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Professional Practice - Part 1 (POPH90286)

Graduate courseworkPoints: 12.5Dual-Delivery (Parkville)

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Overview

Availability(Quotas apply)
Semester 1 - Dual-Delivery
Semester 2 - Dual-Delivery
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This subject is an elective subject within the Master of Public Health. It is designed to be taken by students who want to consolidate their public health training via an advanced professional work placement. Entry to the subject will be competitive and a quota will apply.

Students will undertake a supervised professional work placement with an appropriate organisation. Each practicum experience will be individually tailored and negotiated by the student, the host organisation and the Professional Practice Coordinator. Students will learn to apply their academic knowledge to real-world public health challenges, developing their specialist and professional skill set by contributing to the needs of an agency, institution or community organisation concerned with population health. The practicum experience will enable students to bridge the gap between the classroom and public health practice, whilst developing contacts with experts in their chosen field.

Intended learning outcomes

  • Apply, integrate and synthesise knowledge and skills acquired throughout the course to tackle real-world public health challenges,
  • Analyse, evaluate and propose practical solutions to problems identified within the bounds of the project,
  • Solve practical problems whilst working with potentially unstructured and incomplete information
  • Develop professional networks within a given public health context
  • Demonstrate and critically reflect upon key professional attributes sought by employers (such as communication and interpersonal skills, project management skills, team work and initiative)
  • Clearly communicate findings and results in a professional public health context.

Generic skills

Upon completion of this subject, students will have developed skills in:

  • Initiative, autonomy and organization,
  • Problem-solving,
  • Oral communication,
  • Finding, evaluating and using relevant information,
  • Written communication,
  • Working with others and in teams.

Last updated: 3 March 2023

Eligibility and requirements

Prerequisites

All of

Code Name Teaching period Credit Points
POPH90217 Foundations of Public Health
February (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
 12.5
POPH90014 Epidemiology 1
Semester 1 (Online)
 12.5
POPH90013 Biostatistics
Semester 1 (Online)
 12.5
POPH90231 Qualitative Research in Public Health
Semester 2 (Online)
Semester 1 (Online)
 12.5

AND

Note: the following subject/s can also be taken concurrently (at the same time)

Code Name Teaching period Credit Points
POPH90218 Public Health Leadership and Management
March (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
 12.5

A quota of 15 will apply. All Professional Practice applicants will be required to submit a 1 page Expression of Interest. Successful applicants will be selected primarily on the basis of academic merit and the availability of appropriate supervisors and placements.

Placements in particular fields of public health may require fulfilment of specific prerequisite / corequisite subjects, and will be determined in consultation with the subject coordinator and supervisor.

Corequisites

None

Non-allowed subjects

Code Name Teaching period Credit Points
POPH90228 Professional Practice-L No longer available

Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)

The University of Melbourne is committed to providing students with reasonable adjustments to assessment and participation under the Disability Standards for Education (2005), and the Assessment and Results Policy (MPF1326). Students are expected to meet the core participation requirements for their course. These can be viewed under Entry and Participation Requirements for the course outlines in the Handbook.

Further details on how to seek academic adjustments can be found on the Student Equity and Disability Support website: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/student-equity/home

Last updated: 3 March 2023

Assessment

DescriptionTimingPercentage

An outline of the proposed project, including project background, aims, methodology and timeline. Due by the end of the first quarter of the Student's placement.

  • 1000 words
During the assessment period10%

An oral presentation. Held in week 11 of the 2nd semester of enrolment

  • 20 minutes
Week 1120%

A project report. Due during the examination period in the 2nd semester of enrolment.

  • 5000 words
During the examination period50%

Workplace supervisor assessment of the student's completion of the project. Due during the examination period in the 2nd semester of enrolment

  • 20 minutes
During the examination period20%

Additional details

This assessment statement applies to the entire enrolment across Parts 1 and 2 of the subject (i.e. POPH90286 and POPH90287 together):

Last updated: 3 March 2023

Quotas apply to this subject

Dates & times

  • Semester 1
    Principal coordinatorSue Durham
    Mode of deliveryDual-Delivery (Parkville)
    Contact hoursStudents are expected to spend a minimum of 160 hours (20 days), working for the host organisation and approximately 10 contact hours, comprising pre-placement, during placement and after placement University supervisor/coordinator contact and attendance at: 1. a full-day generic capstone skills preparation seminar in week 1 of the 1st semester of enrolment, 2. half-day generic capstone completion skills seminar in week 9 of the 2nd semester of enrolment, 3. attendance at two 1.5 hour student discussion groups across the two semesters of enrollment, 4. attendance at 1 half day seminar for student verbal presentations in week 11 of the 2nd semester of enrolment.
    Total time commitment340 hours
    Teaching period28 February 2022 to 29 May 2022
    Last self-enrol date11 March 2022
    Census date31 March 2022
    Last date to withdraw without fail 6 May 2022
    Assessment period ends24 June 2022

    Semester 1 contact information

    sue.durham@unimelb.edu.au

    Melbourne School of Population and Global Health

    OR

    Currently enrolled students:

    Future Students:

  • Semester 2
    Principal coordinatorSue Durham
    Mode of deliveryDual-Delivery (Parkville)
    Contact hoursStudents are expected to spend a minimum of 160 hours (20 days), working for the host organisation and approximately 10 contact hours, comprising pre-placement, during placement and after placement University supervisor/coordinator contact and attendance at: 1. a full-day generic capstone skills preparation seminar in week 1 of the 1st semester of enrolment, 2. half-day generic capstone completion skills seminar in week 9 of the 2nd semester of enrolment, 3. attendance at two 1.5 hour student discussion groups across the two semesters of enrollment, 4. attendance at 1 half day seminar for student verbal presentations in week 11 of the 2nd semester of enrolment.
    Total time commitment340 hours
    Teaching period25 July 2022 to 23 October 2022
    Last self-enrol date 5 August 2022
    Census date31 August 2022
    Last date to withdraw without fail23 September 2022
    Assessment period ends18 November 2022

    Semester 2 contact information

    sue.durham@unimelb.edu.au

    Melbourne School of Population and Global Health

    OR

    Currently enrolled students:

    Future Students:

Time commitment details

340 hours (applies to entire enrolment across Parts 1 and 2)

Additional delivery details

Subject Quota: 15

  • A quota of 15 will apply. All Professional Practice applicants will be required to submit a 1 page Expression of Interest. Successful applicants will be selected primarily on the basis of academic merit and the availability of appropriate supervisors and placements.
  • Placements in particular fields of public health may require fulfilment of specific prerequisite / corequisite subjects, and will be determined in consultation with the subject coordinator and supervisor.

Serial Enrolment:

  • This subject continues over two consecutive study periods, with students first enrolling in POPH90286 Professional Practice – Part 1 and then subsequently enrolling in POPH90287 Professional Practice – Part 2, for a total enrolment of 25 credit points. Students will receive an overall result for the subject following completion of the two-subject sequence.
  • Information provided on this page applies to Part 1 and Part 2 of the subject (POPH90286 and POPH90287).

Last updated: 3 March 2023

Further information

Last updated: 3 March 2023