Overview 2023
Location
- What is an ATAR
- Course rules
- CRICOS: 098199C
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For years prior to 2015, please view the Course and Unit Handbook Archive
View the current year's course page
The Master of Public Health will provide you with the tools necessary to make a difference in your community. You’ll learn to be a systems thinker and confidently navigate the research policy- practice interface. You will have the skills to design, implement, and evaluate complex evidence-based policy and practice interventions in local and global contexts.
This course will introduce you to epidemiological monitoring, health promotion, designing interventions to prevent or reduce the burden of disease and disability, health systems planning, management and evidence-based public health practice. The course also covers environmental health, non-communicable disease prevention, communicable disease epidemiology, and health economics.
The Master of Public is equally relevant to those who work within health as well as those wanting to move into the field of public health.
The duration of this course can be reduced with recognition of relevant skills and prior experience. This means you can study this degree in as little as 1.5 years.
Course objectives
In year one of the Master of Public Health, you’ll develop knowledge for a globally recognised qualification by studying topics such as global health systems, public health intervention practice, health research, and systems thinking.
In year two you’ll develop specialised knowledge in the areas of environmental health, noncommunicable disease prevention, communicable disease epidemiology, and health economics. You’ll also have the choice of completing elective coursework units, or undertaking an individual research project supervised by an expert in the field which can be a pathway for entry to a PhD.
In the final year of the Master of Public Health, you’ll be able to choose from an elective coursework or major research project pathway.
Learning Outcomes
Career outcomes
"Tasmania faces a combination of health, social, and economic challenges, and the team at the University of Tasmania is invested in – and passionate about – trying to solve these challenges and teaching the next generation of clinicians, policy professionals, and advocates."
Public health graduates play vital roles in ensuring health system resilience and reform in all countries. Graduates find employment in local, state, and national government ministries and health services, non-government health agencies, international health agencies, humanitarian organisations and universities. The many career options include:
- Health policy analyst and advisor roles leading strategy and policy development, monitoring and evaluation and health system reform
- Epidemiologists and health data analysts involved in surveillance and monitoring of infectious and non-communicable conditions and epidemiological reporting the patterns of disease
- Public health expertise within the disciplines of medicine, nursing, midwifery, and allied health
- Program managers designing, implementing, and evaluating health promotion and prevention interventions
- Emergency, disaster, and humanitarian response coordinators
- Public health academics teaching across the public health discipline and leading public health research
Professional Accreditation
The MPH curriculum is benchmarked against competency standards articulated by the Council of Public Health Institutions in Australasia (CAPHIA). There is currently no professional accreditation required for public health tertiary qualifications.
Course structure
The Master of Public Health is 200 credit points of study comprising: 62.5 credit points of core units, 87.5 credit points of choice units, and 50 credit points of pathway units.
Year 1
Core units
This unit explores the principles, theories and practice of epidemiology. Students are provided with a comprehensive introduction to the collection and interpretation of epidemiological data within the framework of health, health care delivery and human services. The unit content covers…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 1 | ||||
| Online | Semester 1 | ||||
This unit introduces the scope of public health practice in the 21st century and the social, political and economic context within which public health practitioners operate. The unit combines theoretical and practical material to assist students to understand the social…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 1 | ||||
| Hobart | Semester 2 | ||||
| Online | Semester 1 | ||||
| Online | Semester 2 | ||||
Evaluation is a core function of public health and health system leadership. It provides evidence to improve the design, delivery, reach and impact of health interventions in the many different contexts of the health system. This unit developsstudent competencies in…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 1 | ||||
| Online | Semester 1 | ||||
The aims of this unit are: to introduce fundamental concepts of biostatistics and provide a background in descriptive and analytical methods that are used to estimate association between variables. This unit covers statistical theory, data entry and manipulation methods, data…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 2 | ||||
| Online | Semester 2 | ||||
Choice Units
Globally, health systems are tasked with responding to contemporary challenges and the related disease burden and health needs of their population. This unit takes a systems approach to examine how health systems are designed, the key components, who pays, and…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 1 | ||||
| Online | Semester 1 | ||||
| Online | Semester 2 | ||||
Systems thinking is an approach to public health that allows us to understand and manage complex problems. The purpose of this unit is to introduce key systems thinking concepts and practical methods to address complexity to improve the health of…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 2 | ||||
| Online | Semester 2 | ||||
View all details for CAM530 Systems Thinking in Public Health
This unit focuses on the practical development of interventions and strategies to reduce the major risk factors for the major non communicable diseases (NCDs) such as heart and lung diseases, cancers and diabetes, including tobacco use, physical inactivity, unhealthy diet…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 1 | ||||
| Online | Semester 1 | ||||
View all details for CAM624 Non Communicable Disease Prevention
Communicable Disease Epidemiology will explore communicable diseases of humans from an epidemiological perspective. It will provide an introductory overview of the basic biological knowledge needed to understand the interactions within and between populations of microbes, human and other animals. Students…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 2 | ||||
| Online | Semester 2 | ||||
View all details for CAM626 Communicable Disease Epidemiology
This unit provides essential background on the different types of surveillance systems used in public health, and the strengths and limitations of the data held within those systems. Students will learn the skills and knowledge required to perform descriptive analyses…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online | Semester 2 | ||||
This unit provides essential background to professionals working in local, state and national settings for effective outbreak response. Students will learn the skills and knowledge required to respond to communicable disease outbreaks and other public health incidents. This includes: the…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rozelle - Sydney | Semester 1 | ||||
| Rozelle - Sydney | Semester 2 | ||||
| Online | Semester 1 | ||||
This unit will introduce the principles of economic thinking, including core economic concepts and tools that assist healthcare policy decision-making. There will be a focus on exploring the evidence base, context and economic decisions that occur within the process of…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 1 | ||||
| Online | Semester 1 | ||||
View all details for CAM638 Health Policy, Economics and Advocacy
This unit explores how historical, cultural and social elements, as well as previous and contemporary policy frameworks, shape the health and wellbeing of Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today. Cultural safety, self-determination and collaboration are central concepts within…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 1 | ||||
| Launceston | Semester 1 | ||||
| Cradle Coast | Semester 1 | ||||
| Online | Semester 1 | ||||
View all details for HGA746 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health and Wellbeing
Year 2
Core units
This unit will provide a broad understanding of current environmental health concepts. Students undertaking this course will gain insight into how our health is influenced by our environments and ecology, and the likely impacts of climate change and benefits of…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 1 | ||||
| Online | Semester 1 | ||||
Capstone Pathway Core Units
Systems thinking is an approach to public health that allows us to understand and manage complex problems. The purpose of this unit is to introduce key systems thinking concepts and practical methods to address complexity to improve the health of…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 2 | ||||
| Online | Semester 2 | ||||
View all details for CAM530 Systems Thinking in Public Health
This unit will introduce the principles of economic thinking, including core economic concepts and tools that assist healthcare policy decision-making. There will be a focus on exploring the evidence base, context and economic decisions that occur within the process of…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 1 | ||||
| Online | Semester 1 | ||||
View all details for CAM638 Health Policy, Economics and Advocacy
Students propose and complete a public health practice project through which they apply cognate discipline knowledge, problem-solving capability, and applied research skills to develop recommendations for a contemporary public health topic proposed by local partnerships. The unit is designed to…
Credit Points: 25
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 2 | ||||
| Online | Semester 2 | ||||
View all details for CAM726 Public Health: Theory to Practice
Capstone Pathway Choice Units
Globally, health systems are tasked with responding to contemporary challenges and the related disease burden and health needs of their population. This unit takes a systems approach to examine how health systems are designed, the key components, who pays, and…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 1 | ||||
| Online | Semester 1 | ||||
| Online | Semester 2 | ||||
This unit provides health and human service professionals with the opportunity to critically analyse a range of contemporary leadership frameworks and theories. There is a focus on the exploration and practical application of theories and techniques to improve understanding of…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online | Semester 1 | ||||
| Online | Semester 2 | ||||
View all details for CAM539 Leadership in Health and Human Services
This unit develops knowledge and skills relating to sustainability; land use planning including health impact assessment (HIA) and environmental impact assessment (EIA); air, water and environmental noise pollution; contaminated land; waste management; and environmental management systems (EMS). Contemporary environmental protection…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 1 | ||||
View all details for CAM544 Environmental Management and Protection
This unit develops knowledge and skills relating to toxicology, environmental health risk assessment, including core principles, frameworks and procedures for environmental health risk assessment and critical evaluation of evidence underpinning environmental health risk assessment. It also introduces risk management and…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 2 | ||||
View all details for CAM545 Environmental Health Risk Assessment and Management
This unit focuses on the practical development of interventions and strategies to reduce the major risk factors for the major non communicable diseases (NCDs) such as heart and lung diseases, cancers and diabetes, including tobacco use, physical inactivity, unhealthy diet…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 1 | ||||
| Online | Semester 1 | ||||
View all details for CAM624 Non Communicable Disease Prevention
Communicable Disease Epidemiology will explore communicable diseases of humans from an epidemiological perspective. It will provide an introductory overview of the basic biological knowledge needed to understand the interactions within and between populations of microbes, human and other animals. Students…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 2 | ||||
| Online | Semester 2 | ||||
View all details for CAM626 Communicable Disease Epidemiology
This unit provides essential background on the different types of surveillance systems used in public health, and the strengths and limitations of the data held within those systems. Students will learn the skills and knowledge required to perform descriptive analyses…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online | Semester 2 | ||||
This unit provides essential background to professionals working in local, state and national settings for effective outbreak response. Students will learn the skills and knowledge required to respond to communicable disease outbreaks and other public health incidents. This includes: the…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rozelle - Sydney | Semester 1 | ||||
| Rozelle - Sydney | Semester 2 | ||||
| Online | Semester 1 | ||||
This unit will equip students with an understanding of the research methods used in health disciplines in order to interpret published research, and design research of their own. The Unit content includes the theoretical underpinning of both qualitative and quantitative…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 2 | ||||
| Online | Semester 1 | ||||
| Online | Semester 2 | ||||
Science communication has an increasingly vital role to play in a modern, global society. The growing awareness of the threat of climate change, along with the unprecedented impact of COVID-19, has highlighted the importance of the effective communication of science.…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Term 3 | ||||
| Online | Term 3 | ||||
Qualitative Research Methods provides Honours, Masters and HDR candidates with grounding in qualitative research methodologies and associated methods. Students will develop abilities in framing research questions; developing, critiquing and applying qualitative research methodologies; defending method choice; and the practicalities of…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Spring school (extended) | ||||
Research Pathway Core Units
This unit will equip students with an understanding of the research methods used in health disciplines in order to interpret published research, and design research of their own. The Unit content includes the theoretical underpinning of both qualitative and quantitative…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 2 | ||||
| Online | Semester 1 | ||||
| Online | Semester 2 | ||||
Major Projects Part A and B are the final part of your Masters degree that provide an opportunity to undertake a substantial piece of original, independent research, building on and focussed on the topic or topics that are of particular…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 1 | ||||
| Hobart | Semester 2 | ||||
| Online | Semester 1 | ||||
| Online | Semester 2 | ||||
Major Projects Part A and B are the final part of your Masters degree that provides an opportunity to undertake a substantial piece of original, independent research, building on and focussed on the topic or topics that are of particular…
Credit Points: 25
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 1 | ||||
| Hobart | Semester 2 | ||||
| Online | Semester 1 | ||||
| Online | Semester 2 | ||||
Research Pathway Choice Units
Globally, health systems are tasked with responding to contemporary challenges and the related disease burden and health needs of their population. This unit takes a systems approach to examine how health systems are designed, the key components, who pays, and…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 1 | ||||
| Online | Semester 1 | ||||
| Online | Semester 2 | ||||
Systems thinking is an approach to public health that allows us to understand and manage complex problems. The purpose of this unit is to introduce key systems thinking concepts and practical methods to address complexity to improve the health of…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 2 | ||||
| Online | Semester 2 | ||||
View all details for CAM530 Systems Thinking in Public Health
This unit provides health and human service professionals with the opportunity to critically analyse a range of contemporary leadership frameworks and theories. There is a focus on the exploration and practical application of theories and techniques to improve understanding of…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online | Semester 1 | ||||
| Online | Semester 2 | ||||
View all details for CAM539 Leadership in Health and Human Services
This unit develops knowledge and skills relating to sustainability; land use planning including health impact assessment (HIA) and environmental impact assessment (EIA); air, water and environmental noise pollution; contaminated land; waste management; and environmental management systems (EMS). Contemporary environmental protection…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 1 | ||||
View all details for CAM544 Environmental Management and Protection
This unit develops knowledge and skills relating to toxicology, environmental health risk assessment, including core principles, frameworks and procedures for environmental health risk assessment and critical evaluation of evidence underpinning environmental health risk assessment. It also introduces risk management and…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 2 | ||||
View all details for CAM545 Environmental Health Risk Assessment and Management
This unit focuses on the practical development of interventions and strategies to reduce the major risk factors for the major non communicable diseases (NCDs) such as heart and lung diseases, cancers and diabetes, including tobacco use, physical inactivity, unhealthy diet…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 1 | ||||
| Online | Semester 1 | ||||
View all details for CAM624 Non Communicable Disease Prevention
Communicable Disease Epidemiology will explore communicable diseases of humans from an epidemiological perspective. It will provide an introductory overview of the basic biological knowledge needed to understand the interactions within and between populations of microbes, human and other animals. Students…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 2 | ||||
| Online | Semester 2 | ||||
View all details for CAM626 Communicable Disease Epidemiology
This unit provides essential background on the different types of surveillance systems used in public health, and the strengths and limitations of the data held within those systems. Students will learn the skills and knowledge required to perform descriptive analyses…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online | Semester 2 | ||||
This unit provides essential background to professionals working in local, state and national settings for effective outbreak response. Students will learn the skills and knowledge required to respond to communicable disease outbreaks and other public health incidents. This includes: the…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rozelle - Sydney | Semester 1 | ||||
| Rozelle - Sydney | Semester 2 | ||||
| Online | Semester 1 | ||||
This unit will introduce the principles of economic thinking, including core economic concepts and tools that assist healthcare policy decision-making. There will be a focus on exploring the evidence base, context and economic decisions that occur within the process of…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 1 | ||||
| Online | Semester 1 | ||||
View all details for CAM638 Health Policy, Economics and Advocacy
Science communication has an increasingly vital role to play in a modern, global society. The growing awareness of the threat of climate change, along with the unprecedented impact of COVID-19, has highlighted the importance of the effective communication of science.…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Term 3 | ||||
| Online | Term 3 | ||||
This unit explores how historical, cultural and social elements, as well as previous and contemporary policy frameworks, shape the health and wellbeing of Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today. Cultural safety, self-determination and collaboration are central concepts within…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 1 | ||||
| Launceston | Semester 1 | ||||
| Cradle Coast | Semester 1 | ||||
| Online | Semester 1 | ||||
View all details for HGA746 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health and Wellbeing
Qualitative Research Methods provides Honours, Masters and HDR candidates with grounding in qualitative research methodologies and associated methods. Students will develop abilities in framing research questions; developing, critiquing and applying qualitative research methodologies; defending method choice; and the practicalities of…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Spring school (extended) | ||||
Entry requirements
For Domestic students
Domestic Entry Requirements
Tertiary: Successful completion of an AQF 7 Bachelor degree or equivalent
Where standard entry is not able to be met the following criteria for alternative entry will be considered by the Course Coordinator:
- At least 3 years relevant work experience (Specific occupations, workplace settings and industries are more relevant for specific courses and will receive greater weighting in consideration) demonstrating the relevance of the course;
- A record of high achievement in any other qualifications or uncompleted undergraduate qualifications such as Distinction average.
For International students
International Entry Requirements
Admission to most postgraduate coursework courses at the University of Tasmania require qualifications equivalent to an Australian bachelor degree. Applicants must achieve the required grade in their qualifying studies, meet any prerequisite subjects, and meet English language requirements to be eligible for an offer.
Tertiary: Successful completion of an AQF7 Bachelor degree or equivalent in a health related field such as health sciences, medicine, nursing, dentistry, allied health, psychology, social sciences, environmental health and health services management.
English Language: IELTS 6.5 (no individual band less than 6.0)
Credit transfer
Applications for credit can be made in your course application. Find out more information about how to apply for a credit transfer/advanced standing at Recognition of Prior Learning.
Talk to us on 1300 363 864 or enquire online about your credit transfer.
Articulation
Students who complete the Graduate Certificate in Public Health (M5W) may receive full (50 cpt) credit in the Master of Public Health.
Students who complete the Graduate Diploma of Public Health (M6W) may receive full (100 cpt) credit in the Master of Public Health.
The Graduate Certificate in Public Health and Graduate Diploma of Public Health provide an exit award for the Master of Public Health.
Students who complete the Graduate Certificate in Health Protection (H5P) may receive full (50 cpt) credit into the Master of Public Health. The Graduate Certificate in Health Protection (H5P) is not an exit award for the Master of Public Health.
Students who complete the Graduate Diploma of Environmental Health (M6Q) may receive full (100 cpt) credit into the Master of Public Health through credit of units and recognition of cognate disciplinary knowledge. The Graduate Diploma of Environmental Health (M6Q) is not an exit award for the Master of Public Health.
Fees & scholarships
Domestic students
Cost shouldn’t get in the way of you studying.
If you’re a domestic postgraduate student, you might be eligible for a Commonwealth supported place in this course. This means your fees will be subsidised by the Australian Government. You’ll only need to pay the student contribution amount for each unit you study within the course.
You may also be able to defer payment of the student contribution amount by accessing a HECS-HELP loan from the Government. If eligible, you’ll only have to pay your tuition fees once you start earning above a specific amount.
Further information is available at Scholarships, fees and costs.
Student contributionStudent contribution amounts are charged for each unit of study. This means that how much you’ll pay will depend on which units you choose. Find out more about student contribution amounts.
An important note on Youth Allowance and AustudyThe Department of Social Services has approved some accredited and professionally-oriented Master courses for student payments through Youth Allowance or Austudy. This means if you enrol in one of these courses, you may be eligible for student payments. However, please be aware that this is not the case for all Master courses. Please visit our Scholarships, Fees and Costs website for further information.
Further informationDetailed fee information for domestic students is available at Scholarships, fees and costs, including additional information in relation to the compulsory Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF).
Domestic students enrolled in certain postgraduate coursework programs may not be eligible for student payments through Youth Allowance and Austudy. Visit the Department of Social Services website to find out more about eligibility for Centrelink support and the list of eligible courses
International students
2023 Total Course Fee (international students): $ 67,053 AUD *.
Course cost based on a rate of $32,950 AUD per standard, full-time year of study (100 credit points).
* Please note that this is an indicative fee only.
International students
International students are charged the Student Services and Amenities Fee but this fee is incorporated in the annual rate. International students do not have to make any additional SSAF payments.
Scholarships
For information on general scholarships available at the University of Tasmania, please visit the scholarships website.
How can we help?
Do you have any questions about choosing a course or applying? Get in touch.
- Domestic
- 1300 363 864
- International
- +61 3 6226 6200
- Course.Info@utas.edu.au
- Online
- Online enquiries