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Monash University: University handbooks: Postgraduate handbook: Units indexed by faculty
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Master of Public Health

Course code: 0046 + Course abbreviation: MPH + Total credit points required: 72 + 3 semesters full-time, 6 semesters part-time

Study mode and course location

On-campus (Alfred Hospital, Melbourne)

Course description

Monash's Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine offers this course in collaboration with Deakin, La Trobe and Melbourne universities, as part of the Victorian Consortium for Public Health.

The course provides the full range of quantitative, analytical and communication skills necessary to work in the broad domain of public health. It also provides skills in the quantitative methods of the population-based health sciences and their problem-solving application for primary care provision within Australia and developing countries. Health specialisation streams are offered in clinical epidemiology, environmental health, health economics, health services management, international health, occupational health and research.

Course objectives

On completion of this course students should be able to: 1. critically appraise quantitative papers published in the epidemiological and public health literature; 2. design, conduct, analyse, interpret and write up research projects relevant to public health; (dependant on stream); 3. demonstrate an understanding of the historical, social, political and industrial relations context of public health within Australian society; 4. demonstrate an understanding of the health care system in Australia; 5. assess the influence of environmental factors on health and effectively communicate the risks to health of such factors; and 6. develop public health policy, health promotion and planning strategies to reduce the impact of health problems within the community, and conduct an economic evaluation of these programs.

Course structure

This course is comprised of six part one units, and six part two units. Part one is comprised of three core units and three elective units. Part two is comprised of various health specialisation stream coursework or research options. The options are:

(a) six units (coursework)

(b) four units plus a minor research project (research)

(c) two units plus a major research project (research).

Part one

Core units

  • MPH1030 Epidemiology and demography, or MPH1040 Introductory epidemiology
  • MPH1031 Introductory statistics, or MPH1041 Introductory biostatistics
  • MPH2025 Principles and practices of public health

Elective units

  • MPH1003 Environmental influences on health
  • MPH1016 Health promotion
  • MPH2031 Public health policy
  • MPH2034 Sociological and cultural perspectives in public health
  • MPH2035 Health economics and program evaluation

Part two

Clinical epidemiology specialisation

Core units
  • MPH2002 Clinical epidemiology
  • MPH2013 Research methods
  • MPH2036 Controlled clinical trials
  • Three electives
Elective units
  • MPH2000 Regression methods for epidemiology
  • MPH2007 Methods for chronic disease epidemiology
  • MPH2018 Infectious disease epidemiology
  • MPH2037 Measurement in clinical research
  • MPH2039 Meta analysis
  • MPH2056 Injury epidemiology and prevention
  • MPH2070 Advanced statistical methods for clinical research
  • Minor project (8000–10,000 words)

Environmental health specialisation

Core units
  • MPH2013 Research methods
  • MPH2043 Chemical and biological hazards
  • MPH2045 Principles of environmental health risk assessment
  • MPH2075 Health risk management and communication
  • Two electives
Elective units
  • MPH2026 Industry and the environment
  • MPH2056 Injury epidemiology and prevention
  • MPH2060 Prevention; policies and strategies
  • MPH2076 Safety management systems
  • Minor project (8000–10,000 words)

Health economics specialisation

Core units
  • ECX9700 Introduction to health economics
  • ECX9730 Economic evaluation in health care
  • ECX9741 Applied health economics and health policy
  • MPH2013 Research methods
  • Three electives
Elective units
  • ECX9120 Introduction to microeconomics theory and practice
  • ECX9710 Pharmaceutical companies
  • ECX9750 Principles of health economics for developing countries
  • Electives (selected from the DEPM MPH postgraduate units)
  • Minor project (8000–10,000 words)

Health services management specialisation

Core units
  • MPH2013 Research methods
  • MPH2066 Clinical leadership and management
  • MPH2067 Principles of health care quality improvement
  • Three electives
Elective units
  • MPH2065 Law for health systems
  • MPH2068 Financial issues in health care management
  • MPH2069 Health systems policy
  • MPH2072 Reform and development of health services
  • MPH2073 Case study
  • Minor project (8000–10,000 words)

International health specialisation

Core units
  • MPH2048 Primary health care in developing countries
  • MPH2049 Field methods for international health planning and evaluation
  • Four electives
Elective units
  • MPH2050 Health of women and children in developing countries
  • MPH2051 Communicable diseases control in developing countries
  • MPH2053 Public health in refugee settings
  • MPH2054 Nutritional issues in developing countries
  • MPH2055 Health ethics and human rights
  • MPH2057 Aboriginal health
  • MPH2058 Managing community-based HIV programs in developing countries
  • MPH2082 Health communication and training
  • Minor project (8000–10,000 words)

Occupational health specialisation

Core units
  • MPH2013 Research methods
  • MPH2022 Assessment and control of workplace hazards
  • MPH2041 Occupational health and safety management
  • Three electives
Elective units
  • MPH1008 Clinical occupational and environmental medicine
  • MPH2026 Industry and the environment
  • MPH2042 Organisations and health
  • MPH2043 Chemical and biological hazards
  • MPH2044 Ergonomic and physical hazards
  • MPH2045 Principles of environmental health risk assessment
  • MPH2056 Injury epidemiology and prevention
  • MPH2076 Safety management systems
  • Minor project (8000–10,000 words)

General specialisation

Core unit
  • MPH2013 Research methods
  • Five electives (selected from any Master of Public Health streams)

Additional elective units

  • MPH2047 Child public health
  • MPH2060 Prevention: policies and strategies
  • MPH2056 Injury epidemiology and prevention
  • Minor project (8000–10,000 words)

Research specialisation

Prerequisites: distinction (70 per cent) average in units MPH1030 and MPH1031 or MPH1040 and MPH1041. Consultation with the course coordinator is required prior to enrolment into the research stream. Recommended: distinction (70 per cent) average in the units MPH2013 or MPH2049.

Core units – major research
  • MPH2013 Research methods
  • Major research project in one of the above health specialisation streams (12,000–15,000 words)
  • One elective (from a relevant health specialisation stream units)

Assessment

Assessment includes web-based tasks, written exercises, assignments, examinations, presentations, class participation and supervised research projects (where relevant).

Contact details

Postgraduate Office: telephone: +61 3 9903 0563; email: pgradenq@med.monash.edu.au or visit www.med.monash.edu.au/epidemiology/pgrad/

Course coordinator

Associate Professor Flavia Cicuttiini

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