Graduate Certificate in Public Health (Online)

Please note: this subject is delivered wholly online and only open to students enrolled in the wholly online Master of Public Health or Graduate Certificate in Public Health. Subjects in this course are delivered in an online accelerated learning model and therefore, students typically enrol in one 12.5 credit point subject per online teaching term.

In this subject students will be introduced to the concepts, frameworks and methods used in prioritising and planning in public health. This subject will introduce students to the conceptual approaches and key methods used to conduct a health needs assessment and prioritise the identified needs for subsequent strategic planning. The subject will also explore the strategies and interventions that are commonly used to address health needs in populations and the criteria that can be used to select an appropriate intervention. Finally, the subject will consider essential concepts in the design and evaluation of health programs.

Within this subject, students will have the opportunity to apply the skills learnt to public health scenarios drawn from Australian and international case-studies. The material in this subject is highly relevant in day to day public health practice.

View detailed information in the Handbook

Please note: this subject is delivered wholly online and only open to students enrolled in the wholly online Master of Public Health or Graduate Certificate in Public Health. Subjects in this course are delivered in an online accelerated learning model and therefore, students typically enrol in one 12.5 credit point subject per online teaching term.

This subject lays the foundation for the degree and provides an orientation to the field of public health. In this subject, students will be provided with a critical overview of public health historical development, conceptual underpinnings and practice in the following domains.

History and distinguishing features of public health and population health: The historical development of public health is traced. The distinguishing features of public health, emphasising the health of groups and populations rather than a focus on the health of an individual, are presented and explored. Key points of transition in the health of populations over time are identified. The scientific disciplines that make up the toolbox of modern population health are described.

Determinants of the health of individuals, groups and populations: Determinants of health affecting the health of individuals, and populations are identified, recognising that social determinants work in concert with environmental and biological factors. The health of Indigenous people in Australia is examined and resources provided to assist in understanding common influences on the health of Indigenous people world-wide. The increasing importance of health and human rights locally and globally is discussed, including an examination of the ethical frameworks relevant to public health practice.

Strategies and Systems: Major strategies and approaches to public health including health protection, health improvement and health care quality assessment are presented, with illustrations from local and international experience. The elements and function of health systems are defined and the roles of principal public health agencies internationally and nationally are described.

Achievements and challenges: The significant achievements in public health from the late 20th century through to the 21st century are identified and emerging challenges and possible solutions are explored, including in relation to Indigenous populations.

View detailed information in the Handbook

Please note: this subject is delivered wholly online and only open to students enrolled in the wholly online Master of Public Health or Graduate Certificate in Public Health. Subjects in this course are delivered in an online accelerated learning model and therefore, students typically enrol in one 12.5 credit point subject per online teaching term.

In this subject, students will be introduced to the study of the distribution and determinants of disease frequency in human populations and the application of this study to control health problems. It is a fundamental science of public health.

Students will be introduced to the three main tasks of epidemiology which include description, causal inference and prediction. This subject focuses on the first two and emphasises the application of epidemiological evidence to informing public health practice and policy.

Description: the epidemiological measures of disease frequency and summary measures of population health are introduced and used to describe patterns and trends in disease occurrence within and between populations. The role of routinely collected data, particularly for surveillance of infectious diseases, is discussed.

Causal inference: is key to applying epidemiological evidence to controlling health problems if interventions are to be effective. In this subject, causal inference is considered within the modern counterfactual framework. Causal diagrams, which are an integral part of this approach to causal inference are introduced. The common experimental and observational study designs, and systematic reviews, and their relative strengths and weaknesses are discussed. The implications of common types of bias (selection bias, information bias, and confounding) are discussed, as are methods to minimise them. Methods to control for confounding, including standardisation, are discussed.

Differences in characteristics of the major sources of morbidity (infectious disease, non-communicable disease, and injury) are discussed in the context of prevention and early detection of disease. Transmission dynamics of infectious diseases are introduced in this context. The applicability of epidemiological evidence (external validity) to interventions in target populations is introduced. Measures of the validity and performance of tests for early detection are introduced.

View detailed information in the Handbook

Please note: this subject is delivered wholly online and only open to students enrolled in the wholly online Master of Public Health or Graduate Certificate in Public Health. Subjects in this course are delivered in an online accelerated learning model and therefore, students typically enrol in one 12.5 credit point subject per online teaching term.

This is a compulsory subject in the wholly online Master of Public Health (MC-PHMO). Qualitative research plays an important role in public health as it can explain how people experience a particular health issue or why they perform a health-related behaviour, taking into account specific social, political and economic contexts. Public health practitioners need to be able to undertake and interpret a range of published research (including qualitative research) in order to gather evidence for practice, identify gaps in evidence and evaluate current practice.

This subject will introduce students to qualitative research in public health - both the principles underlying design and the strengths and weaknesses of different qualitative methodologies. It will cover a range of methods, such as individual interviews, group interviews, visual and participatory methods. Each element of research design will be covered, from recognising research paradigms and sampling strategies through to the different types of analysis. In this subject, students will learn how to design, plan and evaluate qualitative research as sources of evidence in public health.

View detailed information in the Handbook

Please note: this subject is delivered wholly online and only open to students enrolled in the wholly online Master of Public Health or Graduate Certificate in Public Health. Subjects in this course are delivered in an online accelerated learning model and therefore, students typically enrol in one 12.5 credit point subject per online teaching term.

This subject aims to help students develop the practical leadership and management skills necessary for the public health workforce. This subject will introduce students to relevant theories and models of public health leadership and project management. This knowledge will be grounded in real-life case studies of public health significance, lectures with experts in the field, interactive sessions to practice skills and small team exploration and presentation on important public health projects, including Indigenous health project.

View detailed information in the Handbook

Please note: this subject is delivered wholly online and only open to students enrolled in the wholly online Master of Public Health or Graduate Certificate in Public Health. Subjects in this course are delivered in an online accelerated learning model and therefore, students typically enrol in one 12.5 credit point subject per online teaching term.

This subject will introduce students to the fundamental concepts of statistics and the essential methods required to equip students to perform basic statistical analyses and interpret research findings. The focus is on data from public health and medical research settings, and all examples are provided in this context.

View detailed information in the Handbook