Public health focuses on preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health. It is founded upon a multidisciplinary understanding of health that allows you to explore and examine the basis of disease and well-being by considering the vagaries of human behaviour, the physical environment, the socio-economic and cultural determinants of health, and the systems of health care management.

The Public Health major will provide a broad overview of public health and the critical issues it confronts. You will learn how to measure, plan, manage and evaluate health programs and services to prevent illness and promote good health in communities.

To establish core understanding of this field, you will examine the foundational disciplines of public health including: epidemiology, biostatistics, health systems, environmental health and social sciences.

More information about the Public Health Major.

Public health is an excellent choice if you are keen to pursue a clinical career in areas like medicine or allied health. It gives future clinicians a broad understanding of health and disease and allows you to consider the systems in which you will work. A public health major can also lead you to a career in public health, working with government, non-profit or private health based organisations. The major also provides an excellent pathway into the Masters of Public Health or you can pursue public health research via honours and postdoctoral research.