Master of 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. 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 University of Melbourne. The Master of Public Health programs at the University of Melbourne 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 five 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 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; and
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.

Knowledge

Upon completion of the Master of Public Health graduates will be able to:

1. Describe and appraise public health systems, structures and policies in Australia and other countries, and be able to distinguish a population-based approach from individual based approaches;
2. Articulate the ways in which age, gender, ethnicity and Indigenous status, society, culture, geography, the environment and socio-economic status influence health and public health practice;
3. Identify and discuss current public health challenges in global, Indigenous Australian and non-Indigenous Australian communities;
4. Apply knowledge of Indigenous, culture and values, and global cultural diversity to public health practice;
5. Explain the basic principles underpinning epidemiology, biostatistics and social scientific research, as applied to public health; and
6. Discuss and reflect on how effective communication and decision making occur across public health organisations;

Skills

Upon completion of the Master of Public Health graduates will be able to:

1. Reflect on the theories of leadership and management in relation to individual characteristics and style, and working collaboratively and inter-culturally as a public health practitioner;
2. Reflect on personal attitudes and beliefs and consider how these impact on decision-making in research and public health practice;
3. Describe how the concepts of human rights, equity and ethics apply to public health practice;
4. Identify and access public health evidence, and appraise and synthesise this evidence to inform public health decision making;
5. Compute and analyse population health data to inform public health decision making;
6. Communicate findings from an analysis of public health evidence to specialist and non-specialist audiences, and use these findings for advocacy when appropriate;
7. Explain the basic principles of leadership and management and apply these to public health practice; and
8. Explain and/or plan strategies to prevent disease and injury and to protect and improve health (i.e. health promotion, immunisation, screening, legislation, policy, and community development.

Application of knowledge and skills

Upon completion of the Master of Public Health graduates will be able to:

1. Apply a comprehensive knowledge of a public health specialisation or area to develop solutions to complex public health problems;
2. Design and manage a detailed investigation of a public health issue in a substantial project, with a high level of personal autonomy and accountability;
3. Reflect on individual performance or processes undertaken in the management of a substantial public health project.

Standard 200 Point Program (no Advanced Standing):

FIVE core subjects and TEN elective subjects and the Capstone Selective POPH90227 Public Health in Practice OR
FIVE core subjects, NINE elective subjects and either a Research Project or Professional Practice unit

Students granted 25 Credit Points Advanced Standing:

FIVE core subjects and EIGHT elective subjects and the Capstone Selective POPH90227 Public Health in Practice OR
FIVE core subjects, SEVEN elective subjects and either a Research Project or Professional Practice unit

Students granted 50 Credit Points Advanced Standing:

FOUR core subjects and SEVEN elective subjects and the Capstone Selective POPH90227 Public Health in Practice OR
FOUR core subjects and SIX elective subjects and either a Research Project or Professional Practice unit

MASTER OF PUBLIC HEALTH SPECIALISATIONS

The following are recommended subject combinations for specialisations within the MPH. These are guides and are not prescriptive, however students should check to see if specific research projects have set prerequisite subjects. Students may obtain assistance in putting together their own interdisciplinary course plans from the course coordinator during organised enrolment sessions at the beginning of each year, or by appointment throughout the year.

MASTER OF PUBLIC HEALTH - DOCTOR OF MEDICINE SPECIALISATION

The Master of Public Health with a Doctor of Medicine Specialisation is offered to students enrolled in the Docotor of Medicine at the University of Melbourne. This program is designed for those students who wish to combine future medical practice with work that protects and improves the health of communities through education, primary prevention, reform and research. This recognizes the need to produce outstanding graduates that have the ability to address growing disparities in health care, health promotion and the global burden of disease. The MD/MPH is fully integrated, allowing students to undertake the MPH between the third and fourth year of the MD program so that they might develop public health interests as an integral part of their medical training.

Mid Year Entry: No

Duration: 1 Year Full Time

Quota: Yes

CORE SUBJECTS

Students granted 50 Points Advanced Standing (150 point program) are exempt from Foundations of Public Health. All other students must complete Foundations of Public Health unless an exemption examination is successfully completed. Students granted exemption must complete one extra elective subject in lieu of Foundations of Public Health. To apply to sit for an exemption examination please contact the Subject Coordinator for Foundations of Public Health.

ELECTIVES

The MPH is flexible and does not have fixed streams. Students may tailor elective subject choices to suit their interests, provided they meet course requirements. All elective subjects offered in the MPH are listed below:

International Students from Non-English Speaking Backgrounds are encouraged to enrol in this subject offered jointly by the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences and the Centre for Communication Skills and English Language Studies:

CAPSTONE

There are 3 capstone options to choose from. The capstone experience should be undertaken in the final year or final semester of your Master of Public Health.

OPTION ONE

Students may apply to undertake either a 25 point supervised Research Project in their chosen field of specialisation. Students have the option of applying to enrol in a year-long research project or a semester-long research project. Students enrolling in the year long project MUST complete the project in two semesters consecutively.

Students should be aware that they must complete a 25 point research project in order for the MPH to provide an entry pathway to the MPhil or PhD program.

Students entering the Master of Public Health from 2011 must have a weighted average mark of at least 70% across relevant subjects to be eligible to enrol in the research project. Successful research project applicants will be selected on the basis of academic merit.

OPTION TWO

Students may apply to undertake a 25 point supervised Professional Practice unit.

The Professional Practice Unit can be completed in either one semester (25 points), or two semesters (12.5 points in each semester). Entry to the Professional Practice Unit is competitive and will be determined on the basis of academic merit and the availability of appropriate supervisors and host organisations.

Limitations on student numbers apply so please ensure you have a back up plan (that is, a second capstone preference) in case you are not accepted into the Professional Practice Unit.

OPTION THREE

Students who choose this option must enrol in the following capstone selective subject and select an additional elective from those offered in the Master of Public Health:

EXIT POINT

To be eligible for the Graduate Diploma in Public Health students must complete one of the following:

1. Five core 12.5 points Master of Public Health subjects (POPH90217 Foundations of Public Health, POPH90014 Introduction to Epidemiology, POPH90013 Biostatistics, POPH90232 Surveys and Qualitative Methods, POPH90218 Public Health Leadership and Management) and three Master of Public health 12.5 elective subjects of the students choosing.
   
   OR
   
   
2. If an exemption is granted for POPH90217 Foundations of Public Health then students must complete four core 12.5 points Master of Public Health subjects (POPH90014 Introduction to Epidemiology, POPH90013 Biostatistics, POPH90232 Surveys and Qualitative Methods, POPH90218 Public Health Leadership and Management) and four Master of Public health 12.5 elective subjects of the student’s choosing.

Master of Public Health

1. The Selection Committee will evaluate the applicant’s ability to pursue the course successfully using the following criteria:

• an undergraduate degree in any discipline, or equivalent; or
• at least 200 points of tertiary study in any discipline and at least five years of documented relevant health-related work experience.

2. The Selection Committee may conduct interviews and tests and call for referee reports and employer references to elucidate any of the matters referred to above.

Notes.

(a) Successful applicants with (i) an appropriate health professional degree, or (ii) an undergraduate degree and a minimum of two years of documented health related work experience may be granted 25 points of advanced standing. Successful applicants with an undergraduate degree and a minimum of two years of documented public health related work experience may be granted 50 points of advanced standing.

(b) Students enrolled in the University of Melbourne Doctor of Medicine (MD) may be permitted to enrol in the Master of Public Health after the completion of the third year of the MD and may receive 25 points of advanced standing. This pathway is not available to students who have already completed the MD and quotas may be applied to both CSP and fee-based enrolments.

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this course are articulated in the Course Description, Course Objectives and Generic Skills of this entry.
The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the disability support scheme can be found at the Disability Liaison Unit website.

The Melbourne Experience enables our graduates to become:

Academically excellent:

• have a strong sense of intellectual integrity and the ethics of scholarship
• have in-depth knowledge of their specialist discipline(s)
• reach a high level of achievement in writing, generic research activities, problem-solving and communication
• be critical and creative thinkers, with an aptitude for continued self-directed learning
• be adept at learning in a range of ways, including through information and communication technologies

Knowledgeable across disciplines:

• examine critically, synthesise and evaluate knowledge across a broad range of disciplines
• expand their analytical and cognitive skills through learning experiences in diverse subjects
• have the capacity to participate fully in collaborative learning and to confront unfamiliar problems
• have a set of flexible and transferable skills for different types of employment

Leaders in communities:

• initiate and implement constructive change in their communities, including professions and workplaces
• have excellent interpersonal and decision-making skills, including an awareness of personal strengths and limitations
• mentor future generations of learners
• engage in meaningful public discourse, with a profound awareness of community needs

Attuned to cultural diversity:

• value different cultures
• be well-informed citizens able to contribute to their communities wherever they choose to live and work
• have an understanding of the social and cultural diversity in our community
• respect indigenous knowledge, cultures and values

Active global citizens:

• accept social and civic responsibilities
• be advocates for improving the sustainability of the environment
• have a broad global understanding, with a high regard for human rights, equity and ethics