Masters Courses for Student Income Support Payments

From 2008, Youth Allowance and Austudy have been extended to full-time students in some masters by coursework. To qualify, DEEWR guidelines state that the masters must either be:

• the minimum requirement for registration with a professional body and for entry to a profession; or
• the fastest or only pathway for a student at this institution to attain an entry-level qualification for professional practice.

Students undertaking research degrees or taking coursework masters degrees which are not required for professional entry are not eligible. Students are also ineligible where there is a shorter pathway to professional entry at their university (e.g. a postgraduate diploma).

DEEWR has interpreted the test of entry to a profession quite strictly: completion of the masters must be a requirement for professional practice. Courses that extend or deepen existing professionals' knowledge of their field are ineligible, as are courses that provide professional knowledge but do not lead to registration with a professional body.

To date, the following Monash courses have been approved for student support:

• Master of Applied Information Technology
• Master of Business Systems (2398)
• Master of Business Systems (2400)
• Master of Information Management and Systems
• Master of Laws (Juris Doctor)
• Master of Laws (Legal Practice Skills and Ethics)
• Master of Organisational Psychology
• Master of Professional Accounting
• Master of Psychology (Counselling)
• Master of Psychology (Educational and Developmental)
• Master of Business Information Systems
• Master of Clinical Embryology
• Master of Nursing Practice

Approved courses offered by other universities are listed in Schedule 3 of Student Assistance (Education Institutions and Courses) Determination 2008 (No. 1).

DEEWR holds an annual application round to approve courses under the program. Courses that have already been approved do not need to be resubmitted. The next application round is expected to be in mid-2009.

For further information, contact Education Policy and Programs on x 55061 or by email at thomas.ford@adm.monash.edu.au.