Australian Catholic University

Australian Catholic University (ACU) is Australia’s outstanding Catholic university and a leading Catholic university in the world. Teaching and researching within the great Catholic intellectual tradition, it is national in its reach, public in its relevance and committed to the common good.The University is recognised and funded by the Australian Government and is open to students and staff of all beliefs. It has six campuses in Australia (McAuley at Banyo in Brisbane, MacKillop at North Sydney, Mount St Mary at Strathfield, Signadou at Canberra, Aquinas at Ballarat and St Patrick’s at Melbourne), and offers programs in five faculties on these campuses and overseas.

Bachelor of applied puBlic healthdouBle degrees in exercise science/puBlic health and applied puBlic health/gloBal studies also availaBle

Futurestudents@acu.edu.auwww.acu.edu.au/public-health1300 ASK ACU (1300 275 228)

for further information BrisbaneMelbourne

North SydneyStrathfield

campusoffered

CRICOS registered provider: 00004G, 00112C, 00873F, 00885BDisclaimer (April 2014): Information correct at time of printing. The University reserves the right to amend, cancel or otherwise modify the content without notice.

Bachelor of applied puBlic healthschool of allied and puBlic health

What is puBlic health?Public Health is the science of protecting and improving community and population health via education, advocacy, promotion of healthy lifestyles, and research for disease and injury prevention.

Public health professionals analyse patterns of ill-health across populations and develop strategies to improve and promote health in the community.

This work requires a sound knowledge across a range of disciplines.

Students attracted to public health are typically those with an interest in the health and well-being of communities, combined with an interest in one or more disciplines related to big picture issues such as social justice, geography, economics, statistics, law, politics and environmental sustainability.

Population Community Individual

politics

economics

ENHANCEMENT OF HEALTH

INFLUENCING CHANGE

MEASURING AND MONITORING

law

social justice

geography

environmental sustainability

Be a part of ACU’s National and International commitment to community engagement and outreach to populations in need, both in Australia and overseas. From the end of the second year of the Bachelor of Applied Public Health, students can undertake public health placements in a range of challenging and inspiring settings, informed by the work of leading ACU specialists in the fields of health, community engagement and development.

career optionsThe Council of Academic Public Health Institutions Australia (CAPHIA) has identified key areas in the Public Health sectors with workforce shortage: • program evaluation, • information and knowledge management, • epidemiology, • capacity building, • health economics, • biostatistics, • policy development and analysis, • monitoring and surveillance.

The Bachelor of Applied Public Health is very applied, providing opportunities for work placements locally, nationally and overseas. These activities reflect ACU’s focus on the Common Good and Social Justice, to develop graduates who think critically, act ethically and place humanity central to their actions. The Bachelor of Applied Public Health aims to prepare graduates for work across all sectors which have an impact on the health of populations. The degree is also an excellent platform for future specialised studies in Public Health and a career in research.

Examples of the types of work settings the course prepares graduates for:

• National and International health agencies

• State and federal government health departments

• Non-government aid and advocacy organisations (local, national, international)

Examples of the types of work the course prepares graduates for:

• Public Health Project officer

• Public Health Advocate

• Epidemiologist

• Health Educator

• Health Communications Specialist

• Academic Policy Advisor

• Legislative Policy Advisor

• Management Policy Advisor

Such work can involve a diverse range of programs including: physical activity promotion, maternal and child health, drugs and alcohol, domestic violence, refugee support, food and nutrition, poverty alleviation, homelessness, school education programs, indigenous health, community gardens, harm minimization, fertility management, health service access, soup kitchens, disaster management, personal and community hygiene.

Graduates may be interested in joining professional societies such as:

• Australian Health Promotion Association

• Australian Epidemiology Association

• Public Health Association of Australia

Risk factors

Year 1

Semester 1 Foundations of Public Health

Human Biological Science 1 Inquiry in Health care Effective Communication

Semester 2 Foundations of Health Promotion

Human Biological Science 2 Research Design and Statistics 1

Our World: Community and Vulnerability

Year 2

Semester 1 Society, Culture and Health Public Health Statistics Research Design and Statistics 2

Globalization, Environment and Health

Semester 2 Epidemiology Public Health Economics Health Care Ethics Community Engagement*

Year 3

Semester 1 Policy and Legal Frameworks to Promote Health

Understanding Self and Society

Public Health Entrepreneurship

Applied Public Health 1*

Semester 2 Communication in Public Health

Health Program Planning Public Health Responses to Complex Emergencies

Applied Public Health 2*

THE BACHELOR OF APPLIED PUBLIC HEALTH COURSE IN DETAILThis 3-year full-time course covers both the theory and practice of Public Health.

Year 1 of the program

• Students are introduced to fundamental concepts of public health and health promotion.

• Communication is a core skill of conveying information to the general public, to peers and other professional groups.

• Statistics is a basic science of public health, used to interpret scientific literature, analyse the health status of populations and evaluate public health programs.

• The Sociology theme is initiated in second semester, to understand how individuals and populations think and behave.

Year 2 of this program consolidates the introductory concepts of first year, and introduces advanced issues such as Globalisation and Economics.

• The core competency of data analysis and interpretation is developed further with a unit on Public Health Statistics

• Epidemiology is the study of patterns of disease in populations, identification of their causes, and the development of effective solutions.

• The sociology theme is continued with units on community engagement and ethics.

• Globalisation and environmental sustainability are two of the most serious issues for the future of human kind. Extensive predictions about changes in patterns of disease, food production, and water availability have important consequences for the well-being of populations into the future.

Year 3 of the program is a mix of further introduction to advanced disciplines of Public Health such as Law and Policy, combined with opportunities for hands-on experience in public health settings.

• Since only a small proportion of the health budget is spent on public health and prevention, effective public health practitioners must be entrepreneurs. This capstone unit highlights the basic skills required to achieve more with less.

• With an emphasis on work-integrated learning, there are opportunities throughout the third year of the program to undergo up to 200 hours of work experience to develop knowledge and skills related to public health practice.

• Studies in Law and Policy both provide a platform for and understanding of government instruments that can be applied to underpin systemic behaviour change in populations.

• Communication in Public Health focuses on the science of communicating health concepts and messages to populations.

• Much of public health practice involves the development of programs to change behaviour in communities and populations. Thus, program planning and program management are important applied skills.

• As the Bachelor of Applied Public Health is offered in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney, there is an option at the end of each year to transfer to one of the other campuses. *subject to approval

• From 2014 the following double degrees will be offered in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney, subject to approval:

• Bachelor of Exercise Science/Bachelor of Public Health

• Bachelor of Applied Public Health/Bachelor of Global Studies

* involves community/professional placement

Associate Professor Shawn Somerset Associate Professor of Public Health School of Allied and Public Health

T: (07) 3623 7183  or   E: shawn.somerset@acu.edu.au

pre-requisitesQld: English (4, SA)Victoria: Units 3 and 4 - a study score of at least 30 in English (ESL) or 25 in any other English.NSW: 2 units of English (any).

apply toDomestic residents should apply to the relevant Tertiary Admissions Centre.

2014 OP/Rank (Brisbane): -/66ATAR (Melbourne): 61.70ATAR (Sydney): 58.65

further opportunities for studyThere are substantial opportunities to pursue a research career in public health at ACU, through postgraduate honours, Masters and PhD degrees. During the undergraduate Applied Public Health course, students are introduced to a broad range of public health topics, any one of which they might develop a particular interest in, and wish to follow in postgraduate studies. There are a number of academics involved in public health-related research at ACU. Potential supervisors can be found by clicking on your topic of interest at the following website: www.acu.edu.au/health-sciences-research