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Specialise in public health issues relevant to tropical Australia, surrounding nations and developing countries.

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#1 in Queensland

for full-time employment 2024 Good Universities Guide, PG Health Services

#1 in Queensland

for median graduate salary 2024 Good Universities Guide, PG Health Services

A global perspective

Develop skills to take you all over the world

Online study is only available to off-shore students

Online: February, July
Townsville: February, July

$37,960.00⁺

⁺estimated annual tuition fee for a full-time study load

Plus Student Services and Amenities fee
Scholarships and financial aid available if eligible

Fees currently displayed are indicative only. 2024 fees will be uploaded by October, 2023.

1.5 years full-time

Part-time study available for online students

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

English language requirements

Band 2

If your native language is not English, you must meet the minimum English language requirements for this course.

026849C

What to expect

Pursue your passion with a Master of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, one of only two degrees of this kind offered globally.

Complete most of your studies online, and benefit from immersive learning experiences in the north of Queensland by studying elective block mode subjects that focus on tropical, rural, remote and Indigenous communities.

Develop your professional judgement and ethical decision making using evidence-based approaches. Use your knowledge and expertise in public health core competencies and tropical medicine to become an effective leader for positive change in the communities in which you work.

View the handbook for a detailed overview of available subjects.

Additional information

About JCU's Master of Public Health and Tropical Medicine

Build on your skills and experience as a health professional with one of the best MPH programs in Australia. Earn your Master of Public Health and Tropical Medicine degree (similar to a Masters Degree in Public Health) through JCU and gain a specialised understanding of the most pressing health issues in the region and throughout the world.

A World-Class Education

Take advantage of JCU's unique geographical placement and connections with private and government entities. Build a solid foundation of the skills and knowledge required to deliver programs that promote health, prevent disease and protect the health of the population. Study your way in a flexible environment that matches your needs. Equip yourself through online (external) courses or a mix of online and on-campus classes. Choose block intensives to maximize your learning while minimising disruption to your schedule.

Gain crucial experience in public health graduate programs as you work in some of the world's leading research facilities. Build your resume and practical knowledge at cutting-edge laboratories. Connect with leaders in the field to build your network of professional connections.

Learn through courses with small class sizes under lecturers committed to student success. Become a well-rounded professional with well-developed communication skills and the ability to critically analyse information.

Study JCU's MPH Programs and Become a Change-Maker

Take part in research that makes a difference. Prepare yourself to effect meaningful change in community health outcomes in rural, urban, and tropical environments. Understand the challenges facing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders as well as issues of public health management.

Learn about the unique challenges of tropical living through studies in human parasitology. Become an effective researcher skilled in identifying diseases and developing interventions. Improve the quality of life for others and learn how to best implement public health policies to stop the spread of disease.

Be a part of cutting-edge research into emerging health threats. Work to decrease health disparities for marginalised peoples. Build on your passion to make a difference with real-world skills through one of the best public health masters programs in Australia.

A Masters Degree in Public Health That Can Lead to a Successful Career

Prepare for success using applied and experiential learning to become a leader in advancing global public health. Work at home or abroad and choose your own direction in public health, laboratory research, private corporations, or academia.

Work with local governments in disaster preparedness or as a specialist in biosecurity. Advance community health by researching and implementing initiatives or working in child and maternal health in communities at risk.

Use your leadership skills as an environmental health director to oversee staff and policies in clinics or hospitals. Track down patterns of disease to prevent illness and educate others on how to stop its spread. Advocate for marginalised people and help public services understand the distinct health challenges tropical, rural and remote communities face.

Create a Brighter Future With a Master of Public Health and Tropical Medicine

Use your skills in research and your knowledge of disease and illness to make the world a better place for everyone. Boost the health of communities. Advocate for the health of those without a public voice. Go beyond just treating disease, identify the issues and work towards preventing illness and improving the quality of life in under-served communities.
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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 and Tropical Medicine.

Career Opportunities

JCU Master of Public Health and Tropical Medicine 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.

This could include working in roles related to disease control and protection of the health of the population living in tropical areas, and promotion of health and wellbeing.

Handbook

Handbook year	Information valid for students commencing in 2024.
Course code	74204
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 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

Course learning outcomes

Upon successful completion of the MPH&TM, graduates will be able to:

Integrate and apply an advanced body of theoretical and technical knowledge in the disciplines of public health and tropical medicine, with depth in epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical presentation, complications, differential diagnosis, investigation and management of tropical diseases
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
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 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

TM5501:03 Tropical Medicine

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

Select 18 credit points of specified level 5 subjects from List 1

List 1

HS5102:03 Qualitative Research Methods for Health Professionals

HS5555:03 Infection Prevention and Control in Health Care Settings

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

PC5519:03 Pharmaceutical Regulation and Quality

PC5520:03 Pharmaceutical Public Health - Pharmacovigilance

TM5310:09 Dissertation 2

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 Public Tropical Practitioners

TM5526:03 Public Health Economics

TM5527:03 Project

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

TM5549:06 Dissertation 1

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

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

TM5601:03 Qualitative Research Methods for One Health Professionals

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 may 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	A maximum of 6 credit points may be granted for other postgraduate subjects, provided those subjects have not been credited towards any other award, either at this or any other University.

Award Details

Award Title	MASTER OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND TROPICAL MEDICINE
Approved abbreviation	MPHTM
Inclusion of majors on testamur	Not applicable - this course does not have majors
Exit with lesser award	Students who exit the course prior to completion, and have completed the appropriate number of credit points and suitable subjects may be eligible for the award of either Graduate Certificate of Public Health or Graduate Diploma of Public Health and Tropical Medicine.
Course articulation	Not applicable
Special awards	Students may receive an Award of Recognition in accordance with the Recognition of Academic Excellence Procedure

Fees and scholarships

Estimated annual tuition fee: $AUD37,960.00

Course fees are charged per year of full-time study. International course fees are reviewed annually and subject to change.

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

Student Visa holders must have Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) for the duration of their Student Visa (except Norwegian, Swedish and Belgian citizens). Costs depend on the length of study and the number of dependents accompanying the student. For more information see Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC).

Scholarships and financial aid are also available for international students.

Pathways to JCU

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

How to apply

Master of Public Health and Tropical Medicine 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.

Application dates vary between courses, whether they're delivered in semester, trimester or carousel study modes. View our Application due dates page for more information.

Gather the documents you need to apply and submit an application via JCU's online application portal.

Student

Angus Lane (MBBS)

Master of Public Health and Tropical Medicine

The lecturers and academic staff are a real highlight for me. They are engaged, passionate and up-to-date on world affairs, and have always been approachable for advice, support or to further cultivate your interest in public health or tropical medicine.
Alumni

Dr Faith Alele

Master of Public Health and Tropical Medicine

I had a beautiful experience at JCU. The support was extraordinary and beyond my expectations. Now when I have the opportunity to work in the public health sector I can do things much more differently compared to when I was working without the knowledge gained in my Public Health and Tropical Medicine degree.
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