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Course Overview
The Graduate Diploma of Public Health will introduce you to the social-ecological model of health that forms the basis of community-based and community-led public health. This approach reflects contemporary trends in public health and provides the basis of innovative interventions for social change. You will undertake units that outline the origins and evolution of public health and the underlying principles of community-based and community-led public health. You will explore fundamental concepts associated with these principles, including complex adaptive systems thinking, social and environmental determinants of health, social epidemiology, social justice, partnership development and participatory research. You will have the opportunity to apply these concepts in practical ways in both strengths-based and disease prevention approaches. You will have the opportunity to select two electives from a restricted set of non-public health units in order to complement your public health practice. This will allow you to develop multi- and trans-disciplinary synergies between public health and at least one other field of study.
Career Information
A Graduate Diploma of Public Health will allow you to work in community-based and community-led health services and projects for government and non-government organisations, including international humanitarian agencies.
| Duration | 1 years full-time or 2 years part-time |
|---|---|
| Credit Points that Must be Earned | 48 |
| Number of Units Required | CQUniversity uses the concept of credits to express the amount of study required for a particular course and individual units. The number of units varies between courses. Units in postgraduate courses normally consist of 6 points of credit or multiples thereof (e.g. 12, 18, 24). |
| Expected Hours of Study | One point of credit is equivalent to an expectation of approximately two hours of student work per week in a term. |
| Course Type | Postgraduate Award |
| Qualification (post nominal) | GradDipPH |
| AQF Level | Level 8: Graduate Diploma |
| Course Fees |
Indicative Year - 2026
Indicative Year - 2025
Indicative Year - 2024
Indicative Year - 2023
Indicative Year - 2022
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Admission Codes
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Domestic Students Tertiary Admission Centre Codes (TAC) Codes |
Not Applicable |
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International Students CRICOS Codes |
Units offered via MIX mode are delivered online and require compulsory attendance of site-specific learning activities such as on-campus residential schools, placements and/or work integrated learning. See Course Features tab for further information. Online units are delivered using online resources only.
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Domestic Availability
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Term 2 - 2027
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Term 1 - 2027
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Term 2 - 2025
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Term 1 - 2025
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Term 2 - 2024
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Term 1 - 2024
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Term 2 - 2023
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Term 1 - 2023
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Term 2 - 2022
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Term 1 - 2022
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Term 2 - 2021
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Term 1 - 2021
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Term 2 - 2020
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Term 1 - 2020
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Term 2 - 2019
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Term 1 - 2019
International Availability
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Term 2 - 2027
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Term 1 - 2027
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Term 2 - 2025
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Term 1 - 2025
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Term 2 - 2024
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Term 1 - 2024
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Term 2 - 2023
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Term 1 - 2023
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Term 2 - 2022
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Term 1 - 2022
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Term 2 - 2021
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Term 1 - 2021
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Term 2 - 2020
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Term 1 - 2020
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Term 2 - 2019
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Term 1 - 2019
To be eligible for entry into this course, applicants must demonstrate the following:
- A completed Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) equivalent Bachelor degree, or higher equivalent qualification; OR
- Current registration as a Registered Nurse (Division 1) with the Australian Health Practitioners Regulatory Authority (AHPRA) and a letter of employment demonstrating a minimum 3 years employment in a setting which requires the use of nursing skills*.
*Letters of employment must be presented on a company letterhead and be signed and dated by a delegated authority. Please ensure that the letter contains your full name, position title, duties performed, hours per week, and length of service.
English Language Proficiency Requirements
If you were not born in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Ireland, South Africa or United States of America, you are required to meet the English Language Proficiency requirements set by the University. Applicants are required to provide evidence of completion of:
- A secondary qualification (Year 11 and 12, or equivalent), or
- An Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) diploma level qualification, or
- Bachelor level qualification study for a period of at least 2 years full tie with a minimum overall GPA 4.0
completed within Australia, Canada, New Zealand, United Kingdom, South Africa, Ireland or United States of America, which will meet the English proficiency.
If you do not satisfy any of the above, you will need to undertake an English language proficiency test and achieve the following scores:
- An International English Language Testing System (IELTS Academic) overall band score of at least 6.0 with a minimum 5.5 in each subset; or
- Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) - Requires 550 or better overall and minimum TWE score of 4.5 (Paper Based Test), or 75 or better overall and no score less than 17 (Internet Based Test); or
- Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic) - Requires an overall score of 54 with no sub-score less than 46; or
- An Occupational English Test with Grade of C in each of the four components.
English test results remain valid for no more than two years between final examination date and the date of commencement of study, and must appear on a single result certificate.
If you are an International student, visit our International students webpage for further information.
Each student will be assessed individually.
It is recommended students have completed a health related degree.
Awards and Accreditation
| Interim Awards | CL46 - Graduate Certificate in Public Health |
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| Exit Awards | CL46 - Graduate Certificate in Public Health |
| Accreditation |
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Residential School Requirements
No Residential School for this course.
Practicum/Work Placement
| Not applicable |
Previous and Current Enrolments
| Year | Number of Students |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 3 |
| 2022 | 3 |
| 2021 | 5 |
- 1. Justify public health practice based on social and environmental determinants of health and principles of social justice, equity and equality.
- 2. Explain complex adaptive systems thinking and apply this thinking to public health practice.
- 3. Distinguish between individual, community and population scale factors and influences and make recommendations for multiscalar public health action.
- 4. Develop effective multi-disciplinary and trans-disciplinary partnerships that promote collaborative leadership and the co-generation of knowledge appropriate to community-based and community-led public health practice.
- 5. Evaluate the communication and actions of self and others through a process of deep reflexivity that analyses power, promotes respectful relationships and develops cultural competence.
- 6. Determine appropriate strengths-based and disease prevention approaches to public health practice.
- 7. Justify practice-based as well as evidence-based solutions and innovative interventions to address complex public health issues.
- 8. Formulate potential synergies between public health practice and other fields of study.
| Course Learning Outcomes | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Qualifications Framework Descriptors | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| 1. KNOWLEDGE Have advanced knowledge within a systematic and coherent body of knowledge that may include the acquisition and application of knowledge and skills in a new or existing discipline or professional area | ||||||||
| 2. SKILLS Have cognitive skills to review, analyse, consolidate and synthesise knowledge and identify and provide solutions to complex problems | ||||||||
| 3. SKILLS Have cognitive skills to think critically and to generate and evaluate complex ideas | ||||||||
| 4. SKILLS Have specialised technical and creative skills in a field of highly skilled and/or professional practice | ||||||||
| 5. SKILLS Have communication skills to demonstrate an understanding of theoretical concept | ||||||||
| 6. SKILLS Have communication skills to transfer complex knowledge and ideas to a variety of audiences | ||||||||
| 7. APPLICATION OF KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS Be able to make high level, independent judgements in a range of technical or management functions in varied specialised contexts | ||||||||
| 8. APPLICATION OF KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS Be able to initiate, plan, implement and evaluate broad functions within varied specialised technical and/or creative contexts | ||||||||
| 9. APPLICATION OF KNOWLEDGE & SKILL Be responsible and accountable for personal outputs and all aspects of the work or function of others within broad parameters | ||||||||
- Complete the core structure
- Complete electives
| Number of units: 6 | Total credit points: 36 |
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It is recommended students undertake Understanding Public Health and Systems Thinking in Public Health prior to or at the same time as other units.
The following units are compulsory:
| Available units | ||
|---|---|---|
| Students must complete the following compulsory units: | ||
| PBHL20001 | Understanding Public Health | |
| PBHL20002 | Systems Thinking in Public Health | |
| PBHL20003 | Epidemiology and Statistics | |
| PBHL20005 | Global Public Health | |
| PBHL29001 | Social Innovation and Health: Human-Centred Design Thinking | |
| PBHL29002 | Communicable Diseases | |
| Number of units: 2 | Total credit points: 12 |
|---|
Consideration should be given to the campus and term of offering.
You must complete 12 credit points from the following list.