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Graduate Certificate in Alcohol and Drug Studies (GCAD) - GradCertAlcDrugSt
| | Distance education |
| Semester intake: | Semester 1 (March) Semester 2 (July) |
| Fees: | Commonwealth supported place Domestic full fee paying place International full fee paying place
|
| Standard duration: | 1 year part-time, 2 years part-time maximum |

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Program focus
The Graduate Certificate in Alcohol and Drug Studies is designed
to provide relevant and specialised training in the assessment and
treatment of substance misuse disorders.

Program aims
The Graduate Certificate in Alcohol and Drug Studies is available
to graduates of medical, nursing, psychology and other allied health
disciplines. The program has been designed to provide graduates from
medical, allied health (including psychology) and nursing degrees
with core skills to respond to substance misuse in a range of health
settings, including those which focus on psychological health, mental
health nursing, medical practice, social work, occupational therapy,
and Indigenous health settings. The primary aim is to improve expertise
across a range of health disciplines, regardless of location, by improving
training access for the rural-remote sector. Because the range of
disciplines varies within the allied health cluster, the assessment
schemes will offer opportunities for students to develop knowledge
and skills pertinent to their practice specialisations.

Program objectives
On completion of the award, students will be able to:
-
understand the various types and administration routes of psychoactive
substances, and the individual and systemic factors that contribute
to substance misuse
-
conduct a thorough assessment for substance misuse based on
generic and discipline specific assessment needs
-
conduct an appropriately targeted brief counselling intervention,
following evidence-based approaches for the substance using population
-
manage relapse prevention.

Admission requirements
For admission into the Graduate Certificate, applicants must:

How to apply
Domestic students
Application for postgraduate programs may be made directly
to USQ.
International students
This program is offered to international students. An international
student is a person who is not an Australian or New Zealand citizen
and not an Australian permanent resident. Please refer to USQ International for information about entry requirements, visa arrangements and
how to apply.

Program fees
Commonwealth supported place
A Commonwealth supported place is where the Australian Government
makes a contribution towards the cost of your higher education and
you as a student pay a student contribution
amount, which varies depending on the courses undertaken. You
are able to calculate the fees for a particular course via the Course Fee Finder.
Commonwealth
Supported students may be eligible to defer their fees through a Government
loan called HECS-HELP.
Domestic full fee paying place
Domestic full fee paying places are funded entirely through
the full fees paid by the student. Full fees vary depending on the
courses that are taken. You are able to calculate the fees for a particular
course via the Course Fee
Finder.
Permanent Humanitarian Visa holders, Permanent
Resident visa holders and New Zealand citizens who reside outside
Australia pay full tuition fees.
Domestic full fee paying students
may be eligible to defer their fees through a Government loan called FEE-HELP.
International full fee paying place
International students pay full fees. Full fees vary depending
on the courses that are taken and whether they are studied on-campus,
via distance education/online. You are able to calculate the fees
for a particular course via the Course Fee Finder.

Program structure
The Graduate Certificate consists of 4 compulsory courses.

Required time limits
Students have a maximum of 2 years to complete this program.

IT requirements
Students should visit the USQ Recommended
Hardware and Recommended Software sites to check that their computers are
capable of running the appropriate software and versions of Internet
web browsers and to check the minimum and recommended standards for
software.

Other program requirements

Exemptions
No exemptions will be granted for courses in the program.

Recommended enrolment pattern