Australian College of Hygiene

The Australian College of Hygiene was established in 1972 for the purpose of training professional hygienists. Over the years it has contributed significantly to the education of a number of professionals who, through the work of the College, have achieved certification of the International Association of Professional Hygienists.

Until now, the Australian College of Hygiene has been a graduate institution, that is, students have been registered doctors in either medicine, osteopathy, chiropractic, that is; they held a registerable qualification. However, it has become apparent that there is a great need for hygienic teachers who are adequately educated to present the principles and practices of hygiene through lectures, discussions, courses and public speaking engagements in clubs, societies and groups.

To fulfill this need the correspondence course has been developed. It is important that I stress again that this is not a course designed to make doctors or practitioners out of people. It is a course designed to equip people with the necessary knowledge and information to be able to talk intelligently about the subject of hygiene, to be able to lecture and teach the basic principles, to be able to give classes on nutrition and diet and other aspects of hygiene. It is hoped that we can establish a group of people competent to present the philosophy and practice of Hygiene in a persuasive and explicit way.

The course will cover 100 lessons which may be covered at the rate of one a week or one a month, it really does not matter. However, it will not be possible for the student to cover the course in less than 2 years. Tests will be set after every few lessons, they will be for our assessment of comprehension rather than academic. The tests will not be inordinately demanding, nor will they prohibit a person from continuing with the course . We do want to be certain that the student understands what is being taught and that they have a good grasp of the fundamental principles.

The task will not be daunting and the student can take their own time with the material. In addition to the teaching material provided, textbooks will also be required and an initial list is enclosed for your perusal. Knowledge these days is so vast and complex that it is only possible for a person to understand a small part of it. So far as health care and health information is concerned, there are a large number of books available. The course will contain essential material for understanding health from the hygienist’s standpoint.

During the study, the student will be referred to a number of books. For example, on nutrition where basic information on proteins, carbohydrates, minerals, vitamins etc. is presented. The course lesson will then probably expand on this information, highlight aspects of the information or present an alternative view of the facts presented in the text. Other books will also be recommended. They may not constitute part of the course but their reading is desirable in order to expand and consolidate knowledge on certain aspects. It is estimated that for the student to complete one lesson a week they would have to devote about one hour a day to study. If they can only average 15 to 30 minutes, that’s fine too, the course will just take longer.

It is hoped that we will be able to answer student’s questions as they proceed through the course. However, it must be stressed that there are limitations in the extent to which we can enter into correspondence concerning aspects of the course. We will usually provide additional material and recommend reading of other texts.

Fees

The basic fee for the full course will be $1500. This amount may be paid in full, or alternatively you may pay $300 on commencement and $100 a month for the next 15 months making a total of $1800. If two or more members of the same family wish to undertake the course all, except the first, will be at half the usual fee. I regret that we are unable to accept credit card payments. There is an additional charge of $200 for overseas students as this will necessitate additional mailing costs and airmail is very expensive.

Refunds

If for any reason you are not satisfied with the course you may apply for a refund. Refunds are given according to the following rules. On enrolment, and up to the first six lessons, 75%; up to lesson twenty five, 50%, up to lesson fifty, 25%. There are no refund after the completion of fifty lessons. This refund is based on the payment of $1500.00 for the full course. Refunds are only available within the first six months after commencing the course.

Tests

You will be tested at the end of each section of lessons depending on the subject matter and this could be after 4, 5 or 6 lessons. The tests must be returned to us for evaluation and grades will be recorded.

Completion

A diploma will be awarded at the satisfactory completion of the course. There is no actual time restriction but a period of five years would be a reasonable limit.

Application Form

An application form is enclosed should you wish to enroll. It is anticipated that the course will commence in October 1992. It would be desirable if the required texts could be acquired by this time.

Please send your application and all enquiries to:

The Registrar,
Correspondence Dept.,
The Australian College of Hygiene,
31, Cobah Road,
ARCADIA, NSW 2159.

Outline

An outline of the course is below. This will give you an idea of the structure of the course and the individual lesson format.

Books and Materials

A list of required textbooks is enclosed. This is not exhaustive, it may be added to as we proceed. Additional reading may also be recommended.
For those students with computer and internet facilities we may be contacted by e-mail at aburton@ozemail.com.au

Important

We reserve the right to alter, amend, change or modify the course and conditions at any time without notice. The course is constantly under review and updates in the material are common.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Yours Sincerely
Alec Burton,M.Sc.,D.O.Hons(Lond),D.C.(UK)