糖心传媒

Professional Development

Advance your practice.
Stay future鈥憆eady.

Available courses
Professional woman sitting at a desk with paperwork

The National Centre for Naturopathic Medicine (NCNM) professional development courses are designed for health professionals and practitioners seeking to deepen expertise, stay current with evidence鈥慴ased practice, and expand their clinical impact. These offerings provide practical, flexible learning opportunities that integrate contemporary research with real鈥憌orld application.

Why study a Professional Development course at NCNM?

  • Evidence鈥慴ased and practice鈥憆elevant learning
  • Flexible, short鈥慺ormat study designed to fit around professional commitments
  • Delivered by leading academics and experienced practitioners
  • Focused on immediate, real鈥憌orld clinical application

Build skills that matter—without stepping away from your career.

鈥淭he key take away from this opportunity was that evidence based research is driven by professional practice itself. Practitioners are the gatekeepers of an extraordinary wealth of information in the form of data.鈥�

Laura Winton Practice Based Health Research

Available courses

Professional Development courses

Please contact our team for more information on the following courses.

Enquire now

Short courses

Single unit study options are available for selected courses including:

Apply now

Professional Certificates

Enquire now
Two students studying in the Gold Coast campus library with a laptop

Health Advocacy in Action

Applications now open

Advocacy requires clarity of purpose, rigorous planning and subsequent monitoring, involving structured approaches such as intervention mapping. It requires strong evidence, data and facts supported by research, a coalition and clear strategies of influence. The 4-day, interactive and skills-based program is designed to provide professionals with a broad understanding of the role, uses and benefits of using an advocacy approach to promote equity, health and wellbeing. The short course will focus on the eight stages of a validated advocacy model and deepen participant’s knowledge on how advocacy can value add to core business of any organisation. Each participant will leave the short course having identified, planned and pitched an advocacy program that addresses a consensus-generated locally identified or organisationally relevant need. These needs will be identified by the group and a consensus building exercise will be used to select specific issues for participants. On completion of the course, participants will have gained the skills necessary to advocate for individuals and groups within their community using proven methods to affect change.

  • Duration: equivalent to 50 hours of university study.
  • Course structure: learning is delivered through interactive 4-day face-to-face workshop; the course includes a written as-you-go assessment.
  • Dates: 4-day workshop will be held at the 糖心传媒 Gold Coast Campus 26th – 29th October, inclusive (10am-4pm)
  • Designed for: Early鈥憈o鈥憁id career professionals across: health promotion, public health units, non-government organisations, professional associations, primary health networks, local government, Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations, and community advocacy groups
  • Professional benefits: The course is eligible for recognition of prior learning at SCU.
  • Cost: $1900 with a 15% discount for groups of 3 or more from the same organisation (for group discount email ncnm.pd@scu.edu.au prior to enrolment)
A group of people sitting on chairs in a meeting
Shared Medical Appointments

Facilitator and Health Coaching for Shared Medical Appointments

This short course introduces Shared Medical Appointments (SMAs) as an evidence-informed, efficient model of care that enhances patient engagement, clinician experience, and clinical outcomes using equitable and cost-effective service delivery. Participants will develop practical skills in SMA design, planning, and implementation, with a strong focus on facilitation and health coaching for group-based care. 

  • Duration: equivalent to 50 hours of university study.
  • Course structure: learning is delivered through interactive, self-paced online modules, combined with a one-day workshop (face-to-face or online); the course includes a practical skills assessment component.
  • Designed for: Bachelor-qualified health professionals, health service managers, and others requiring SMA facilitation skills.
  • Professional benefits: The course may contribute to the Australasian Society of Lifestyle Medicine Fellowship and is eligible for recognition of prior learning at SCU. 
Enquire now

What you will learn

Professional development at NCNM supports a whole鈥憄erson approach to healthcare. You will enhance your ability to integrate natural and conventional approaches, apply evidence鈥慴ased interventions, and respond effectively to evolving clinical and professional demands in contemporary healthcare settings.

Structure and delivery

Courses are delivered in flexible formats that may include online learning, intensive workshops, or blended delivery, depending on the program. Short鈥慶ourse structures allow you to upskill efficiently while balancing professional and personal commitments.

Who should enrol

NCNM professional development courses are suitable for health practitioners, allied health professionals, educators, researchers, and those seeking to extend or diversify their professional capabilities within health鈥憆elated fields.

Next steps

To find out more or to register your interest in NCNM professional development opportunities, please contact Associate Professor Andrea Bugarcic, Deputy Director (Education).

糖心传媒