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Monash University

Master of Public Health

Course code: 0046 ~ Course abbreviation: MPH ~ Total credit points required: 72 ~ 3 semesters full-time, 6 semesters part-time ~ Managing faculty: Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences

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: critically appraise quantitative papers published in the epidemiological and public health literature; demonstrate an understanding of the historical, social, political and industrial relations context of public health within Australian society; demonstrate an understanding of the health care system in Australia; assess the influence of environmental factors on health and effectively communicate the risks to health of such factors; 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

Course requirements

This course is comprised of 12 units: two part one and ten part two units. Part one is comprised of two core units. Part two is comprised of one core unit plus nine units from the various health specialisation stream coursework or research options. The options are:

(a) nine units (coursework) (including up to three MPH Consortium units)

(b) seven units (including up to three MPH Consortium units) plus a minor research project (equivalent to two units)

(c) five units (including up to three MPH Consortium units) plus a major research project (research) (equivalent to four units)

Part one

Core units

  • MPH1040 Introductory epidemiology, or MPH1030 Epidemiology and demography
  • MPH1041 Introductory biostatistics, or MPH1031 Introductory statistics

Part two

Clinical epidemiology and research specialisation

Core units
  • MPH2013 Research methods
  • MPH2036 Clinical trials
  • MPH2037 Clinical measurement
  • MPH2038 Ethics, good research practice and practical research skills
Elective units - select six from:
A. Recommended elective units
  • MPH2000 Regression methods for epidemiology
  • MPH2002 Clinical Epidemiology
  • MPH2007 Chronic disease: epidemiology and prevention
  • MPH2018 Infectious diseases: epidemiology and prevention
  • MPH2039 Meta analysis and systematic reviews
B. Other electives
Other DEPM units
  • Selected from MPH postgraduate units
  • MPH2056 Injury epidemiology and prevention
  • MPH2060 Prevention: policies and strategies
  • MPH2070 Advanced statistical methods for clinical research
  • Minor project (8,000 - 10,000 words)
MPH Consortium units (up to three)
  • MPH1003 Environmental influences on health
  • MPH 1016 Health promotion, or MPH2082 Communications and training
  • MPH2031 Public health policy, or MPH2069 Health systems policy
  • MPH2025 Principles and practices of public health
  • MPH2034 Sociological and cultural perspectives in public health
  • MPH2035 Health economics and program evaluation

Environmental health specialisation

Core units
  • MPH2013 Research methods
  • MPH2043 Chemical and biological hazards
  • MPH2045 Environmental health risk assessment and management
Elective units - select six from:
A. Recommended elective units
  • MPH2056 Injury epidemiology and prevention
  • MPH2060 Prevention, policies and strategies
  • MPH2076 Safety management systems
B. Other electives
Other DEPM units
  • CRH1047 Health Ecology Environmental Change
  • selected from MPH postgraduate units
  • Minor project (8,000 - 10,000 words)
MPH Consortium units (up to three)
  • MPH1003 Environmental influences on health
  • MPH1016 Health promotion, or MPH2082 Communications and training
  • MPH2031 Public health policy, or MPH2069 Health systems policy
  • MPH2025 Principles and practices of public health
  • MHP2034 Sociological and cultural perspectives in public health
  • MPH2035 Health economics and program evaluation
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)

Health services management specialisation

Core units
  • MPH2013 Research methods
  • MPH2066 Clinical leadership and management
  • MPH2067 Principles of health care quality improvement
Elective units (select seven)
A. Recommended 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
B. Other electives
Other DEPM units
  • Selected from MPH postgraduate units
MPH Consortium units (up to three)
  • MPH1003 Environmental Influences on health
  • MPH1016 Health promotion, or MPH2082 Communications and Training
  • MPH2025 Principles and practice of public health
  • MPH2034 Social and cultural perspectives in public health
  • ECX9700 Introduction to health economics, or MPH2035 Health economics and program evaluation

International health specialisation

Core units
  • MPH2048 Primary health care in developing countries
  • MPH2049 Field methods for international health planning and evaluation
Elective units (select eight)
A. Recommended 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
B. Other electives
Other DEPM units
  • Selected from MPH postgraduate units
  • Minor project (8,000-10,000 words)
Melbourne University units
  • 505-691 International adolescent health
  • 505-692 Disability in developing countries
MPH Consortium units (up to three)
  • MPH1003 Environmental Influences on health
  • MPH2031 Public health policy, or MPH2069 Health systems policy
  • MPH2025 Principles and practice of public health
  • MPH2034 Social and cultural perspectives in public health
  • MPH2035 Health economics and program evaluation

Occupational health specialisation

Core units
  • MPH2013 Research methods
  • MPH2022 Assessment and control of workplace hazards
  • MPH2041 Introduction to occupational health and safety
Elective units (select seven)
A. Recommended elective units
  • MPH2042 Psychosocial work environment
  • MPH2043 Chemical and biological hazards
  • MPH2044 Ergonomic and physical hazards
  • MPH2045 Environmental health risk assessment and management
  • MPH2056 Injury epidemiology and prevention
  • MPH2076 Safety management systems
  • MPH2084 Critical appraisal of occupational health and safety information
B. Other electives
Other DEPM units
  • Selected from MPH postgraduate units
  • Minor project (8,000-10,000 words)
MPH Consortium units (up to three)
  • MPH1003 Environmental influences on health
  • MPH1016 Health promotion, or MPH2082 Communications and Training
  • MPH2031 Public health policy, or MPH2069 Health systems policy
  • MPH2025 Principles and practice of public health
  • MPH2034 Social and cultural perspectives in public health
  • MPH2035 Health economics and program evaluation

General specialisation

Core unit
Elective units (select nine)
A. Recommended elective units
  • Selected from DEPM MPH postgraduate units
B. Other electives - MPH Consortium units (up to three)
  • MPH1003 Environmental influences on health
  • MPH1016 Health promotion, or MPH2082 Communications and Training
  • MPH2031 Public health policy, or MPH2069 Health systems policy
  • MPH2025 Principles and practice of public health
  • MPH2034 Social and cultural perspectives in public health
  • MPH2035 Health economics and program evaluation

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)
Elective units (select five)
A. Recommended elective units
  • Selected from the DEPM MPH postgraduate units
B. Other electives - MPH Consortium units (up to three)
  • MPH1003 Environmental influences on health
  • MPH1016 Health promotion, or MPH2082 Communications and training
  • MPH2031 Public health policy, or MPH2069 Health systems policy
  • MPH2025 Principles and practices of public health
  • MPH2034 Sociological and cultural perspectives in public health
  • MPH2035 Health economics and program evaluation

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 http://www.med.monash.edu.au/epidemiology/pgrad/

Course coordinator

Associate Professor Flavia Cicuttini