Master of Public Health

at University of Canberra

This degree in Public Health delivers a model of postgraduate public health training which aims to draw participants from a range of disciplines and offer a flexible program to meet the needs and interests of students. The program takes a broad ecological approach highlighting the interdependence between human health and ecosystems. As such, the program acknowledges the complexity and interrelatedness of contemporary and emerging public health concerns. The program reflects the need for an interdisciplinary public health workforce with a broad range of primary skills plus specialised skills which extend beyond the traditional biomedical boundary. As such, this will be a unique approach to public health training in Australia. The program builds on the current strengths of the University. Program Description The Master of Public Health prepares graduates to work in a wide variety of fields by drawing on a broad range of courses across public health, environmental health, land use and urban planning, sociology, community development, health management, health promotion and international development. Students may come from a range of backgrounds and the degree can be tailored to meet the interest and needs of students. This interdisciplinary degree has a focus on the ecological model of public health that emphasises and analyses the important interactions between the social, biological, economic and environmental determinants of human health in an ecological framework. The program equips students with skills and knowledge in assessment and management of health hazards and in the development of health promoting and sustaining environments and prepares students to bridge between professions to facilitate an interdisciplinary approach to contemporary public and environmental health problems. The program prepares students to undertake the core elements of public health in addition to understanding the multiple systems in which public health is central to operations.