M6024 - Master of Public Health - 2017

NOTE: This course has had one or more changes made to it since publication on 1 October 2016. For details of changes, please consult the Handbook change registerHandbook change register (http://www.monash.edu.au/pubs/2017handbooks/2017-change-register.html).

This Monash Master of Public Health, offered by the School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, provides the full range of quantitative, analytical and communication skills necessary to work and provide leadership 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 public health and primary care provision within Australia and developing countries. Students learn, integrate and apply core knowledge and skills in public health in core units of epidemiology, biostatistics, research methods and principles and practice and challenges of public health and can choose an elective study program from a wide range of units to give them depth of understanding within their study program according to their career interests. To guide students in developing their elective study program, with depth for career development and interests, electives are broadly organised into the key areas of expertise of: epidemiology and biostatistics; clinical research methods; health economics; disease/injury prevention and control and health promotion; health policy, planning and management; global health and human rights; occupational and environmental health; and capstone unit/research project/case study.

The course offers students the opportunity to integrate and extend their knowledge and skills gained in this course through a capstone experience, as a professional practice development unit. There is also the opportunity for students to undertake a research project or case study (consultation with the course research project coordinator is required prior to enrolment in research units).

The course structure and flexibility assists students to extend, integrate and apply their core knowledge and skills with depth in key areas of interest according to their background and career development interests, something that employers have identified as important, and to gain knowledge and skills in new areas across the broad domain of public health to equip them for future challenges.

These course outcomes are aligned with the Australian Qualifications Framework level 9 and Monash Graduate AttributesAustralian Qualifications Framework level 9 and Monash Graduate Attributes (http://www.monash.edu.au/pubs/handbooks/alignmentofoutcomes.html).

Upon successful completion of this course, it is expected that students will be able to:

1. integrate public health related knowledge, critical analysis, expert judgement, autonomy, adaptability and responsibility into practice to address public health problems relevant at a community, national, international or global level
2. apply, interpret and communicate epidemiological and biostatistical knowledge and skills in public health practice
3. analyse, critically reflect on, and synthesise quantitative papers published in the epidemiological and public health literature
4. evaluate the historical, social and political context of public health in Australian society and appraise recent developments in public health
5. analyse and critically reflect on global public health issues
6. effectively communicate the risks to health of environmental, occupational, lifestyle, personal and social risk factors and conditions
7. integrate public health knowledge, expert judgement, autonomy, adaptability and responsibility into public health management and leadership roles
8. research knowledge and apply theories and research methods to a variety of public health problems and evaluate how they impact on health status and inform professional practice
9. generate and evaluate disease/injury prevention and health promotion strategies and/or programs, and/or research and apply health economic principles and methods, to reduce the impact of health problems in the community
10. design and analyse public health policy to reduce the impact of health problems within the community
11. communicate, evaluate and analyse principles of good research and of ethical issues in public health, and evaluate how they inform ethical and professional practice.

This course fulfils the core discipline requirements of a Master of Public Health for the Australasian Faculty of Public Health Medicine, Royal Australasian College of Physicians.

The course is structured in three parts: Part A. Expanding public health knowledge, Part B. Foundations of public health studies and Part C. Advanced application expertise.

All students complete Part B and Part C. Depending upon prior qualifications, you may receive credit for Part A.

Note that if you are eligible for credit for prior studies, you may elect not to receive the credit and complete one of the higher credit-point options.

Part A. Expanding public health knowledge

In these studies, you will develop an understanding of knowledge and skills in the broad domain of public health through core studies in the public health discipline areas of disease/injury prevention and control and health promotion and health policy, planning and management, and with opportunity for electives in areas of public health of interest to you.

Part B. Foundations of public health studies

In these studies, you will gain specialised professional knowledge in the core skills, knowledge, and disciplines of public health through the study of epidemiology, biostatistics, research methods, and introduction and challenges in public health.

Part C. Advanced application expertise

The focus is advanced studies with application expertise and opportunity for greater depth in key areas of expertise of interest to you through an elective study program to suit your own career interests. Students undertake a core capstone professional practice development unit, and may undertake one of the following as an elective:

• creation of a case study (12 points)
• a 12 point public health research project
• a 24 point public health research project.

This advanced application option is combined with a program of electives units to suit your career interests to a total of 48 points for this part.

In the capstone unit, students are expected to integrate, extend and apply knowledge and skills gained in the course to real world professional practice development, particularly in relation to project management and implementation and communication that can contribute to more effective practice and outcomes. In undertaking the creation of a case study or a research project, students are expected to integrate, extend and apply knowledge and skills gained in the course to the creation of a real world case study or a research project that can contribute to more effective practice and outcomes.

Students wishing to use this master's course as a pathway to a higher degree by research should take the 12 point or 24 point public health research project option.

The course comprises 96 points structured into three parts: Part A. Expanding public health knowledge (24 points), Part B. Foundations of public health studies (24 points) and Part C. Advanced application expertise (48 points).

• Students admitted at entry level 1 complete 96 points, comprising Parts A, B and C.
• Students admitted at entry level 2 complete 72 points, comprising Part B and Part C.
• Students admitted at entry level 3 complete 48 points, comprising Part B and 24 points from Part C.

Note: All students commence with Part B to complete the core units as a cohort. Students eligible for credit for prior studies may elect not to receive the credit and complete one of the higher credit-point options.

Units are 6 points unless otherwise stated.

Part A. Expanding public health knowledge (24 points)

Students complete one unit in disease/injury prevention and control or in health promotion chosen from:

• MPH5002 Foundations of health promotion and program planning
• MPH5022 Evaluating public health programs
• MPH5203 Environmental influences on health
• MPH5207 Chronic diseases: epidemiology and prevention
• MPH5218 Infectious diseases: epidemiology and prevention
• MPH5256 Injury epidemiology and prevention

Students complete one unit in health policy, planning and management chosen from:

• MAP4200 Improving Indigenous equity in professional practice*
• MPH5266 Clinical leadership and management
• MPH5269 Foundations of health policy
• MPH5272 Reform and development of health care services.

Note: International students can complete this unit in their final semester of enrolment.

Students complete:

• 12 points of elective units chosen from any approved postgraduate unit offered by the School of Public Health and Preventive MedicineSchool of Public Health and Preventive Medicine (http://www.monash.edu.au/pubs/handbooks/units/index-byou-school-of-public-health-and-preventive-medicine.html) (except core units in Part B or MPH5020; MPH5301-MPH5314; EPM5001-EPM5015)

Note: International students can complete these units in their final semester of enrolment.

Part B. Foundations of public health studies (24 points)

Students complete:

• MPH5040 Introductory epidemiology
• MPH5041 Introductory biostatistics
• MPH5213 Research methods*
• MPHxxxx Introduction and challenges in public health

Note: Students must have completed MPH5213 if they want to choose the elective MPH5249 (Field methods for international health planning and evaluation).

Part C. Advanced application expertise (48 points)

Students complete either a. a coursework pathway or b. a research pathway.

Coursework (48 points)

Students complete:

• MPH5289 Professional practice development (6 points)

and one of the following options:

• MPH5273 Case study in health services management (12 points)* and 30 points from the elective list below
• 42 points from the elective list below

Note: A case study may be suitable for students who are interested in a practical integrative project but who do not wish to complete the 12 or 24 point research project.

Research (48 points)

The public health research project requires students to demonstrate their ability to integrate and apply public health theory, principles and practice, and research methods to a specific public health problem or issue. Consultation with the course research project coordinator is required prior to enrolment in the research project.

12 point research project*

Note: Students who want to complete a 12 point project, must achieve a distinction the following units: MPH5040 and MPH5041, and it is recommended students achieve a distinction in MPH5213.

Students complete:

• MPH5231 Research design and project proposal
• MPH5232 Research conduct, analysis, write-up and submission
• 36 points of approved postgraduate unit/s offered by teh School of Public Health and Preventive MedicineSchool of Public Health and Preventive Medicine (http://www.monash.edu.au/pubs/handbooks/units/index-byou-school-of-public-health-and-preventive-medicine.html) from the elective list below (except units MPH5020; MPH5301-MPH5314; EPM5001-EPM5015).

24 point research project*

Note: Students who want to complete a 24 point project, must achieve a distinction in the following units: MPH5040, MPH5041, MPH5213 or MPH5249, MPH5200 (for students undertaking quantitative analysis) or an approved postgraduate-level qualitative research unit (for students undertaking qualitative analysis).

Students complete:

• MAP5000 Research in advanced health professional practice (12 points)
• MAP5010 Advanced health practice research project (12 points)
• 24 points of approved postgraduate unit/s offered by theSchool of Public Health and Preventive MedicineSchool of Public Health and Preventive Medicine (http://www.monash.edu.au/pubs/handbooks/units/index-byou-school-of-public-health-and-preventive-medicine.html) from the elective list below (except units MPH5020; MPH5301-MPH5314; EPM5001-EPM5015).

It is highly recommended that a research project be conducted with a principal supervisor located within the School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine; only in unusual circumstances will a student be permitted to complete project with a supervisor external to the school, and may include where the project would be undertaken in a workplace where the student is currently employed and there is an experienced supervisor/researcher willing and available to supervise them.

Public health elective units

• ECC5970 Introduction to health economics*
• ECC5971 Pharmaceutical economics*
• ECC5973 Economic evaluation in health care*
• ECC5974 Applied health economics and health policy*
• ECC5975 Principles of health economics for developing countries*
• EPM5023 Foundations of international health
• HSC5032 Health literacy
• MAP4200 Improving Indigenous equity in professional practice*
• MPH5042 Climate change and public health
• MPH5200 Regression methods for epidemiology
• MPH5202 Clinical epidemiology
• MPH5203 Environmental influences on health
• MPH5207 Chronic disease: Epidemiology and prevention
• MPH5218 Infectious diseases: Epidemiology and prevention
• MPH5222 Assessment and control of work place hazards
• MPH5236 Clinical trials
• MPH5237 Clinical measurement
• MPH5239 Systematic reviews and meta-analysis
• MPH5241 Introduction to occupational health and safety
• MPH5242 Psychosocial work environment
• MPH5243 Chemical and biological hazards
• MPH5244 Ergonomic and physical hazards
• MPH5248 Primary health care and global health
• MPH5249 Field methods for global health planning and evaluation
• MPH5250 Women's and children's health: A global perspective
• MPH5251 Infectious diseases and global health
• MPH5253 Public health in refugee settings
• MPH5254 Nutritional issues in developing countries
• MPH5255 Health and human rights
• MPH5256 Injury epidemiology and prevention
• MPH5258 Effective responses to HIV in developing countries
• MPH5260 Health policy and prevention in a global world
• MPH5265 Law for health systems
• MPH5266 Clinical leadership and management
• MPH5267 Principles of health care quality improvement
• MPH5268 Financial issues in health care management
• MPH5269 Foundations of health policy
• MPH5270 Advanced statistical methods for clinical research
• MPH5272 Reform and development of health services
• MPH5276 Safety management systems
• MPH5277 Data management and computing
• MPH5282 Health communication and training
• MPH5283 Ethics, good research practice and practical research skills
• MPH5285 Human factors for patient safety
• MPH5286 Applying and practicing the principles of patient safety and quality improvement
• MPH5287 Alcohol and other drugs in society: A national and global perspective

* One of these units may be taken by international students in their final semester only.

Students may exit this course early and apply to graduate with one of the following awards, provided they have satisfied the requirements for that award during their enrolment in this master's course:

• Graduate Certificate in Public Health after successful completion of 24 points of study including the requirements for Part B
• Graduate Diploma in Public Health after successful completion of 48 points of study with a minimum of 36 credit points at level 4 or above including all the requirements for Part B and an additional 24 points from Part A or Part C.

Students can choose to complete a research project or research related units and achieve a Distinction (70-79 per cent) to High Distinction (80-100 per cent) that may provide a pathway to a higher degree by research.