Bachelor of Health Science

Course code: 3882 + Course abbreviation: BHSc + Total credit points required: 144 + 3 years full-time, 6 years part-time

Study mode and course location

On-campus (Peninsula)

Course description

The Bachelor of Health Science is an innovative, flexible, three-year degree structure, which is consistent with the University’s broad mission and commitment to professional education of undergraduate students. Students are required to undertake 15 core health science units; 6 from a major stream of units and 3 electives.

Students can elect major sequences from health promotion, health informatics, and management.

All students undertake the same core units in first year. These include foundations of health, an introduction to research, informatics, management, communication, and fundamentals in the biological, sociological and psychological bases of health. In second year core units include studies in legal and ethical frameworks for health, epidemiology and public health, and health policy, and students choose their major stream and one elective. In third year students take core units in research methods and community partnerships, two units per semester from their major stream and two elective units.

Course objectives

On successful completion of the BHSc, it is expected that the student will be able to: demonstrate the knowledge, skills and technical competency appropriate for an entry level practitioner in their relevant profession; value research and be skilled at accessing, critically appraising and applying the best available evidence to their everyday practice; develop health promotion knowledge and skills, health information and systems knowledge and skills, and management skills for resources required to advance population health; recognise population issues associated with social and cultural diversity and the skills and resources required for working across diverse populations; demonstrate awareness of the World Health Organisation’s Frameworks, Charters and Declarations about the promotion of heath, equity, and health and human rights and international perspectives on health and social justice and the health implications of globalisation; demonstrate awareness of the social, ethical, economic, political and environmental context of illness, health and wellbeing; integrate knowledge of relevant public policy and health and social care systems into practice; be able to effectively and respectfully communicate and work collaboratively with other professionals, clients and the public; demonstrate the knowledge and skills to practice safely and in an ethical manner in relation to their clients, organisations and the community; have the capacity to supervise, manage and take responsibility, as appropriate, when working in collaboration with other professionals, students, clients and their support networks; achieve a broad education based on independent learning, critical thinking, problem-solving and evaluation and awareness social and ethical dimensions of professional activities.

Special requirements

Police checks

Organisations that host field/community placements require students to have a current police check regarding their suitability to undertake such placements. All enrolled and prospective students are advised that they will be required to obtain and pay for a police check prior to undertaking the placements in this course. Police checks need to be renewed annually. However in some community partnered programs there may be a requirement to have a police check renewed every six months.

Health requirements

In order to meet health requirements for working in the healthcare facilities and for the protection of other students, and themselves, students may need to comply with certain precautionary procedures. These may consist of confidential tests for immune status (including blood tests and skin tests), receiving vaccines and having x-rays where the evidence indicates that these are appropriate.

Vaccinations

The faculty recommends that all students accept responsibility for having up-to-date immunisations before commencing this course. Recommended immunisations include diphtheria, tetanus, polio, measles, mumps, rubella, tuberculosis and hepatitis B.

Course structure

Course requirements

To qualify for the Bachelor of Health Science, students must complete the following units:

Core units

First year

Semester 1

HSC1031 Foundations of health
HSC1041 Health sociology
HSC1051 Working with people
HSC1061 Introduction to research in health science

Semester 2

HSC1052 Health and social care systems
HSC1062 Mind and body
HSC1072 Health promotion 1

Second year

Semester 1

HSC2031 Epidemiology and public health
HSC2061 Legal and ethical frameworks
Major sequence 1
Elective(6 credit points)

Semester 2

SRH2002 Indigenous health and wellbeing
HSC2042 Population health and diversity
HSC2082 Health policy and politics
Major sequence 2

Third Year

Semester 1

HSC3021 Research methods in health science
Major sequence 3
Major sequence 4
Elective

Semester 2

HSC3032 Community partnerships and capacity building
Major sequence 5
Major sequence 6
Elective

Major sequences

Health promotion

HSC2051 Health promotion 2
HSC2062 Communicating health
HSC3011 Contemporary health challenges
HSC3032 Community partnerships and capacity building
MGW1010 Managing people and organizations
Plus 4 electives

Health informatics

Students select 6 of the following:

FIT1003 IT in organisations
FIT1004 Database
FIT2002 IT project management
FIT3016 Industrial project 1
HSC2101 Health records
HSC3101 Healthcare communications and standards
HSC3202 Decision support systems in healthcare
Plus 3 electives

Management

FIT2002 IT project management
MGW1010 Managing people and organizations
MGW2230 Organisational behaviour
MGW2430 Human resource management
MGW2511 Quality management
MGW3130 Organizational change and development
Plus 3 electives

Additional health science elective units

HSC2301 Processes of disease
HSC2302 Communicable diseases
HSC2401 Foundations of pharmacology for health sciences
HSC3301 Introduction to clinical trials

Site visits and placements will be attached to some units. A compulsory three day inter-professional education block each semester that will involve learning together with students enrolled in other health science courses (physiotherapy, occupational therarpy, nursing, social work, paramedic) around structured academic content focussed on collaboration and teamwork. A compulsory three day inter-professional eduction fieldwork program is conducted in the second semester of first year.

Contact details

Telephone: +61 3 9904 4466, email: healthsciences@med.monash.edu.au or visit www.med.monash.edu.au/healthsciences/

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