Inherent requirements

To meet requirements for some courses at Monash, you need to demonstrate that you have the abilities, knowledge, and skills to achieve specific core learning outcomes. These are called inherent requirements and are most often included in courses accredited by professional bodies.

Inherent requirements are embedded in your course and unit learning outcomes and form part of your unit's assessment regime. It’s essential that you can demonstrate core behaviours, activities, tasks, skills and attributes during learning activities, including professional industry-based experiences.

You may be required to fulfil inherent requirements across a range of domains, including:

  • behavioural insight
  • professionalism
  • communication
  • teamwork
  • cognition
  • physical and observational skills

Domain1

Definition

Subdomain

Behavioural insight

Your ability to recognise and moderate your behaviour and respond in ways that are appropriate in a diverse range of environments.

  • Self-reflection
  • Accountability
  • Adaptability

Communication

Your ability to communicate effectively and sensitively with a range of audiences including verbal, non-verbal, written and numerical communication.

  • Verbal
  • Non-verbal
  • Written
  • Numeracy

Professionalism

Your ability to demonstrate professional capabilities, including a commitment to treat people with dignity and respect, and awareness of the limits of your own knowledge, skills and health. You will also be required to comply with applicable law, regulations and any other university codes or policies

  • Treat others with dignity and respect
  • Act ethically
  • Comply with laws, policies and procedures
  • Legal compliance with registration bodies

Teamwork

Your ability to work willingly and cohesively as part of a team, taking responsibility for your actions as well as recognising and respecting the skills of others.

  • Responsibility

Cognition

Your capacity to locate appropriate and relevant information and your ability to process information relevant to practice and the ability to integrate, reflect on and implement theoretical knowledge in a range of settings.

  • Ability and capacity to learn
  • Literacy
  • Numeracy

Physical and observational skills

Your ability to acquire information, carry out a range of tasks and procedures suitable to the required level of capability, and understand and carry out your assigned role in adverse situations.

  • Fine or gross motor skills
  • Strength
1 Adapted from the Medical Deans Australia and New Zealand Inclusive Medical Education: Guidance on medical program applicants and students with a disability.

Note: inherent requirements for courses will be regularly reviewed and updated.

Why some courses have inherent requirements

Inherent requirements reflect the particular or general professional outcomes of a course, which are designed to reflect professional standards. They help maintain the academic integrity, assessment, and accreditation processes.

Communicating a course’s inherent requirements helps students make informed decisions when considering applying for courses at Monash.

Inherent requirements help you to:

  • understand the skills and attributes you must demonstrate to successfully progress through your studies
  • ensure you have the capacity to meet the professional standards of a course
  • make informed decisions about your study and career choices.

Inherent requirements and entry requirements

Inherent requirements are not the same as entry requirements. Entry requirements (such as ATAR or prerequisites) must be met to be admitted to a particular course. Inherent requirements are the essential learning outcomes of a course that require you to demonstrate the abilities, knowledge and skills in order to graduate.

If you’re concerned about meeting inherent requirements

If you have any concerns about your ability to meet the inherent requirements of a course, contact the relevant faculty via the Enquire online button on the course page.

Monash may give consideration to a student's religious beliefs and observance obligations which could impact on their studies and have implications for fulfilling the inherent requirements of their course.

If you feel you may experience challenges meeting the inherent requirements of your chosen course because of your disability, medical or mental health condition, you should contact the relevant faculty for advice. Faculty staff may suggest a meeting with Disability Support Services to discuss possible reasonable adjustments that may be put in place.

If you have an approved reasonable adjustment, it is not an adjustment to the inherent requirements of a course but an adjustment to how you can fulfil the inherent requirement.

If it’s determined that inherent requirements cannot be met, even by implementing reasonable adjustments, we can provide guidance regarding other possible study options.

Courses at Monash with inherent requirements

Not all courses at Monash have specific inherent requirements. Courses with inherent requirements are:

Faculty of Education

Faculty of Engineering

Faculty of Medicine Nursing and Health Sciences

Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences