Bachelor of Public Health
Become a public health practitioner through real-world learning. Broaden your focus beyond the individual to improve the health and wellbeing of populations.
About the Course
Your public health degree applies a multidisciplinary approach, exploring areas such as health promotion, health law and ethics, human biology, epidemiology, as well as Aboriginal, national and global health issues. Throughout your degree, you’ll learn about policy development, data analysis and reporting, media and advocacy, public events, and community-based education and interventions, and how these strategies can be used to improve the health of populations.
Practical, real-world learning is at the heart of your degree. As a student, you’re encouraged to think just as a public health practitioner would. You’ll evaluate current health services, programs or policies and develop recommendations that take into account Australia’s policy environment and political landscape. In your research project, you’ll also use epidemiological data to investigate how the environment impacts health and specific population groups.
Courses within your first year will develop your foundational knowledge in core areas of public health practice. Your second year focuses on applying your knowledge to simulated real-world scenarios and case studies. In your final year, you’ll gain critical employment skills to develop your career as a leading-edge public health practitioner.
Some of the subjects you will study include:
- Evaluation of Public Health Practices
- Building Healthy Public Policy
- Science and Politics of Preventative Health
- Research Methods for Public Health
You have the option of selecting two electives and tailoring your degree to your interests – which will broaden your career prospects.
Course Entry Requirements
This UniSA Online degree is currently available for Commonwealth supported students.
Applicants are required to fulfil at least one of the following requirements with a competitive result and meet any other academic requirements for the program:
- successfully completed equivalent to a minimum of half a year of full-time study of a higher education program at a recognised higher education provider
- completed an award from a registered training organisation at Certificate IV level or above
- passed a UniSA Online literacy and numeracy test and have relevant work experience
- completed a secondary education qualification equivalent to SACE, such as an interstate year 12 or international qualification
- completed a UniSA Foundation Studies Program or equivalent
- qualified for Special Entry
Students who do not meet these criteria can start studying now by enrolling in the subjects below. Students will be eligible to apply upon successful completion of four subjects and all subjects will be credited towards the degree.
- HUMS1059 Contemporary Aboriginal Issues
- HLTH1051 First Peoples' Health
- BIOL1052 Foundations of Human Biology 1
- HLTH2034 Health Promotion
- HLTH1056 Health Systems and Services
- HLTH1057 Introduction to Public Health Practice
- HLTH1058 Research Methods for Public Health
UniSA Online offers four start dates throughout the year so you can apply as soon as you’re ready. As part of your application, UniSA Online will share information about the next available study period for this program.
Course Structure
Recommended study pattern
Note: The program structure is subject to change at any time. (Information correct as at August 2019)
Year 1
- Introduction to Public Health Practice and Research (HLTH 1057)
- Foundations of Human Biology 1 (BIOL 1052)
- Health Systems and Services (HLTH 1056)
- Foundations of Human Biology 2 (BIOL 1053)
- Contemporary Aboriginal Issues (HUMS 1059)
- First Peoples' Health (HLTH 1051)
- Research Methods for Public Health (HLTH 1058)
- Elective 1
Year 2
- Marketing for Health and Wellbeing (MARK 2037)
- Evaluation of Public Health Practices (EDUC 2080)
- Health Promotion (HLTH 2034)
- Sociological Perspectives in Public Health (HLTH 1059)
- Health Law, Ethics and Policy (HLTH 2030)
- Building Healthy Public Policy (HLTH 2043)
- Aboriginal Public Health Practice and Research (HLTH 2042)
- Fundamentals of Disease Control (HLTH 3074)
Year 3
- Epidemiological Principles and Methods (HLTH 3073)
- Elective 2
- Project Management for Health and Wellness (HLTH 3065)
- Science and Politics of Preventive Health (HLTH 2044)
- Health Practice Project 1 (HLTH 3075)
- Health and Wellbeing Practice (HLTH 3077)
- Public Health Practice Project 2 (HLTH 3076)
- Elective 3 (Advanced)
Award requirements
Students must complete 24 subjects including 3 electives.
Choose your subjects
Electives
One elective in the final year is required to be at an advanced level and must be chosen from the suggested electives list for this degree. Other electives may be chosen from the UniSA Online electives list. Course pre-requisites must be satisfied.
Supporting Dignity through Enablement - HLTH 3061
Transition to Employment - HLTH 3062
Disability and Ageing: Diversity and Discrimination - WELF 3025
Case Management for Consumer Directed Care in Disability and Aged Care - WELF 3024
Digital Mediascapes - COMM 3071
Managing Digital Media - COMM 3072
Operations Management for Business - BUSS 2079
Branding - MARK 3020
Managing Decision Making - BUSS 3095
International Management Ethics and Values - BUSS 3094
Managing the Employment Relationship - BUSS 3090
Organisational Leadership - BUSS 3096
Big Data Analytics - INFS 2039
Crime Prevention - JUST 3005
Victimology - JUST 3008
International Business Environments - BUSS 3107
Crime, Gender and Sexuality - JUST 3009
Graduates will enter the workforce with the skills to plan, implement, evaluate and monitor public health functions and activities in a variety of settings. Your public health degree opens up a wide range of employment opportunities within grass-roots community agencies, all levels of government, as well as international aid organisations such as the World Health Organisation, UNICEF, UNIAID and the Red Cross.
