M6009 Master of Forensic Medicine

The course is structured in two parts: Part A. Forensic medical and scientific foundations, and Part B. Advanced expertise.

Part A. Forensic medical and scientific foundations

These studies will enable you to develop an understanding and the skills of four key areas required for high quality forensic medical and scientific service and will apply to medical practitioners, dentists and biomedical medical scientists and radiographers: medical evidence, injury interpretation, elements of forensic science and ethics, medicine and the law.

In particular, you will gain practical skills and knowledge of the legal and procedural rules and administrative arrangements for the presentation of evidence to courts and tribunals within the justice system. You will also learn about the interpretation of injuries, including the pathophysiology of injuries and injury classification and documentation. You will become familiar with the tools and vocabulary of ethical discourse in forensic medicine and science. You will learn how the broader forensic science disciplines interact with your own area in the performance of case work, including rules of evidence collection and preservation and chain of custody for forensic samples.

Part B. Forensic medicine, dentistry and science advanced expertise

In these studies you will complete either a program of coursework or a research project.

The studies enable you to develop specialised knowledge and advanced skills in areas of forensic medicine that suit your interests, skills and career goals. You will gain in-depth knowledge of a range of key areas within either forensic medicine, forensic dentistry or forensic science. Depending on your interests and motivation, you have the option to apply and consolidate the knowledge and professional skills gained by completing a supervised research project.

Course progression map

The course progression map provides guidance on unit enrolment for each semester of study.

The course comprises 72 points structured into two parts: Part A. Forensic medical and scientific foundation (18 points), and Part B. Forensic medicine, dentistry and science advanced expertise (54 points).

Units are 6 points unless otherwise stated.

Part A. Forensic medical and scientific foundations (18 points)

You must complete:

• FOR4001 Medical evidence
• FOR4003 Ethics, medicine and law
• FOR4004 Elements of the forensic science

Part B. Forensic medicine, dentistry and science advanced expertise (54 points)

You must complete a. or b. below.

a. Research stream

You must complete:

• MAP5000 Research in advanced health professional practice (12points)
• MAP5001 Preparatory minor thesis (12points)
• MAP5002 Minor thesis (12 points)
• plus 18 points of elective units chosen from the list of units for any specialisation below.*

*Note: Due to unit prerequisites some units are only available to medical practitioners and others only to dental practitioners.

b. Coursework stream

You must complete one of the specialisations listed below.

Note: Due to unit prerequisites some units are only available to medical practitioners and others only to dental practitioners.

Clinical forensic medicine

You must complete:

• FOR4002 Injury interpretation
• FOR5012 Child and adolescent sexual abuse
• FOR5013 Non accidental injury in childhood
• FOR5005 Adult sexual assault
• FOR5008 Custodial medicine

plus 24 points of elective studies chosen from:

• FOR5014 Elements of forensic odontology
• FOR5016 Clinical forensic odontology
• FOR5018 Elements of forensic anthropology
• FOR5006 Traffic medicine
• FOR5007 Elements of forensic toxicology
• FOR5009 Advanced issues in sexual violence
• FOR5011 Advanced issues in non-accidental injury of children
• FOR5020 Post mortem CT imaging
• FOR5026 Death investigation
• FOR5010 Project in forensic medicine
• FOR5023 Quality management in the forensic sciences
• any units from the Forensic medical science specialisation
• other level 5 units offered by the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, other faculties at Monash University, or other tertiary institutions (with departmental approval). Suitable Monash units can be identified using the Monash Handbook search tool. 

Forensic medical science

You must complete:

• FOR5007 Elements of forensic toxicology
• FOR5021 Mortuary technical science
• FOR5026 Death investigation
• FOR5023 Quality management in the forensic sciences

plus 30 points of elective studies chosen from:

• FOR4002 Injury interpretation
• FOR5018 Elements of forensic anthropology
• FOR5025 Forensic pharmacology
• FOR5020 Post mortem CT imaging
• FOR5010 Project in forensic medicine 
• other level 5 units offered by the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, other faculties at Monash University, or other tertiary institutions (with departmental approval). Suitable Monash units can be identified using the Monash Handbook search tool. 

Forensic odontology

You must complete:

• FOR4002 Injury interpretation
• FOR5014 Elements of forensic odontology
• FOR5015 Post-mortem dental identification - Principles and methods
• FOR5016 Clinical forensic odontology
• FOR5017 Disaster victim identification (DVI) - Principles and methods
• FOR5018 Elements of forensic anthropology

plus 18 points of elective studies chosen from:

• FOR5013 Non accidental injury in childhood
• FOR5007 Elements of forensic toxicology
• FOR5020 Post mortem CT imaging
• FOR5026 Death investigation
• FOR5010 Project in forensic medicine 
• FOR5023 Quality management in the forensic sciences
• any units from the Forensic medical science specialisation
• other level 5 units offered by the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, other faculties at Monash University, or other tertiary institutions (with departmental approval). Suitable Monash units can be identified using the Monash Handbook search tool.