Fast Facts
Location
Commencing
- Online: February, July
- Townsville: February, July
Fees
$8,975.00+
$27,200.00^
+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
Duration
1.5 years full-time
or part-time equivalent
Entry Requirements
AQF level 7 bachelor degree in a relevant health discipline; or equivalent
Course Code
72504
Course detail
Take the next step in your health career with the Master of Public Health. Become equipped to address pressing public health issues relevant to tropical Australia and the Asia-Pacific. Gain an in-depth understanding of the urgent problems facing vulnerable communities and learn how to develop strategies to detect, prevent and control communicable and non-communicable diseases, ensuring safe and healthy environments for tropical, rural, remote and Indigenous communities.
You will study an advanced body of theoretical and technical knowledge within public health to allow you to critically reflect upon and engage in professional public health practice based on ethical decision making and an evidence-based approach relevant to contemporary priorities, biostatistics, communicable disease control and public health management.
This 1.5-year degree includes five core subjects: Tropical Public Health; Public Health Management, Leadership, Planning and Policy; Epidemiology for Public Health; Biostatistics for Public Health; and Communicable Disease Control. You can tailor this public health degree to suit your interests by choosing elective subjects that cover a broad range of topics such as infection prevention and control, human parasitology and medical entomology, social science in public health, health promotion, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health, travel medicine, environmental health, and health economics.
If you choose to and are eligible to enrol in the major in Aeromedical Retrieval, you will develop a broad understanding of the foundations of aeromedical retrieval and gain specialist skills for an exciting and rewarding career in the aeromedical retrieval area. There is also the opportunity for you to undertake a research project, conducting an in-depth investigation of an issue relevant to the public health sector and completing a high-quality dissertation.
This course is designed in accordance to the core principles of public health as defined by the Council of Academic Public Health Institutions in Australia (CAPHIA), ensuring that your knowledge and skills are aligned with industry standards.
Upon completing the Master of Public Health, you will be ready to enhance your career and undertake leadership roles in the health sector. You will be able to apply specialised human, project and organisational management skills within a public health and policy context. Your knowledge, skills and training in professional public health practice will enable you to make ethical decisions and practise with an evidence-based approach to health, informed by recent development in the field.
View the Handbook for a detailed overview of available subjects.
Aeromedical Retrieval Major
By completing the Aeromedical Retrieval major as part of your MPH at James Cook University you will develop a broad understanding of the foundations of aeromedical retrieval and gain specialist skills for an exciting and rewarding career in the aeromedical retrieval area. You will gain specific skills in pre-hospital and secondary retrieval situations in accordance with Australian and international health care standards and graduate with the expertise to manage patient transportation in fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters in both domestic and international contexts.
Additional information
Master’s Degree in Public Health
Do you care about public health? Do you want a rewarding career where you can make a real difference in the health of communities and society at large? Study for a master’s in Public Health at JCU to make yourself job-ready for the field of public health. This degree is aligned with the standards dictated by the Council of Academic Public Health Institutions in Australia and will see you fully equipped to take on the world of public health. You will learn how to address public health issues in Australia and the Asia-Pacific and can tailor the degree to suit your own goals and interests with elective courses, including a major in aeromedical retrieval. Studying at James Cook University is the best choice you can make for your future and will equip you with all the skills you need to succeed in public health.
Why Work in Public Health?
There are endless reasons why people choose to work in public health. We have recently had to discover just how important this field is, which has made many of us realise what a huge difference you can make if you choose to enter public health. Some reasons to consider a career here include:
- The demand for public health workers is growing and there are currently plenty of job opportunities in the field, which means you’d be entering a field with opportunity and job security
- You get to perform valuable work and feel self-fulfilled knowing that you’re contributing to something valuable that improves the lives and health of entire communities
- There are broad applications for public health expertise, allowing you to choose a career that aligns with your interests, whether that lies in medical, dental, social work or governmental roles
- Public health is an innovative field, so you would be at the forefront of massive technological advancements and breakthroughs
Career Opportunities
Becoming a Master of Public Health opens up many career opportunities in this rewarding field. JCU graduates are highly sought after and are well-equipped for a range of different roles. The curriculum is in accordance with the Council of Academic Public Health Institutions in Australia (CAPHIA) standards, so that your knowledge is aligned with industry standards. You can go on to work in government organisations, healthcare settings, community settings and non-profit organisations. The most relevant roles will focus on protecting the health of the population, prevention of disease and promoting health and wellbeing.
Choosing JCU to Become a Master of Public Health in QLD
If you’re looking to do an MBA in Public Health or a master’s in Public Health in Queensland, JCU is the ideal option. This master’s offers flexible study options where you can choose to study at the Townsville campus or online, full-time or part-time, and can combine your degree in public health with one in Business Administration or Global Development. You can also choose the elective subjects that best align with your interests and career goals. This is the #1 master’s degree in Public Health in Queensland for full-time employment and median graduate salary, which means JCU graduates have excellent career outcomes. Apply today through the JCU online application portal.
Hide additional information
Inherent requirements
Inherent requirements are the identified abilities, attributes, skills, and behaviours that must be demonstrated, during the learning experience, to successfully complete a course. These abilities, attributes, skills, and behaviours preserve the academic integrity of the University’s learning, assessment, and accreditation processes, and where applicable, meet the standards of a profession. For more information please review the inherent requirements for the Master of Public Health.
JCU Master of Public Health graduates are equipped with specialist public health skills and are employed in a wide range of 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) or the Master of Public Health- Master of Global Development.
Handbook year | Information valid for students commencing in 2023 |
Course Code | 72504 |
Course type | Masters Degree (Coursework) (AQF Level 9) |
Owner | Academy |
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:
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Inherent Requirements
Inherent Requirements | Inherent requirements are the identified abilities, attributes, skills, and behaviours that must be demonstrated, during the learning experience, to successfully complete a course. These abilities, attributes, skills, and behaviours preserve the academic integrity of the University's learning, assessment, and accreditation processes, and where applicable, meet the standards of a profession. For more information please visit: Postgraduate Public Health and Tropical Medicine. |
Reasonable adjustments | All JCU students have the opportunity to demonstrate, with reasonable adjustments where applicable, the inherent requirements for their course. For more information please visit: Student Disability Policy and Procedure. |
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
or
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
IA5013:03 Indigenous Australians
IA5022:03 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People as Colonial Subjects
IA5029:03 Comparative Indigenous Studies
IA5030:03 Navigating the Cultural Interface
MI5000:03 Clinical Epidemiology
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
TABLE A (MAJORS)
Credit points in major | 9 credit points |
MAJOR | AVAILABLE AT | NOTES |
JCU Townsville |
Location
COURSE AVAILABLE AT | NOTES |
JCU Townsville | |
External |
Candidature
Expected time to complete | 1.5 years full-time or part-time equivalent |
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 |
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 | Students may receive an Award of Recognition in accordance with the Recognition of Academic Excellence Procedure |
Estimated annual Commonwealth Supported fee: $AUD8,975.00
Estimated annual tuition fee: $AUD27,200.00
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.
Consult the admission requirements section in the Handbook for prerequisites and pathways into this course.
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.
Real stories
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.