Specialist Certificate in the Management of Paediatric Patients

Minimum eligibility

You’re considered an international student based on your citizenship – even if you're studying in Australia.

Masters

You must have completed an undergraduate degree (or equivalent) from a recognised institution. Most Masters degrees also require a minimum WAM (Weighted Average Mark)based on your previous studies for entry. You can use our graduate coursework grade conversion eligibility calculator to get an indication of whether you’re eligible for a specific Masters degree.

Depending on your previous studies and experience you could also be eligible for credit towards your studies at the University.

Find Masters by coursework degrees

Doctorates

If you go on to a doctorate, you need to have completed an Honours and Masters degree in the relevant discipline. Additional qualifications and work experience is also taken into consideration.

Go to Graduate research study for more information

To find out about assessment and our admissions criteria, see How you're selected.

Course-specific requirements

Graduate coursework degrees may have specific interviews, portfolios and supplementary tests you need to do before you can be accepted into a degree.

To find out about specific requirements, review the entry and application information for the course you're interested in to find out what these are.

Continue your professional development

For optometrists in Australia and New Zealand, this Specialist Certificate easily satisfies your annual CPD point quota, as determined by the Optometry Board of Australia.

Successful completion of this subject provides 25 points of credit into the Master of Clinical Optometry.

Please note: Registration to practice in Australia is not granted on completion of this course.

Learning outcomes

On completion of the subject you will have:

• A more detailed knowledge of the principal theories of childhood development, normal learning processes and visual development
• A greater capacity to critically appraise literature relating to paediatric eye care
• An effective process for taking a thorough paediatric history that encompasses the relevant developmental, visual, medical and educational issues
• Advanced your clinical skills and developed effective assessment approaches for children based on age and cognitive ability
• An ability to analyse the various models of the accommodative-vergence system and of refractive disorders and apply these models to the assessment and management of these disorders using an evidence-based approach
• A greater working knowledge of aetiology, clinical presentation and management of strabismus, amblyopia and commonly presenting incomitancies
• A greater working knowledge of the epidemiology of childhood eye conditions and the impact they may have on childhood development
• A greater understanding of disorders of visual processing, the means of their assessment and the multi-disciplinary nature of their management
• A greater capacity for highly evolved communication with both children and their families in the overall care of the paediatric patient
• An ability to modify and improve practice based on dialogue, self-reflection and life-long learning.