There are a number of units within this course that slightly exceed the notional hours recommended by the Australian Qualifications Framework.

To be eligible to graduate with the Bachelor of Echocardiography and Cardiac Physiology / Graduate Diploma of Echocardiography, students must complete the 23 core units (192 units of credit), complete clinical placement requirements and attend all mandatory laboratory activities / residential schools / intensive workshops on associated campus of enrolment as determined in the unit profiles.

Clinical Placement:
Clinical placements are a requirement for the award of the Degree. Course years 2-4 include clinical placement. Students are required to meet all mandatory requirements to attend Clinical Placements.

Students must satisfy specific pre-clinical safety and security requirements prior to each placement, including a clear criminal record check, and must disclose any condition that may put himself or herself, or the public, at significant risk whilst on placement.

Students who have a criminal history check disclosure, prior to commencing the degree or recorded during the course of the degree, are required to have their fitness for placement assessed on a case by case basis by the University or in conjunction with the placement site or State Health Department (as appropriate).

Where a student has a criminal history check, prior to enrolment in the degree, the student may be required to apply for clearance through the applicable State Health Department to determine fitness for placement, prior to enrolment in the degree.

• A student may be determined ineligible for placement, based on the nature of the criminal history disclosure, the inability to perform required tasks, or if the student may be determined a risk to clients, staff or other stakeholders.
• A student may be determined ineligible for placement, if the placement site is unable to work within the constraints of any conditions or work modifications placed upon the work site by the State Health Department or Assessment Unit within a private organisation.

If conditions imposed upon the placement are too restrictive for placement sites within the current offer round, the student is determined not fit for placement and is at risk of the University terminating enrolment in the degree.

Due to limited availability of clinical placements, some block placements have start and/or end dates that fall outside standard term start and end dates. As placements may be located throughout Australia / New Zealand and availability is limited in each community, students may be located in regions that are not of their choosing. 100% attendance is required when undertaking clinical placement. Students must prepare financially and personally to relocate for placements, and are responsible for the associated costs.

In accordance with the course accreditation standards, students must achieve competency in a range of cardiac assessment techniques that may require attending different clinical facilities. Whilst on placement, students will perform cardiac assessment on, and provide hands-on care to, people who may be ill or injured. Students will need to be physically fit, able to stand and walk for extended periods, lift, stretch, carry heavy loads and have sufficient visual acuity and contrast sensitivity to assess fine detail of images and perform safely in a range of lighting conditions. Students will undergo clinical assessments on performance of cardiac assessment cases, professional behavioural and technical skills whilst on placement.

Clinical Simulation Laboratory Learning
Years 1 - 3 of the course includes hands-on learning in the clinical simulation echocardiography and computer laboratories on campus during terms 1 and 2. Students can study year 1 of the course by distance, if they chose, with attendance on-campus required for scheduled residential schools. Year 2 and 3 are internal for all students (except for term 2 year 3) with compulsory weekly lab attendance required. Students must attend all other laboratory, residential school and intensive workshop activities at their campus of admission.

The term specific dates and scheduling for residential schools, laboratory sessions, and associated workshops are published two weeks prior to term commencement. Students must prepare financially and personally for any associated travel costs to attend residential schools, laboratory sessions or workshops. Students are reminded that eligibility for attendance requires all pre- and co- requisites for enrolment in the unit to be met.

Students must demonstrate professional behaviours including regular attendance and meeting the course dress code during clinical simulation laboratory sessions. During simulations of cardiac assessment techniques, all students will participate in role-play as sonographer and patient. These essential learning activities will require partial removal of clothing to the level that is required for the simulation and will involve touching and being touched by peers. These simulation-learning activities take place in a mixed gender environment, including the presence of male academic tutors. If a student is unable to participate, it may affect the student's ability to attain required skills and complete unit assessments.

Completion Timelines
Students must apply for admission to the Register of Student Cardiac Sonographers during the 2nd year of the course prior to the second year clinical placement. Please note that the external accreditation body sets a maximum completion time of five years for this course from each student’s registration with them.

To maintain clinical currency specified cardiac assessment and clinical skills units require completion within one calendar year as scheduled in the course structure.

• ECHO12007 Cardiac Rhythm Assessment, ECHO12006 Cardiac Science and ECHO12005 Cardiac Clinical Unit 2 require completion within one calendar year of each other,
• ECHO13006 Adult Echocardiography, ECHO13008 Advanced Cardiac Assessment Skills and ECHO13007 Cardiac Clinical Unit 3 require completion within one calendar year of each other,
• ECHO13007 Cardiac Clinical Unit 3 and ECHO20004 Cardiac Clinical Unit 4 require completion within one calendar year of each other,
• ECHO20004 Cardiac Clinical Unit 4 and ECHO 20005 Cardiac Clinical Unit 5 require completion within one calendar year of each other.

Failure to adhere to these timelines will necessitate completion of a student-learning contract that will detail specific learning and assessment requirements to maintain the student's clinical currency.

Year 1 - Term 1
Students must complete the following compulsory units:
BMSC11010	Human Anatomy and Physiology 1
ESSC11004	Study and Research Skills for Health Science
MEDI11002	Physics for Health Sciences
ECHO11003	Fundamentals of Cardiac Science

Year 1 - Term 2
Students must complete the following compulsory units:
BMSC11011	Human Anatomy and Physiology 2
ECHO11002	Cardiac Structure and Function
MEDI11004	Professional Practice
ECHO11004	Biochemistry for Cardiac Pharmacology

Year 2 - Term 1
Students must complete the following compulsory units:
MPAT12001	Medical Pathophysiology
MEDS12001	Physics of Ultrasound
ECHO12006	Cardiac Science

Year 2 - Term 2
Students must complete the following compulsory units:
ECHO12007	Cardiac Assessment Skills
ECHO12008	Doppler Echocardiography

Year 2 - Term 3
Students must complete the following compulsory units:
ECHO12005	Cardiac Clinical Unit 2

Year 3 - Term 1
Students must complete the following compulsory units:
ECHO13006	Adult Echocardiography
ECHO13008	Advanced Cardiac Assessment Skills
BMSC12014	Pharmacology for Health Professionals

Year 3 - Term 2
Students must complete the following compulsory units:
ECHO13007	Cardiac Clinical Unit 3
ECHO13005	Congenital Heart Disease

Year 4 - Term 1
Students must complete the following compulsory units:
MEDS21003	Medical Science Research Project 1
ECHO20004	Cardiac Clinical Unit 4

Year 4 - Term 2
Students must complete the following compulsory units:
MEDS21006	Medical Science Research Project 2
ECHO20005	Cardiac Clinical Unit 5