Program Requirements

The Master of Public Health requires the completion of 96 units, of which:

A minimum of 24 units must come from 8000- level courses

The 96 units must consist of:

24 units from completion of the following compulsory courses:

POPH8100 Fundamentals of Epidemiology (6 units)

POPH8101 Biostatistics in Population Health (6 units)

POPH8103 Introduction to Health Services Research and Policy (6 units)

POPH8108 Social and Cultural Determinants of Health (6 units)

A minimum of 12 units from completion of Public Health Topics courses from the following list:

CHMD8004 Qualitative Methodologies for Health Research (6 units)

DEMO8063 Spatial Population Data Analysis (6 units)

POPH8102 Global Population Health (6 units)

POPH6115 Health Promotion and Protection (6 units)

POPH8318 Human Health, Environment and Climate Change (6 units)

POPH8918 Life Course Approaches to Human Ageing (6 units)

POPM8001 Research, Treatment, Policy: Current Issues in Mental Health (6 units)

A minimum of 12 units from completion of integrative courses from the following list:

POPH8313 Analysis of Public Health Data (6 units)

POPH8315 Research Design and Methods (6 units)

POPH8316 Outbreak Investigation (6 units)

POPH8317 Public Health Surveillance (6 units)

SOCR8003 Qualitative Research Analysis (6 units)

A maximum of 24 units from completion of Public Health Electives courses from the following list:

BIOL8021 Health and Disease in a Changing World (6 units)

CHMD8001 Directed Readings in Culture, Health and Medicine (6 units)

CHMD8005 Representing Medicine: Performance, Drama and Identity (6 units)

CHMD8006 Global Health and Development (6 units)

CHMD8009 Anthropological Approaches to Health Interventions (6 units)

CHMD8011 Refugee Health: From Displacement to Resettlement (6 units)

CHMD8019 Culture, Health and Medicine Internship (6 units)

DEMO8008 Principles of Population Analysis (6 units)

DEMO8048 Gender and Population (6 units)

HIST6112 Plagues, Pandemics and Public Health in History (6 units)

IDEC8007 Aid and Development Policy (6 units)

INDG8001 Indigenous Peoples and Development in Australia: principles and practices for Indigenous-led change (6 units)

INDG8003 Understanding Indigenous Wellbeing: Demographic and Socioeconomic Change (6 units)

INDG8004 Australian Indigenous Policy (6 units)

LAWS8237 Health Law and Bioethics (6 units)

LING6034 Communication in Health Care (6 units)

NSPO8013 Disease, Security and Biological Weapons (6 units)

24 units from completion of further courses from any of the following lists:

Public Health Topics

ANU Electives

Capstone Courses

Study Options

Admission Requirements

Applicants must present the following:

• A Bachelor degree or international equivalent with a minimum GPA of 5.0/7.0

The GPA for a Bachelor program will be calculated from (i) a completed Bachelor degree using all grades and/or (ii) a completed Bachelor degree using all grades other than those from the last semester (or equivalent study period) of the Bachelor degree. The higher of the two calculations will be used as the basis for admission.

Ranking and English language proficiency: At a minimum, all applicants must meet program-specific academic/non-academic requirements, and English language requirements. Admission to most ANU programs is on a competitive basis. Therefore, meeting all admission requirements does not automatically guarantee entry. In line with the University's admissions policy and strategic plan, an assessment for admission may include competitively ranking applicants on the basis of specific academic achievement, English language proficiency and diversity factors. Applicants will first be ranked on a GPA ('GPA1') that is calculated using all but the last semester (or equivalent) of the Bachelor degree used for admission purposes. If required, ranking may further be confirmed on the basis of:

• a GPA ('GPA2') calculated on the penultimate and antepenultimate semesters (or equivalent) of the Bachelor degree used for admission purposes; and/or
• demonstrating higher-level English language proficiency

Prior to enrolment in this ANU program, all students who gain entry will have their Bachelor degree reassessed, to confirm minimum requirements were met.

Further information: English language admission requirements and post-admission support

Diversity factors: As Australia’s national university, ANU is global representative of Australian research and education. ANU endeavours to recruit and maintain a diverse and deliberate student cohort representative not only of Australia, but the world. In order to achieve these outcomes, competitive ranking of applicants may be adjusted to ensure access to ANU is a reality for brilliant students from countries across the globe.

Assessment of qualifications: Unless otherwise indicated, ANU will accept all Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) qualifications or international equivalents that meet or exceed the published admission requirements of our programs, provided all other admission requirements are also met.

Where an applicant has more than one completed tertiary qualification, ANU will base assessment on the qualification that best meets the admission requirements for the program. Find out more about the Australian Qualifications Framework: www.aqf.edu.au.

Unless otherwise indicated, where an applicant has more than one completed tertiary qualification, ANU will calculate the GPA for each qualification separately. ANU will base assessment on the best GPA of all completed tertiary qualifications of the same level or higher.

ANU uses a 7-point Grade Point Average (GPA) scale. All qualifications submitted for admission at ANU will be converted to this common scale, which will determine if an applicant meets our published admission requirements. Find out more about how a 7-point GPA is calculated for Australian universities: www.uac.edu.au/future-applicants/admission-criteria/tertiary-qualifications.

Credit Granted

Applicants with a Bachelor Degree or Graduate Certificate in a cognate discipline may be eligible for up to 24 units (one semester) of credit. 

Applicants with a Graduate Diploma or Bachelor degree with Honours in a cognate discipline may be eligible for up to 48 units (one year) of credit.

Cognate Disciplines

Psychology, Medicine, Veterinary Science, Biology, Medical or Allied Health Sciences, Anthropology and Indigenous studies, Political Science, Policy Studies, Studies in Human Society

Fee Information

All students are required to pay the Services and amenities fee (SA Fee)

The annual indicative fee provides an estimate of the program tuition fees for international students and domestic students (where applicable). The annual indicative fee for a program is based on the standard full-time enrolment load of 48 units per year (unless the program duration is less than 48 units). Fees for courses vary by discipline meaning that the fees for a program can vary depending on the courses selected. Course fees are reviewed on an annual basis and typically will increase from year to year. The tuition fees payable are dependent on the year of commencement and the courses selected and are subject to increase during the period of study.

For further information on Fees and Payment please see: https://www.anu.edu.au/students/program-administration/fees-payments

Scholarships

ANU offers a wide range of scholarships to students to assist with the cost of their studies.

Eligibility to apply for ANU scholarships varies depending on the specifics of the scholarship and can be categorised by the type of student you are.  Specific scholarship application process information is included in the relevant scholarship listing.

For further information see the Scholarships website.

Employment Opportunities

Kick-start your rewarding career in public health. 

The Master of Public Health is designed for health professionals seeking a qualification to equip them for management; graduates wanting a qualification in public health practice; and health administrators and policy workers needing a qualification to assist their career. 

Master of Public Health graduates can use the program as a stepping stone into global health or medicine, including with the World Health Organisation. Some choose to specialise as epidemiologists.

Learning Outcomes

1. Explain and apply an understanding of the socioeconomic, behavioural, biological, and societal determinants of health and disease.

2. Understand the factors affecting the aetiology, incidence, and prevalence of major health problems in populations.

3. Understand the factors affecting the need, demand, and use of health care and public health services.

4. Critically read and evaluate quantitative and qualitative research findings contained in medical, public health and social science journals.
5. Apply analytic tools to defining and describing public health problems.
6. Demonstrate creativity, inquisitiveness, and evidence-based rigour in the application of public health problem-solving skills.
7. Communicate effectively and persuasively, both orally and in writing.
8. Integrate knowledge and research methods skills to address a research question.

Inherent Requirements

Information on inherent requirements is currently not available for this program.

Further Information

With the approval of the MPH Program Convenor, other electives may be chosen from postgraduate courses offered across ANU and other recognised universities; for example, see courses listed under the Master of Culture, Health and Medicine Program , Master of Public Policy and Master of Environment . Relevant courses offered by the International Alliance of Research Universities (IARU) may also be selected. SOCR8003 Qualitative Research Analysis is also a recommended elective.

For more information, please also visit: http://rsph.anu.edu.au/master-public-health

Mode of delivery:

This Masters degree can be completed fully in person, fully online or as a combination of online and in person courses (multimodal). International students should note and abide by any conditions of their visa when enrolling. All students wishing to do this Masters degree in online mode only should indicate this when applying for admission and should select courses that are scheduled for online delivery mode.

Potential pathway to Masters (Advanced):

Students who are admitted to the Master of Public Health can explore the option of undertaking a signficant research component. Please discuss this with the program convener after completion of the first 24 units of study at the Master level. Students have the option of applying to transfer to the Master of Public Health (Adv) and undertaking a 24 unit research project if they satisfy the following requirements:

• have completed compulsory courses in the first 48 units of coursework in the Master of Public Health (Adv),
• achieve a minimum 70% weighted average mark in the initial 48 units of coursework,
• have the approval of an identified supervisor, and
• meet the published admission requirements for the Master of Public Health (Adv).

Vertical Double Degree pathway UGRD-PGRD:

Students who are interested in pursuing a Vertical Double Degree pathway with this program, are advised to contact the College of Science Student Administration Office at science.enquiries@anu.edu.au and seek academic advice. Students who are already in an undergraduate degree offered by the College of Science or College of Health & Medicine should seek academic advice before completion of the first 72 units of their undergraduate studies.

This pathway is not available to students in an undergraduate Flexible Double Degree.

Exit pathways:

Students who have completed 48 units and wish to exit the program have the option of transferring to graduate from a Graduate Diploma of Science.

Students who have completed 24 units and wish to exit the program have the option of transferring to graduate from a Graduate Certificate of Science.

Courses offered by the College of Science and College of Health and Medicine:

An indicative list of courses offered by the College of Science and the College of Health and Medicine can be found under current students page on the College website via this link.