M3S Bachelor of Dementia Care

Overview 2020

Entry Requirements: See entry requirements

Duration: Minimum 3 Years, up to a maximum of 7 Years
Duration
Duration refers to the minimum and maximum amounts of time in which this course can be completed. It will be affected by whether you choose to study full or part time, noting that some programs are only available part time.

Location

Entry Requirements: See entry requirements

Duration: Minimum 3 Years
Entry requirements

Location

What is the Dementia Care Program?

The Dementia Care Program offers Australia's first degree in dementia care. It is available to domestic and international students, from carers to health professionals and anyone with an interest in studying dementia. This course will develop your specialised knowledge in this field so that you can make a difference to the lives of people living with dementia.

This is a fully online course with no exams, face to face study, or workplace assessment component. Dedicated Student Advisers are on-hand throughout the course, providing support and guidance throughout your studies. Our program can be studied full-time or part-time, offering you a choice to graduate with a:

Diploma (8 units, completed over a maximum of 3 years)
Associate Degree (16 units, completed over a maximum of 5 years)
Bachelor Degree (24 units, completed over a maximum of 7 years)

Students may study part-time (1-2 units) or full-time (3-4 units) per semester. Students are advised to approximately 10 hours of study per week per unit of study. There are no formal examinations, all assessments occur throughout the semester.

Assessments may include quizzes, assessed discussion boards, essays or reports, presentations.

Course objectives

Dementia is a neurological condition that affects tens of millions of people across the globe, posing significant challenges to people living with dementia, their families, communities and the health care sector. The Dementia Care Program provides students with a deep knowledge of dementia, the changes that occur in the brain, the behaviours and needs associated with changes, and practical strategies necessary to help care for people living with dementia.

Students will gain advanced problem-solving skills, along with an understanding of the importance of evidence-based practice. Graduates will be prepared for a range of career paths in the aged care and health sector.

The Wicking Centre

The Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre is at the forefront of translational research of relevance to people with dementia and their carers, and provides a range of innovative educational programs on dementia. The Wicking Centre undertakes multidisciplinary research around three main themes – the Care, Cause and Prevention of Dementia. Educational programs are closely interlinked with the Centre’s research programs.

The Wicking Centre, a flagship of the University's College of Health and Medicine, was established in 2008 and is core-funded by the JO & JR Wicking Trust (managed by Equity Trustees) with significant contributions from the University of Tasmania.

Please see the Entry Requirements section for further details.

Career outcomes

“My goal is just to provide a tangible difference in quality care for dementia. I’ve loved the course because it’s so specific, just focusing on the one field. I feel like having a specific topic actually broadens what you can learn about the topic, because you can start to look at it from all these different angles, and actually get something that’s beginning to build a bigger picture of dementia, both from a personal perspective and care, but also looking at it in terms of social impact. The best bit about the course has been I think it’s changed my perspective; that I really do believe that people can live well with dementia, and that’s been inspiring and also it’s exciting to keep learning about how we can actually achieve that.”

Emma Elaine, Bachelor of Dementia Care student

Over 400,000 Australians are currently living with dementia, this number increases every year. The impact on communities, families, governments and health professionals will be significant as these numbers increase.

Our workforce is currently ill equipped to help care for such large numbers of people living with dementia – by 2050, it is estimated that there will be over 900,000 people in Australia living with dementia. Graduates from this course may find work in a range of career paths such as in the aged care industry in both the public and private sectors, or as a pathway to undertaking further study in graduate health programs.

Individuals with backgrounds in healthcare, community service and allied health professionals, may find study in this course advantageous – and opportunities for Recognition of Prior Learning (or credit) are available.

There are a growing number of leadership and case management positions in dementia care, which require qualifications higher than aged care certificates. Leadership roles, and specialist positions in the aged care sector are increasingly calling for tertiary level qualifications such as the Dementia Care Program.

The Diploma and Associate Degrees are particularly relevant to Aged Care Workers and health professionals wishing to develop their skills and knowledge in dementia. The Bachelor Degree offers additional learning about research and the understanding of how evidence may be translated into clinical care practice.

To support the development of a career structure for aged care workers in the future we will continually evaluate the course and make representations to government and industry. We know that workers with greater knowledge and skills in dementia care will be critical in delivering enhanced capacity to a sector which is facing an enormous challenge both now and into the future.

Course structure

There are three graduation points available in the Dementia Care Program, each available as part-time or full-time:

Diploma (8 units, completed over a maximum of 3 years)
Associate Degree (16 units, completed over a maximum of 5 years)
Bachelor Degree (24 units, completed over a maximum of 7 years)

(Note – every student initially enrols in the Bachelor of Dementia Care, and then may elect to graduate at one of the above points). To help you decide what units to study part time, we have created an Example Learning Pathway in Dementia Care, for further information and advice, please contact Dementia.Care@utas.edu.au.

To enrol in the Dementia Care Program

You must be willing to devote approximately 10 hours per week for each unit of study
You must be able to access a computer, current software and a reliable connection to the internet

Year 1

CAD003 Inclusive Pathway

Students who have not completed a Diploma awarded within 10 years, or who have tertiary education experience greater than 10 years ago shall study CAD003 in Year 1.

CAD003

Location	Study period	Attendance options		Available to
Hobart	Semester 1
Hobart	Semester 2
Hobart	Spring school (extended)

Bachelor of Dementia Care (M3S)

Overview 2020

Entry Requirements

Duration

Duration

Location

Entry Requirements

Duration

Location

The Wicking Centre

Career outcomes

Course structure

Year 1

Students who have not completed a Diploma awarded within 10 years, or who have tertiary education experience greater than 10 years ago shall study CAD003 in Year 1.

Introduction to General Studies in Dementia in Australia

Neurospeak Online

Introduction to Ageing, the Brain and Dementia

Principles of Supportive Care for People With Dementia

Inter-professional Education and Practice in Dementia Care

Health Services for an Ageing Population

Introduction to Therapeutic Approaches for Dementia

Effective Communication for Dementia Care

Students who have completed a Diploma awarded within 10 years, or with complete or incomplete tertiary education experience less than 10 years ago shall study XBR121 in Year 1. For these students, XBR121 can then not be used as a nominal Year 2 degree elective unit.

Neurospeak Online

Introduction to Ageing, the Brain and Dementia

Principles of Supportive Care for People With Dementia

Inter-professional Education and Practice in Dementia Care

Health Services for an Ageing Population

Introduction to Therapeutic Approaches for Dementia

Effective Communication for Dementia Care

The Global Challenge of Understanding Dementia

Year 2

The Neurobiology of Dementia

Therapeutic Approaches for Dementia

Principles of Palliative Care

Nutrition, Dysphagia and Dementia

Individual and Community Approaches to Dementia Prevention

Dementia Policy and Care Coordination

Stress, Self-Care and Mindfulness

Living and Working with Cultural Diversity

Good Thinking: Reasoning Skills for Life

Ethics and Social Responsibility

The Global Challenge of Understanding Dementia

The Art of Persuasion: How to Build and Communicate Effective Arguments

Working with Communities

The Sciences and Society

Resilience in the Face of Emergencies

The Art of Persuasion: How to Build and Communicate Effective Arguments

Working with Communities

The Sciences and Society

Resilience in the Face of Emergencies

Year 3

Neuroscience Research in Dementia

Advanced Topics in the Neurobiology of Dementia

The Art and Science of Clinical Trials

Negotiated Project in Ageing and Dementia

Qualitative Research in Aged and Dementia Care

Advanced Topics in Dementia Care

Translating Evidence into Dementia Care

Dementia Friendly Societies

Entry requirements

Fees & scholarships

Domestic students

International students

Scholarships

Additional costs

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