Students are first introduced to a critical timeline of public health history and the evolution of global and national public health institutions as a stepping stone to recognising patterns of health disparities and policy-making in a variety of economic and cultural contexts. An orientation to how social and cultural determinants of health interrelate, including particular attention to the health of Australia’s First Peoples, grounds students in the fundamental factors that impact health status. By learning to identify problematic, disempowering practices in contemporary and historical public health settings, students are given the opportunity to build the skills and confidence by which to translate rhetoric into achievable, progressive public health solutions.

Students will gain an introduction to the essential principles, means and methods of measuring public health data, the ways evidence and science (of various types) can inform policy and examine sources of tension at the policy-evidence interface. Modules of health promotion, disease prevention and management, environmental issues, health securitisation and Big Data anchor students with an introduction to the breadth of skill sets and perspectives essential for careers in public health.

This is a core course for the Master of Public Health (MPH) program contributing 6 units of credit towards the total required for completion of the MPH program and is an elective in the MGH, MIDI and MHLM programs.

This course is offered in two modes: 1) either face-to-face classes on-campus for Internal students, and 2) fully online for Distance External students.

This course aims to provide you with a solid foundation in the field of public health. This foundation will form the basis for your further study in the Public Health and International Public Health programs.

Upon successful completion of this course, you should be able to:

• Understand the history of public health.
• Apply principles of public health to a range of conditions and contexts.
• Critically assess public health ideas and data.

Our approach to learning and teaching is based on adult learning principles. When you are introduced to new material it is expected that as postgraduate students you will be able to integrate prior knowledge, draw on your own experience and formulate new understandings at a theoretical and practical level. It is expected that you will engage actively with the course material, carefully reflect on the lectures and actively participate in the tutorial forums. You should receive a strong foundation in public health upon which to build your future career.

Our course participants come from diverse backgrounds, with varied forms of professional training and experience. Participants come from Australia and a number of other countries, with some students internal and others external. The design of the course aims to ensure that every student can benefit by understanding the relevance of the concepts to their own setting. In order to do this we draw on Australian and international examples wherever possible and encourage you to compare contrast systems. In particular, the course aims to give external and internal students the same challenges and opportunities, enabled by technology.

This course is designed for students studying in internal mode and external mode. External students are advised to follow the same course schedule as that being followed by internal students. There are a total of fifteen modules this term. Each module addresses different aspects of public health at a foundation level. Some of the topics you are introduced to in this course will be covered in more detail in other core courses, or may be available to you to study, in-depth, as elective courses.

Assessment Task 1 - Quiz on the history of public health
Weighting: 15%
Length: 15 questions

Assessment Task 2 -  Critical assessment of journal article
Weighting: 20%
Length: 1000 words

Assessment Task 3 - Contribution to tutorial
Weighting: 15%
Length: 200 words

Assessment Task 4 - Public Health Issues in Practice
Weighting: 50%
Length: 2500 words

Learning resources for this course consist of the following:

• Course notes and readings (posted in Moodle)
• Lectures slides (posted in Moodle)
• Lecture recordings (available in Moodle)
• Supplementary resources such as videos, podcasts (available in Moodle)