Skip to content
Undergraduate

Associate Degree of Allied Health

Domestic students International students
Associate Degree of Allied Health (ADAH)
CRICOS: 111902E
Entry requirements
View full details
Study mode
  • On-campus
Campus
  • Ipswich
Duration
  • 2 year(s) (or part-time equivalent)
Start
  • Feb
Intakes

Go to

Overview

  • Have a healthy interest in helping people? With a bigger world-focus on health than ever, start a career in allied health with UniSQ’s Associate Degree of Allied Health.
  • An associate degree is a great way to start your first degree at university or if you want a career change. It is a qualification in its own right, but it is also a pathway to a bachelor degree. This means that up to 12 courses that you study can count towards a bachelor degree.
  • This degree prepares you for a career as an allied health assistant or for further study in occupational therapy, physiotherapy, social work or speech pathology.
  • With a strong focus on rural and regional health, you’ll gain foundational knowledge in evidence-based practice, human communication, anatomy, physiology, culture, health, illness, and working with diverse populations.
  • Study core allied health courses and have the opportunity to choose a study stream in Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, Social Work, or Speech Pathology.
  • You'll graduate with a uni qualification as well as a Certificate IV in Allied Health Assistance (assessed and awarded externally by Rural Medical Health Australia).
  • Benefit from UniSQ’s flexible delivery and have the option to study full-time or part-time to suit your career goals and life commitments.

Further study

Successful completion of the Associate Degree will provide a further study pathway into the Bachelor of Physiotherapy (Honours), Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (Honours), Bachelor of Social Work, and Bachelor of Speech Pathology (Honours). Based on your selected study stream, you can apply for the relevant Bachelor Honours degree at QTAC and receive credit for your studies in the Associate Degree of Allied Health.

Please note that entry into the different Bachelor Honours degrees may be dependent on quotas and students who meet the entry requirements are not guaranteed a place in that degree.

Career outcomes

  • You'll graduate with a uni qualification as well as a Certificate IV in Allied Health Assistance (assessed and awarded externally by Rural Medical Health Australia).
  • Graduates can find work as an advanced allied health assistant in various health and wellbeing settings, including disability and aged care, rehabilitation, palliative care, community health and early learning settings.

Entry requirements

Pre-requisites
  • Subject pre-requisite: English (Units 3 & 4, C), or equivalent
  • One of Biology, Chemistry, Physics, or Psychology (Units 3 & 4, C) or equivalent.

Please note: Meeting entry requirements does not guarantee admission. Places within the Associate Degree of Allied Health are limited by quota.

Select the country where you completed your studies to see a guide to the grades you need to apply for this degree. If your country is not listed, you can still apply for this course and we will assess your eligibility. 

English language requirements

To meet the English language requirements for this degree, we accept the combined level and duration of study specified below, or the minimum English language proficiency scores from one of the following tests. Your test must be completed within two years of applying to UniSQ.

Tertiary study
(Diploma level or higher)
 2+ years full-time tertiary study in a country from the Accepted English-speaking countries list.
IELTS (Academic)  Minimum overall score of 7.0 with a minimum 7.0 in each subscore (speaking, listening, writing, reading). 
Pearson Test of English Minimum overall score of 65 with a minimum of 65 in each of the four communicative skills - listening, reading, writing, and speaking.
TOEFL iBT Minimum overall score of 95 with a minimum of 22 in each subscore.

Additional requirements for clinical placements

Applicants must be willing to adhere to the requirements of the University of Southern Queensland for practical placement. Please refer to the applicable Clinical Placement Handbook for your specific stream’s requirements.

You will need to provide the following documents prior to commencing any clinical placement:

  • Blue Card or Working with Children Check
  • Yellow Card (if working with people with disabilities)
  • Australian Federal Police Check certificate
  • Current CPR and First Aid certification
  • UniSQ Student Declaration.

Plus evidence of the following immunisations:

  • Hepatitis B immunisation evidence
  • Measles, Mumps and Rubella immunisation evidence
  • Varicella immunisation evidence
  • Pertussis immunisation evidence
  • Influenza immunisation evidence
  • Tuberculosis Risk Assessment
  • COVID-19 vaccinations as directed by health services
  • Mask FIT testing
  • Evidence of other relevant vaccinations for infectious diseases that may emerge.

Other requirements:

  • Competence in infection control, for example, by completing all modules from the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in HealthCare
  • Purchase of a UniSQ clinical uniform.

Recognition of prior learning or work experience

If you have previously studied in your home country, you may be eligible for recognition of prior learning to reduce the number of courses that you need to study to finish your program.

Pathways

If you don't meet the entry requirements, we have pathway options available to you.

Degree structure

To complete this degree students must complete 16 units.

Courses to be studied Units
Core courses 4
Discipline study courses*  8
4 x courses (from a selected list)  4
Total 16

*from the Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy (from 2024), Social Work or Speech Pathology streams.

Refer to the UniSQ Handbook for courses to be studied and recommended enrolment patterns.

Professional experience / placements

You'll undertake 120 hours of vocational placements in an approved setting to gain hands-on industry experience. Applicants must be prepared to submit the requirements of the University of Southern Queensland for practical placement including the purchase of a clinical uniform.

Fees and scholarships

Your actual fees may vary depending on the courses you select. We review our fees annually so these may be subject to change.

Approximate annual costs1 for international students' first year of study (8 units) in this degree:

Study Mode Cost
On-campus

You are responsible for the full cost of your course and are charged a tuition fee.

AUD 33600

1 These are indicative annual fees for 2025. 

Student services and amenities fees

You may need to pay student services and amenities (SA) fees as part of your course costs.

Professional experience costs

This degree includes a professional experience component that may involve travel, accommodation and meal expenses.

Scholarships

At UniSQ, we offer a range of scholarships to support your success at university. Find a scholarship that works for you.

How to apply

Complete your online application directly to UniSQ.

CRICOS: 111902E

Apply direct to UniSQ

Intakes

Start your study in Trimester 1.

Study period  Orientation  Study period start date Finish date
Trimester 1, 2025  Monday 3 February Monday 10 February  Friday 9 May 
Two men collaborating at a computer workstation in an office environment.

Got questions?

 

Begin your study journey today with the university rated 5/5 stars for graduates starting salaries* and start the degree that’s right for you.

*Good Universities Guide 2025

Find out more