Bachelor of Applied Public Health

Within this introductory course, students will learn the principles and practice of public health and improving the health of populations. Students will learn various functions and definitions of public health, the historical origins of public health and its evolution as a discipline. Students will learn relevant key principles associated with public health: ecological, human rights-based approach to health, social determinants approach; ‘new public health; the role and function of government in the administration of public health; public health service models, including comprehensive and selective primary health care. They will consider different understandings of health and illness, including professional, lay and Australian Indigenous definitions.

This subject introduces students to population health patterns, epidemiology, social determinants of health, and health systems and political policies in a manner that allows them to ask questions of data, ethical issues with data, draw out points of significance, and present data in different ways to different audiences. An inquiry-based approach to learning underpins this subject.

Further developing students’ understanding and manipulation of epidemiological data sets, this course focuses on modifiable risk factors and behaviour, taking a case based approach to learning, exploring current and past public health issues, evaluating different approaches to their control and prevention.

This course challenges students to make an impact and introduces students to being change agents, teaching them how to recognise health needs in a community and equipping them with the skills they need to communicate to a wide variety of audiences, preparing them to engage with communities to promote health and engage in health advocacy with intersectoral stakeholders and influencers. Special populations and social determinants of health focus strongly in this course, and students consider how to engage with different communities, and the formation of partnerships with other sectors.

Focusing on environmental influences on health, this course introduces students to the role of environmental risk factors and determinants of disease in illness and injury. Students will understand the regulatory influences on environmental risk factors and environmental influences on health, analyse risk factors and identify vulnerable populations, and strategise interventions using real-world scenarios.

This course draws together all the strands of knowledge and skill to date and positions the students with an external body that needs to write a grant for external funding for a public health initiative. Students will learn the project management skills associated with grant writing, hone their writing skills for a particular audience and further develop their expertise in data presentation.

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This second capstone option gives students the opportunity to plan a health promotion campaign for a special population of their choice. The course accentuates their cultural sensitivity, critical evaluation skills, and systems thinking as they plan a campaign to hit different elements of a system to achieve a common goal.

Health Policy, Planning and Management builds on foundational knowledge of the Australian Healthcare System, Australian legislative and policy frameworks and standards. Students examine the role of Government, health organisations and public health practitioners/specialists in the formation of policy in public health. This subject also explores the role of managers in health organisations in project management and the skills required to manage projects including preparing grant applications, managing relationships with stakeholders, and managing meetings. The management of health programs and projects at all stages including planning, design, implementation and evaluation is covered.

This subject gives students an overview of the methods used in social science research. It examines the models and techniques of social research across quantitative and qualitative methods, including surveys and sampling, questionnaires, focus groups, structured, semi-structured and unstructured interviews. It asks, what is the research basis of knowledge and how do we know what we know? It prepares students for understanding the nature of the research process, through direct application of basic interview technique, transcription and first level analysis. Students learn to reflect on their findings and the process involved for conducting social research through their experience of interviewing using techniques such as unstructured, semi-structured and structured interviews, and through a scholarly analysis of literature on research methods.

Human Nutrition 1 (NUTR2001A) provides a detailed and in-depth study of the macronutrients, protein, carbohydrates and lipids, as well as the water soluble vitamins and how these relate to human metabolism. Each individual macronutrient and water soluble vitamin is studied in regards to their composition, biological function, dietary sources, recommended daily intake, factors contributing to excess states, and states of insufficiency and deficiency; and signs and symptoms associated with nutrient imbalances found in individuals and populations. Students will investigate how the management of these nutrients contribute to the public health agenda.

Human Nutrition 2 (NUTR2002A) provides a detailed and in-depth study of the micronutrients and how these relate to human metabolism. This subject provides students with underpinning knowledge about the correlation that exists between micronutrients and human physiology. Each micronutrient’s structure, biological function, dietary sources, recommended daily intake and therapeutic dose is studied. This subject also covers the factors contributing to, and symptoms associated with, states of excess, insufficiency and deficiency found in individuals and populations. The role of nutrition and lifestyle factors in the development of chronic disease is examined. Furthermore, students will be introduced to the concepts of genetically engineered food. They will discover how food-borne illnesses can be prevented and identify environmental contaminants in the food supply. This subject also explores the current scientific literature, enabling students to determine the appropriate use of dietary supplementation.

Lifespan Nutrition (NUTR2005A) examines the range of nutritional requirements that impact populations, communities and individuals at particular life stages including pre-conception, pregnancy, during lactation, early childhood, adolescence, adulthood and ageing populations, as well as the specific issues affecting Indigenous communities, sports people and other at risk populations. This subject provides an overview of dietary patterns and eating habits by age group and dietary recommendations for optimal nutrition to maintain wellbeing at each life stage.

In this subject, students will analyse the relationship between diet and chronic disease, with a focus on major non-communicable diseases and their impact on vulnerable populations. Students will explore the determinants of population nutrition health problems and the role of nutritional interventions and preventative strategies and how these impact on communities and global health outcomes. Major non-communicable health conditions including obesity, cancer, mental health issues, Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, musculoskeletal conditions, pulmonary disease and chronic kidney disease will be examined.

This subject provides students with fundamental nutrition knowledge through examining the relationship between food, nutrition and human health. Students will learn about macro and micro-nutrition, dietary guidelines, role of nutrition in metabolism, health maintenance and disease, nutrient rich food sources, and the specific nutritional requirements throughout the lifespan. Students will also learn how to identify and construct a healthy diet according to specific dietary guidelines, and know the impact of nutritional deficiency and excess as they relate to health and disease.

This is a core unit for the Counselling and Community Services majors.

This subject provides the context for understanding health and well-being in Australia. It begins by exploring the critical perspectives associated with defining health and well-being, and what impacts these definitions have on various sections of the community, especially those considered most marginal. Health policies, perceptions and promotional activities are analysed as to their impact on health equity and access to services and resources for various sections of the population. The health of individuals, community and society is also discussed in terms of the workplace, the environment and the proximity to service centres such as cities and towns. Students learn about current debates and the impact of service-users, consumer advocates and worker responses. International policies and research will inform many of the discussions.

This is a core unit for the Community Services major.

This subject helps students develop an understanding of diversity in Australia and examines the evolution of multiculturalism since colonization. Students develop the skills for working effectively with diverse client groups such as Indigenous Australians, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds including migrants and refugees, and a variety of other minority groups. Drawing on case studies and experienced guest lecturers from the field, the subject examines community welfare in practice, including how various government and non-government agencies respond to issues of difference and social disadvantage through community development interventions. The various concepts of citizen, consumer, service user, client and consultant are examined to understand how different agencies define the rights and responsibilities of people accessing services.

With the growth in the ageing population, there has been a significant increase in the number of people living with a chronic illness and/or disability. This subject adopts a critical sociology approach for understanding chronic illness and disability, with a focus on both the dominant discourses and subjective experiences. The subject includes an overview of what is meant by chronic illness and disability, and of the disciplinary discourses that construct both the conditions and the people ‘affected’ by them. Also covered are the different support needs and the challenges to meeting these, with an emphasis on socio-cultural and structural factors that exist in the contemporary Australian context, and the complex inter-relationships between discourses, structural challenges and subjective experience. Important theoretical paradigms and methodological perspectives in the social sciences will be used to examine a range of topics including: the discursive construction of chronic illness and disability, the subjective experience of living with these, patient/client and professional relationships, notions of risk, the medicalization of everyday life, and the values and norms that are inscribed in the body. Students are introduced to notions of embodiment through narratives of illness, disability, and ageing.

This subject introduces students to the theory, principles and skills of community development practice as a way of building capacity in community groups over the long term. The philosophical basis of community development as a method of social change and social action through building consensus, participation, advocacy and democracy are examined. Examples of innovative community development programs in public housing, Indigenous communities, disadvantaged areas and cultural communities are an important part of this subject, and guest lecturers from the field will provide practical examples of community development. In acknowledging the diversities and differences within communities, students consider the possibilities for collaboration, advocacy and strategic community planning in initiating action and change.

This is a core unit in all the Applied Social Science courses. This subject explores aspects of counselling as a form of interpersonal communication and considers the role of self and culture, as well as important relational skills such as perception, listening and reflection. Students learn about different modes of interpersonal communication including verbal, nonverbal, written and oral, as well as the barriers to effective communication and approaches for overcoming them. The subject also examines how different types of relationships (family, work, personal, and social groups) can be enhanced through effective communication. An informed awareness of power and rank is discussed.

In this subject students are introduced to influential counselling theories, including Psychoanalytic and Psychodynamic theories, Person-centred Therapy, Existential Therapy, Gestalt Therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Family Therapy, Feminist Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy and Narrative Therapy. The subject utilises a range of experiential learning strategies including skills modelling and case studies, and introduces students to the counselling interventions used for each of these models. Such understanding is further developed in COU104A Applied Counselling 1, where students have the opportunity to observe and practise some of the therapeutic interventions used within these modalities.

This is a core unit in all the Applied Social Science courses.

In this subject, students are introduced to the core skills for counselling and change work, with specific reference to working with adults. The subject provides students with an opportunity to develop their counselling skills in an interactive and supportive learning environment with feedback from others, and to begin considering their preferred counselling style. The interrelationships between counselling theories and models and skills are explored. This subject also focuses on the research into counselling outcomes and effective change processes.

This subject introduces the basic concepts and terminologies required to understand the fundamental structure and function of the human body. The interaction between the structural anatomy of the human body and key body systems, including the musculoskeletal, respiratory, cardiovascular, digestive and endocrine systems that maintain homeostasis is explored. In addition, this subject covers the common disease process that commonly effect the major systems of the body.

The subject covers the principles of social, emotional and psychological health as they relate to health behaviours. Students will analyse the role of capacity building and the promotion of wellbeing through mindfulness, positive behavioural change and resilience.

Research shows that non-communicable diseases have clear links to sedentary behaviours associated with unhealthy lifestyles, and adverse social and physical environments. This subject develops understanding of the determinants of physical activity and exercise, with students learning to apply evidence based guidelines for physical activity and leisure programs as a strategy for health maintenance and the prevention of chronic disease.

The problem of falls is a significant global issue and can result in injury, hospitalisation, loss of independence, social isolation, depression, poor health status, institutionalism and death. The World Health Organisation identify falls as occurring as a result of complex interrelationships between biological, behavioural, environmental and socioeconomic risk factors. With the predicted costs of falls expected to increase exponentially as our population ages there is a need for effective preventive strategies such as active ageing programs. This subject examines these complexities of ageing, where students will learn to assess falls risk and develop effective prevention strategies that promote wellbeing in ageing populations.

The occupational environment plays an import role in combating or promoting the rise of chronic disease and disability. This environment has the capacity to affect the physical, psychological, economic and social well-being of workers’ and thus, proper attention to workers’ health offers vast opportunities for workers and employers alike. In this subject students will explore evidence linking worker health and wellbeing to organizational health and business performance. Specific analysis for business needed will be considered, with practical interventions designed to education and enhance the occupational environment.

This subject introduces the concept of digital fluency in a higher educational context. Students will study the relevant resources and explore strategies and techniques to allow full participation in their new academic environment. The subject will embrace research skills and deploy technology to develop the knowledge, ethical frameworks and self-confidence needed to participate fully in contemporary culture. The subject introduces the proficiencies for integrating knowledge from multiple sources, for thinking critically about widely available information, and for participating collaboratively in the communication that information technologies enable.

Public health officials use quantitative research methods to describe health issues in populations and sub-populations, examine the extent and impact of a public health problem, and to evaluate the outcome of a health intervention. Students in this course will learn survey design and how to apply and interpret statistical data in a public health setting. The course covers use of descriptive methodologies, statistical inference and probability, analysis of variance, simple and linear regression, and survival analysis. Students in this course will use a statistical package such as SPSS. No prior knowledge of statistics is assumed.

Public health officials use qualitative research methods to probe the social aspects of public health such as people’s experience of health and public health interventions or their interaction with health systems. Qualitative methods may be used for explorative research, to illuminate the findings of quantitative research or for program evaluation purposes. Students in this course will be introduced to the theoretical basis for qualitative research, methodology and methods. This includes case studies, ethnographic approaches, observation, interviews, focus groups and participative action research. Methods to ensure rigour in qualitative research, such as triangulation will be considered. Steps such as coding, theming, and analysis of qualitative research will be explored. Students in this course will have the opportunity to conduct a project using qualitative methods.

Students will undertake an industry placement to be arranged with a partner organisation. Projects will focus one of the following areas: 1) a critique of current practice (based upon health promotion frameworks or relevant theory) and development of alternatives; 2) undertaking a literature review on a given area and providing critical analysis; or, 3) developing a policy briefing and recommendations on a topic selected by the host organisation. The time commitment will be equivalent to one day per week over the trimester. Assessment will include a report from the host organisation, as well as a written report and oral presentation by the student.

Gain an understanding of the sociology of food, nutrition and health. Students will explore the relationships between human behaviour and dietary intake from a public health perspective. Students will be engaged in community-based research, to identify a public health issue which is prevalent in their community society.

Public health professionals take a systems or ecological approach whereby health is seen as the result of an interrelationship between biological, psychological, familial, social, economic and political factors. Political, economic and social conditions are considered major determinants of health. This course considers inequitable patterns of health and illness across the community, and the underlying determinants of these patterns. Students will learn to identify the main social determinants of health including those for Indigenous Australians, and how they impact upon health. These include the social gradient of health, gender, child development, social exclusion, work conditions, social support, housing, education, culture/racism and access to health care. Students will develop an understanding of cultural competency and cultural safety. The need to consider the impact of policies in other sectors upon health and inter-sectoral collaboration strategies are explored.

A knowledge and understanding of the Australian health care system and how it compares with the organisation of health care in other countries is fundamental for the public health professional. In this course students learn about the key building blocks of a health care system, including health service delivery, health workforce, health information, medicines, vaccines and technologies, health financing and governance (including community involvement). Students learn about the Australian health care system and health care financing in a global context including an overview of the principles of universal health coverage, mechanisms of health care reimbursement (both private and public) in Australia, principles of health economics and health outcomes (measuring health and wellbeing). Students learn about health system integration across levels of the health sector (primary, secondary and tertiary care services). Health workforce issues are also be covered as health systems need to balance human resources, physical capital and consumables in order to function equitably and efficiently.

Relevant, accessible, effective and equitable health programs that consistently deliver high quality outcomes are the cornerstone of community nutrition and public health service delivery. Program development and implementation skills covered in this subject include needs assessment, setting health priorities, development of program objectives, conducting a risk analysis and consulting with relevant stakeholders and developing options, monitoring implementation, financial management and working to deadlines. This subject also provides an introduction to evaluating public health programs, including formative, process, outcome, and impact evaluations. Students in this subject will be required to conduct a needs assessment and prioritise findings, and develop an evaluation plan.

In this course, students learn about the impact of globalisation upon health and the relationship between global health, foreign policy, trade, security, aid and development. They consider the relationship between human rights and health in a global context. They learn about key global health institutions including the World Health Organisation, global health governance, funding and diplomacy, and international treaties for health. Case studies within global health diplomacy and international health are used within this course.

Mental health problems and disorders contribute significantly to the burden of disease; unipolar depression is now the second leading cause of disability worldwide. Mental health disorders and problems with alcohol and other drugs are closely intertwined and linked to the social determinants of health such as gendered violence. In this course, students will learn about the main types of mental health and AOD issues and their prevalence, comorbidity between mental health and alcohol and other drugs, Australia’s mental health policy and service system and AOD policies. Students will learn how to analyse data on mental health and AOD, health promotion and prevention for mental health problems and AOD, socio-economic determinants of mental health and AOD and the association between mental health, AOD and family and interpersonal violence. Students will also learn about the strong relationship between mental health and physical health.

Changing demographics including the ageing of the population has major implications for the planning and delivery of public health and health care services. This course considers the way in which mental and physical health issues change over the lifespan, and according to health determinants such as one’s gender and culture. Students in this course will learn about maternal child health, the in utero environment, child development issues, adolescent health, the development of chronic conditions in adult life, carer roles and health, issues for women in the middle years and health issues facing older people, including disability and dementia. Students will learn about health promotion needs and opportunities across the lifespan and measuring mental and physical health across the lifespan.