Program Requirements

The Master of Culture, Health and Medicine requires completion of 96 units, which must consist of:

96 units must come from 6000-level, 7000-level and 8000-level courses

A minimum of 48 units must come from completion of 8000-level courses

24 units from completion of introductory graduate culture, health and medicine courses from the following list:

ANTH6005 Traditional Australian Indigenous Cultures, Societies and Environment (6 units)

ANTH6009 Culture and Development (6 units)

ANTH6017 Culture, Social Justice and Aboriginal Society Today (6 units)

ANTH6025 Gender in Cross-Cultural Perspective (6 units)

ANTH6026 Medicine, Healing and the Body (6 units)

ANTH6064 Anthropology of Environmental Disasters (6 units)

ANTH6515 Crossing Borders: Migration, Identity and Livelihood (6 units)

ANTH6518 Food for Thought: Anthropological Theories of Food and Eating (6 units)

BIAN6013 Human Evolution (6 units)

BIAN6119 Nutrition, Disease and the Environment (6 units)

BIAN6120 Culture, Biology and Population Dynamics (6 units)

BIAN6512 Ancient Health and Disease (6 units)

BIOL6141 Infection and Immunity(6 units)

BIOL6144 Advanced and Applied Immunology (6 units)

BIOL6191 Biology, Society and Ethics (6 units)

CRIM6005 Alcohol, Drugs and Crime: Promoting Health and Preventing Consequences (6 units)

ENVS6013 Society and Environmental Change (6 units)

ENVS6025 Complex Environmental Problems in Action (6 units)

ENVS6108 Sustainable Development (6 units)

ENVS6306 Human Futures (6 units)

GEND6021 Trauma, Memory and Culture (6 units)

GEND6501 Posthuman Bodies (6 units)

HIST6133 Race and Racism in Western Culture, c. 1450-1950 (6 units)

LING6034 Communication in Health Care (6 units)

18 units from completion of the following compulsory courses

CHMD8004 Qualitative Methodologies for Health Research (6 units)

CHMD8009 Anthropological Approaches to Health Interventions (6 units)

CHMD8014 Perspectives on Culture, Health and Medicine (6 units)

A minimum of 30 units from completion of applied culture, health and medicine courses from any of the following lists:

Global Health and Development Focus

CHMD8006 Global Health and Development (6 units)

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

NSPO8013 Disease, Security and Biological Weapons (6 units)

PASI8004 Pacific Health Development Post-Covid (6 units)

POPH8108 Social and Cultural Determinants of Health (6 units)

POPH8918 Life Course Approaches to Human Ageing (6 units)

Health and Environment Focus

ASIA8048 Disasters and Epidemics in Asia and the Pacific (6 units)

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

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

Health Theory and Practice Focus

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

CHMD8022 Anthropology of Biomedical Technologies in Practice (6 units)

LAWS8237 Health Law and Bioethics (6 units)

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

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

Indigenous Health Focus

CHMD8021 Indigenous Medicines, Health and Healing (6 units)

INDG8001 Indigenous Peoples and Development in Australia: Principals and Practices for Indigenous-led Change (6 units)

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

General (individually designed on a case by case basis)

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

CHMD8019 Culture, Health, Medicine Internship (6 units)

24 units from completion of elective courses offered by ANU

Unless otherwise stated, a course used to satisfy the requirements of one list may not be double counted towards satisfying the requirements of another list.

Hurdle Requirements

Students must complete the Bachelor degree with a minimum GPA of 5.0 in order to commence the Master degree.

Study Options

Admission Requirements

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.

Applicants must present a Bachelor degree or international equivalent with a minimum GPA of 5.0/7.0

Cognate Disciplines

Anthropology, Archaeology, Area Studies, Biological Sciences, Education, Environmental Studies, Geography, Health Science, History, International Relations, Law, Language and Literature, Medicine, Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Pharmacy, Philosophy, Physiotherapy, Politics, Psychology, Public Health, Social Work, Sociology.

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.

Academic achievement & English language proficiency

The minimum academic requirement for full entry and enrolment is a Bachelor degree or international equivalent with a minimum GPA of 5.0/7.0.

However, 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 Requirements for Admission

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

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

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.

Application for course credits

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

Anthropology, Archaeology, Area Studies, Biological Sciences, Education, Environmental Studies, Geography, Health Science, History, International Relations, Law, Language and Literature, Medicine, Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Pharmacy, Philosophy, Physiotherapy, Politics, Psychology, Public Health, Social Work, Sociology.

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

The MCHAM may advance your career in health-related fields in development, policy and education, in government, non-government, and international organisations, and can lead to further PhD research.

Learning Outcomes

1. engage in informed debate demonstrating a critical understanding of the historical, political, institutional and cultural factors that frame health, illness and medical care;
2. synthesise research, literature and other texts from a range of disciplinary perspectives to develop insight into contemporary health and medical issues; and
3. develop a practical research plan in the fields of clinical care, public health or health promotion, incorporating a range of methodologies and theoretical perspectives.

Inherent Requirements

Information on inherent requirements is currently not available for this program

Further Information

• Interested in writing a thesis? Check out the advanced version of this degree.
• Please be aware that any courses taken as part of the 24 units from completion of elective courses offered by ANU list will not count towards the advanced degree should you decide to transfer. This is because the advanced degree has no free electives, as they are in practice replaced by a 24 unit thesis.