"Building biology is the evaluation of health hazards like allergens, toxicants and electromagnetic fields in the built environment, and provides strategies to address exposure and/or source control and abatement". Nicole Bijlsma.

ENROL NOW COURSE BROCHURE

The nationally accredited Advanced Diploma of Building Biology (10913NAT) is the first and only government accredited course of its kind in Australia that provides the knowledge and the skills to work as a professional Building Biologist. The course is a two year full time / four year part time course consisting of eleven core subjects and one elective subject that is primarily conducted online in addition to ten days of field training (total of 2,100 hours). Students are trained to identify and address health hazards in the built environment (residential) from mould and electromagnetic fields to allergens and chemicals using the latest technologies. Students are also trained to provide advice to architects and building designers on how to design healthy homes to cater for people with allergies, electrical and chemical sensitivities. The course content suits the needs of a range of health and allied professionals including general practitioners, naturopaths and nutritionists; building and construction professions such as surveyors, architects, design consultants, interior designers and builders; trades such as electricians, restorers, mould remediators, pest controllers and anybody seeking a meaningful career.
Career opportunities:
Demand for building biologists has increased significantly since the Parliamentary Inquiries into Mould (2018), Electromagnetic Radiation (2001) and 5G (2019). In addition, the growing body of evidence associating mould, electromagnetic fields, allergens and toxicants with adverse health effects coupled with greater awareness by clinicians regarding environmental medicine, has significantly increased demand for Building Biology services. Most graduates work in private practice conducting assessments in electromagnetic fields, mould, allergen and chemical testing in residential dwellings, and obtain referrals by aligning themselves with integrative clinicians, health practitioners, mould remediators, realtors and building designers. Some of our graduates have been employed as expert witness' in legal disputes (VCAT, supreme court etc) including a landmark court case at the Supreme Court, which resulted in a multi-million dollar payout in favour of the tenant and changes to the Commercial Tenancy Agreements Act for water-damaged buildings.

Entry requirements:
Most students are aged between 25 and 60 and do not have a science, health or building background. Whilst candidates are not required to have any formal qualifications or relevant vocational practice to do the course, they are expected to have a high level of language, literacy and numeracy skills, sufficient to analyse and interpret documents, comprehend video lectures, participate in practical workshops, adapt spoken language to a range of clients, analyse laboratory reports, conduct research online, good computer skills to prepare written reports and provide precise meaning which meets audience purpose, use scientific terms and symbols, interpret graphs and tables, and use computer software. Many of these skills will be taught in the course.

Pathways:
This course provides the opportunity for a professional development pathway for current Practitioner Member of the Australasian Society of Building Biologists (ASBB).

Course structure & timetable:
The course consists of twelve subjects (eight online and four on-campus) with a total of ten days field training. All subjects are 12 weeks in duration, and students should dedicate around ten hours per week in self-directed study time in order to get through the course materials and complete their assessments. Students may choose to complete a subject more quickly if they dedicate more hours per week in study time as they will have access to all of the course materials from the day of enrolment. Whilst there is no order in which to enrol into subjects, most students begin with Research Methods OR Air Pollution OR Mould Testing subject. Feel free to ring us to organise a subject completion schedule and think about when you plan on attending the field training. An online subject can be started at any time of the year. On-campus subjects involve live online meetings with an instructor, followed by 12 weeks of self-directed training AND field trips (held in Melbourne, Sydney, Gold Coast and Perth). Click HERE for the dates of the zoom meetings and field training.  The training will be offered in New Zealand from 2022. Part-time students should plan to complete a minimum of three subjects per year in order to complete the course within the four year time frame, and full time students should plan to complete at least six subjects per year and complete the course within two years. Applicants can enrol in one or more subjects. The course accreditation subject and mapping guide can be found HERE.
Enrol:  
When you are ready to start, complete the online enrolment form HERE and ring the college (1300 889 845) to organise a plan to complete the course and provide payment for the first subject. 

Assessments:
The assessments have been specifically designed to ensure graduates have the necessary templates to work as a building biologist. These include questionnaires, checklists, reports and online quizzes (there are no exams). In order to gain the knowledge to work as a competent building biologist, you will be taught the skills to critically think, undertake research of scientific papers, medical journals, and government websites, and reference your work. In order to gain the necessary skills, you will be required to attend field trips to inspect properties and undergo practical assessments.

Investment:
Total cost is approx. $14,600 (depends on the elective subject chosen). We do not accept upfront payment for the entire course, rather students pay as they enrol in each subject. Online subjects are $795 each, Research Methods is $995 and the on-campus subjects (Mould, Electrobiology, Air Sampling and Field Training) are $1,995 each. We accept credit card and direct deposit. Whilst online subjects must be paid in full before gaining access to the course materials, part payment options are available for on-campus subjects. No government subsidies as yet exist for this course.

Books and equipment required:
Students need to purchase four books: Healthy Home Healthy Family (Nicole Bijlsma), Electrical Principles (Peter Phillips), the IICRC R520-2015 Reference Guide for Professional Mold Remediation and the IICRC S520-2015 Standard for Professional Mold Remediation. The remaining resources are provided by the college and can be downloaded from the internet. The college will provide all equipment during the on-campus training program for the electrobiology, air sampling and mould testing subjects, however students are exptect to purchase their own full face mask (P3 respirator) which has been fit tested before attending the Mould Testing course. Please contact the college for advice on recommended brands. Students will also be required to purchase an inexpensive hygro-thermometer (~$30) from their local electronics store (such as Jaycar...) for the Air Pollution subject.

ENROL NOW COURSE BROCHURE