Master of Disability and Inclusion

2025 Deakin University Handbook

Year	2025 course information
Award granted	Master of Disability and Inclusion
Deakin course code	H709
Faculty	Faculty of Health
Campus	This course is only offered Online
Online	Yes
Duration	1 1/2 years full-time or part-time equivalent
Course Map - enrolment planning tool	The course map for new students commencing from Trimester 1 2025. Major Project (full-time) Minor Project (full-time) No Project (full-time) Course maps for commencement in previous years are available on the Course Maps webpage or please contact a Student Adviser in Student Central.
Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) recognition	The award conferred upon completion is recognised in the Australian Qualifications Framework at Level 9

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.

Indicative student 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.

Professional recognition

Not applicable

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

Participation requirements

Not applicable

Mandatory student checks

There are no mandatory student checks required for this course.

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 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 students must pass 12 credit points and meet the following course rules to be eligible to graduate:

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 electives
- 1 Major Project which consists of:
  - 2 credit points Major Project A
  - 2 credit points Major Project B
  - 2 credit points of course electives
- 1 Minor Project which consists of:
  - 1 credit point Minor Project A
  - 1 credit point Minor Project B
  - 4 credit points of course electives

Students are required to meet the University's academic progress and conduct requirements. See the enrolment codes and terminology to help make sense of the University’s vocabulary.

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

HSH725

Research Literacy

Elective units

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 Project A

HSH732

Minor Project B

Plus 4 of the course electives from the list below

Major Project Option

HSH733

Major Project A

HSH734

Major Project B

Plus 2 of the course electives from the list below

Students must select 6 course elective units from the following list

ACG708

Design Thinking and Problem Solving

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

The Humanitarian World

AIP704

Making Policy

AIR707

The United Nations and International Organisation

AIR726

Human Rights in World Politics

ALC701

Collaborative Digital Media Making

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

Work experience

Not applicable

Course duration

Course duration may be affected by delays in completing course requirements, such as failing of units or accessing or completing placements.

Further information

Student Central can help you with course planning, choosing the right units and explaining course rules and requirements.

Contact Student Central

Fees and charges

Fees and charges vary depending on the type of fee place you hold, your course, your commencement year, the units you choose to study, and their study discipline or your study load.

Tuition fees increase at the beginning of each calendar year and all fees quoted are in Australian dollars ($AUD). Tuition fees do not include textbooks, computer equipment or software, other equipment or costs such as mandatory checks, travel and stationery.

Estimate your fees

For further information regarding tuition fees, other fees and charges, invoice due dates, withdrawal dates, payment methods visit our Current students website.