As well as university-accredited post graduate programs, the Centre for Adolescent Health has also developed a number of innovative online professional development programs. These are free to any-one interested.

Global Adolescent Health online course

With over 25% of the world’s population aged between 10 and 24 years, today’s generation of young people is the largest in human history. This intensive 8-week online course (6 weeks of active teaching) explores the health and wellbeing of young people across the different countries and regions of the world, and what individuals, communities and nations can do to improve their health and life chances.

Prepared and presented by Professors Susan Sawyer and the late George Patton, the course is comprised of a series of 3 to 15-minute audio-visual lectures each week. Students work through the program at their own pace and in their own time, and can engage with other students online.

Enrolment is simple, there are no prerequisites, and it costs nothing*. 

2025 course start dates

• 10th March
• 4th August

To enrol in the Global Adolescent Health course or for additional information visit: https://www.coursera.org/learn/youth-health. The course will be open for enrolment 2-weeks before the start date for each session. 

For more information on our University of Melbourne - Adolescent Health and Wellbeing postgraduate courses, visit https://www.rch.org.au/cah/education_training/Postgraduate or read this post (and watch the video), 2023 Welcome and Graduation Celebration, to hear what past students had to say. 

* The cost to enrol and access materials is free, however there is a fee to receive a certificate and graded results. 

View the promotional video

Cancer Care for Adolescents and Young Adults

In collaboration with the University of Melbourne and ONTrac* at Peter Mac Victorian Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Service, the Centre for Adolescent Health has developed a free online course for health professionals, and anyone with an interest in young people with cancer. 

Using a method known as ‘spaced education’, multiple choice questions are delivered to the learner’s email inbox every second day. Responses are posted immediately, accompanied by related evidence-based information, and free resources.  

Part I: Cancer Care for Adolescents and Young Adults explores adolescence as a developmental stage, before describing the common cancers that affect young people, and how cancer varies in this population group.

Part II: Cancer Care for Adolescents and Young Adults examines the physical, emotional and psychosocial effects of cancer and its treatment on young patients, and effective communication and engagement strategies.

Each module only takes about 5 minutes per day over 8 to 9 weeks.

With this course there are no set start dates, you can enrol at any time. Currently the modules are being updated and will be available soon.

* ONTrac website includes detailed information on education and training both as it relates to AYAO and adolescent health more broadly, resources for healthcare professionals and resources for young people and their families, and extensive information on youth participation framed for both professionals and young people themselves. 

Community Access Program (CAP)

Any of the subjects listed on the post graduate program pages of this website, can be undertaken as a single subject through the University of Melbourne’s Community Access Program (CAP). Students may choose whether to complete assessments or not, and receive a certificate accordingly. Fees vary depending on the subject. If assessments are satisfactorily completed, they can be credited towards a post graduate course undertaken at a later stage.

Nurses Working with Adolescents and Young Adults  

These modules, also based on ‘spaced education’ are in development and are due to be released soon. 

Contact

For further enquiries please contact: 

Dr Ani Wierenga 

Academic Coordinator, Adolescent Health and Wellbeing

Centre for Adolescent Health 
E  wierenga@unimelb.edu.au

Advancing Adolescent Health in the Asia Pacific: A virtual community to share knowledge and support collaboration

Adolescence is a critical developmental period where health determines developmental trajectories and outcomes during adolescence itself, into adulthood and into the next generation. More than half of the global population of adolescents lives in the Asia Pacific region. Yet globally, regionally and indeed locally in Australia, there are major unmet health needs, inadequate investments in responsive systems, and insufficient research and translation capacity in adolescent health.

This seminar series is an opportunity to come together to share knowledge, showcase new findings and/or research methods with the overarching objective of helping to build capacity in the Asia Pacific region, including Australia, to improve adolescent health and wellbeing.

Please visit the website, Advancing Adolescent Health in the Asia Pacific for further information, for upcoming seminars and to watch past seminar. 

Catalysing Connections for Adolescent Health and Wellbeing

Melbourne has great diversity in its adolescent health and wellbeing work. It crosses sectors, disciplines, departments and universities but there are few opportunities to come together. The Catalysing Connections for Adolescent Health and Wellbeing events provide researchers, practitioners, policy makers and implementers the opportunity to discuss topics of mutual interest. 

Please visit the Catalysing Connections for Adolescent Health and Wellbeing webpage for further information and to watch past events.