Master of Disability and Inclusion

Course summary for international students

Year	2026 course information
Award granted	Master of Disability and Inclusion
Campus	This course is only offered Online
Length	1.5 years full-time or part-time equivalent
Fee paying annual fee - commencing 2026	$27,200 for 1 yr full-time AUD
Level	Higher Degree Coursework (Masters and Doctorates)
Deakin course code	H709
Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) recognition	The award conferred upon completion is recognised in the Australian Qualifications Framework at Level 9
All places offered to International students in this course are offered as off campus students.

Course sub-headings

Course overview

Be a part of social change that facilitates inclusion with a Master of Disability and Inclusion. Study a course that’s informed by national and international research, legislation, policy and practice. Follow your passion for human rights and equality into research and leadership roles within a growing industry.

Want to be the driving force behind a more inclusive society?

The Master of Disability and Inclusion is deeply connected to people with disability, the disability industry, the organisations that work within it and the communities they serve. Many of our students have lived experience with disability – either their own or that of someone close to them. Our academics are embedded within the field and contribute to research of global significance. Our curriculum is highly responsive to contemporary international and national developments in disability legislation, policy, research and practice. The values and policies of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and Australia's national and international approaches including the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) are firmly embedded within the curriculum.

Demonstrating our course’s international standing it has been named by Human Rights Careers Magazine in the top Masters courses in disability and law globally.

The topics you will cover are informed by leading disability theory and practice. In fact, the curriculum has been carefully designed to focus on core concepts in disability and inclusion through contemporary theory, government policy and practice; and to critically engage with theory, policy and practice in the context of the lived experiences of people with disabilities. You will have the opportunity to learn about and apply your knowledge in areas including planning, community capacity building, human rights, responses to disability within a global context, inclusive technology, social determinants of health and research design.

Assessment projects are anchored to developments and policies within the sector. You might be challenged to critically analyse recent updates to legislation, government disability planning where you live and work, and international projects that are working to progressively realise the rights embedded in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. If you are currently working in disability or community inclusion, you also have the option of basing your assessment tasks on the work you are doing with people with disabilities, families and communities. This will enable you to apply your skills to your current practice and have an instant impact on the communities in which you are working.

The course is also a pathway to further research studies including a PhD. It introduces you to important academic skills to enable you to develop and conduct research through a major research project. Undertaking the major project, you will use critical research skills that will set you up for further research studies, research roles and other roles working in decision-making, project planning, development and evaluation. The major project will link you to researchers in the disability field, including senior researchers at Deakin and our research partners in industry and the community, ensuring your research experience contributes to contemporary national and international research of significance.

A highlight of the course is building relationships with your fellow students and the academic team. Students in the Masters of Disability and Inclusion come from a range of disciplines and backgrounds, ensuring your learning experience is vibrant and engaging. Our academic staff are nationally and internationally recognised researchers, making them great mentors, as well as teachers. In addition, our partnerships with peak national and international government and non-government organisations engaged in policy development, legislative reform, advocacy and service provision, means the door will be open to professional networks and exciting employment opportunities. A constant connection to people with lived experience of disability makes your study experience richer and highly relevant. It also allows you to see the world through the eyes of a person with a disability, giving you a real and valuable perspective on inclusion.

Professional recognition

Not applicable

Fees and charges

The 'Estimated tuition fee' is provided as a guide only and represents the typical first-year tuition fees for students enrolled in this course. The cost will vary depending on the units you choose, your study load, the length of your course and any approved Recognition of prior learning you have.

One year full-time study load is typically represented by eight credit points of study. Each unit you enrol in has a credit point value. The 'Estimated tuition fee' is calculated by adding together eight credit points of a typical combination of units for your course.

You can find the credit point value of each unit under the Unit Description by searching for the unit in the handbook. Learn more about fees and available payment options.

Career opportunities

The disability sector in Australia is rapidly expanding and evolving. Australia's National Disability Insurance Scheme is now fully rolled out across the nation. This has resulted in an unprecedented demand on Australia’s disability sector. According to National Disability Services’ Australian Disability Workforce report (2018), the disability support workforce growth rate was 11.1% per year (between 2015-2017). This compares with growth of 1.6% for the entire Australian workforce at the time* This means that there are employment opportunities in a range of positions.

According to the most recent National Disability Services (NDS) report**, the NDIS will soon have 500,000 participants and, according to some estimates, the disability workforce will need to double in size in the next three years just to keep pace with increasing demand. According to this same report the disability industry is feeling pressure to secure quality staff. In addition, with more and more countries signing and ratifying the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with disabilities, opportunities for our students to gain employment within global contexts, within their countries of origin or global institutions such as the United Nations, are rapidly increasing.

As a graduate of the Master of Disability and Inclusion, you will be perfectly suited for positions including leadership roles in policy, practice and research in Australia and internationally.

In particular, the course was designed to align with areas of knowledge and skills identified in current disability position descriptions. These include:

knowledge of disability systems including disability research, legislation and policy
high-level communication skills for working with people with disability and their families
self-directed approaches to service planning
community capacity-building knowledge and skills.

In addition to these roles, there are a huge range of areas within the sector you can explore once you graduate, such as:

policy and legislation
education
health and human services
community development
roles within state and federal government, government agencies, community organisations and disability service providers.

You will also be well-equipped for research opportunities once you graduate, including employment in the higher education sector in research and teaching. Or, you may be eligible to continue your studies in a PhD program within Disability and Inclusion.

* ADWR_Third_Edition_July_2018.pdf
** State_of_the_Disability_Sector_Reports/SoTDS_2020.pdf

Course learning outcomes

Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes	Course Learning Outcomes
Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities	Apply expert knowledge and research skills in the area of Disability and Inclusion that includes application of theory and evidence-based approaches to policy, participation and social inclusion of people with Disabilities.
Communication	Communicate using a range of modes, theoretical positions, methodologies and professional decisions on Disability and Inclusion in an effective manner, being mindful of the target audience.
Digital literacy	Use digital technologies to source, use and disseminate ideas, information and research findings relevant to Disability and Inclusion to a range of audiences including people with disability.
Critical thinking	Use specialised knowledge to critically analyse and synthesise complex information related to policy, theory and research in the area of Disability and Inclusion.
Problem solving	Apply specialised research and cognitive skills to find evidence-based solutions to complex policy related problems in the area of Disability and Inclusion.
Self-management	Plan and execute a substantial research based project in the area of Disability and Inclusion and demonstrate expert judgement and responsibility as a practitioner or learner.
Teamwork	Contribute to the productive functioning of a multi-skilled team working in the area of policy, research and advocacy for people with disability.
Global citizenship	Demonstrate a high level of awareness and respect for diversity in line with contemporary human rights obligations and apply ethical and inclusive approaches to disability research and practice.

Course rules

To complete the Master of Disability and Inclusion, you must pass 12 credit points. The number of credit points required may vary, depending on your entry point or how much credit you receive as recognition of prior learning (RPL) based on your professional experience and previous qualifications.

A 12-credit point Master of Disability and Inclusion includes:

DAI001 Academic Integrity and Respect at Deakin (0-credit-point compulsory unit) in their first study period
6 credit points of core units
6 credit points which may comprise of:
- 6 credit points of course elective units
- 1 Major Project which consists of:
  - 2 credit points Major Project A
  - 2 credit points Major Project B
  - 2 credit points of course elective units
- 1 Minor Project which consists of:
  - 1 credit point Minor Project A
  - 1 credit point Minor Project B
  - 4 credit points of course elective units

Most units are equal to one credit point. As a full-time student you will study four credit points per trimester and usually undertake two trimesters per year.

All students are required to meet the University's academic progress and conduct requirements.

Note:

Students who enter via the Graduate Certificate of Disability and Inclusion (or equivalent) will only need to complete the remaining 8 credit points
Students must undertake HSH733 (Major Project A) and HSH734 (Major Project B) if they wish to undertake PhD studies in the future

Course structure

Core units

All students must complete the following 6 core units and 1 zero credit point unit:

DAI001

Academic Integrity and Respect at Deakin (0 credit points)

HDS730

Disability and Inclusion: Contemporary Theory and Lived Experience

HDS731

Planning for Inclusion Across the Life Course

HDS732

Determinants of Health and Wellbeing in the Lives of People with Disability

HDS733

Community Capacity Building - Theory and Practice for Inclusion

HDS734

Inclusive Design and Technology

HSH753

Research Methods in Health and Social Development

Electives

Students must also select 6 electives. These may be chosen from the course elective list below.
Students interested in pursuing a research focus can undertake a Minor or Major Project in place of some of these course electives.

Minor Project Option^

HSH731

Minor Research Project A

HSH732

Minor Research Project B

Plus 4 of the course electives from the list below
^Students must have a minimum Weighted Average Mark (WAM) of 60 to be eligible to undertake the minor project option.

Major Project Option*

HSH733

Major Research Project A

HSH734

Major Research Project B

Plus 2 of the course electives from the list below
*Students must have a minimum Weighted Average Mark (WAM) of 70 to be eligible to undertake the major project option.

Students must select 6 course elective units from the following list

ACG708

Design Strategies

ADS701

Introduction to International and Community Development

ADS705

Participatory and Community Development Practice

ADS715

Cross Cultural Communication and Practice

AHA721

Humanitarian Knowledge and Principles

AHL701

Principles of Humanitarianism and Disaster Management

AIP704

Making Policy

AIR707

The United Nations and International Organisation

AIR726

Human Rights in World Politics

ALC708

Social Media Content Creation

EIE702

Teaching and Learning in the Inclusive Classroom

EXE732

Social Justice and Difference

HDS727

Auslan and the Deaf Community: Health and Wellbeing

HSH701

Principles and Practice of Public Health

HSH703

Health Promotion

HSH715

Qualitative Health Research

HSH728

Health Equity and Human Rights

HSH736

Community Consultation and Participation

HSH755

Postgraduate Health Practicum

HSH760

International Perspectives in Health and Social Development

HME711

Health Law and Ethics

HPS774

Social Psychology

IND734

Australian Aboriginal Holistic Health and Healing

Admission criteria

Selection is based on a holistic consideration of your academic merit, work experience, likelihood of success, availability of places, participation requirements, regulatory requirements, and individual circumstances. You will need to meet the minimum academic and English language proficiency requirements or higher to be considered for selection, but this does not guarantee admission.

A combination of qualifications and experience may be deemed equivalent to minimum academic requirements.

Academic requirements

To be considered for admission to this degree you will need to meet at least one of the following criteria:

completion of a bachelor degree or higher in a related discipline
completion of a bachelor degree or higher in any discipline and at least two years' of relevant work experience

Examples of related discipline areas include, but not limited to: teaching and learning disciplines (vocational, early, primary and secondary education), allied health (OT, Speech Pathology, Physiotherapy etc), management, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion roles, Human resources

Examples of relevant work experience include, but not limited to: Working in disability or diversity, equity and inclusion policy, working for an organisation writing their disability action plan, management roles.

English language proficiency requirements

To meet the English language proficiency requirements of this course, you will need to demonstrate at least one of the following:

bachelor degree from a recognised English-speaking country
IELTS overall score of 6.5 (with no band score less than 6.0) n each component of test
other evidence of English language proficiency (learn more about other ways to satisfy the requirements)

Admissions information

Learn more about Deakin courses and how we compare to other universities when it comes to the quality of our teaching and learning.

Not sure if you can get into Deakin postgraduate study? Postgraduate study doesn’t have to be a balancing act; we provide flexible course entry and exit options based on your desired career outcomes and the time you are able to commit to your study.

Pathways

The Major project units offered as course electives are research projects, selecting these units as part of the 12-credit point Masters may allow you to apply to undertake further study such as a PhD in Disability and Inclusion.

Students who have completed the 4 units of the Graduate Certificate of Disability and Inclusion (H508) will be given credit for these units when they enrol in the Master of Disability and Inclusion.

Alternative exits

Graduate Certificate of Disability and Inclusion (H508)
Graduate Diploma of Disability and Inclusion (H608)

Course duration

You may be able to study available units in the optional third trimester to fast-track your degree, however your course duration may be extended if there are delays in meeting course requirements, such as completing a placement.

Workload

As a student in an online course in the Faculty of Health you will be expected to spend 150 hours of learning and assessment activities for each credit point, interacting online and completing assessment tasks for each unit in your course.

Work experience

Not applicable

Participation requirements

At Deakin, we’re committed to creating an inclusive learning environment that supports all students to succeed. We work closely with students to identify and reduce barriers, and where possible, provide tailored support to help students engage with learning and assessment activities, ensuring every student has the opportunity to belong and thrive.

If you are disabled, neurodivergent, Deaf, and/or you live with the effects of a mental health condition, chronic health condition, or other condition that impacts your studies or participation in university life, we encourage you to reach out to our Disability Resource Centre for a collaborative and confidential discussion.

Mandatory student checks

There are no mandatory student checks required for this course.