James Cook University

Program

Take the next step in your health career with the Master of Public Health. Become equipped to address pressing public health issues relevant to tropical Australia and the Asia-Pacific. Gain an in-depth understanding of the urgent problems facing vulnerable communities and learn how to develop strategies to detect, prevent, and control communicable and non-communicable diseases, ensuring safe and healthy environments for tropical, rural, remote, and Indigenous communities.

You’ll study an advanced body of theoretical and technical knowledge within public health to allow you to critically reflect upon and engage in professional public health practice based on ethical decision making and an evidence-based approach relevant to contemporary priorities, biostatistics, communicable disease control, and public health management.

This 1.5-year degree includes five core subjects:

• Tropical Public Health
• Public Health Management, Leadership, Planning and Policy
• Epidemiology for Public Health
• Biostatistics for Public Health
• Communicable Disease Control

You can tailor this public health degree to suit your interests by choosing elective subjects that cover a broad range of topics such as infection prevention and control, human parasitology and medical entomology, social science in public health, health promotion, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health, travel medicine, environmental health, and health economics.

Aeromedical Retrieval Major
If you choose to and are eligible to enrol in the major in Aeromedical Retrieval, you’ll develop a broad understanding of the foundations of aeromedical retrieval and gain specialist skills for an exciting and rewarding career in the aeromedical retrieval area. There is also the opportunity for you to undertake a research project, conducting an in-depth investigation of an issue relevant to the public health sector, and completing a high-quality dissertation.

By completing the aeromedical retrieval major as part of your MPH at James Cook University, you’ll develop a broad understanding of the foundations of aeromedical retrieval and gain specialist skills for an exciting and rewarding career in the aeromedical retrieval area. You’ll gain specific skills in pre-hospital and secondary retrieval situations in accordance with Australian and international health care standards and graduate with the expertise to manage patient transportation in fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters in both domestic and international contexts.

Career Opportunities
Upon completing the Master of Public Health, you will be ready to enhance your career and undertake leadership roles in the health sector. You will be able to apply specialized human, project and organizational management skills within a public health and policy context. Your knowledge, skills and training in professional public health practice will enable you to make ethical decisions and practice with an evidence-based approach to health, informed by recent development in the field.

JCU Master of Public Health graduates are equipped with specialist public health skills and are employed in a wide range of settings.

You could find employment in state and commonwealth government organizations, health care settings, community settings, non-profit and international organizations both within and beyond the health sector.

Roles can involve work that focuses on the protection of the health of the population, prevention of poor health outcomes, and promotion of health and wellbeing.

You can also complete the Master of Public Health as a joint degree with the Master of Business Administration (MBA) or the Master of Public Health – Master of Global Development. Please contact OzTREKK for more information about these options.