Graduate Diploma of Public Health
Course code W61
Public health is a broad area that's generally concerned with improving health and well-being by carrying out actions that will have an impact at a population or whole-of-community level.
Current Australian priorities for public health are to reduce health disparities between different population groups and to positively influence social, economic, physical and biological factors that play a role in determining overall health outcomes. Public health practitioners are health professionals who have the skills required to help individuals and communities to have greater control over their health and well-being, and to influence organisational and political environments in ways that lead to better health for all.
Entry requirements
ECU admission and English language requirements apply.
See Course Entry for further information.
Course code
W61
Admissions
Fees
Domestic fee paying - estimated 1st year indicative fee AUD $21,350
See Fees and Scholarships for further information.
Availability & Campus
| Semester 1 | Semester 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Joondalup | FT PT | FT PT |
| Mount Lawley | ||
| South West | ||
| Online | FT PT | FT PT |
See Course Details for further information.
Entry requirements
ECU admission and English language requirements apply.
See Course Entry for further information.
Course code
W61
CRICOS code
071517E
Fees
International students - estimated 1st year indicative fee AUD $33,200
See Fees and Scholarships for further information.
Availability & Campus
| Semester 1 | Semester 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Joondalup | FT | FT |
| Mount Lawley | ||
| South West | ||
| Online |
See Course Details for further information.
Course Entry
Admission requirements you'll need to meet for this course.
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The following course-specific admission requirements are mandatory and must be satisfied by all applicants. These requirements are in addition to or supersede the minimum requirements outlined within the Academic admission requirements band section below.
It is desirable that all applicants demonstrate their commitment to the field of public health. Evidence may include, but is not limited to: publication of written work on a public health issue in the media or in a professional publication, membership of a community or professional group dedicated to public health-related goals, volunteer or paid work experience in a community organisation that seeks to advance the interests of a disadvantaged population or equivalent.
Academic admission requirements (Band 8) may be satisfied through completion of one of the following:
- Bachelor degree in a cognate discipline; or
- Where accepted, equivalent prior learning, including at least five years relevant professional experience.
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English competency requirements may be satisfied through completion of one of the following:
- IELTS Academic Overall band minimum score of 6.5 (no individual band less than 6.0);
- Bachelor degree from a country specified on the English Proficiency Bands page;
- Successfully completed 0.375 EFTSL of study at postgraduate level or higher at an Australian higher education provider (or equivalent);
- Where accepted, equivalent prior learning, including at least five years relevant professional experience; or
- Other tests, courses or programs defined on the English Proficiency Bands page.
Course Details
Choose student typeSemester availability
Semester 1: Study full-time at Joondalup or Online
Semester 1: Study part-time at Joondalup or Online
Semester 2: Study full-time at Joondalup or Online
Semester 2: Study part-time at Joondalup or Online
Semester availability
Semester 1: Study full-time at Joondalup
Semester 2: Study full-time at Joondalup
Course Structure
Students are required to complete four core units and two core option units.
| Unit Code | Unit Title | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|
| HST5161 | Public Health: Philosophy, Principles and Practice | 20 |
| HST5120 | Epidemiology | 20 |
| RES5115 | Research Preparation: Principles and Approaches | 20 |
| HST6335 | Public Health Strategies | 20 |
| Plus two (2) units from: | ||
| HST6522 ^ | Public Health Leadership | 20 |
| HST6333 ^ | Diversity, Culture and Health | 20 |
| HST6337 ^ | Communicable Disease | 20 |
| HST6338 ^ | Law and Ethical Issues | 20 |
| HST6341 ^ | Maternal, Child and Youth Health | 20 |
| HST6350 ^ | Drug Use and Addictive Behaviours | 20 |
| HST6355 ^ | Ageing, Health and Wellbeing | 20 |
| HST6510 ^ | Public Health Planning and Evaluation | 20 |
| OHS6134 ^ | Principles of Environmental Health | 20 |
| OHS6138 ^ | Occupational Health Management | 20 |
| MAT5212 ^ | Biostatistics | 20 |
| NUT6110 ^ | Food Vision | 20 |
| NUT5116 ^ | Applied Food Science and Systems | 15 |
| or | ||
| NUT5114 ^ | Public Health Nutrition | 15 |
Note: Students can only take one unit from: NUT5116 or NUT5114
Please note: Most core option units run every year, however, some only run once every two years. Some units may also run exclusively on-campus or online. Please refer to the ECU timetable for delivery schedules.
^ Core Option
W61|7
For more detailed unit information for this course take a look at our Handbook. To organise your life for next semester visit the Semester timetable.
Student handbookCourse notes
Important course notes
Course Learning Outcomes
- Apply cognitive, technical and interpretative skills to investigate and evaluate complex psychosocial and health issues in authentic situations.
- Communicate advanced public health knowledge, concepts and ideas to a variety of audiences.
- Demonstrate high level independent judgement and management skills by planning, implementing and evaluating a substantial public health study.
Fees and Scholarships
Choose student typeAUD $21,350 *
* Domestic fee paying - estimated 1st year indicative fee
The 'Estimated 1st year indicative fee' is provided as a guide only, based on a typical enrolment of students undertaking the first year of this course. At ECU, you pay for the individual units you enrol in, not an overall course fee, so the total cost of your course will vary, depending on what units you choose. An indicative fee will be provided with your course offer, however you can use our Course Fee Calculator to estimate the actual amount you’ll need to pay. ECU fees are adjusted annually.
AUD $33,200 *
* International students - estimated 1st year indicative fee
The 'estimated 1st year indicative fee' is provided as a guide only, and has been calculated based on a typical enrolment of students undertaking the first year of this course. At ECU, you pay for each individual unit you enrol in, not an overall course fee, so the total cost of your course will vary, depending on what units you choose. An indicative fee will be provided with your course offer, however you can use our Course Fee Calculator to estimate the actual amount you’ll need to pay. ECU fees are adjusted annually.
Scholarships
ECU has a scholarship program that provides many opportunities each year to students undertaking studies here.
Find a scholarshipCareer Opportunities
Graduates would be suited to roles in the government, not-for-profit or health advocacy sectors.
Possible future job titles
Health Promotion Officer, Project Officer, Health Education Officer
Similar courses to consider
Courses you can consider if you are interested in progressing further in this area.
Student
stories
"Improving community health"
Master of Public Health student, Rena Vithiatharan, talks about studying the course with ECU. Rena discusses why she chose to study Public Health to equip her to work with communities and working with people to improve their health and their lives. Her course covers a broad spectrum of public health issues, from communicable diseases, epidemiology, aspects of leadership and strategic decision making.
Quick guide to uni-speak
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ATAR is the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank, the primary criterion for entry into most undergraduate university courses in Australia. The ATAR is a percentile score which denotes a student's ranking relative to their state-wide peers upon completion of their secondary education.
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CRICOS is the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students. A CRICOS code is allocated to education institutions (like ECU) who are approved to recruit, enrol and deliver education to overseas students. Courses with a CRICOS code are available to international students who meet the entry requirements.
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A major, or unit set, is your chosen area of in-depth study in an undergraduate course. It usually involves 8 units of study, or one-third of the units in a 3-year degree. Talk to your Student Information Office if you need help choosing a major subject.
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Minors include between 4 and 6 study units in a specific discipline. Not all courses require you to complete a minor. Your minor subject doesn't appear on your printed degree (parchment), but is part of your academic transcript.
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If you're enrolled in 3 or more units in a semester this is considered full-time study. To complete most 3-year degrees studying full-time you'll need to complete 4 units per semester, i.e. 24 units over 3 years.
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If a course is available to study part-time you can generally expect it to take twice as long to complete as it would in full-time mode. Part-time students are enrolled in 1 or 2 units maximum per semester.
Note: International students who hold a student visa can only choose the full-time study option for our courses. This is to ensure the course is completed within the duration of the student visa.
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Most courses start in Semester 1 each year, usually in the last week of February. Some courses can be started in Semester 2 (we call this mid-year). There's a week of Orientation before each semester to help you get used to uni life.
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A lot of our courses start in Semester 2 each year, usually in the last week of July. We call this mid-year. There's a week of Orientation beforehand to help you get used to uni life.
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We use a points system to make it easier for you to understand your study progress. Most Bachelors degree study units are allocated 15 credit points. If you're studying a 3-year full-time degree you'll need to successfully complete 360 credit points – that's 24 units x 15 points per unit.
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These are compulsory units you have to successfully complete as part of your course.
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An elective is a unit you choose to study that counts towards your course requirements, but isn't compulsory. For some courses we recommend elective units. In some situations, a course coordinator may approve an elective unit as a replacement for a compulsory one.
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