Graduate Certificate in Public Health (GC-PUBHLTH)

Overview

Award title	Graduate Certificate in Public Health
Year & campus	2025 — Parkville
Fees information	Subject EFTSL, level, discipline and census date
Study level & type	Graduate Coursework
AQF level	8
Credit points	50 credit points
Duration	12 months part-time

The Graduate Certificate in Public Health will provide skills that prepare students for public health practice and augment existing professional skills in health care practice, policy and management. The Graduate Certificate will provide a stepped pathway into the University’s flagship Master of Public Health (MPH) program. It will also provide an opportunity for current health sector professionals to gain a valuable skills-based qualification that strengthens their career path, enables them to respond to public health challenges in a variety of health and social policy contexts and responds to an Australia-wide urgent workforce need for health professionals with public health training. The Graduate Certificate in Public Health will provide full credit into the Master of Public Health.

Entry requirements

1. In order to be considered for entry, applicants must have completed:

A pass-level undergraduate degree in any discipline

Meeting these requirements does not guarantee selection.

2. In ranking applications, the Selection Committee will consider:

Prior academic performance

3. The Selection Committee may seek further information to clarify any aspect of an application in accordance with the Academic Board rules on the use of selection instruments.

4. Applicants are required to satisfy the university’s English language requirements for postgraduate courses. For those applicants seeking to meet these requirements by one of the standard tests approved by the Academic Board, performance band 6.5 is required.

Notes:

This Certificate is used as a pathway to the MPH only and as an exit point from an incomplete MPH. Students will not be able to take this Certificate concurrently with the Master of Public Health.

Students who have completed relevant masters level public health subjects may be eligible for up to 25 points advanced standing.

Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)

Inherent requirements are the abilities, knowledge and skills needed to complete this course that must be met by all students. For information on the inherent requirements specific to this course contact the course/program coordinator. In some circumstances reasonable adjustments may be available to enable students to meet these requirements while still preserving the academic integrity of the university's learning, assessment and accreditation processes. For more information on how to seek these adjustments refer to the Student Equity and Disability Support website: https://services.unimelb.edu.au/student-equity/home

Intended learning outcomes

On successful completion of this Course, students will have achieved the following learning outcomes:

Knowledge:

Discuss public health conceptual foundations.
Identify current public health challenges in global communities.
Describe the ways in which biology, the environment, Indigenous status, society and culture interact and determine health status.
Identify the key population-based public health strategies.

Skills:

Analyse, appraise and synthesise public health evidence to inform decision making.
Use tools and techniques for priority setting, planning, implementing, evaluating and leading a public health project.
Communicate public health evidence for advocacy and engagement using diverse media.

Application of knowledge and skills

Apply knowledge of public health disciplinary areas to develop solutions to complex public health problems

Generic skills

Application of theory to practical problems
Evidence-based decision making
Critical reasoning and thinking
Communication of a scientific argument to a variety of audiences

Graduate attributes

The following Graduate Attributes will have been developed through successful completion of this course:

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:

Expand their analytical and cognitive skills through learning experiences in diverse subjects
Examine critically, synthesise and evaluate knowledge across a broad range of disciplines
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.

Course structure

50-point program:

Two compulsory subjects (25 points: 2 x 12.5 point subjects) AND
Two elective subjects (25 points: 2 x 12.5 point subjects)

The Graduate Certificate requires the completion of two core subjects in the Master of Public Health along with a choice of two elective subjects chosen from any other core or elective subjects offered within the Master of Public Health.

Core Subjects:

Students must complete TWO Core subjects:

Code	Name	Study period	Credit Points
POPH90217	Foundations of Public Health	February (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)	12.5
POPH90274	Prioritising & Planning in Public Health	July (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)	12.5

And TWO Elective Subjects chosen from:

Code	Name	Study period	Credit Points
POPH90013	Biostatistics	Semester 1 (Dual-Delivery - Parkville) Semester 2 (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)	12.5
POPH90014	Epidemiology 1	Semester 1 (Dual-Delivery - Parkville) Semester 2 (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)	12.5
POPH90218	Public Health Leadership and Management	Semester 1 (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)	12.5
POPH90231	Qualitative Research in Public Health	Semester 1 (Dual-Delivery - Parkville) Semester 2 (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)	12.5

AND/OR

The full list of electives in the Master of Public Health

https://handbook.unimelb.edu.au/courses/244cw/course-structure

Further study

Subjects completed within this degree from the University of Melbourne may receive advanced standing (with credit) within the Master of Public Health.

This Graduate Certificate cannot be taken concurrently with the Master of Public Health. The Graduate Certificate cannot be claimed retrospectively when the relevant subjects are taken as part of a completed Master of Public Health.

Last updated: 21 February 2025