The Master of Laboratory Medicine will qualify you to work as a medical laboratory scientist. 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 the medical laboratory scientist. You will develop clinical decision-making and problem solving skills through experience in professional practice, clinical case studies and research opportunities. This course involves a compulsory block practical intensive at the Rockhampton campus, in which travel and accommodation costs are provided for students that are admitted to the Melbourne and Sydney campuses. Eligible students will also have the opportunity to study the CL58 Graduate Certificate of Research embedded within the course structure, therefore providing you with a pathway to a Research Higher-Degree.
The first year of this course is offered in a full-time mode only, while the second year can be completed in a full-time or part-time mode by domestic students.
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.
Duration | 2 years full-time or 4 years part-time |
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Credit Points that Must be Earned | 96 |
Number of Units Required | CQUniversity uses the concept of credits to express the amount of study required for a particular course and individual units. The number of units varies between courses. Units in postgraduate courses normally consist of 6 points of credit or multiples thereof (e.g. 12, 18, 24). |
Expected Hours of Study | One point of credit is equivalent to an expectation of approximately two hours of student work per week in a term. |
Course Type | Postgraduate Award |
Qualification (post nominal) | MLabMed |
AQF Level | Level 9: Masters Degree (Coursework) |
Course Fees |
Indicative Year - 2025
Indicative Year - 2024
Indicative Year - 2023
Indicative Year - 2022
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Domestic Students Tertiary Admission Centre Codes (TAC) Codes |
Not Applicable |
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International Students CRICOS Codes |
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.
Applications will also be assessed in regard to content in anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, microbiology, immunology and molecular genetics. Foundational supplementary content will be available in these fields in the 1st year of study to support learning experiences.
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:
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:
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.
A 3 year Australian Bachelor degree or equivalent qualification from a recognised tertiary institution that includes foundational Human Biology and Chemistry.
Interim Awards | CL58 - Graduate Certificate in Research |
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Exit Awards | CM19 - Graduate Diploma of Laboratory Medicine |
Accreditation |
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Compulsory Residential School | 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. |
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Click here to view all Residential Schools |
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. |
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. |
Year | Number of Students |
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2024 | 167 |
2023 | 84 |
Please note that in some instances there may be similarities between course, entry and inherent requirements.
If you experience difficulties meeting these requirements, reasonable adjustments may be made upon contacting accessibility@cqu.edu.au. Adjustment must not compromise the academic integrity of the degree or course chosen at CQUniversity or the legal requirements of field education.
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Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) placements apply to this course and as such are subject to compulsory pre-placement conditions referred to as mandatory checks and are outlined in the health, security and other compulsory requirements sections. Mandatory checks are determined by industry, organisations, legislation, regulations, policies, and procedures. To be eligible for a WIL placement, students must first achieve compliance with mandatory checks by each closing date prior to a WIL placement and maintain current evidence for the duration of the course.
Mandatory health requirements include immunisation and vaccination evidence (and serology where required) to the following diseases: Hepatitis B, Measles, Mumps and Rubella, Varicella, Pertussis, Influenza, and Tuberculosis screening. Additional vaccinations and screening are subject to the site or state health authority.
Effective 25 September 2023, updates have been made to the COVID-19 vaccination mandate for Queensland Health sites and the Queensland Ambulance Service. While Queensland Health does not currently mandate evidence of COVID-19 vaccination, it's essential to recognise that other organisations may enforce their own vaccination specific criteria. This situation is similar across other states and territories, with the exception of Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia, where COVID-19 vaccination is mandatory for all healthcare students.
Mandatory security requirements include an Australian Federal Police clearance. A Working with Children Check (WWCC) may also be required if on clinical placement where interaction with minors (<18 years) is likely. Additional mandatory security requirements may apply to students who have resided overseas for 3 months or more.
Other mandatory requirements may include a First Aid and CPR certificate, student agreement to privacy and confidentiality, fitness to participate in WIL student declaration, jurisdictional and site-specific compulsory requirements, other training modules and Respiratory Mask Fit Testing.
Course Learning Outcomes | ||||
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Australian Qualifications Framework Descriptors | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
1. KNOWLEDGE Have a body of knowledge that includes the understanding of recent developments in a discipline and/or area of professional practice | ||||
2. KNOWLEDGE Have an understanding of research principles and methods applicable to a field of work and/or learning | ||||
3. SKILLS Have cognitive skills to demonstrate mastery of theoretical knowledge and to reflect critically on theory and professional practice or scholarship | ||||
4. SKILLS Have cognitive, technical and creative skills to investigate, analyse and synthesise complex information, problems, concepts and theories and to apply established theories to different bodies of knowledge or practice | ||||
5. SKILLS Have cognitive, technical and creative skills to generate and evaluate complex ideas and concepts at an abstract level | ||||
6. SKILLS Have communication and technical research skills to justify and interpret theoretical propositions, methodologies, conclusions and professional decisions to specialist and non-specialist audiences | ||||
7. SKILLS Have technical and communication skills to design, evaluate, implement, analyse and theorise about developments that contribute to professional practice or scholarship | ||||
8. APPLICATION OF KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS Be able to use creativity and initiative to new situations in professional practice and/or for further learning | ||||
9. APPLICATION OF KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS Be able to use high level personal autonomy and accountability | ||||
10 APPLICATION OF KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS Be able to plan and execute a substantial research-based project, capstone experience and/or piece of scholarship. | ||||
APPLICATION OF KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS Communicate, interact and collaborate with others effectively in culturally or linguistically diverse contexts in a culturally respectful manner |
Number of units: 15 | Total credit points: 96 |
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COURSE STRUCTURE
Students must complete the following SEVEN units:
AND
Students must complete the TWO Clinical Placement units:
AND
Students must complete any TWO of the following advanced units:
AND
Students must complete either the CL58 Graduate Certificate of Research OR select FOUR units totalling 24 credit points from the below list:
Please note that units that have already been selected as part of a students compulsory course structure are not able to be selected from this optional list.
Student must have clinical experience in a diagnostic pathology laboratory to be eligible to undertake CL58 Graduate Certificate in Research as an option within their course planner. Students wishing to enrol into the CL58 Graduate Certificate in Research must arrange a meeting with the Head of Course to confirm eligibility, the scope of the project and the supervisory team prior to contacting the School of Graduate Research for enrolment.
Advanced Standing:
Students will be eligible for advanced standing and be required to complete 1 year of study (48 credit points) to complete the Master of Laboratory Medicine if they meet the following criteria:
Applicants must be able to prove this academic experience and work experience to gain recognition of prior learning of the first year units and LMED29008.
The study plan for students entering the course on Advanced Standing will include:
Students must complete:
AND
Students must complete any TWO of the following advanced units:
AND
Students must complete units from the below list totalling 24 credit points:
Please note that units that have already been selected as part of a student's compulsory course structure are not able to be selected from this optional list.
As per the Australian Institute of Medical and Clinical Scientists (AIMS) Accreditation Standards and Procedures (Masters) 2020, students are required to complete introductory units in the following disciplines:
The seven core units while having slightly different names, represent these requirements and are compulsory for all students completing the 2 year course structure.
Available units | ||
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Students must complete the following compulsory units: | ||
LMED28001 | Chemical Pathology 1 | |
LMED28002 | Haematopathology 1 | |
LMED28004 | Infectious Diseases 1 | |
LMED28003 | Immunopathology 1 | |
LMED29001 | Genomic Pathology 1 | |
LMED29002 | Anatomical Pathology 1 | |
LMED29003 | Transfusion and Transplantation Medicine 1 |
Students must complete the two Clinical Placement units with a combined total of 560 hours of duration.
Available units | ||
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Students must complete the following compulsory units: | ||
LMED29008 | Clinical Placement 1 | |
LMED29012 | Clinical Placement 2 |
Students must complete TWO units from the following list of advanced units:
Available units | ||
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Students must complete 2 from the following units: | ||
LMED29005 | Chemical Pathology 2 | |
LMED29004 | Genomic Pathology 2 | |
LMED29006 | Haematopathology 2 | |
LMED29009 | Infectious Diseases 2 | |
LMED29010 | Anatomical Pathology 2 | |
LMED29011 | Transfusion and Transplantation Medicine 2 | |
LMED29007 | Immunopathology 2 |
For the remaining 24 credit points of the course structure, students may choose the following:
Student must have clinical experience in a diagnostic pathology laboratory to be eligible to undertake CL58 Graduate Certificate in Research as an option within their course planner. Students wishing to enrol into the CL58 Graduate Certificate in Research must arrange a meeting with the Head of Course to confirm eligibility, the scope of the project and the supervisory team prior to contacting the School of Graduate Research for enrolment. The CL58 Graduate Certificate in Research is composed of a single unit totalling 24 credit points (RSCH20003) and can be completed as a full-time enrolment or part-time.
Available units | ||
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Students must complete 1 from the following units: | ||
RSCH20003 | Research Portfolio |
Students may choose to complete this remaining 24 credit points by selecting FOUR units from the following list. Please note that units that have already been selected as part of a student's compulsory course structure are not able to be selected from this list:
This course is now offered both full-time and part-time to domestic students.
Residential School
All students will attend a 2.5 week residential school in Term 1 (for term 1 units) and then again a 2.5 week residential school in Term 2 (for term 2 units). ROK based students will attend these Residential schools on the Rockhampton campus, and the MEL students will attend a Melbourne Residential school based at Deakin University (Burwood). The online/mixed-mode enrolled students will have a choice to either attend the MEL or ROK Residential schools (places are limited in MEL so please make sure to advise the Head of Course ASAP if you wish to attend the MEL based Residential school).
Advanced Standing
Students will be eligible for advanced standing and be required to complete 1 year of study (48 credit points) to complete the Master of Laboratory Medicine if they meet the following criteria:
Applicants with a 4-year AIMS-accredited Bachelor degree in Medical Laboratory Science (or equivalent) and 1 year postgraduate professional experience as a Medical Laboratory Scientist.
Applicants with a 3-year AIMS-accredited Bachelor degree in Medical Laboratory Science (or equivalent) and 2 years postgraduate professional experience as a Medical Laboratory Scientist.
Applicants with a non-accredited degree in Medical Laboratory Science (or equivalent) and 5 years postgraduate professional experience as a Medical Laboratory Scientist.
The study plan for students entering the course on Advanced Standing will include:
Students must complete any TWO of the following advanced units:
Chemical Pathology 2
Genomic Pathology 2
Haematopathology 2
Infectious Diseases 2
Anatomical Pathology 2
Transfusion and Transplantation Medicine 2
Immunopathology 2
AND
Students must complete units from the below list totalling 36 credit points:
The CL58 Graduate Certificate of Research (RSCH20003 OR RSCH20004) (24 credit points)
Chemical Pathology 2 (6 credit points)
Genomic Pathology 2 (6 credit points)
Haematopathology 2 (6 credit points)
Infectious Diseases 2 (6 credit points)
Anatomical Pathology 2 (6 credit points)
Transfusion and Transplantation Medicine 2 (6 credit points)
Immunopathology 2 (6 credit points)
MGMT20143 Think Big (6 credit points)
MGMT20132 Innovation and Sustainable Business Development (6 credit points)
MGMT20134 Business Ethics and Sustainability (6 credit points)
FINC20018 Managerial Finance (6 credit points)
HRMT20028 Organisational Change Management (6 credit points)
Please note that units that have already been selected as part of a students compulsory course structure are not able to be selected from this optional list.