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Take the next step in your health career. Tailor your course to fit your personal career aspirations with elective subjects or a substantial research component.

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#1

in Queensland for full-time employment outcomes* *Good Universities Guides 2022, PG Health Services

#1

in Australia for median graduate salary $110,400* *Good Universities Guide 2022, PG Health Services

Five stars

for learning resources* *Good Universities Guide 2022, PG Health Services

Online: February, July
Townsville: February, July

$8,610.00⁺

$28,500.00^{^}

⁺estimated annual Commonwealth Supported Fee for a full-time study load

^{^}estimated annual tuition fee for a full-time study load

Plus Student Services and Amenities fee
Fee deferral and scholarships available if eligible

1.5 years full-time

or part-time equivalent

AQF level 7 bachelor degree in a relevant health discipline; or equivalent

72504

What to expect

Specialise in public health issues relevant to Australia, the Tropics, and to developing nations worldwide.

Draw on your knowledge of recent developments in tropical healthcare to make responsible, informed and ethical decisions. Use the knowledge and skills you acquire to effect meaningful change in public health.

View the Handbook for a detailed overview of available subjects.

Career Opportunities

JCU Master of Public Health graduates are equipped with specialist skills and are employed in a wide range of healthcare settings.

You could find employment in state and commonwealth government organisations, health care settings, community settings, non-profit and International organisations both within and beyond the health sector.

Roles can involve work that focuses on the protection of the health of the population, prevention of poor health outcomes and promotion of health and wellbeing.

You can also complete the Master of Public Health as a joint degree with the Master of Business Administration (MBA).

Handbook

Master of Public Health

Handbook year	2022
Course Code	72504
Course type	Masters Degree (Coursework) (AQF Level 9)
Owner	Division of Tropical Health and Medicine
College	Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences

Award Requirements

Admission Requirements

Course pre-requisites

Completion of an AQF level 7 bachelor degree in a relevant health discipline, from this or another university; or

Other qualifications recognised by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the Division of Tropical Health and Medicine as equivalent to the above; or

Submission, as an exceptional case, of other evidence of professional and academic attainments, including employment for a minimum of five years in health related activities.

Meeting these requirements does not guarantee selection. In assessing applications the following will be considered: prior academic performance and prior relevant work experience.

Minimum English language proficiency requirements

Applicants of non-English speaking backgrounds must meet the English language proficiency requirements of Band 2 – Schedule II of the JCU Admissions Policy.

Additional selection requirements

Information published by JCU or otherwise made available to students when applying, may specify additional criteria to be considered in ranking applicants in order of merit if the number of applications exceeds a quota or other limit on the places made available for the course. Information provided by applicants during the application process and any other information obtained by JCU in the application process may be used by JCU to rank applicants in order of merit by reference to those additional criteria.

Academic Requirements for Course Completion

Credit points

36 credit points as per course structure

Course learning outcomes

JCU graduates are committed to lifelong learning, intellectual development, and to the display of exemplary personal, professional and ethical standards. They have a sense of their place in the tropics and are charged with professional, community, and environmental responsibility. JCU graduates appreciate the need to embrace and be acquainted with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples of Australia. They are committed to reconciliation, diversity and sustainability. They exhibit a willingness to lead and to contribute to the intellectual, environmental, cultural, economic and social challenges of regional, national, and international communities of the tropics.

Upon successful completion of the Master of Public Health, graduates will be able to:

Devise appropriate strategies to detect, prevent and control communicable and non-communicable diseases ensuring safe and healthy environments for tropical, rural, remote and Indigenous communities
Critically assess, analyse and communicate public health information relevant to tropical, rural, remote and Indigenous communities
Communicate theoretical propositions, methodologies, conclusions and professional decisions through advanced literacy and numeracy skills to specialist and non-specialist audiences
Critically reflect upon the socio-ecological nature of health promotion and its application in optimising the health and wellbeing of tropical, rural, remote and Indigenous communities
Critically reflect upon and engage in professional public health practice based on ethical decision-making and an evidence based approach, including consideration of recent developments in the field
Apply advanced human, project and organisational management skills within a public health and policy context to effect efficient and equitable gains in public health
Apply knowledge of research principles and methods to plan and ethically execute a substantial research-based project, capstone experience and/or piece of scholarship.

Inherent Requirements

Inherent Requirements	Inherent requirements are the fundamental abilities, attributes, skills and behaviours needed to complete the learning outcomes of a course while preserving the academic integrity of the university’s learning, assessment and accreditation processes. Students and prospective students must be able to demonstrate that they have acquired or have the ability to acquire the inherent requirements for their degree. For more information refer to Inherent Requirements page.
Reasonable adjustments	Reasonable adjustments may be made to assist students manage additional circumstances impacting on their studies provided these do not change the academic integrity of a degree. Reasonable adjustments do not alter the need to be able to demonstrate the inherent requirements of the course.

Course Structure

CORE SUBJECTS

TM5502:03 Tropical Public Health

TM5513:03 Public Health Management, Leadership, Planning and Policy

TM5515:03 Epidemiology for Public Health

TM5516:03 Biostatistics for Public Health

TM5525:03 Communicable Disease Control

OPTIONS

Option 1 (Electives)

Select 21 credit points of specified level 5 subjects from List 1

Option 2 (Major plus Electives)

Select the Aeromedical Retrieval Major from Table A

PLUS

12 credit points of specified level 5 subjects from List 1

List 1

Projects/dissertations

TM5310:09 Dissertation 2

TM5527:03 Project

TM5549:03 Dissertation 1

TV5320:03 Applied Protocol Writing

Coursework

HS5102:03 Qualitative Research Methods for Health Professionals

HS5555:03 Infection Prevention and Control in Health Care Settings

HS5800:03 Introduction to Lifestyle (Social) Medicine

HS5801:03 Fundamentals of Health Behaviour Change

HS5802:03 Models of Care and Communication Strategies for Lifestyle Medicine

HS5803:03 Assessment and Prescription

IA5119:03 Empowerment and Change

MI5000:03 Clinical Epidemiology

PC5519:03 Pharmaceutical Regulation and Quality

PC5520:03 Pharmaceutical Public Health - Pharmacovigilance

TM5501:03 Tropical Medicine

TM5503:03 Human Parasitology

TM5506:03 Social Science in Public Health

TM5508:03 Diving and Marine Medicine

TM5510:03 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health

TM5512:03 Travel Medicine

TM5514:03 Environmental Health

TM5518:03 Medical Entomology

TM5524:03 Qualitative Research Methods for Tropical Health Practitioners

TM5526:03 Public Health Economics

TM5528:03 Health Promotion

TM5529:03 Applied Health Economics

TM5534:03 Tropical Paediatrics

TM5536:03 Public Health in Humanitarian Emergencies

TM5540:03 Public Health and the Workplace

TM5541:03 Managing Effective Health Programs

TM5547:03 Public Health Program Planning and Evaluation

TM5552:03 Global Health and Development

TM5557:03 Disaster Health Management

TM5560:03 Foundations of Aeromedical Retrieval

TM5562:03 Reproductive Health in Developing Countries

TM5563:03 Public Health Leadership and Crisis Management

TM5569:03 Health Promotion Strategies and Methods

TM5571:03 Public Health Placement

TM5573:03 Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion

TM5575:03 Substance Misuse Prevention

TM5576:03 Adult Secondary Retrievals

TM5577:03 Paediatric and Neonatal Retrievals

TM5578:03 Emerging Public Health Threats

TM5580:03 Health and Nutrition in the Tropics

TM5581:03 Expedition and Wilderness Medicine

TM5600:03 Introduction to One Health

TV5120:03 Advanced Microbiology and Immunology

TV5121:03 Infectious Diseases of Livestock

TV5130:03 Animal Parasitology

TV5230:03 Advanced Epidemiology

TABLE A (MAJORS)

Credit points in major

9 credit points

MAJOR	AVAILABLE AT	NOTES
Aeromedical Retrieval	Townsville

Location

COURSE AVAILABLE AT	NOTES
JCU Townsville
External

Candidature

Expected time to complete	1.5 years full-time or equivalent part-time
Maximum time to complete	8 years
Maximum leave of absence	3 years

Progression

Course progression requisites	Nil
Course includes mandatory professional placement(s)	No
Special assessment requirements	Nil
Professional accreditation requirements	Nil
Maximum allowed Pass Conceded (PC) grade	Nil
Supplementary exam for final subject	Not applicable

Credit

Eligibility	Students may apply for exemption for previous tertiary study where appropriate in accordance with the Credit Transfer Procedure. Credit be granted for AQF Level 8 qualifications in a cognate discipline.
Maximum allowed	18 credit points
Currency	Credit will be granted only for studies completed in the 10 years prior to the commencement of this course.
Expiry	Credit gained for any subject shall be cancelled 18 years after the date of the examination upon which the credit is based if, by then, the student has not completed this course.
Other restrictions	Nil

Award Details

Award title	MASTER OF PUBLIC HEALTH
Approved abbreviation	MPH
Inclusion of majors on testamur	Majors will appear on the testamur
Exit with lesser award	Students who exit the course prior to completion, and have completed 12 credit points of appropriate subjects, may be eligible to receive the award of Graduate Certificate of Public Health.
Course articulation	Not applicable
Special awards	Where the coursework is completed at a grade point average of 6 or above, the DVC Tropical health and Medicine, on the recommendation of the Dean of the College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, may recommend the award of a Master of Public Health with Distinction.

Fees and scholarships

Estimated annual Commonwealth Supported fee: $AUD8,610.00

Estimated annual tuition fee: $AUD28,500.00

A Student Services and Amenities fee is payable per subject up to a maximum amount per year.

A variety of Scholarships are available to suit different student types.

Pathways to JCU

Consult the admission requirements section in the Handbook for prerequisites and pathways into this course.

How to apply

Complete an online application through our Online Application Portal.

Master of Public Health applicants must also complete and upload the following forms and documentary evidence with their application:

Current AHPRA Registration (if applicable)
Degree Testamur
Curriculum Vitae
Personal Statement or Letter of Motivation.

Student

Nathan Dawes

Master of Public Health

JCU’s Public Health courses are facilitated by dedicated, experienced staff who recognise each student as an individual and with a unique set of postgraduate circumstances. A must do for any health care practitioner wishing to further themselves.
Alumni

Robbie Gillies

Master of Public Health Graduate and Young Victorian of the Year

I loved being in a new place and meeting new people from the Master of Public Health. We had amazing professors and specialists teaching us tropical medicine. All the highlights from my time there are framed by the scenery and the experience of living in beautiful Townsville.
Lecturer

Associate Professor Stephanie Topp

Global Health and Development, College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences

In Public Health and Tropical Medicine, we have an unusually broad range of subjects that allows students to tailor their Master degree to meet any one of the many options that public health graduates have. This includes aeromedical retrieval, tropical medicine, communicable disease control and humanitarian work
Employer

Barbra Kurkowski

Area Manager (Townsville), Northern Queensland Primary Health Network

I hire JCU graduates because they have a local context and knowledge of North Queensland. They have studied a comprehensive public health degree with diverse subjects, but local relevance. It’s very important for us to grow and keep skilled workforce in North Queensland.