Master of Laboratory Medicine - CM18

Enhance your clinical decision making skills, knowledge and experiences as a laboratory scientist, and open up opportunities for research or leadership within your field of expertise with CQU's Master of Laboratory Medicine. Benefit from the flexibility to tailor your studies to suit your career goals, choosing between advanced clinical application, management, or research streams.

During your course, you will gain advanced theoretical and technical knowledge in the clinical disciplines of laboratory medicine for application in the diagnostic setting. You will build technical and evaluative skills through laboratory and clinical training to assess and implement recommendations for best practice in patient testing and monitoring. This course will enable you to develop an advanced level of communication skill to interact positively with patients and other health professionals ready for the clinical or scientific work environment.

Clinical decision-making and problem-solving abilities are key skills for medical laboratory scientists. You will develop clinical decision-making and problem solving skills through experience in professional practice, clinical case studies and research opportunities. This course features two professional practice units requiring you to complete a total of 560 hours of placement.

Students who are not eligible for advanced standing will be able to refine their laboratory skills by attending a residential school block at our Rockhampton campus, in which travel and accommodation costs are provided for students that are admitted to the Melbourne campus.

Research stream

If you are interested in a pathway to a research higher degree, the research stream allows you to complete CL58 Graduate Certificate of Research as part of the course structure. Alternatively, choosing six advanced clinical application units as part of your studies is an ideal stream for aspiring Senior Clinical Scientists. Our management stream is a great option if you are wanting to develop skills in areas such as leadership, innovative thinking and learning about ideation and horizon thinking, and allows you to choose four advanced clinical application units and two management units.   

The Master of Laboratory Medicine course will be submitted to the Australian Institute of Medical and Clinical Scientists for accreditation.

Core Units	15	Major Units	None
Electives	None	Minor Units	None

Course structure

You are required to complete a total of 15 units.

Unit information

For information on the units, you could study as part of this course, visit the Handbook and select the "Course Structure" tab.

Credit transfer information

If you have already completed study relevant to the course you have enrolled in, you may be eligible for credit transfer. Students eligible for advanced standing will be required to complete one year of study (8 units) to complete the Master of Laboratory Medicine if they meet the following criteria:

• Applicants with a four-year AIMS-accredited bachelor degree in medical laboratory science (or equivalent) and one year postgraduate professional experience as a Medical Laboratory Scientist.
• Applicants with a three-year AIMS-accredited bachelor degree in medical laboratory science (or equivalent) and two years postgraduate professional experience as a Medical Laboratory Scientist.
• Applicants with a non-accredited degree in medical laboratory science (or equivalent) and five years postgraduate experience as a Medical Laboratory Scientist.

Visit the Handbook to view the study plan for students entering the course on advanced standing. 

Career focussed

Designed for current and aspiring Clinical Scientists, the Master of Laboratory Medicine has been developed to satisfy the requirements of the anticipated new designation of Clinical Scientists as defined by the Australian Institute for Medical Scientists (AIMS).

Gain contextual knowledge applicable to your current career, enhancing your clinical decision making skills, knowledge and experiences as a laboratory scientist, and opening up opportunities for research or leadership within your field of expertise.

Professional streams to advance your career

Benefit from the flexibility to tailor your study with three possible streams, to suit your career goals.

Advanced clinical application stream

Designed for aspiring senior Clinical Scientists, this stream will advance your knowledge in six pathology disciplines, equipping you with advanced knowledge to make recommendations on the management of patients.

Management stream

Combine four advanced clinical application units with two specialist units in entrepreneurship and develop skills in areas such as leadership, innovative thinking and pitching. This stream will also introduce you to the concept of ideation and horizon thinking, and explore how creative and innovative ideas are generated.

Research stream

The research stream is ideal if you are interested in pursuing a research higher degree, or would like to upskill your research skills. You will complete two advanced clinical application units coupled with a single, 24 credit-point research portfolio unit. The content of this highly flexible unit is tailored to suit your employment and/or areas of research interest and will satisfy the additional award of Graduate Certificate in Research (CL58).

Practical training

This course integrates extensive practical training to continue to advance your professional skills. You will complete two clinical placement units totaling 560 hours and those who are not eligible for advanced standing will attend a compulsory residential school block at CQU Rockhampton where you will develop your skills further in our medical laboratory. 

On-Campus Availability

Term 1 - 2024	Melbourne, Rockhampton
Term 2 - 2023	Melbourne, Rockhampton
Term 2 - 2024	Melbourne, Rockhampton

Online Availability

Term 1 - 2024	Available Online
Term 2 - 2023	Available Online
Term 2 - 2024	Available Online

Majors and minors are not applicable to this course.

Unit Name	Code	Description
Clinical Placement 1	LMED29008	210 hours (6 weeks) of work placement at a NATA-approved diagnostic pathology laboratory. Student learning supported by clinical supervisors on-site and academics at CQUniversity
Clinical Placement 2	LMED29012	350 hours (10 weeks) of work placement at a NATA-approved diagnostic pathology laboratory. Student learning supported by clinical supervisors on-site and academics at CQUniversity.

You will be required to attend a block practical intensive at the Rockhampton campus. Travel and accommodation costs will be covered for those students admitted at the Melbourne and Sydney campuses.

To be eligible for entry into this course, applicants must hold:

• A completed 3 year Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) equivalent Bachelor degree in a Health, Medical or Biomedical discipline which demonstrates a minimum of two Chemistry and two Human Biology units.

Applicants who do not meet the above requirement, however, hold relevant postgraduate qualifications will be referred to the Head of Course to confirm suitability for entry.

English Language Proficiency Requirements

If you were not born in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Ireland, South Africa or United States of America, you are required to meet the English Language Proficiency requirements set by the University.

Applicants are required to provide evidence of completion within the last 5 years of:

• A secondary qualification (Year 11 and 12, or equivalent), or
• Bachelor level qualification study for a period of at least 2 years fulltime with a minimum overall GPA of 4.0

completed within Australia, Canada, New Zealand, United Kingdom, South Africa, Ireland, or United states of America, which will meet the English proficiency.

If you do not satisfy any of the above you will need to undertake an English language proficiency test and achieve the following scores as below:

• An International English Language Testing System (IELTS Academic) with an overall band score of at least 6.5 with no subscore below 6.0 in each of the bands, or
• A Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL – internet based) with an overall score of atleast 79, with no subscore below 21, or
• A Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic) with an overall band score of 62 with no sub-score less than 54, or
• An Occupational English Test with Grades A or B only in each of the four components

English test results remain valid for no more than two years between final examination date and the date of commencement of study, and must appear on a single result certificate.

Each student will be assessed individually.

Advanced Standing

Some applicants may be eligible for a shorter course duration of 1 year (48 credit point or 8 units equivalent), please refer to the More Details section for further information.

Security Requirements

This course involves compulsory clinical placement. Students must satisfy specific pre-clinical safety and security requirements prior to each placement and must disclose any condition that may put himself or herself, or the public, at significant risk whilst on placement. Students are required to meet all mandatory requirements to attend Clinical Placements and Clinical placements are a requirement for the award of the Degree. A student may be determined ineligible for placement based on the inability to perform required tasks or if the student may be determined a risk to clients, staff or other stakeholders. A student may be determined ineligible for placement if the placement site is unable to work within the constraints of any conditions or work modifications placed upon the work site by the State Health Department or Assessment Unit within a private organisation. If conditions imposed upon the placement are too restrictive for placement sites within the current offer round, the student is determined not fit for placement and is at risk of the University terminating enrolment in the degree.

Health Requirements

This course involves compulsory clinical placement. Students must satisfy specific pre-clinical health and safety requirements and must disclose any condition that may put himself or herself, or the public, at significant risk whilst on placement.
Students will need to be physically fit, able to stand and walk for extended periods, lift, stretch, carry heavy loads and have sufficient manual dexterity to perform specific tasks and visual acuity and contrast sensitivity to assess fine detail. Students will be required to provide evidence of current mandatory vaccinations prior to clinical placement. A student may be determined ineligible for placement based on the inability to perform required tasks or if the student may be determined a risk to clients, staff or other stakeholders. A student may be determined ineligible for placement, if the placement site is unable to work within the constraints of any conditions or work modifications placed upon the work site by the State Health Department or Assessment Unit within a private organisation. If conditions imposed upon the placement are too restrictive for placement sites within the current offer round, the student is determined not fit for placement and is at risk of the University terminating enrolment in the degree.

Assumed Knowledge

A 3 year Australian Bachelor degree or equivalent qualification from a recognised tertiary institution that includes foundational human biology and chemistry.

A Medical Laboratory Scientist is a health professional who conducts medical laboratory tests to assist in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disease. They require specialised education and skills to prepare tissue sections for microscopic examination, analyse samples to study the effects of microbial infections and develop techniques to aid in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. A Medical Laboratory Scientist has a degree of responsibility in the diagnostic process through the provision of advice to Medical Practitioners on the interpretation of tests, methods for use in the diagnosis and treatment of disease. They can undertake research and prepare scientific papers and reports. They ensure quality management processes and safety standards are followed in medical laboratories and undertake research in their area of expertise. Communication skills and exemplary professional attitude are all critical to success in this field.

This qualification will be assessed for accreditation by the Australian Institute of Medical and Clinical Scientists (AIMS). Eligibility for full accreditation will be subject to the graduation of one cohort of students. Once full accreditation has been awarded graduates will be recognised as having completed an AIMS accredited program.

Provisional accreditation will be requested after the first year.

The indicative first year fee is an approximate cost of enrolling in this course for one academic year. Your actual fees may vary, depending on the units that you select to study and the number of units you study per term. You can view unit fees in the Cost Per Unit table. Fees are reviewed annually and are subject to change.

• Indicative fees for Graduate Certificate courses are based on studying four units in an academic year.
• Indicative fees for Graduate Diploma and Master courses are based on studying eight units in an academic year. 

ABOUT FEES

Fee Category	Full fee paying place
What is a Full Fee Paying Place	As a full fee-paying student, you are required to pay full tuition fees for your course.
Fee Type	Tuition Fees
What is my tuition fee?	Your tuition fees are charged per unit of study based on the credit point value of each unit. Our Tuition Fee Schedules provide an estimate of fees per unit. You can also view fees specific to the course, and units, you are interested in studying by using our Cost Per Unit table.
FEE-HELP and payment options	FEE-HELP is the loan scheme provided the Australian Government to help eligible students pay their tuition fees through a loan. Eligible students can use a FEE-HELP loan to pay for all or some of their tuition fees. If you elect to use a FEE-HELP loan, this means that you will defer payment of your tuition fees and repay your FEE-HELP loan when your income is above the compulsory repayment threshold. You must meet specific eligibility requirements to be able to use FEE-HELP assistance. If you are not eligible for a FEE-HELP loan, or you are required to pay your tuition fees upfront, you will need to pay your fees no later than the census date for the term in which you are studying.
Other Fees	You will also incur a Student Services and Amenities Fee.
Other study costs	You may have other study costs such as travel expenses related to residential schools or work placements if they are a requirement of your course. There are also textbooks, stationery and other sundry costs associated with studying.

At CQUniversity, we believe higher education should be for everyone. No matter your situation, we know that everyone needs a helping hand from time to time, and we are proud to offer a wide range of scholarships, bursaries and stipends.
Our scholarships could help you pay for things like relocation, living on campus, laptops and technology, childcare, study and living expenses, travel and more. 

If you have decided what you would like to study and are ready to apply, we’re here to help you along the way. Before you apply, you will need to have a Unique Student Identifier (USI). If you do not have a USI, creating one is quick and easy. Simply visit usi.gov.au to create one.

Want to know more about application dates and other admission information?
View our important dates information and read about other admission considerations such as information for domestic students with overseas qualifications, indigenous support, and elite athlete, coach and performer support.

What’s the best way to apply?

• Option 1: Ideal for Western Australian residents or those who want to study in Western Australia.
• Option 2: Ideal for all other states.

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Option 1: Western Australian residents and those who want to study in Western Australia

If you live in Western Australia or are planning to study in Western Australia, apply via our ApplyCQUni portal.

ApplyCQUNI

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Option 2: Ideal for those who live in any of the following states - Apply direct

If you live in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Northern Territory, Australian Capital Territory or Tasmania, submit your application directly to CQUniversity.
Apply direct