Master of Palliative Care

Designed for health professionals looking to extend their palliative care capabilities to work at an advanced level, this interdisciplinary course equips students with the clinical performance capabilities and critical decision-making and leadership skills required to become a palliative care expert.

Developed and delivered in collaboration with leading contemporary experts in palliative care, each of the 12 subjects comprises a mix of theory, evidence-based and clinical practice. Subjects include a range of current healthcare contexts (including complex communication, social justice, law and ethics, public health, advanced pharmacology and physical assessment) so students can practise safely and proficiently to provide person-centred health care and contribute to quality outcomes for those in their care.

The course ensures graduates are practice-ready, able to work in dynamic and changeable health environments, and prepared to make significant contributions to improve patient outcomes.

With a curriculum heavily influenced by industry partners, the course is grounded in evidence-based, person-centred healthcare practice. It integrates theory and practice-based learning and assessment in a combination of online learning, classroom, state-of-the-art simulation laboratories and authentic clinical settings.

Students learn from expert academics as well as guest lecturers from industry in a range of teaching methods, such as participatory online and real-time learning activities, communities of practice, media resources, podcasts and case-based scenarios.

This course aims to prepare future leaders in palliative care to drive reforms to improve end-of-life care experiences for patients and families. Designed for nursing, medical and allied health professionals, the course emphasises interdisciplinary care and aims to prepare students for an advanced level of healthcare delivery across a range of settings.

Career options include working in palliative care policy at a state or national level and providing palliative care in a variety of clinical areas such as emergency, critical care, surgical and medical specialties, community-based care, mental health, specialist palliative care, paediatrics, aged care, chronic disease management and primary health care.