An urgent care clinic is a walk-in medical centre that treats urgent, non-life-threatening injuries and illnesses. These clinics bridge the gap between a regular general practitioner (GP) appointment and a hospital emergency department.

UniSC's Graduate Certificate in Urgent Care prepares doctors, nurses and other allied health professionals to manage patients of all ages within Australian urgent care clinics.

Our Graduate Certificate in Urgent Care is one of the few specialist urgent care qualifications available in Australia. It was developed in consultation with national and international urgent care experts and informed by leading organisations across primary care, emergency medicine, nursing and paramedicine.

This program is designed for registered healthcare professionals looking to expand their scope of practice and build specialist urgent care expertise. It is suitable for:

• Doctors
• Registered nurses
• Paramedics
• Physiotherapists
• Other eligible allied health professionals who meet the admission requirements

Applicants typically require current professional registration and at least two years of clinical experience.

Applicants from a nursing background are eligible to apply provided they hold current registration as a Registered Nurse (Division 1) with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA). Applicants should also review the admission requirements on the program page to ensure they meet any additional eligibility criteria for the program.

The Graduate Certificate in Urgent Care is designed for busy healthcare professionals who want to build advanced urgent care capabilities while continuing to work. The program is delivered primarily online through case-based learning activities, clinical scenarios and reflection activities, giving you the flexibility to study around your professional commitments.

Alongside online learning, you'll attend a mandatory clinical skills intensive to practise fracture management and wound closure.

The program comprises four courses and is offered part time over one year (two courses per semester), with intakes commencing in Trimester 1 and 2.

Clinical skills training and assessment for HLT713 take place during a simulated clinical skills intensive. There are no additional Work Integrated Learning (WIL) or placement requirements for this program, and you do not need to be currently working in an urgent care clinic.

The clinical skills intensive is a hands-on component of the program that allows you to develop and practise key urgent care procedures in a supported simulation setting. Students work through realistic scenarios and procedures under the guidance of experienced clinicians and educators.

The clinical skills intensive is typically delivered over two days during the latter half of Trimester 1 and 2 at UniSC's Sunshine Coast campus. The specifics of these intensives will be confirmed directly with enrolled students at the start of the program.

Students should note that travel, accommodation and any associated costs related to attending the intensive are their responsibility.

The program has a strong applied focus and prepares healthcare professionals to confidently assess and manage patients presenting to urgent care services. Practical skills include, but are not limited to:

• Fracture management and joint examination
• Plastering and casting
• A stepwise approach to imaging analysis in urgent care (reading X-rays)
• Wound assessment and wound care
• Patient assessment and initial care management
• ECG interpretation and cardiac rhythm assessment
• Quality and safety considerations in urgent care

You'll develop the knowledge and skills to manage a broad range of urgent and emergent presentations commonly seen in urgent care clinics, including:

• Trauma
• Cardiovascular presentations, such as chest pain
• Respiratory conditions, infectious and non-infectious
• Gastrointestinal conditions, infectious and non-infectious
• Neurological conditions, infectious and non-infectious
• Endocrine conditions
• Poisoning and toxicology, including recreational drugs, alcohol and other poisonings
• Obstetric and gynaecological presentations
• Pain assessment and management

Yes. All registration boards recognise postgraduate study in their field as CPD. Hours able to be claimed will depend on individual registration board requirements. Each 12-unit course is equivalent to 150 hours of study.

Study includes online learning, independent study and assessment. As a guide, the current HLT713 course outline allocates 150 total learning hours (student workload is calculated at 12.5 learning hours per one unit) and includes online quizzes and practical skills assessments completed during the intensive.

The program is specifically designed to support healthcare professionals providing care for patients with urgent, non-life-threatening conditions outside traditional emergency department settings. Graduates may be well positioned to work or advance within:

• Urgent care clinics
• Primary health care services
• Community health settings
• General practice environments
• Expanded clinical practice roles across public and private health services

The indicative 2027 tuition fees are $7,024 for a Commonwealth supported place (CSP) and $13,824 for a fee-paying place. Fees are subject to annual change. CSP eligibility depends on meeting the relevant admission, citizenship and residency requirements.

If you receive a CSP and meet HECS-HELP eligibility requirements, you can defer all or part of your student contribution. Eligibility for a CSP does not automatically mean you qualify for HECS-HELP. Australian permanent residents generally need to pay their student contribution by the fee due date.

The program currently offers entry in Trimester 1 and Trimester 2. For information on when applications open and close, check the current application dates before applying.

Apply through ApplyUniSC and upload the completed Clinical Experience Verification Form (available via our Application forms page). The form must be signed by a supervisor, manager or other authorised representative of your employing health service who can verify your clinical experience. Submitting the form alone does not constitute an application.

As demand for urgent care services continues to grow, healthcare professionals with advanced assessment, diagnostic and treatment skills are increasingly sought after. This qualification provides targeted, practice-oriented training to help clinicians confidently manage a wide range of presentations while supporting better patient access to timely care.