Undergraduate Certificate in Public Health

The Undergraduate Certificate in Public Health requires six months of full-time study (or the equivalent part-time). The course is offered by the College of Medicine and Public Health.

The course articulates with the 108 unit Bachelor of Public Health. The course is also available as an exit award from the Bachelor of Public Health, subject to meeting the requirements in the Program of study below.

• Admission requirements
  
• Course aims
• Learning outcomes
• Program of study

Admission requirements

The minimum requirements for consideration for entry to all undergraduate courses are specified in detail in the University Entry Requirements.

Course aims

This course aims to:

• introduce students to foundational concepts and a range of approaches and perspectives to public health in the Australian and global context
• develop critical awareness of the role of power and ideology in creating and maintaining health inequities, with particular reference to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health
• develop foundational academic literacies and research skills

Learning outcomes    

On completion of this course you will be able to:

• explain the importance of public health practice and critically apply theoretical knowledge of public health in connection to health inequities
• develop foundational health research and study skills pertaining to academic writing, referencing, and evidence-based practice
• apply the principles of social justice and public health to the issues of health inequities, with a strong focus on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health
• identify and compare ways to address contemporary challenges of local, national and global significance to deliver outcomes that benefit the population

Program of study

To qualify for the Undergraduate Certificate in Public Health a student must complete 18 units, with a grade of P or NGP or better in each topic, according to the following program of study.

Core – Year 1 topics

9 units comprising:

HLTH1010 Research and Study Skills 1 (4.5 Units)
PHCA1507 Introduction to Public Health (4.5 Units)

Plus 4.5 units of topics selected from the following list:  

INDG1000 Indigenous Studies: An Introduction (4.5 Units)
SOCI2021 Race, Power and Identity (4.5 Units)

Option – Year 1 topics

Plus 4.5 units of topics selected from the following list:

INNO1001 Innovative and Creative Thinking: Recognising Opportunities (4.5 Units)
PHCA1510 Policy in a Public Health Context (4.5 Units)
PHCA1509 Health and Healthcare Equity for a Just and Sustainable World (4.5 Units)
PHCA2508 Critical Perspectives on Global Health and Development (4.5 Units)