This online unit that can be undertaken either face-to-face, fully online, or in intensive block mode, introduces the concept of clinical epidemiology and provides students with core skills in clinical epidemiology at an introductory level. The unit is aimed at clinician learners and as such some clinical experience is required. Topics covered include asking and answering clinical questions; basic and accessible literature searching techniques; study designs used in clinical epidemiological research; confounding and effect modification; sources of bias; interpretation of results including odds ratios, relative risks, confidence intervals and p values; applicability of results to individual patients; critical appraisal of clinical epidemiological research literature used to answer questions of therapy (RCTs and systematic reviews), harm, prognosis, diagnosis and screening; applicability of results to individual patients; and evidence-based use of health resources.

This capstone unit of study will address the practical application of the knowledge gained from the previous units to provide the student with the skills that will form the basis of future professional practice. Students will become competent in the use of sleep analysis software to interpret and score a variety of brief physiologic recordings in order to develop a working understanding of the polysomnographic features of various clinical syndromes. This will culminate in the scoring and interpretation of all night sleep studies to demonstrate an ability to link the findings to the clinical syndromes. This unit includes a case based review and presentation, and scoring a sleep study under supervised demonstration conditions.

This unit of study aims to develop an understanding of normal human sleep across the lifecycle and introduces common sleep disorders and sleep related breathing disorders. Normal sleep and respiratory physiology will be discussed, as well as the methods used for measurement and analysis of sleep recordings. Obstructive and central sleep apnoea and non-respiratory sleep disorders such as narcolespy, parasomnias, insomnia and circadian rhythm disorders are introduced. Current scoring guidelines for sleep stage scoring and respiratory event scoring will be explored and their practical application will be demonstrated using short examples of sleep studies. Learning will include regular short answer quizzes, as well as broader written assessments.

This unit of study aims to develop a thorough understanding of the relationship between sleep and the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. Topics will cover respiratory and cardiovascular control and changes in breathing associated with sleep. Mechanisms, causes and assessment of upper airway obstruction during sleep, central breathing disorders of sleep, and sleep related hypoventilation will be discussed. Learning will include regular short answer quizzes, as well as broader written assessments.

This unit of study aims to develop a detailed understanding of non-respiratory sleep disorders and their treatment in adults and children. NREM parasomnias and REM behavior disorder are discussed with other disorders associated with unintentional behaviours examined. Disorders associated with excessive sleepiness, such as insomnia and narcolepsy and disorders of the sleep/wake cycle, such as circadian rhythm disorders and insomnia, are presented with the association between psychiatric conditions and sleep rounding out the unit. Learning will include regular short answer quizzes, as well as broader written assessments.

This unit of study will develop an advanced understanding of the assessment and treatment options available for respiratory and non-respiratory sleep disorders. It builds upon previous units of study and aims to provide a thorough understanding of the clinical presentation and polysomnographic features of sleep disorders, as well as the various treatments currently used. These options include positive airway pressure, oral devices, lifestyle modification, surgery and non-invasive ventilation. The role of pharmacological agents, as well as behavioural modifications for the treatment of circadian disorders and insomnia are also discussed. Learning will include short and long written assessments including several case studies.

This unit of study will develop an advanced understanding of sleep neurophysiology, building on topics introduced in the first four units of the course. Topics will cover neural and motor pathways and the neurotransmitter systems that influence, and are influenced by, sleep and wake. This unit will include more advanced topics in chronobiology and circadian rhythm, and the many functions that are tightly linked to sleep. Learning will include regular short answer quizzes, as well as broader written assessments.

This unit of study will introduce the student to a broader understanding of the relationships between sleep and sleep disordered breathing with a wide range of common clinical conditions. Modules include discussion of links between sleep disordered breathing and comorbid conditions such as cardiovascular disease, kidney failure, and cancer. Implications of sleep-disordered breathing in pregnancy, respiratory disease and other conditions are examined. Sleep disorders specific to the paediatric population and the role of dental sleep medicine is presented. The importance of sleepiness and sleep disorders in the community in the eyes of the law is examined with emerging technologies used for diagnosis and treatment of primarily sleep related breathing disorders completing the unit. Learning will include regular short answer quizzes, as well as broader written assessments that encourage the student to look into the future.

Candidates will work on an independent research project in an area of specific interest relevant to their master's degree. The project may take the form of analysis of an existing data set, a systematic or integrative review of the literature, a case series, survey or other project acceptable to the project supervisor. In some streams, projects may be available for students to select. It is essential, where there is the use of patient information or recruitment of patient study subjects, that appropriate ethics approval is gained from the governing body where the project will take place. The candidate will enter into a learning contract and will be guided through the steps required to plan and execute a substantial research project and prepare a scholarly work which may be a paper for publication. A candidate must enrol in a minimum of 12 credit points of project units of study in order to submit their final written work. Approval of the project and supervisor by the Program Director must be confirmed prior to commencing the project.

Candidates will work on an independent research project in an area of specific interest relevant to their master's degree. The project may take the form of analysis of an existing data set, a systematic or integrative review of the literature, a case series, survey or other project acceptable to the project supervisor. In some streams, projects may be available for students to select. It is essential, where there is the use of patient information or recruitment of patient study subjects, that appropriate ethics approval is gained from the governing body where the project will take place. The candidate will enter into a learning contract and will be guided through the steps required to plan and execute a substantial research project and prepare a scholarly work which may be a paper for publication. Where appropriate students will prepare a work suitable for publication. A candidate must enrol in a minimum of 12 credit points of project units of study in order to submit their final written work. Approval of the project and supervisor by the Program Director must be confirmed prior to commencing the project.

Candidates will work on an independent research project in an area of specific interest relevant to their master's degree. The project may take the form of analysis of an existing data set, a systematic or integrative review of the literature, a case series, survey or other project acceptable to the project supervisor. In some streams, projects may be available for students to select. It is essential where there is the use of patient information or recruitment of patient study subjects that appropriate ethics approval is gained from the governing body where the project will take place. The candidate will enter into a learning contract and will be guided through the steps required to plan and execute a substantial research project and prepare a scholarly work which may be a paper for publication. A candidate must enrol in a minimum of 12 credit points of project units of study in order to submit their final written work. Approval of the project and supervisor by the Program Director must be confirmed prior to commencing the project.