Public Health

The Master of Public Health offers students the opportunity to gain the skills and knowledge required for a career in public health practice and must require a science background. Within the course students are exposed to the core foundations of public health theory and practice and also have the opportunity to specialise in the advanced public health training streams offered through the various universities in Australia. The Master of Public Health programs at the various University of Australia is delivered by academic staff with extensive experience and depth of knowledge, who are leaders in their chosen fields of public health. The Master of Public Health has three components:

1. The core component includes up to six subjects that provide students with a rigorous, multidisciplinary foundation in public health theory and practice, that is essential to all aspects of public health practice;

2. The specialist component offers students the opportunity to focus on one or more key fields in public health and gain the skills and knowledge required for practice in the area. Specialisations are offered in the fields of Ageing, Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Gender and Women’s Health, Global Health, Health Program Evaluation, Health Economics and Economic Evaluation, Health Social Sciences, Indigenous Health, Primary Care, Sexual Health;

3. The capstone experience offers students the opportunity to consolidate their specialist training and apply the knowledge gained in the course to real world scenarios. Students may apply to undertake a Research Project with an expert in their field; a Professional Practice placement with a recognised agency, institution or community organisation concerned with health; or capstone selective subjects.

Public health is defined as “the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting human health through organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals”, helps to  improve the quality of health and the quality of life in through detecting and preventing disease and other physical and mental health conditions, promoting health behaviors.