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Master of Public Health (244CW) // Course structure
About this course
Coordinator
Dr Melissa Russell
Contact
Melbourne School of Population and Global Health
OR
Currently enrolled students:
- General information: https://ask.unimelb.edu.au
- Email: Contact Stop 1
Future Students:
- Further Information: MSPGH Website
- Email: Enquiry Form
Course structure
Standard 200 Point Program (no Advanced Standing):
SIX core subjects and NINE elective subjects and the Capstone Selective POPH90227 Public Health in Practice OR
SIX core subjects, EIGHT elective subjects and either a Research Project or Professional Practice unit
Students granted 25 Credit Points Advanced Standing:
SIX core subjects and SEVEN elective subjects and the Capstone Selective POPH90227 Public Health in Practice OR
SIX core subjects, SIX elective subjects and either a Research Project or Professional Practice unit
Students granted 50 Credit Points Advanced Standing:
FIVE core subjects and SIX elective subjects and the Capstone Selective POPH90227 Public Health in Practice OR
FIVE core subjects and FIVE elective subjects and either a Research Project or Professional Practice unit
Subject options
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.
| Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| POPH90217 | Foundations of Public Health | February (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| POPH90013 | Biostatistics | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| POPH90014 | Epidemiology 1 | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| POPH90231 | Qualitative Research in Public Health | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| POPH90218 | Public Health Leadership and Management | March (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| POPH90274 | Prioritising & Planning in Public Health | September (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
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:
| Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| LING90002 | Presenting Academic Discourse |
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
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:
| Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| POPH90137 | Primary Health Care, Jamkhed, India | November (Off Campus) |
12.5 |
| POPH90256 | Ageing in Society | Term 1 (Online) |
12.5 |
| VETS90086 | Epidemiology of Epidemics | February (Online) |
12.5 |
| POPH90189 | Health Program Design & Implementation | February (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| POPH90200 | Principles of Social Research Design | February (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| POPH90243 | Epidemiology 3 | March (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| POPH90206 | Health Policy | March (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| POPH90020 | Health Promotion | March (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| POPH90169 | Adolescent Sexuality and Sexual Health | Semester 1 (Online) |
12.5 |
| POPH90270 | Bioethics and Public Health | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| POPH90201 | Community-Based Participatory Research | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| POPH90095 | Economic Evaluation 2 | March (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| POPH90199 | Gender and Health | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| POPH90094 | Health Economics 1 | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| POPH90112 | Infectious Disease Epidemiology | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| POPH90227 | Public Health in Practice | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| POPH90290 | First 1000 Days in Indigenous Contexts |
April (On Campus - Parkville)
August (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
| POPH90070 | Clinical Sexual & Reproductive Health | May (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| POPH90244 | Global Health and Human Rights | May (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| LING90002 | Presenting Academic Discourse |
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
| POPH90258 | Economics of Ageing | Term 4 (Online) |
12.5 |
| POPH90246 | Law Enforcement and Public Health | Winter Term (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| POPH90247 | Non Communicable Disease & Global Health | June (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| POPH90257 | Body of Ageing | Term 3 (Online) |
12.5 |
| POPH90259 | End of Life Issues | Term 3 (Online) |
12.5 |
| POPH90266 | Leadership for an Ageing Workforce | Term 3 (Online) |
12.5 |
| PAED90005 | Child Public Health | July (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| POPH90230 | Environmental Challenges & Global Health | July (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| POPH90087 | International Adolescent Health | Not available in 2018 | 12.5 |
| POPH90144 | Linear & Logistic Regression | July (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| POPH90069 | Sexual and Reproductive Health | Semester 2 (Online) |
12.5 |
| POPH90238 | Systems for Global Health | No longer available | |
| POPH90093 | Economic Evaluation 1 | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| POPH90111 | Genetic Epidemiology | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| POPH90229 | Health Economics 2 | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| POPH90245 | Health Illness and Society | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| POPH90205 | Health Inequalities | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| POPH90090 | Health Program Evaluation 2 | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| POPH90271 | Infectious Diseases Modelling | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| POPH90293 | Nutrition Politics and Policy | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| POPH90275 | Population & Global Mental Health | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| POPH90068 | Prevention and Control of STIs and HIV | Semester 2 (Online) |
12.5 |
| POPH90248 | Womb to Tomb: Life Course Public Health | Not available in 2018 | 12.5 |
| POPH90291 | Indigenous Health in a Global Context | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| POPH90209 | Comparative Health Systems | July (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| POPH90088 | Disability and International Development | September (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| POPH90191 | Practice of Public Health Leadership | September (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| POPH90145 | Survival Analysis & Regression for Rates | September (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| POPH90066 | Women and Global Health | September (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| POPH90086 | International Child Health | October (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| POPH90260 | Ethics of Ageing | Term 2 (Online) |
12.5 |
| PSYT90092 | Mental Health and Ageing | Term 4 (Online) |
12.5 |
| PSYT90095 | Advanced Mental Health and Ageing | Not available in 2018 | 12.5 |
| POPH90269 | Ageing in Low & Middle Income Countries | No longer available | |
| POPH90234 | Working in the Indigenous Health Sector | No longer available | |
| POPH90264 | Global Population Ageing | Term 2 (Online) |
12.5 |
| POPH90273 | Shifting Paradigms in Ageing | Term 1 (Online) |
12.5 |
| POPH90267 | Ageing Health & Human Services | Term 1 (Online) |
12.5 |
| ABPL90377 | Design for Ageing | Term 2 (Online) |
12.5 |
| POPH90263 | Technology and Ageing | Term 4 (Online) |
12.5 |
| POPH90058 | Health Program Evaluation 1 | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| ISYS90069 | eHealth & Biomedical Informatics Systems | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| POPH90242 | Epidemiology 2 | August (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| POPH90190 | HIV and AIDS:An Evolving Global Response | August (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| POPH90131 | Primary Health Care and Global Health | August (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| POPH90071 | Indigenous Health and History | No longer available | |
| POPH90232 | Indigenous Health: From Data to Practice | No longer available |
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 (POPH90284 AND POPH90285) or a semester-long research project (POPH90255). Students enrolling in the year long project MUST complete the project in two semesters consecutively and in the correct sequence i.e. Part 1 followed by Part 2.
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.
| Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| POPH90284 | Research Project in Public Health Part 1 |
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
| POPH90285 | Research Project in Public Health Part 2 |
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
| POPH90255 | Research Project in Public Health - S |
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
|
25 |
OPTION TWO
Students may apply to undertake either a 25 point supervised Professional Practice Unit (PPU). Students have the option of applying to enrol in a year-long PPU (POPH90286 AND POPH90287) or a semester-long PPU (POPH90239). Students enrolling in the year long PPU MUST complete in two semesters consecutively and in the correct sequence i.e. Part 1 followed by Part 2.
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.
| Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| POPH90286 | Professional Practice - Part 1 |
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
| POPH90287 | Professional Practice - Part 2 |
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
| POPH90239 | Professional Practice - S |
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
|
25 |
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:
| Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| POPH90227 | Public Health in Practice | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
EXIT POINT
To be eligible for the Graduate Diploma in Public Health students must complete one of the following:
- Five core 12.5 points Master of Public Health subjects (POPH90217 Foundations of Public Health, POPH90014 Epidemiology, POPH90013 Biostatistics, POPH90231 Qualitative Research in Public Health, POPH90218 Public Health Leadership and Management) and three Master of Public health 12.5 elective subjects of the student's choosing.
OR
- 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 Epidemiology, POPH90013 Biostatistics, POPH90231 Qualitative Research in Public Health, POPH90218 Public Health Leadership and Management) and four Master of Public health 12.5 elective subjects of the student’s choosing.
Last updated: 26 March 2025