Program Overview

Master of Public Health

The Master of Public Health is a 160-credit point course that can be completed in 2 years full-time or equivalent part-time. The course is approved to be offered at the Melbourne location.

Admission Requirements

To be eligible for admission to the course, an applicant must:

• Have a Bachelor degree (or higher) or equivalent
• Have successfully completed a Graduate Diploma in Public Health
• Meet one of the following criteria:
  • A grade point average of at least 4.2 on the ACU 7-point scale in a Bachelor degree
  • A minimum of two years professional experience in health (or related field), including Honours or other postgraduate study in health
  • Suitable practical experience in public health, global health, or humanitarian assistance to the satisfaction of the course coordinator
• International students must meet the English Language Proficiency requirements as defined in the Admission to Coursework Programs Policy

Completion Requirements

To qualify for the Master of Public Health, a student must complete 160 credit points from the Schedule of Unit Offerings, comprising:

• 80 credit points of specified Public Health Units (Part A)
• 80 credit points of Stream Units, consisting of either:
  • Research Stream: 20 credit points of Elective units (Part B) and 60 credit points of Specified Research units (Part C)
  • Project Stream: 60 credit points of Elective units (Part B) and 20 credit points of Specified Project units (Part D)

Exit Points

A student who has successfully completed the following requirements may exit from the course with that qualification:

• Graduate Certificate in Public Health (40 credit points)
• Graduate Diploma in Public Health (80 credit points)

Progression Requirements

Students are required to follow the pattern of unit enrolment set out in the relevant Course Enrolment Guide, unless otherwise approved by the Course Coordinator.

Schedule of Unit Offerings

Part A: Specified Public Health Units

Complete exactly 80 credit points from the following:

• HLSC641 Introduction to Health Sciences Research (10 cp)
• PUBH610 History and Principles of Public Health (10 cp)
• PUBH611 Health Promotion (10 cp)
• PUBH620 Biostatistics (10 cp)
• PUBH621 Epidemiology (10 cp)
• PUBH630 Determinants of Health (10 cp)
• PUBH631 Disease Prevention and Management (10 cp)
• PUBH632 Public Health Law and Policy (10 cp)

Part B: Elective Units

Complete 20 to 60 credit points from the following:

• HLSC604 Quality and Safety in Health Care (10 cp)
• HLSC605 Leadership in Health Care (10 cp)
• HLSC606 Workforce Management (10 cp)
• HLSC646 Qualitative Research Methods (10 cp)
• MGMT638 Ethical Leadership (10 cp)
• PUBH640 Global Health and Sustainable Development (10 cp)
• PUBH641 Humanitarian Assistance and Health (10 cp)
• PUBH642 Global Nutrition and Food Security (10 cp)
• PUBH643 Health Advocacy (10 cp)
• HLSC675 Health Knowledge Management (10 cp)

Part C: Specified Research Stream Units

Complete exactly 60 credit points from the following:

• HLSC646 Qualitative Research Methods (10 cp)
• PUBH651 Public Health Research Thesis A (20 cp)
• PUBH652 Public Health Research Thesis B (20 cp)
• PHIL623 Healthcare Ethics: Principles in Practice (10 cp)

Part D: Specified Project Stream Unit

Complete exactly 20 credit points from the following:

• PUBH649 Preparation for Practice (10 cp)
• PUBH655 Practice Placement (10 cp)

Course Map

The course map outlines the pattern of unit enrolment for each stream. Students can choose from the following streams:

• Project Stream - Commencing Semester 1 - Full-time
• Project Stream - Commencing Semester 1 - Part-time
• Project Stream - Commencing Semester 2 - Full-time
• Project Stream - Commencing Semester 2 - Part-time
• Research Stream - Commencing Semester 1 - Full-time
• Research Stream - Commencing Semester 1 - Part-time
• Research Stream - Commencing Semester 2 - Full-time
• Research Stream - Commencing Semester 2 - Part-time

Each course map outlines the units to be completed in each semester, including the credit points and any prerequisites or incompatibles.