
You could work in career roles such as:
- Child and Family Health Nurse
- School Health Nurse
- Case Coordinator
- Clinical Nurse Specialist
- Health Promotion Nurse
- Community Health Nurse
- Nurse Research Assistant
Fees and CSP
Estimated annual fee in 2026: From $4,738 (Commonwealth Supported Place)
All costs are calculated using current rates and are based on a study load of 48 units (normally eight courses) per year.
Student annual fees may vary in accordance with:
- The number of courses studied per term.
- The choice of major or specialisation.
- Choice of courses.
- Credit from previous study or work experience.
- Eligibility for government-funded loans.
You may also need to pay the student services and amenities fee.
Student fees shown are subject to change. Contact the university directly to confirm.
Commonwealth Supported Places
The Australian Government allocates a certain number of CSPs to the universities each year, which are then distributed to students based on merit.
If you're a Commonwealth Supported Student (CSS), you'll only need to pay a portion of your tuition fees. This is known as the student contribution amount – the balance once the government subsidy is applied. This means your costs are much lower.
Limited CSP spaces are offered to students enrolled in selected postgraduate programs.
Your student contribution amount is:
- Calculated per the course you're enrolled in.
- Dependent on the study areas they relate to.
- Reviewed and adjusted each year.
HECS-HELP loans are available to CSP students to pay the student contribution amount.