Program Overview

Graduate Certificate in Healthcare Leadership

The Graduate Certificate in Healthcare Leadership is an entry-level management course introducing students to critical concepts of accountability, policy, and management in healthcare. This course is also a pathway to further postgraduate study in the Master of Healthcare Leadership.

Course Overview

Units of study focus on strategic health management, leading change, health systems, policy, and principles and practice of clinical accountability. The course will appeal to professionals from clinical disciplines (e.g., nursing, midwifery, dentistry) and allied health disciplines (e.g., physiotherapy, pharmacy, occupational therapy, psychology, social work) looking to extend their career into management and leadership roles in healthcare, social, and community care services.

Course Structure

• The course comprises 4 core units:
  • Strategic Health Management
  • Leading Change in Healthcare
  • Health Systems, Policies, and Practices
  • Principles and Practice of Clinical Accountability
• Each unit is designed to provide a comprehensive understanding of healthcare leadership, from strategic planning to clinical accountability.

Admission Requirements

• A three-year Bachelor qualification or equivalent in a health-related discipline.
• English language requirements apply to international applicants, with a minimum IELTS overall score of 6.5.

Career Outcomes

Graduates of this course will demonstrate a broad and coherent theoretical and technical knowledge that prepares them for a career pathway in health leadership, in healthcare, community outreach organizations, area health services, professional associations, hospitals, private practice, and local, state, and federal policy-making agencies.

Fees and Scholarships

• Domestic students: The course is offered as a full fee-paying place, with eligible students able to defer tuition fees through the FEE-HELP scheme.
• International students: Annual course costs are listed on the university's international courses and fees page.
• Scholarships are available for both domestic and international students, ranging from a few hundred to several thousand dollars per year.

Why Study at Southern Cross University?

• Hands-on learning through health clinics on campus.
• Rated 5 stars in nursing and psychology by the Good Universities Guide.
• Globally ranked in the top 800 universities for medical and health sciences by the Times Higher Education World University Rankings.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the Graduate Certificate in Healthcare Leadership, students will be able to:

• Assess professional learning and performance with personal autonomy, accountability, resilience, and adaptability.
• Apply sustainability frameworks to optimize health, social, and community care services.
• Appraise professional standards or competencies and ethical frameworks in informing professional learning in health, social, and community services.
• Work independently and collaboratively to generate frameworks in health, social, and community care services.
• Demonstrate the application of leadership and management frameworks in the current health, social, and community care system.
• Demonstrate an understanding of existing systems, policies, and practices to improve health, social, and community care services.
• Demonstrate cultural responsivity and respect for the identity, dignity, and diversity of all people.