Master of Public Health

The Master of Public Health consists of 192 credit points. You must complete 96 credit points of core units (eight units); a 48 credit point major (four units) and up to 48 credit points of research studies.

You will need to choose your major when commencing this degree as course structure is related to your major.

You may choose to undertake a 48 credit point dissertation or a 24 credit point research project. If you undertake the 24 credit point research project, you will have 24 credit points of electives available.

Majors available are:

• disaster and emergency response
• epidemiology and research methods
• health promotion

Students are also able to complete a cross-specialisation and complete units from more than one major.

• Semester 1 (Feb) entry - Full-time structure: entry 2024 onwards
• Semester 2 (July) entry - Full-time structure: entry 2022 onwards
• Semester 1 (Feb) entry - Part-time structure: entry 2022 onwards
• PU86 MPH - Core units
• PU86/PU60 - elective list: 2022 onwards
• PU86 - Major unit lists: 2022 onwards

Public health professionals promote population health and wellbeing in service areas such as food safety, disease control, prevention programs, health promotion and environmental health.

Our public health programs are designed for professionals interested in a career in public health, mid-career professionals seeking advancement and clinicians looking to broaden their range of expertise.

Students in this program obtain core skills in epidemiology and biostatistics, and an understanding of contemporary and challenging population health issues. You may choose to major in emergency and disaster management; epidemiology and research methods; health promotion; or select units from across the major study areas.

Health promotion is focused on developing policy, programs and strategies that will foster and encourage healthy, equitable and sustainable environments and communities. To achieve this, a health promotion practitioner is required to work with a diverse range of individuals, community groups and representatives. In addition to developing population and community programs, interventions can also be implemented in specific settings such as schools, workplaces and hospitals. Currently, a key focus is the development of effective programs that address a number of national and state health priority areas including physical activity, alcohol, tobacco and other drugs, mental health promotion, injury prevention and skin cancer prevention. An integral component to being an effective health promotion practitioner is to be involved in the facilitation and development of effective partnerships with government and non-government agencies to collaboratively address health issues and work towards positive health outcomes.

Some of the tasks a health promotion practitioner may perform include:

• planning, implementing and evaluating health promotion programs
• informing and working collaboratively with other health professionals on population health issues
• designing, developing and implementing public information campaigns using radio, television, newspapers, pamphlets, posters and websites.

With experience, health promotion practitioners can progress into supervisory and managerial positions.

Graduates may find employment in the public sector in local, state and federal government health departments or in local community agencies such areas as community health, and primary health care. Organisations like the National Heart Foundation, Diabetes Australia, and The Cancer Council provide employment opportunities.

Health promotion and public health positions are also available in a variety of professional workplaces including the police force, local councils and in private industry (e.g. medical insurance companies, corporate health companies, and health promotion consultants).

For those interested in social welfare, graduates have been employed in government departments and international health aid organisations such as World Health Organisation and the Australian Agency for International Development and Community Aid Abroad. Universities, peak bodies, professional associations and international agencies (e.g. World Vision, Greenpeace, United Nations) also require the skills of public health specialists.

Course articulation

Graduates of the masters program who have successfully completed a 48 credit point dissertation may apply for entry to the Master of Philosophy or the Doctor of Philosophy.

Possible careers

• Community health officer
• Health promotion officer
• Policy officer
• Project manager
• Public health officer