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Graduate Diploma in Civil Ceremonies

About the course at Monash

The curriculum : The four core units of the course prepare graduates to design and conduct ceremonies to mark personal rites of passage and community memorials and celebrations. Students acquire an understanding of the history and cultural variety of rites of passage as practised in the Australian community. They learn to use music and literature creatively in ceremony, to identify the emotional, legal and ethical aspects of rites of passage, and to develop the skill to respond sensitively to the needs of their clients. In summary, the curriculum prepares graduates to practise as professional, confident and successful celebrants.
The staff: The course is taught by highly qualified academic staff, many of whom are also civil celebrants.
The students: Entrance standards are high - most students are graduates or highly qualified by the range of their life and work experiences. They are people who learn from and support each other.
Professional support: Monash offers graduates of the course an annual program of professional development. Students and graduates are also eligible for membership of the professional association of Monash Celebrants, the Civil Celebrants Graduate Association (Monash).
The standing of the qualification: Graduates of the Monash course are highly valued by the public for their commitment to excellence.

Entry to the Graduate Diploma

The course is available to those who hold a Bachelor's degree. Non-graduates may be admitted on the basis of other qualifications and training, together with relevant work experience at a senior level. Non-graduate applicants must first enrol in and satisfy the requirements of the Faculty Certificate in Civil Ceremonies.

Those who complete the Faculty Certificate in Civil Ceremonies with grades of Credit average or above may then proceed to complete the remaining two units of the Graduate Diploma and take out that qualification.

Course content

The following four core units are required for the Graduate Diploma:

CVL4010 Rites of Passage: Culture and Celebrating Life Cycle Events

This unit examines rituals relating to birth, marriage and the handling of death in present day Australia. The study begins with an exploration of the nature of culture and the universality of ritual, continues via individual studies of the major belief systems that are shaping Australia, and concludes with a study of new developments in expressions of spirituality in Australia.

CVL4020 Life Cycle Events in Literature, Music, and Life Stories

This unit prepares students to work collaboratively with clients in planning and conducting the full range of personal and community ceremonies. The unit explores the relationship of both literature and music to ceremony through the examination of a broad range of literary and musical works. Students also have opportunities to develop research skills and refine their expertise in story-writing and story-telling.

CVL4030 Celebrant and Client: Legal, Ethical and Personal Issues

This unit examines the nature of a profession and the professional status of civil celebrants. Topics include the role of the civil celebrant in creating a valid marriage in Australia, the principles of professional ethics, and studies in grief theories, relationship and life stage theory, the skills of pastoral listening and interviewing techniques.

CVL4040 Professional Celebration of Rites of Passage

This is the culminating unit in the sequence of four and is primarily focused on developing students' practical experience. Topics include a study of relationship support services, a study of the performance in the context of ceremony, and an introduction to the funeral industry. The assessment in this unit requires students to call on all the skills and knowledge developed in the preceding three units of the course.