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0046 - Master of Public Health

This course entry should be read in conjunction with information provided in the Faculty information section of this Handbook by the managing faculty for this course

Abbreviated titleMPH
CRICOS Code021280B
Managing facultyMedicine, Nursing and Health Sciences
Study location and modeOn-campus
Total credit points required72
Duration (years)1.5 years FT, 3 years PT
Contact detailsPostgraduate Office: telephone +61 3 9903 0563; email pgradenq@med.monash.edu.au or visit http://www.med.monash.edu.au/epidemiology/pgrad/
Course coordinatorProfessor Flavia Cicuttini / Dr Fahad Hanna

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.

Assessment

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

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.

Structure

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 specific to the stream being undertaken, plus nine units from the various health specialisation stream coursework or research options. The options are:

(a.) 10 units (coursework only option) (including up to three MPH Consortium units)

(b.) eight units (including up to three MPH Consortium units) plus a minor research project in the student's area of specialisation (equivalent to two units ie 12 points)

(c.) six units (including up to three MPH Consortium units) plus a major research project (students select the research specialisation) (equivalent to four units ie 24 points).

Requirements

Part one

Core units

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

Part two

Clinical epidemiology and clinical research specialisation

Core units
  • MPH2013 Research methods
  • MPH2036 Clinical trials
  • MPH2037 Clinical measurement
  • MPH2083 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
  • 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)
Other Consortium units

Up to three of:

  • MPH1016 Health promotion, or MPH2082 Communications and training
  • MPH1003 Environmental influences on health
  • MPH2025 Principles and practices of public health
  • MPH2031 Public health policy, or MPH2069 Health systems policy
  • MPH2034 Sociological and cultural perspectives in public health
  • MPH2035 Health economics and program evaluation

Health economics specialisation (not available to international students)

Core units
  • ECX9700 Introduction to health economics
  • ECX9730 Economic evaluatjion in health care
  • ECX9741 Applied Health economics and and health policy
  • MPH2013 Research methods
Elective units

Select six of:

(a.) Recommended elective units
  • ECX9120 Introduction to microeconomics theory and practice
  • ECX9710 Pharmaceutical economics
  • ECX9750 Principles of health economics in developing countries
  • MPH2068 Financial issues in health care management
(b.) Other electives
Other DEPM units
  • Selected from MPH postgraduate units
MPH Consortium units

Up to three of:

  • 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

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 of:

(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
  • MPH2085 Human factors for patient safety
  • MPH2086 Applying and practicing the principles of patient safety and quality improvement
(b.) Other electives
Other DEPM units
  • Selected from MPH postgraduate units
MPH Consortium units

Up to three of:

  • ECX9700 Introduction to health economics, or MPH2035 Health economics and program evaluation
  • 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

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 of:

(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 of:

  • 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 of:

(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 of:

  • MPH1003 Environmental influences on health
  • MPH1016 Health promotion, or MPH2082 Communications and training
  • MPH2025 Principles and practice of public health
  • MPH2031 Public health policy, or MPH2069 Health systems policy
  • MPH2034 Social and cultural perspectives in public health
  • MPH2035 Health economics and program evaluation

General specialisation

Core unit
Elective units

Select nine of:

(a.) Recommended elective units
  • Selected from DEPM MPH postgraduate units
(b.) Other electives
  • HSC5002 Health promotion: a determinants approach
  • HSC5012 Strategies for health promotion
  • HSC5022 Evaluation in health promotion
  • HSC5031 Health promotion program planning
MPH Consortium units

Up to three of:

  • MPH1003 Environmental influences on health
  • MPH1016 Health promotion, or MPH2082 Communications and training
  • MPH2025 Principles and practice of public health
  • MPH2031 Public health policy, or MPH2069 Health systems policy
  • MPH2034 Social and cultural perspectives in public health
  • MPH2035 Health economics and program evaluation

Research specialisation

  • Prerequisites: Students must have achieved a 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 project
  • MPH2013 Research methods
  • major research project in one of the above health specialisation streams (12,000-15,000 words)
Elective units

Select five of:

(a.) Recommended elective units
  • DEPM MPH postgraduate units
(b.) Other electives
  • MPH1003 Environmental influences on health
  • MPH1016 Health promotion, or MPH2082 Communications and training
  • MPH2025 Principles and practices of public health
  • MPH2031 Public health policy, or MPH2069 Health systems policy
  • MPH2034 Sociological and cultural perspectives in public health
  • MPH2035 Health economics and program evaluation

Progression to further studies

Students who complete the Master of Public Health clinical epidemiology stream, minor research project stream or major research project stream and achieve a distinction (70 per cent) average assessement, may qualify for admission into higher degrees by research (HDR) including the Master of Philosophy and PhD among others.

Award(s) received on completion *

Master of Public Health

* Where more than one award is listed, or in the case of double degrees, where more than one award is listed for one or both components of the double degree, the actual award/s conferred may depend on units/majors/streams/specialisations studied, the level of academic merit achieved (eg in the case of 'with honours' programs), or other factors relevant to the individual student's program of study.

 

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