Program Objectives
The program aims to equip health professionals from a broad range of backgrounds, with knowledge and skills from a variety of disciplines, to define, assess critically and resolve public health problems.
Is Public Health Study for You?
Our Public Health Programs are designed for:
- health professionals interested in moving into the public health area
- mid-career health professionals seeking advancement in their area of work
- clinicians wishing to broaden their range of expertise and/or move into management
Who Undertakes Our Program?
Our programs target graduates who have been working for at least one or two years in a health-related field, such as:
- Medicine
- Nursing
- Dentistry
- Physiotherapy
- Occupational therapy
- Rehabilitation sciences
- Nutrition
- Health promotion
- Health management
- and other related fields
Time Commitment for Study
- students are expected to allow at least 10 hours per week per subject for lectures, assignments, preparatory readings, tutorials and seminars
- the expected rate of progress is 4 subjects per semester for full-time study, and 2 subjects per semester for part-time study.
- students with particularly heavy employment schedules or travel commitments may find a limited load may be more realistic in some semesters – this is a matter for you to judge.
- the Dissertation is equivalent to 4 subjects and is intended as a practicum, offering experience in investigating and/or solving a public health problem
Why choose the Queensland Centre for Public Health?
Students who choose the Queensland Centre for Public Health gain through
- studying with nationally recognised providers in public health education and training, drawing from almost fifteen years of experience
- access to staff, expertise and facilities of three metropolitan universities
- exposure to a range of public health perspectives through contact with other students from Australia and overseas
- flexibility to choose full-time or part-time attendance, with the ability to alter attendance mode mid-course
- access to many subjects through external study or flexible delivery, where individual circumstances such as residing outside metropolitan Brisbane, rural or remote locations; overseas residence; work schedules or family commitments make attendance at classes difficult
- access to a recognised training program towards the Fellowship of the Australian Faculty of Public Health Medicine. A number of subjects are also recognised by the Australian College of Health Service Executives and the Royal Australian College of Medical Administrators for professional development and advancement purposes
Public Health graduates will be able to
- assess the social, behavioural, cultural, political, economic and institutional context of health problems in the general population and in specific population groups, and intervene effectively in their management
- demonstrate an adequate understanding of health care organisation and delivery, and be able to work effectively within these systems
- apply epidemiological and biostatistical methods and principles to gather, analyse and evaluate data and published literature, and describe the state of health of a defined population
- demonstrate a working knowledge of diseases/health problems of major public health importance
- assess threats to health, and assist in their management by working with communities, governments and non-government agencies in the planning, delivery and evaluation of small public health programs
- design and implement small research projects
Some initial planning suggestions
- determine the public health area of particular interest to you – this governs both your choice of electives and the selection of your future dissertation project
- develop a long term plan that fits with your professional commitments and the availability of relevant subjects
- discuss plans and options with academic staff of the Universities