Highlights

  • Ideal for career change, professional advancement, and clinicians looking to expand their skills.
  • Specialise in emergency and disaster management, health promotion, health services management, epidemiology and research methods, or health, safety and environment.
  • Graduate with an internationally recognised qualification.
  • Choose to combine your coursework with a project or dissertation.
  • Complete in 2 years full-time or 4 years part-time. Applicants with a bachelor degree in a health-related area may be eligible for 48 credit points of advanced standing on entry to the course. This will reduce the course duration to 1.5 years full-time or 3 years part-time.

Highlights

  • Ideal for career change, professional advancement, and clinicians looking to expand their skills.
  • Specialise in emergency and disaster management, health promotion, health services management, epidemiology and research methods, or health, safety and environment.
  • Graduate with an internationally recognised qualification.
  • Choose to combine your coursework with a project or dissertation.

Applications are open for 2025

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Mark your calendar, as the on-time application closing date for the upcoming semester is fast approaching.

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Explore this course

What to expect

Public health professionals promote population health and wellbeing in service areas such as food safety, disease control, prevention programs, health promotion and environmental health.

Our public health programs are designed for professionals interested in a career in public health, mid-career professionals seeking advancement and clinicians looking to broaden their range of expertise.

Students in this program obtain core skills in epidemiology and biostatistics, and an understanding of contemporary and challenging population health issues. You may choose to major in emergency and disaster management; epidemiology and research methods; health promotion; health, safety and environment; or select units from across the major study areas.

Public health professionals promote population health and wellbeing in service areas such as food safety, disease control, prevention programs, health promotion and environmental health.

Our public health programs are designed for professionals interested in a career in public health, mid-career professionals seeking advancement and clinicians looking to broaden their range of expertise.

Students in this program obtain core skills in epidemiology and biostatistics, and an understanding of contemporary and challenging population health issues. You may choose to major in emergency and disaster management; epidemiology and research methods; health promotion; or select units from across the major study areas.

Careers and outcomes

Careers and outcomes

Health promotion is focused on developing policy, programs and strategies that will foster and encourage healthy, equitable and sustainable environments and communities. To achieve this, a health promotion practitioner is required to work with a diverse range of individuals, community groups and representatives. In addition to developing population and community programs, interventions can also be implemented in specific settings such as schools, workplaces and hospitals. Currently, a key focus is the development of effective programs that address a number of national and state health priority areas including physical activity, alcohol, tobacco and other drugs, mental health promotion, injury prevention and skin cancer prevention. An integral component to being an effective health promotion practitioner is to be involved in the facilitation and development of effective partnerships with government and non-government agencies to collaboratively address health issues and work towards positive health outcomes.

Some of the tasks a health promotion practitioner may perform include:

  • planning, implementing and evaluating health promotion programs
  • informing and working collaboratively with other health professionals on population health issues
  • designing, developing and implementing public information campaigns using radio, television, newspapers, pamphlets, posters and websites.

With experience, health promotion practitioners can progress into supervisory and managerial positions.

Graduates may find employment in the public sector in local, state and federal government health departments or in local community agencies such areas as community health, and primary health care. Organisations like the National Heart Foundation, Diabetes Australia, and The Cancer Council provide employment opportunities.

Health promotion and public health positions are also available in a variety of professional workplaces including the police force, local councils and in private industry (e.g. medical insurance companies, corporate health companies, and health promotion consultants).

For those interested in social welfare, graduates have been employed in government departments and international health aid organisations such as World Health Organisation and the Australian Agency for International Development and Community Aid Abroad. Universities, peak bodies, professional associations and international agencies (e.g. World Vision, Greenpeace, United Nations) also require the skills of public health specialists.

Course articulation

Graduates of the masters program who have successfully completed a 48 credit point dissertation may apply for entry to the Master of Philosophy or the Doctor of Philosophy.

Possible careers

  • Community health officer
  • Health promotion officer
  • Policy officer
  • Project manager
  • Public health officer

Details and units

The Master of Public Health consists of 192 credit points. You must complete 96 credit points of core units (eight units); a 48 credit point major (four units) and up to 48 credit points of research studies.

You will need to choose your major when commencing this degree as course structure is related to your major.

You may choose to undertake a 48 credit point dissertation or a 24 credit point research project. If you undertake the 24 credit point research project, you will have 24 credit points of electives available.

Majors available are:

  • disaster and emergency response
  • epidemiology and research methods
  • health promotion

Students are also able to complete a cross-specialisation and complete units from more than one major.

Students are able to study flexibly (internal or online) for all core units and the majority of elective units in PU86. Check each unit outline for the internal and online availabilities.

The Master of Public Health consists of 192 credit points. You must complete 96 credit points of core units (eight units); a 48 credit point major (four units) and up to 48 credit points of research studies.

You will need to choose your major when commencing this degree as course structure is related to your major.

You may choose to undertake a 48 credit point dissertation or a 24 credit point research project. If you undertake the 24 credit point research project, you will have 24 credit points of electives available.

Majors available are:

  • disaster and emergency response
  • epidemiology and research methods
  • health promotion

Students are also able to complete a cross-specialisation and complete units from more than one major.

Requirements

Course code
PU86
CRICOS code
084930G
Delivery
  • Kelvin Grove
Delivery
  • Kelvin Grove
Duration
1.5 - 2 years full-time
3 - 4 years part-time
Duration
2 years full-time
Entry
February and July
Entry
February and July

Entry requirements

2-year program

You must have a recognised bachelor degree (or higher qualification) in any discipline.

1.5-year program: all majors

You must have a recognised bachelor degree in one of the following disciplines:

  • Behavioural science, psychology

  • Health information management

  • Medicine (Australian degrees only)

  • Nursing

  • Nutrition, dietetics

  • Paramedic science

  • Public health

1.5-year program: cross specialisation 

You must have a recognised bachelor degree in one of the following disciplines:

  • Any other health discipline not listed above

  • Biomedical science

  • Human services

  • Journalism

  • Media and communication

  • Medical laboratory science

  • Social work

Minimum academic requirements

Entry requirements

2-year program

You must have a recognised bachelor degree (or higher qualification) in any discipline.

1.5-year program: all majors

You must have a recognised bachelor degree in one of the following disciplines:

  • Behavioural science, psychology

  • Health information management

  • Medicine (Australian degrees only)

  • Nursing

  • Nutrition, dietetics

  • Paramedic science

  • Public health

1.5-year program: cross specialisation 

You must have a recognised bachelor degree in one of the following disciplines:

  • Any other health discipline not listed above

  • Biomedical science

  • Human services

  • Journalism

  • Media and communication

  • Medical laboratory science

  • Social work

Minimum English language requirements

Select the country where you completed your studies to see a guide on meeting QUT’s English language requirements.

Your scores and prior qualifications in English-speaking countries are considered. Approved English-speaking countries are Australia, Canada, England, Ireland, New Zealand, Scotland, United States of America and Wales.

If your country or qualification is not listed, you can still apply for this course and we will assess your eligibility.

We accept English language proficiency scores from the following tests undertaken in a secure test centre. Tests must be taken no more than 2 years prior to the QUT course commencement.

English Test Overall Listening Reading Writing Speaking
IELTS Academic / IELTS One Skills Retake 6.5 6 6 6 6
Cambridge English Score
You must share your results with QUT through the Candidate Results Online website.
176 169 169 169 169
PTE Academic 58 50 50 50 50
TOEFL iBT / Paper 79 16 16 21 18

Don't have the English language score you need? We can help!

We offer English language programs to improve your English and help you gain entry to this course.

When you apply for this course, we will recommend which English course you should enrol in.

Fees

Your actual fees may vary depending on which units you choose. We review fees annually, and they may be subject to increases.

2025 fees

2025: $26,300 per year full-time (96 credit points)

2025 fees

2025: $37,700 per year full-time (96 credit points)

Student services and amenities fees

You may need to pay student services and amenities (SA) fees as part of your course costs.

Find out more about postgraduate course fees

FEE-HELP: loans to help you pay for your course fees

You may not have to pay anything upfront if you're eligible for a FEE-HELP loan.

Find out more about government loans

Scholarships

You can apply for scholarships to help you with study and living costs.

Browse all scholarships

Equity scholarships scheme

Scholarship eligibility
Struggling financially

International Merit Scholarship

Scholarship eligibility
Academic performance

How to apply

Follow our step-by-step applying guide to make sure your application is complete, giving you the best chance of getting in.

How to apply


Ready to apply?

If you're ready for the next step, apply online today.

Apply now

How to apply

Follow our step-by-step applying guide to make sure your application is complete, giving you the best chance of getting in.

How to apply


Ready to apply?

If you're ready for the next step, apply online today.

Apply now

Ready to apply?

If you're ready for the next step, apply online today or contact our MBA Program Manager +61 468 575 146 or mba@qut.edu.au

Apply now

Ready to apply?

If you're ready for the next step, apply online today or contact our MBA Program Manager +61 468 575 146 (Brisbane),
(02) 6198 3098 (Canberra), emba@qut.edu.au

Apply now

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