Graduate Diploma in Lifestyle Medicine

The Graduate Diploma of Lifestyle Medicine is designed to meet the shifting demands in health care towards lifestyle-based therapies. The course equips graduates with an understanding of the various domains of Lifestyle Medicine and skills in its application.

Major areas of study include:

-        Food as medicine,

-        Exercise as medicine,

-        Lifestyle Medicine for specific populations,

-        Nicotine addiction and smoking cessation,

-        Physiological underpinnings of chronic disease and

-        Psychosocial considerations for the promotion of health.

Evidence is showing that a healthy lifestyle is effective for preventing disease, managing, and in some instances, treating established conditions. This has led to the emergence of the "Lifestyle Medicine" field, which is defined by the American College of Lifestyle Medicine as "the use of lifestyle interventions in the treatment and management of disease".

Lifestyle Medicine seeks to treat the causes of chronic disease, which include poor nutrition, physical inactivity, substance abuse, stress, environmental factors, and even issues relating to identity and meaning.

The course is recognised by the Australasian Society of Lifestyle Medicine as a pathway to becoming a Fellow of the Society. 

Upon successful completion of the Graduate Diploma in Lifestyle Medicine, graduates will be able to:

• explain and critique the diverse elements of Lifestyle Medicine informed by an integrated understanding of the contemporary body of knowledge;
• articulate, apply and evaluate a whole-of-health perspective encompassing freedom from disease through to positive wellbeing;
• advocate for the implementation of Lifestyle Medicine informed by an integrated knowledge of the relationship between lifestyle and disease, and the underlying causation of chronic diseases;
• utilise a research-led methodological approach to develop and present the concepts of Lifestyle Medicine within the context of public health and clinical practice;
• communicate the principles of Lifestyle Medicine to a diverse range of recipients with regard to culture, age and gender using multiple forms of communication;
• design and apply Lifestyle Medicine interventions in a variety of cultural settings and employ appropriate evaluation processes to monitor and modify the effectiveness of these interventions;
• argue for the role of identity, meaning and spirituality in the effectiveness of Lifestyle Medicine interventions and be able to recognise, design, apply and appraise these elements in Lifestyle Medicine interventions.

Obtaining a qualification in postgraduate Lifestyle Medicine is beneficial for:

• Nurses facilitating Lifestyle Medicine specialised care in general/family practice settings,
• Allied Health Professionals (e.g nurses, dietitians, exercise physiologists, psychologists) who wish to offer a more comprehensive service to their patients and clients, and
• Health Educators in corporate, community and other settings providing specialised advice for lifestyle-based treatments. 

GENERAL ADMISSION CRITERIA

To qualify for admission, you must have completed:

• An Australian Qualifications Framework AQF Level 7 Bachelor's degree (or higher) from an accredited university or higher education provider; or
• An overseas qualification comparable to an Australian Qualifications Framework AQF Level 7 or higher

ADVANCED STANDING

Applicants with an Australian Qualifications Framework AQF Level 8 qualification (or higher) in a cognate area may be eligible for advanced standing (credit recognition). Refer to the Advanced Standing Policy for more information.

INTERNATIONAL APPLICANTS

The Graduate Diploma in Lifestyle Medicine is available to domestic students and international students studying outside of Australia. The course is unavailable to international students in Australia on a student visa.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS

Applicant's who completed their bachelor's degree (or overseas equivalent) in a language other than English must demonstrate English language proficiency by achieving a minimum IELTS score of 6.5 overall with no sub-band below 6.0.

GRADUATE DIPLOMA IN LIFESTYLE MEDICINE
Course duration: Two years part-time
Study mode: Distance education
Maximum time to complete: Six years

The Graduate Diploma in Lifestyle Medicine (course code 2085) requires the completion of all 8 units shown below (maximum two units per semester).

The sequence of units offered is based on a repeating 2-year cycle:

SEMESTER 1 (MAR-JUNE 2022):
LMLR50104 Physiological Underpinnings of Chronic Disease
LMLR50106 Psychosocial Factors in Lifestyle Medicine and Health

SEMESTER 2 (AUG-NOV) 2022:
LMLR50105 Exercise as Medicine
LMLR50109 Nicotine Addiction and Smoking Cessation
LMLR50101 Lifestyle Medicine- Past, Present, Future*

SEMESTER 1 (MAR-JUN) 2023:
LMLR50107 Processes in Lifestyle Medicine and Health Promotion
LMLR50108 Lifestyle Medicine for Specific Populations

SEMESTER 2 (AUG-NOV) 2023:
LMLR50101 Lifestyle Medicine- Past, Present, Future*
LMLR50102 Food as Medicine

Notes:

*  LMLR50101 is offered in Semester 2 of every year to ensure that students wishing to complete a Graduate Certificate within a 1-year period may do so.

To find out more about any of the units listed here, copy the unit code and then search for that unit here.

This course is accredited under Avondale's self-accrediting authority and it is nationally registered with the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA). In 2014 Avondale was granted self-accrediting status by TEQSA. This course may be used as a pathway to become a Fellow of the Australasian Society of Lifestyle Medicine. For more details see the Australasian Society of Lifestyle Medicine website. 

Course Enquiries

Student Administration Services

Phone: +61 2 4980 2377
Email: [email protected]
Monday-Thursday, 9.00am-5pm
Friday, 9.00am-12.00noon