Our study abroad and exchange program offers units from a wide range of allied health disciplines that are professionally recognised in Australia. We have partnerships with governments, health organisations and communities to offer real-world clinical and practical training. Study in multi-million-dollar facilities and simulation centres to hone your skills before placements.
Units you can study
Additional course costs
Practical off-campus placements may have some additional compulsory course costs, including vaccinations, uniforms, health tests and courses, equipment, travel and accommodation.
Approved units
All students can study these units, regardless of your academic background. These units will be approved on your QUT study plan after you apply.
Biomedical sciences
LQB180 Foundations of Biochemistry
As part of your foundational level studies and training in disciplines related to biomedical and health sciences, you need to develop knowledge and comprehension of biochemistry in order to describe and explain the biomolecular composition of cells that constitute living systems, such as the human body, the structural nature of biomolecules, and the functions of biomolecules in essential life processes.
LQB181 Introduction to Medical Laboratory Science
Medical laboratory scientists work in clinical diagnostic pathology, performing laboratory based tests on tissue(s) or bodily fluids e.g. tissue biopsies, blood or urine. These assist medical practitioners and allied healthcare workers in the diagnosis of disease, management of patient care and ongoing research into disease. Up to 70% of medical treatments are based on a pathology diagnosis. This first year unit introduces you to the profession of medical laboratory science, the clinical practice of diagnostic pathology and your LS47 course. In a case-study scenario, you will learn and apply laboratory skills required to practice in clinical pathology. You will also be introduced to personal and academic support resources to support transition into first year and the rest of your course at QUT, and academic skills including information literacy and digital technologies.
LQB182 Cell and Molecular Biology
Cell and molecular biology is an exciting, rapidly evolving, and major field in biomedical disciplines and this unit will expose you to modern examples of applications of cell and molecular biology in medical and research settings. There will be an emphasis on the development of practical skills and knowledge that will support your learning of fundamental concepts. A basic understanding of cell and molecular biology is required for further study in many areas, including the study of clinical sciences, biochemistry, and human physiology. Importantly, this unit will provide you with a strong foundation of knowledge regarding cells, their structures and functions that is applicable to many professional disciplines, including pharmacy, podiatry, optometry, nutrition and dietetics, business, law, humanities, and creative industries.
LQB187 Human Anatomy
Anatomy, derived from the Greek language and translated literally to mean ‘to cut up’, is the science of morphology or structure of an organism and its various parts. Study of human systematic anatomy requires the identification and description of biological structures of the human body through an investigation of functional organ systems, such as the cardiovascular, nervous, digestive and skeletal systems. This unit will introduce anatomy as a language enabling health professionals, scientists and engineers to effectively communicate with each other through the application of appropriate anatomical terminology to a range of audiences. This introductory unit provides appropriate foundational knowledge and practical skills in anatomy for students enrolled in health, science or engineering courses through the investigation of organ structure using macroscopic and microscopic anatomy. It is an essential prerequisite for further study in anatomical sciences and health.
LQB301 Medical Microbiology and Infection Control
Infectious agents continue to be an important cause of human morbidity and mortality in the healthcare system, while also posing an occupational risk for healthcare professionals. In your clinical practice as a healthcare professional, a broad knowledge and understanding of infectious diseases is fundamental to developing strategies to reduce the risk of transmission and infection-associated sequelae in the community and in healthcare facilities through prevention, control and treatment of infectious diseases. This introductory unit provides you with foundational knowledge on the range of infectious agents affecting human health and disease, alongside the methods used to limit the growth and transmission of microbial pathogens. This foundational knowledge underpins the practical experience you will gain in dealing with infectious agents in the subsequent clinical practice units of your degree.
LQN100 Human Genetics
This foundational unit addresses the fundamentals of human genetics in a clinical context. You will learn how to evaluate clinical genetics cases and communicate the genetic basis of pathology to colleagues. This unit enables you to become comfortable, competent and confident with analysing human pedigrees and researching the clinical and molecular aspects of condition present in the family tree. Clinicians who are requesting and/or interpreting genetic test results will become familiar with these concepts to communicate with colleagues and care for patients. The unit embeds teaching of academic skills including the use of genetic and library databases.
LQN101 Disease Pathogenesis
This foundational unit addresses the core concepts, mechanisms, and consequences of molecular and chromosomal aberrations. You will be given real world case studies including genetic diseases that impact Indigenous Australians such as Machado Joseph Disease (MJD) and the mitochondrial disorder MELAS. You will be given specific examples where racial stereotyping and lack of Indigenous genomic reference sequence has delayed diagnosis of a genetic disease. This is an introductory unit and the knowledge and skills developed in this unit are relevant to core diagnostic genomic units and electives.
LQN102 Diagnostic Genetics
This foundational genomics unit examines the different types of molecular lesions encountered in human diagnostics and provides insight into how to select the most appropriate diagnostic platform to detect them. You will learn about how to interpret results in order to communicate them to colleagues and referring physicians. Clinicians requesting and/or interpreting genetic test results for their patients will become familiar with these concepts to improve clinical practice. Students are required to verify their identification in this unit by displaying their student identification card at the beginning of their assessment 2 oral presentation.
LQN103 Genetic Technologies
This foundational genomics unit examines the key molecular technologies that can be applied to clinical diagnosis and human genetics research. Examples of different types of molecular lesions encountered in human genomics are used to demonstrate the selection of the most appropriate diagnostic platform. You will learn about how to interpret results in order to communicate them to colleagues and referring physicians. Clinicians who interpret genetic test results for their patients will become familiar with these concepts to improve clinical care. Students are required to verify their identification in this unit by displaying their student identification card at the beginning of their assessment 2 oral presentation.
LQN200 Advanced Cell and Molecular Biology
Fundamental and advanced concepts in cell and molecular biology are covered in order to fully appreciate the principles of disease pathogenesis, and diagnostic methodologies in order to apply them. Genomic scientists need to know how to interpret molecular test results in order to communicate them to colleagues and referring physicians. Clinicians requesting and/or interpreting genetic test results for their patients also need to be familiar with these molecular biological concepts.
LQN201 Lab Management, Compliance and Quality Control
All aspects of laboratory management are examined including, compliance, accreditation, regulation, safety and quality control. This unit covers governance practices required for genomic scientists and clinicians working in laboratory senior positions.
LQN202 Genomics Analysis
This unit covers the application of array technology and massively parallel sequencing. In addition, the tools available to assist with variant interpretation and classification are examined. Not only do genomic scientists need in-depth knowledge of these platforms, but so do clinicians requesting and receiving results of genetic tests in order to advise and manage patients.
LQN203 Ethical, Legal and Social Issues in Genetics and Genomics
This unique interdisciplinary unit is specifically designed for students to gain in-depth perspectives of the ethical implications of genetics and genomics including the additional considerations which apply to genetic testing related to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. In this unit, you will explore the ethical, legal, and social implications surrounding the practice of clinical genetics, medical testing, and scientific research. By examining these crucial issues, you will gain valuable insights into the complexities that govern the field and understand how you can contribute to shaping responsible and equitable practices in genetics.
LQN204 Molecular Genomics
This unit provides high-level training in human molecular diagnostic genomics covering the knowledge in genomics that scientists and clinicians working in genomics need to have. This includes medical conditions that are commonly referred to clinical laboratories, genetic testing required to confirm diagnoses, and the interpretation of results.
LQN206 Cytogenomics
This unit provides high-level training in human cytogenetics and cytogenomics. Clinical and research scientists working in cytogenomic laboratories need to be knowledgeable of the germline and somatic conditions which are commonly referred to laboratories, the cytogenetic tools available to test for these, which specific cytogenomic tests are indicated for a given presentation, and the interpretation of results.
LQN301 Cancer Genomics
This unit examines both the somatic and germline genomic lesions behind cancer initiation, progression and resistance to therapies. Clinicians, biomedical scientists and those working in diagnostic laboratories need to understand the genetic basis of cancer including the role of hereditary cancer predisposition syndromes and the varied genomic changes that can occur somatically. An understanding of the utility of cancer genomic testing in classifying and diagnosing cancer, the separate roles of this testing for predicting prognosis and as predictive biomarkers for precision oncology therapies and in monitoring disease progression will also be explored.
LQN303 Computational Genomics
This unit provides an overview of the various tools used across genomic diagnosis and provided the opportunity for students to practice using these tools. Genomic scientists and healthcare professionals need to be familiar with the computational principles behind big data analysis used in array technology and next-generation sequencing. Genomic scientists need to develop a working knowledge of common computer programs and databases used to interpret such data. Clinicians should be familiar with how genomic variants are interpreted and the strengths and limitations of different approaches.
LSB111 Understanding Disease Concepts
This unit reinforces fundamental assumed knowledge of anatomy and physiology and introduces the study of human disease processes or pathophysiology. General concepts underlying human diseases as well as disorders relating to organ systems will be studied and the major diseases affecting Australians, in particular those identified as contributing significantly to disability and death in Australia by the National Health Priority Areas, will be addressed. The ability to understand and interpret the pathophysiology specific to clinical contexts and to communicate this information using appropriate medical terminology are essential requirements for all students undertaking allied health courses and prepares them for professional practice.
LSB142 Human Anatomy and Physiology
A strong background in human body structure (anatomy) and function (physiology) is essential for students in professional health courses. In this introductory unit you will be provided with opportunities to investigate both theoretical and practical aspects of gross, systematic and microscopic anatomy. You will also review general physiological principles such as homeostasis and investigate how all the organ systems of the body contribute to it. Knowledge and practical skills acquired in this foundational unit will allow you to engage with more advanced studies in regional anatomy, pathophysiology and imaging diagnostics.
LSB231 Physiology
A strong foundation in physiology is essential for all allied health professionals and biomedical and exercise scientists. Human physiology is the study of the function of the human body and how it adapts to changes in the internal and external environment and exercise. In this first year foundational unit you will be introduced to the principles of physiology, the major physiological systems and how they relate to each other. This requires an understanding of the endocrine and neurological control systems. You will gain skills in physiological measurement, data analysis and interpretation and an introduction to clinical physiology skills.
Exercise and nutrition sciences
XNB151 Food and Nutrition
Nutrition forms the focus of many health initiatives. Reducing the burden of poor nutrition has the potential to produce major change in the health status of Australians. This introductory unit provides you with foundation skills and knowledge of food and nutrition systems, food constituents, energy balance, changing nutritional requirements throughout the life course, and the application of dietary assessment methodologies and food selection guides to maintain and improve health at the individual and population level. In this unit you will develop your skills to critique common food fads and myths in nutrition, as well as introductory skills in reflection and foundations for inter-professional practice. The skills in searching and appraising scientific literature, which are introduced in this unit, are critical to establishing your academic writing and research literacy skills to the expected tertiary level.
XNB165 Exercise and Sport Psychology
As you move towards being an exercise and health professional it is essential to appreciate the impact people's psychology can have on their well-being and ability to regularly engage in physical activity, exercise, or sport. This unit introduces you to a range of theories and models of exercise and sport behaviour, and psychological factors that influence participation in physical activity, exercise and sport. It also examines the relationship between physical activity, exercise and sport and psychological wellbeing, and provides you with basic knowledge and skills for helping increase people's physical activity, exercise and sport levels. This unit prepares you for and complements study to be undertaken in XNB375 Applied Exercise and Sport Psychology.
XNB166 Nutrition, Physical Activity and Health
As the prevalence of many chronic diseases including obesity, is increasing globally, their prevention is a major health priority of governments and agencies. This unit promotes understanding of key concepts in nutrition and physical activity, including methods of assessment and promotion for improved health and well-being outcomes, focusing on individual, community and population level health determinants. Awareness of health status, due to nutrition and physical activity habits, and influences on health including sociocultural factors, is an essential foundation for work of sports and health professionals for promoting a healthy and active lifestyle in a culturally safe and inclusive way.
XNB173 Foundational Practice in Exercise Science
This introductory unit explores the scope of practice of an exercise scientist, sports scientist and clinical exercise physiologist and how these relate to other professions. It also introduces the professional skill competencies essential to practice. You will envision potential career pathways, develop the skills and competencies required for practice and begin to develop essential communication skills for both academic and professional context. This unit also explores how research informs evidence based practice. The foundation understanding and basic skill development will provide the basis for learning more advanced knowledge and competencies as the course progresses.
XNB174 Principles of Coaching and Instructional Practice
This introductory unit provides foundation skills and knowledge in coaching, instructing, and skill acquisition that can be used when designing and delivering learning environments for individuals and groups. The capability to design and implement learning opportunities using appropriate verbal information and activity design concepts is a key competency in the sport and exercise science domains. Discipline studies in subsequent units aim to expand further your knowledge and understanding of skill acquisition principles and how those principles can be applied in real-world settings.
XNB177 Sport and Exercise Across the Lifespan
This introductory unit which focuses on the impact of development and aging on exercise and sport participation across the lifespan, beginning with childhood and continuing with each major life stage through to old age. You will explore the factors influencing growth, development of fundamental motor development, influence of growth and development on exercise participation, the contribution of exercise to health, bone health, body composition and the importance of exercise for healthy aging.
XNB390 Teaching Primary Health and Physical Education
This unit introduces the primary Health and Physical Education key learning area in the Australian Curriculum. This unit explores connections between physical activity and health and how physical activity contributes to the the developmental needs of primary-aged children. Additionally, the unit will provide opportunities to build the skills and knowledge required to plan and deliver safe learning in an open environment.
Nursing
HLN405 Qualitative Research
The unit offers the opportunity to study, explore and understand a range of qualitative research methodologies and methods. In so doing, the unit exposes students to a knowledge base that may inform post graduate qualitative research. It encourages students to question and contest knowledge and to constructively defend points of view. Key principals, concepts and skills will be developed to inform qualitative research across a range of disciplines and contexts. The dominance of the positivist or natural science approach in health research has come into question because of its singular emphasis on producing 'objective' truths. In response, it is argued that culture, power and ideology must be understood as integral components of any research. Qualitative inquiry, in all its forms, is underpinned by the assumption that the social world can only be interpreted.
NSB102 Professional Practice and Cultural Safety
As healthcare providers, nurses need knowledge, skills, and attributes to implement culturally safe, person-centred, inclusive care for people from all backgrounds across the lifespan. To meet regulatory requirements, ethical, professional, and quality standards, this foundational unit introduces cultural safety as a model underpinning professional nursing practice. Knowledge of the impact of our own cultures and those of professions and systems is essential to provide inclusive nursing care that is respectful and compassionate, free of racism, stigma, and other forms of discrimination across all practice settings. This unit introduces social determinants of health that underpin cultural safety, societal responses to diversity and the impacts of these responses on health. The significance of nurses providing culturally safe care that improves peoples' health outcomes is emphasised throughout the unit.
NSB103 Health Assessment
Health assessment is the foundation of nursing practice and clinical reasoning. This unit complements the unit LQB185 Anatomy and Physiology for Health Professionals by providing an opportunity for you to apply knowledge of scientific foundations of human health to the core nursing skill of health assessment (observation, interview, measurement, and physical examination). Effective health assessment underpins all aspects of person-centred nursing care. The foundational skills learnt in this unit are critical to success in later integrated-practice units and unit concepts are further developed as students extend their knowledge of health and nursing. Selected Principles of Public Safety and Quality Health Standards and Aged Care Standards are integrated.
NSB202 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples' Well-being
An understanding of the social determinants of health and the impact of historical and contemporary policy and practice influencing the health and well-being of Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islanders is essential to providing optimal health care. This unit privileges cultural safety as the preferred model to contemporary health care delivery in Australia. It promotes the position of the contemporary health practitioner as a fundamental member of the partnership with the health care recipient, and thus is necessary to enhancing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and well-being. Cultural safety also makes conspicuous manifestations of racism which impact on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and well-being. Importantly, a culturally safe approach values the pivotal role of Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islander peoples' self-determination in leading health care advances associated with their own care.
Psychology and counselling
PYB007 Communication for Health Professionals
Effective communication is widely considered to be a key component of health care practice in the real world. In this multidisciplinary and highly practical unit, you will work with other learners from different health disciplines to have the opportunity to develop the core communication skills identified by the industry as essential for ethical, culturally safe and intentional practice. A major focus of PYB007 will be the development of interpersonal communication skills which you will practice in a safe and supportive environment. In addition to face-to-face practice, you will develop and practice skills specifically for online communication in recognition of the changing face of healthcare. These skills will support you to build effective relationships with clients and colleagues, facilitate important conversations and meetings, resolve conflict and provide feedback, all in a culturally safe manner.
PYB100 Foundation Psychology
Psychology is a broad-ranging and multifaceted discipline which encompasses the scientific study of human behaviour, and the systematic application of knowledge gained from psychological research to a broad range of applied issues. The goal of this foundational unit is to introduce you to major subfields and perspectives in psychology, to develop your understanding of the research methods used in psychological research and to develop your critical thinking skills. This unit provides a strong basis for future learning in the discipline. Topics covered in PYB100 will include child and adult development, social psychology, and an overview of the diagnosis and treatment of mental health problems. We will consider Indigenous and diverse cultural perspectives, ethical issues in psychological research, and how psychological perspectives can help us understand and address real world issues. This unit will help you develop your database searching and written communication skills.
PYB110 Psychological Research Methods
Psychology is the scientific study of behaviour and cognition. This unit is designed to introduce students to the scientific method of research in psychology, research design, and data analysis. The unit covers elementary research design, operationalisation of variables, descriptive statistics, correlation, hypothesis testing using statistical tests such as t-tests, and qualitative research methods. By learning these research methods, students are expected to start developing a data-driven, evidence-based perspective on psychological issues.
PYB321 Introduction to the Psychology of Trauma
More than half the population experiences trauma across the lifetime. Trauma is acknowledged as playing a key role in the development of mental and physical health issues. There is an increased understanding and interest in society around the prevalence and impact of trauma including domestic violence, child abuse, sudden bereavement and war. Despite this, most professionals across disciplines including psychology, social work, education and law, receive no systematic training in trauma. This introductory unit provides you with foundational knowledge about the psychology of trauma and vicarious trauma as it applies to people who experience trauma firsthand or those in professions likely to assist people who have experienced trauma. This elective complements learning across disciplines including social work, psychology, law, education and nursing. The unit is linked to core psychology units PYB100 and PYB102 and is linked to PYB304 regarding neurobiological aspects of trauma.
Public health and social work
HLB001 Health Needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians
This unit takes a holistic perspective to engage you in exploring the historical, socio-cultural, political and cultural beliefs that influence Indigenous health and well-being in Australia today. You will be supported to develop your skills, knowledge and understanding of Indigenous health and well-being utilising a population health approach to addressing health disparities and applying evidence based care within the framework of the social determinants of health.
HLN710 Epidemiology
This is a foundational health unit addressing the essential epidemiological skills and principles that health professionals need to develop for effective public health and clinical practice. Epidemiology can assist in determining risk factors associated with diseases and what factors may protect against disease. Epidemiology also identifies the effectiveness of health interventions and quantifies potential harms. The skills of scientific assessment of the effectiveness of prevention strategies are necessary for service provision and policy development. In this unit, you will develop the ability to critically evaluate research and study designs using epidemiological techniques in structured peer discussion. This introductory unit develops the skills in effectively assessing and interpreting health data and the medical literature. The unit explains how to calculate key measures of disease occurrence and association and contemporary issues of major importance in health.
PUB100 Medical Terminology, Anatomy and Physiology
In this unit, students will be introduced to the medical terminology, diseases, diagnostic and therapeutic procedures relating to each body system as well as to clinical terms used in specialist areas of medicine, surgery, pathology, imaging, nursing and allied health. A well-developed knowledge of medical terminology is required by all health professionals to facilitate effective interaction and information sharing. To be able to accurately interpret health records and other clinical documentation, and to communicate effectively with clinical staff, a Health Information Manager requires a good understanding of medical terminology, anatomy and physiology and basic clinical science.
PUB104 Australian Health Care Systems
The unit is designed to give a broad overview of the systems of health care in Australia and their operation. This knowledge is essential for anyone who is seeking to achieve the best outcomes for patients and the broader community. This unit draws on diverse disciplinary thinking to analyse health care systems and prepare learners for various professional roles including public health, clinical care and health service management.
PUB204 Resourcing and Managing Health Budgets
This unit introduces you to the concepts and methods that underpin decisions about resourcing and managing health budgets. It covers topics at the system, organisational and departmental levels. An understanding of financing and resource allocation concepts, planning and resourcing change initiatives will provide you with the knowledge and skills required to effectively manage the resources under your responsibility and to contribute to discussion and debate about health care funding decisions. Your ability to develop and monitor budgets will be developed. By the end of the semester, you will be expected to have developed sufficient knowledge and skills to be able to critically evaluate health care financing and purchasing priorities and develop a business case using them.
PUB208 Understanding Health Information
This unit gives an introductory overview to public health professionals of the uses and applications of health information in the health industry. Understanding the diversity of health information resources available will build health information literacy to assist public health professionals in recognising the potential of health information as a valuable resource. The unit provides context to the quality of health information by providing an understanding of the data quality frameworks, data organisation, data standards and management principles relevant to systems within the health industry.
PUB209 Health, Culture and Society
In this unit we study social and cultural dimensions of the human body, mind, and health. The unit focuses on public health from sociological and anthropological perspectives, with a core emphasis on the ways in which social, cultural, political, and economic systems shape human health behaviours and outcomes. We examine the practical relevance of key social theories in relation to understanding complex phenomena, such as cultural safety, risk-taking behaviours, life-expectancies, and death. We examine links between ethnicity, class, gender, sexuality, geography, and health. The fundamental message is that identifying and addressing social and cultural factors that shape people's experiences of health, illness and health systems is integral to reducing health inequalities, delivering appropriate services and ultimately improving population health outcomes. This is a multidisciplinary and interprofessional unit and welcomes students from a wide range of courses.
PUB215 Upstream! Creating a Just World Through Public Health Practice
This unit introduces public health’s core values - equity, social justice, sustainable development, health of community, and the individual, respect for diversity and self-determination, empowerment and community participation and illustrates how these values are enacted in contemporary public health practice. It also develops foundational understanding of the core competencies of public health practice. These include the ability to apply knowledge of public health sciences, including the social sciences, understand how to create inclusive programs and policies for diverse populations, assess and analyse complex social and health information, and develop partnerships and collaborations through which to advocate for reducing health inequities. By participating in this unit you will gain insight into multidisciplinary approaches to addressing the health needs of communities and broader populations.
PUB332 Sustainable Environments for Health
There is increasing evidence that the integrity of the environments in which we live are under substantial pressure, particularly from the way we live. The end result of such pressure is that the basic and fundamental pre-requisites for human health are threatened. The practice of Environmental Health has always been concerned with the study of the human-environment interface and in particular the quest for developing sustainable environments for health. In recognition of the multi-disciplinary effort required to maintain and sustain such environments, this unit is relevant to many discipline areas (e.g. public health, environmental science, education, social science, engineering and planning) and provides a valuable insight into the contributions that each discipline can make to establishing sustainable environments for health.
PUB336 Gender Equity and Human Health
Gender is a powerful determinant of human health globally. Men's, women’s and transgender health are driven strongly by social constructions of gender performance across the life-course. Men live shorter lives, have higher cancer, cardiovascular disease, and higher suicide rates. Women suffer from higher rates of anxiety, depression, eating disorders, dementia, interpersonal violence, rape, and poverty globally. Further, a binary view of gender is no longer considered useful from a public health perspective, as transgender people continue to suffer some of the highest rates of interpersonal violence and suicide globally. This unit will adopt a non-binary, social determinants approach to defining and studying gender from an intersectional perspective. It will emphasise how a focus on gender equity generates improvement in population health globally. This is a multidisciplinary and interprofessional unit and welcomes students from a wide range of courses.
PUB380 Casemix and Activity Based Funding
Health care is complex and involves many different interventions and activities. To better understand this complexity, and to describe and manage it, methods for describing the ‘products’ or ‘activities’ that the health system delivers are needed. Casemix systems are information tools that group patients into clinical meaningful and resource homogenous groups to classify episodes of patient care. Casemix enables better decisions about equitable allocation of resources, changes aimed at increasing productivity and improved service delivery, while facilitating the evaluation of care outcomes. Casemix classifications help explain the relationship between health care activity and the costs of providing care. Activity Based Funding with the AR-DRG classification defines and counts hospital ‘activity’ for acute admitted patients. Other casemix classifications classify the other patient care that hospitals provide: ambulatory, emergency and sub and nonacute care.
PUB461 Qualitative Inquiry in Public Health
Qualitative methods enable researchers to gain knowledge and understanding of people's lived experiences, the meanings they ascribe to them, and to the social context in which they take place. The nature and complexity of many public health problems require a mix of research methods and the contributions of qualitative inquiry are now well recognised. This unit is an integral component of the public health course because you will learn the skills and knowledge required to appreciate and apply qualitative research in your professional practice. This unit builds on the research knowledge and skills developed in previous units in the course.
PUB530 Health Education and Behaviour Change
Health practitioners working in a variety of health and education settings need to be able to facilitate positive changes in human health behaviour. Health promotion strategies based on theory and evidence are required to bring about changes in individual health behaviours. This unit complements studies in health and education courses and prepares you for PUB406 Health Promotion Practice and PUB875 Professional Practice, and subsequently your professional practice.
PUB561 Statistical Methods in Health
An understanding of basic statistical concepts and the ability to analyse and interpret quantitative data is an important skill for all graduates in health-related disciplines. Descriptive statistics are required to effectively summarise and communicate important information in data, while inferential statistics enable conclusions to be extended beyond the immediate data. An understanding of the principles underpinning both types of statistical methods is critical not only for the analysis of data, but also for the critical appraisal of health literature. This unit introduces the foundational skills for quantitative research and is a stepping stone into more advanced research methods units.
PUN016 Risk Assessment
Environmental health, OHS and environmental management professionals are required to plan, conduct, oversee and/or evaluate risk assessments as part of their work. It is becoming increasingly important for organisations to undertake risk assessments to meet compliance obligations and to work towards longer term health, safety and environmental sustainability goals. This unit explores a range of risk assessment methods available for the assessment of occupational safety, occupational health, environmental management and environmental health risks.
PUN102 Toxicology
Investigating toxicology involves the anticipation, recognition, evaluation and control of hazards in the environment. Environments contain numerous hazards which are potentially harmful to human health and the ecosystem. Your role as a Health Safety, and Environmental Health professional is to develop -or assist the development of management strategies to identify these potential hazards, evaluate the risk they pose to persons, property, and equipment, and recommend control measures that will manage the risks involved.Throughout the unit you will be introduced to advanced concepts of toxicology and the application of techniques used in monitoring, evaluating and controlling a variety of hazards.
PUN105 Health Statistics
This is a foundational research methods unit which introduces fundamental statistical concepts relevant to describing data and testing scientific hypotheses. An understanding of basic statistical concepts is a fundamental research skill in any scientific or health discipline. Such knowledge is mandatory for critical evaluation of the research literature, for design of efficient research studies, and to inform appropriate interpretation of research results. As such, the concepts taught in this unit are essentail for postgraduate students intending to undertake independent research, and indeed, to any student attempting to critically evaluate research literature. This is an introductory unit and knowledge and skills developed in this unit are relevant to a variety of health disciplines. HLN709 (Advanced Epidemiology and Biostatistics) builds on this unit by extending your knowledge and skills, allowing you to conduct more complex analysis.
PUN106 Population Health
Health professionals face a complex and changing health profile locally, nationally, and internationally. A biomedical model for understanding health problems does not adequately explain these complexities or sufficiently help health professionals successfully intervene to improve the population's health. It is therefore critical for health professionals to reflect upon the social, economic and behavioural factors that influence health and work in partnership to influence these factors.
PUN301 Occupational Health and Safety Law and Policy
This Unit provides an overview of the different law and policy aspects of occupational health and safety at an enterprise level.The Unit focuses on legislative compliance for organisations, the relevant Acts and Regulations, as well as how Policy is used to design implementation and verification strategies. In addition, the Unit has an emphasis on preparing the student with the requirements to appropriately analyse and inform employers within the scope of practice of a senior safety advisor/safety manager.The Unit assessments provide students with the opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills gained in an organisational context. OHS Professionals are expected to appropriately inform an organisation's senior management (Duty Holders) to assist them in exercising their due diligence. The assessments address both strategic analysis of policy and law, as well as application in response to incidents or breaches.
PUN363 Environmental Health Law
Legal frameworks, such as the Public Health Act 2005, the Environmental Protection Act 1994, the planning legislation, local laws and other State and local legislation, provide the basis for environmental health and environmental management practice. Skills in interpretation and application of legislation, a thorough understanding of environmental health legislation and the prosecution process is vitally important to the practice of an environmental health professional. These legal frameworks have been developed over many years and aim to protect the health of the community. These frameworks encompass scientific principles for the protection of the public's health, but respond to emerging public issues and perspectives. This unit explores legal and legislative issues, public health and environmental health legislation and the legal issues associated with the administration of public health legislation.
PUN450 Disaster Risk Management in Health and Community Services
Health and community services are affected by emergencies and disasters. It is critical that managers of these services are able to assess the risk and plan for business continuity. In this unit you will explore the types, nature and impact of disasters and emergencies on communities in local, national and international contexts. You will also apply approaches to disaster risk management and building resilience in health and community services.
PUN465 Environmental Protection
A pollutant is defined as 'a particular chemical or form of energy that can adversely affect the health, survival, or activities of humans or other living organisms' (Miller 2000). Pollutants in the form of solids, liquids, gases or energy emissions enter our environment by natural or anthropogenic means. With the potential for pollution to severely impact the life support system of humans and other organisms, it is necessary to implement a variety of approaches to protect the environment and ensure its sustainability. This unit builds on the environmental health concepts covered in PUN620 and the legal concepts of environmental protection covered in PUN363.
PUN466 Communicable Diseases
Public health practice originated from the study and prevention of communicable diseases. Whilst public health practice has widened in scope, reducing the incidence of both existing and emerging communicable diseases (nationally and internationally) remains one of the greatest challenges to public health practitioners. Relevant activities undertaken by local/state health agencies include public health surveillance and outbreak investigation measures, immunisation programs, monitoring and enforcing infection control standards, and vector control programs.A comprehensive overview of communicable diseases is provided at the start of this unit, followed by a focus on the prevention and control of communicable diseases.
PUN500 Occupational Health and Safety Management
This Unit provides an overview of the different aspects of managing occupational health and safety at an enterprise level. The Unit focuses on various OHS management approaches, the role and requirements of relevant standards and legislation, and major OHS management areas including risk management, safe design and OHS performance, emergency preparedness, investigations, auditing and culture. Furthermore, the Unit emphasises the combination of systematic and systems thinking and the development of resilient organisations
PUN617 Health, Safety and Environment Leadership and Management
To successfully manage health, safety and environmental hazards, practitioners need to be able to communicate effectively and select and implement appropriate tools and management strategies to . Recognising and developing leadership skills is also crucial for achieving their full potential in the field, This unit is therefore designed to integrate the theory and practice covered in other environmental health/occupational health and safety units, and equip students with management, leadership and communication tools and strategies that can be applied in a range of contexts.
PUN620 Concepts of Environmental Health
There is increasing evidence that the integrity of the environments in which we live are under substantial pressure, particularly from the way we live. The end result of such pressure is that the basic and fundamental prerequisites for human health are threatened. The science of environmental health has always been concerned with the study of the human–environment interface, and now, even more than ever, practitioners are needed who understand not only this link, but also the strategies available to control and minimise risks associated with environmental health challenges, especially in our rapidly warming world.
PUN632 Leadership in Healthcare
In the challenging environment of the contemporary health system, managers will be required to provide organisational leadership to ensure that services continue to evolve to meet the changing community needs and the changing service delivery challenges. Such leadership requires the acquisition of knowledge and the development of competencies in leadership that may enable the future manager to address the current and future challenges. The unit develops skills in addressing contemporary problems in public health related to the management of health services and prepares students to consider the strategic importance of leadership throughout all public health areas. You will be challenged to critically evaluate your leadership capabilities and philosophy.
PUN633 Leadership in Digital Health Management
In the challenging contemporary health system environment, rapidly adopting digital health technologies, managers will be required to provide organisational leadership to ensure that services meet continuously changing community needs and address service delivery challenges. Strategic leadership in the digital health domain requires the acquisition of knowledge and the development of competencies in leadership that may enable the future manager to address the current and future challenges that come with use of these complex technologies. The unit further develops skills in addressing contemporary problems in public health related to the management of digital health services. Students will be challenged to critically evaluate their leadership capabilities and philosophy.
PUN640 Health System Challenges and Opportunities
A detailed understanding of the structure and function of health systems is essential for health service managers. This unit explores the way health systems are designed and operate. It also examines several issues that influence how health services are delivered and resourced. There is a particular focus on the Australian health system, but within an international context. These issues are critically analysed, along with the health reform agenda and key drivers for change, nationally and internationally. This unit is relevant to health professionals seeking to lead and influence the future direction of health systems.
PUP032 Health Promotion 2: Theories
This unit provides you with foundation knowledge and skills in health promotion. You are introduced to health promotion theories and their use for understanding determinants of health behaviours and for the development of health promotion programming. The unit is usually taken concurrently with PUP038, which provides the scope of health promotion. In the following semester, PUP034 and PUP037 build on this knowledge and skills and allow you to fully plan for the development, implementation and evaluation of a health promotion program.
PUP038 Health Promotion 1: Paradigms
This introductory unit is important because it provides the foundational knowledge and skills you require for health promotion practice. This unit will ensure you understand the fundamental principles and paradigms of health promotion as well as frameworks such as the ecological model, life-course perspective, cross-sectoral action and partnerships, advocacy and settings-based approaches. This unit complements other public health units; PUP032 Health Promotion 2: Theories, PUP034 Health Promotion 3: Program Planning, and PUP037 Health Promotion 4: Program Evaluation.
PUP250 Occupational Hygiene and Toxicology
Occupational hygiene involves the anticipation, recognition, evaluation and control of hazards in the working environment. Workplaces contain numerous hazards which are potentially harmful to the health of workers, other occupants and the public. The role of the OHS professional is to develop and /or assist in the development of strategies to identify these potential hazards, evaluate the risk they pose to persons and recommend measures to control the risks involved. Throughout the unit, you are introduced to the identification, monitoring, evaluation and control of a variety of hazards within the workplace.
PUP415 Occupational Health
Although the association between health and occupation has been recognised for centuries, the extent of the impact of work on health and health on work has not been addressed adequately. As approximately one third of a person's life is spent at work, it is not surprising to note that occupation-linked diseases, injuries, and deaths are receiving greater attention. It is no longer accepted that death, life-shortening, and disablement are an acceptable risk to be faced by working people. This unit focuses on the current and emerging agents in the workplace capable of adversely affecting the health of workers, as well as human response to toxic and imperilling environments. Occupational Health covers identification, prevention and management of risks to health in the workplace, the disease process, occupational rehabilitation and health & wellbeing surveillance, psychosocial health, and management in the workplace.
SWB100 Orientation to Social Work and Human Services
Purposefully positioned at the beginning of your course, this unit scaffolds essential learning about the scope of social work or human services, the professional context, and the changing occupational patterns of and service delivery. It is important that you start to explore your own motivation for becoming a social work or human service practitioner and begin to develop your professional identity. This unit also considers it essential that you are provided with the foundation for developing a critical approach to practice, grounded in social justice and social change. The concepts of power, oppression, privilege, and positionality will be explored. An understanding of critical practice, cultural diversity and the construction of 'difference' is presented as fundamental to commencing your reflective learning journey that you will continue throughout the social work or human services course.
SWB102 Human Development and Behaviour
Social work and human service students are studying for professional careers that enhance people's personal and social wellbeing and development, enhance problem solving in relationships, and promote human rights, social justice and culturally safe practice. To do this you need to understand how individual development and behaviour are shaped by a range of factors including biological, psychological, socio-cultural, structural, political and economic factors. You will learn about a range of theories of development and behaviour and consider the implications for social work and human service practice grounded in critical theory and anti-oppressive perspectives. You will learn about key aspects of human behaviour such as emotion, motivation and socialisation and integrate and communicate this knowledge. Studying this information in the first year of the course provides you with necessary foundational information about people and the environments that shape their lives.
SWB105 Contemporary Human Rights
This unit provides an introduction to human rights and ethics across global, regional and national contexts as essential knowledge toward building a critically oriented practice approach. It strategically positions knowledge and skills in a broad political, legal, social, cultural and economic framework. The unit examines the relationship between human rights and thematic global and national challenges including climate change, poverty, and oppressive forms of intolerance and discrimination. It offers the opportunities to investigate present day concerns relating to the human rights of women, Indigenous peoples and minority groups as well as considering specific topics such as human trafficking, harmful cultural practices, workers' rights and child soldiers. It includes a range of Australian human rights, ethical and social justice issues.
SWB108 Australian Society, Social Justice and Policy
Social work and human service professionals practice from a social justice perspective to engage with people who experience disadvantage. This unit focuses on understanding the structural dimensions of Australian society influenced by the global neoliberal context that produces, reproduces and entrenches inequality, poverty and precarity through uneven resource distribution and major social problems. Critical theory with a sociological lens is used to examine the contested space of policy (e.g. health, education, and income support), diverse institutions and systems (such as parliament, social services, media) that underpin the political economy of Australia and the welfare state. The unit is located in the first year as it provides the foundation for developing a critical orientation to practice and aspiring to create a more democratic, egalitarian society by introducing students to the fundamentals of Australian society, social policy and social service provision.
SWB109 Working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and Communities
Social work, human services and allied professions are identified as 'helping' professions, yet have been, and in some circumstances continue to be, complicit in enacting discriminatory and harmful social policies. To prevent perpetuation of these practices it is essential that practitioners possess knowledge of their professions' role in colonising practices. Practitioners require a deep understanding of how the profound disadvantage evidenced across social, health, and economic indicators, are embedded in colonisation. Understanding the impacts of dispossession, colonisation and policy directives on self-determination and empowerment as basic human rights provides a requisite platform for culturally safe practice and helps redress social exclusion and marginalisation. Critical self-awareness, reflexivity and reflective practice, along with a strong critical analysis of institutionalized racism and privilege, are essential components of culturally safe practice.
SWB110 Understanding Families and Relationships
For effective practice, social workers and human services practitioners need a deep, critically informed understanding of the nature and importance of relationships for human well-being, identity and social justice. The immediate social worlds of individuals and families are complex, dynamic and heavily influenced by their socio-political context. Professional practitioners require an appreciation of this aspect, as well as the impact of diversity and difference. Through understanding these complexities social work and human service practitioners can shape their practice to better respond to the needs of individuals, families, groups and communities. This unit provides introductory knowledge for professional practice and is located in first year as a foundation for subsequent critical theory and practice. NB: Bachelor of Human Services (SW03) or Social Work (SW04) students must enrol in the on-campus, internal version of this unit to meet accreditation requirements.
SWB204 Critical Practice with Children and Families
This unit focuses on social work and human services with children and families with an emphasis on providing support and services to parents so they are better able to identify and meet their children's needs. It introduces you to the continuum of welfare and family support services in Australia and knowledge and skills central to effective work with children and families. You will critically analyse the application of selected social work and human service practice approaches to work across a range of service contexts for children and families. Students from education, psychology, and health related areas also find this unit useful as it provides a foundation in theories and approaches for inter-professional practice with children and families that is transferable to a wide range of professional settings.
SWB207 Young People, Social Justice and Diversity
As social work and human service practitioners it is essential to have an understanding of and capacity to critique the range of ways young people are constructed in academic and popular contexts. It is also important for practitioners to have an appreciation of current policies oriented to young people and the nature of the various service delivery systems and programs in operation. This unit aims to give you a critical appreciation of the different ways 'youth' is understood in academic, policy and popular contexts, which is of fundamental importance if policy and practice responses and choices are to be understood. The unit supports developing a critical practice approach for emancipatory youth work.
SWB322 Gender, Diversity and Cultural Safety
Gender, sexual and cultural diversity affect how social problems are constructed and understood. Using an intersectional feminist approach, this unit focuses on social and cultural justice related to gender, diversity and cultural safety. The purpose is to develop knowledge, skills, values and dispositions for working respectfully, inclusively and safely with others. Part of the work involves critically reflecting on how your own gender, sexual and cultural histories and positionings influence your professional identities as critical practitioners. Cultural safety is defined broadly and is threaded through the unit.
SWB333 Participatory Community Development
Participatory community development is a key methodology and approach for social work practice, particularly when working with vulnerable and often marginalised groups across diverse settings. This unit provides a platform for developing and integrating knowledge and skills necessary for effective dialogue, group work and supporting people's organisations. The unit also provides you with an opportunity to gain an understanding of the dynamics of dialogue, groups and organisations and to acquire skills for effective engagement and intervention. The commitment by social workers to social justice forms the basis for creating inclusive community change efforts and a fairer society. This unit provides opportunities for you to develop your critical approach to the community work method. Because of its importance in preparing you for professional practice with communities, this unit is strategically located in the third year.
Units requiring approval
Students need specific academic background knowledge to study these units. We will assess your eligibility and determine if you’re able to take these units after you apply. We will let you know the outcome as soon as possible.
Biomedical sciences
LQB280 Genes, Genomes and Genetics
Molecular genetics underpins the diagnostics and treatment of many inherited and acquired diseases. Central to the approaches currently being applied to understand complex life processes is the ability to interrogate and interpret the molecular genetic information stored in DNA, RNA or protein (i.e., bioinformatics and genomics). Such information not only underpins our identification and understanding of the particular disease state but also points to potential options for treatment. Higher-level studies in the life sciences, and specifically the health-related sciences, require an understanding of these basic theoretical and practical concepts and approaches to interrogating the genomes of humans and other organisms.
LQB286 Quantitative Skills for Health Scientists
Quantitative Skills for Health Scientists develops key numerical literacy, practical and quantitative skills which are required for practicing biomedical and/or medical laboratory scientists. The unit provides opportunities to apply these skills through collaborative work, development of teamwork skills, effective interpersonal skills and scientific communication. This unit is designed to expand students' knowledge of important skills and competencies, including studies in quantitative data analysis and biostatistics that provide a strong foundation for continuing studies in the broad range of biomedical disciplines and related health areas.
LQB362 Fundamentals of Microbiology
Medical microbiology involves research into human infectious diseases from multiple viewpoints including: spectrum of disease, diagnosis, aetiology, treatment, prevention, control and epidemiology. An integral part of the practice of medical microbiology is the laboratory processing of specimens derived from patients with infectious diseases, with a focus in this unit on bacterial, fungal and parasitic species. Ultimately, you will need to have both a comprehensive and in-depth knowledge and understanding of theoretical concepts in infectious disease microbiology and be able to apply that knowledge and understanding safely, competently and skilfully in a PC2 diagnostic laboratory context.
LQB381 Biochemistry
The study of biochemistry provides knowledge to fully appreciate the structure and function of biological macromolecules and their roles within living cells. You will learn how the activity of macromolecules impact the function and metabolism of the cells and tissues of the human body and how these may impact health and disease. This unit builds on the chemistry and biology elements of first year units and prepares you with a broad foundational knowledge for the study of biochemistry and allied disciplines of biomedical and health sciences.
LQB382 Developmental Anatomy and Tissue Adaptation
The human body is very responsive to its environment, both in terms of genetic cues during embryological development and hormonal and mechanical signals during post-natal ageing. This unit will explore a number of key embryological processes where tissue patterning results in the formation of the nervous, muscular, skeletal and cardiovascular organ systems, and provides the foundational understanding of the mechanisms responsible for anatomical variation in the human body. Furthermore the ability of tissues to adapt to their environment will be discussed by building understanding of tissue biomechanics and the effects of trauma and ageing on the human body; where you will have the opportunity to design, implement and analyse experimental data in a bone strength research project. This developmental unit builds on foundational knowledge gained in first year anatomy and provides keystone knowledge and skills to advance into further units in Anatomical Sciences.
LQB385 Molecular Biology and Bioinformatics
The human genome shapes who we are. In this unit, we will learn how, why, when and where genes are expressed. We will also learn about the importance of regions in our genome that do not encode genes and what the consequences are of genetic variation and mutations, which may cause genetic diseases. An important part of the unit is the hands-on development of molecular biology skills in the laboratory and bioinformatics skills on the computer. We will extract, amplify, sequence and clone DNA. We will also use the Nobel prize-winning technology CRISPR, a gene-editing tool that has shown early successes in the treatment of patients by correcting genetic defects. Finally, we will use bioinformatics approaches to analyse DNA, RNA and amino acid sequences, including in the context of disease, and learn data analytics approaches, which are invaluable in the current era of big data and precision medicine.
LQB387 Clinical Immunology
Many aspects of human health and illness rely on the interaction of the components of the immune system. The principles of some of these interactions are also used in the laboratory for the diagnosis of disease or physiological states, including for infectious and non-infectious presentations. In order for you to work effectively and with confidence as a medical laboratory scientist it is essential you have knowledge relating to the immune system and application of fundamental and investigative immunological procedures. This unit is positioned in the introductory to developmental phase of LS47 and assumes knowledge from LQB292. This unit also provides you with inter-related critical foundation knowledge and practical skills for subsequent clinical units in LS47 including clinical microbiology, biochemistry, haematology, transfusion and transplantation science, and Work Integrated Learning Internship.
LQB388 Medical Physiology 1
An appreciation of how the human body works is an important prerequisite to understanding the basis of health, disease, diagnostic technologies and treatment strategies. This unit deals specifically with the physiological systems that are responsible for the maintenance of health in humans. It therefore provides a useful frame of reference for students enrolled in biomedical science, nutrition science, nutrition and dietetics, exercise science, medical engineering or any of the biological sciences. In the course of the semester you will investigate half the systems that constitute the human body with the remainder dealt with in the second semester unit Medical Physiology 2 (LQB488).
LQB389 Regional and Sectional Anatomy for Radiation Therapy
A detailed knowledge and understanding of regional and cross-sectional anatomy is a basic requirement for radiation therapists working in clinical and diagnostic settings to excel in their performance in radiotherapeutic procedures. This unit provides theoretical knowledge and practical skills in the identification and description of biological structures in the anatomical regions of the human body. These regions include the head, neck, back, thorax, abdomen, pelvis and perineum, with a focus on the lymphatic system.
LQB390 Regional and Sectional Anatomy for Medical Imaging
A detailed knowledge and understanding of regional and cross-sectional anatomy is a basic requirement for diagnostic and therapeutic radiographers to excel in their performance in imaging procedures. This unit provides theoretical knowledge and practical skills in the identification and description of biological structures in the anatomical regions of the human body. These regions include the head, neck, back, thorax, abdomen, pelvis and perineum, and the upper and lower limbs.
LQB404 Clinical Physiology Professional skills
Clinical physiologists work in private practice and hospitals to perform a range of clinical tests to inform the diagnosis, treatment and ongoing management of patients. These professionals work in cardiac, sleep, neurosciences and respiratory science or multidisciplinary practice as members of multidisciplinary teams. You will gain a number of competencies, which are now recognised and required by professional bodies. This unit will develop professional skills including working in teams to perform diagnostic tests, communicating with patients and staff and an understanding of cultural issues and sensitivities, privacy and confidentiality and infection control. Practical competencies developed include the application of key techniques commonly used in cardiac sciences, neuroscience, respiratory science and sleep science. Problem solving and critical thinking skills developed in this unit will be useful for a wide range of graduate outcomes.
LQB429 Quality and Analysis in Clinical Biochemistry
Quality and Analysis in Clinical Biochemistry develops previous work undertaken in LQB286 and LQB381 and builds towards work which will be undertaken in LQB529 Chemical Pathology. This second-year unit explores a range of analytical techniques and the quality assurance standards and practices in place in real world pathology laboratories. Assays must be performed with accuracy and precision, and data and results validated according to quality standards, and troubleshooting skills also developed. With emphasis on the knowledge, skills and values required for good laboratory practice, and a commitment to high quality results, this unit prepares you for the more complex procedures, automated technologies, and clinical topics in the third-year units and the clinical biochemistry workplace.
LQB462 Microbial Diagnostics
Medical microbiologists investigate microorganisms, those found within a human host as normal regional flora and those that cause human infectious diseases. This unit will introduce you to the diversity of microorganisms, the spectrum of infectious disease states, methods for the detection and identification of aetiological agents, and directed and supportive therapies for treating infections. In this unit you will develop expertise in the laboratory techniques applied in the diagnostic microbiology laboratory, the ability to interpret the significance of diagnostic testing results, and to communicate these results and your recommendations to medical professionals. This unit is positioned in the developmental phase of your course and assumes proficiency in the laboratory skills and theoretical learning from first and second year in LQB181, LQB292 and LQB362. Combined with LQB562 in third year, LQB462 will prepare you for employment in a diagnostic microbiology laboratory.
LQB481 Biochemical Pathways and Metabolism
The study of biochemistry, along with cell and molecular biology, provides you with the knowledge required for an effective understanding of the structure and function of living organisms at the molecular level. This unit advances the studies begun in LQB381 Biochemistry and further develops your knowledge and understanding of biochemical and molecular studies into metabolic pathways and processes occurring in living cells with a focus on human metabolism in health and disease. This unit provides you with a knowledge base and skills for advanced studies in biochemistry, as well as support for higher level units in life science and allied health courses.
LQB482 Anatomical Imaging
In order to recognise human pathology in a clinical setting, an understanding of the anatomical presentation of organs in health is essential. This unit focuses on the acquisition and application of knowledge of the organ systems of the thorax, abdomen, head and select regions of the limbs to a medical imaging context. Imaging modalities in plain and contrast radiography, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging will be explored to understand the context of their application in the clinical setting. Furthermore an understanding of phenotypic patterns of anatomical variation will be examined through case studies and exploration of human donor material, where you will further develop effective teamwork and self-management skills, essential attributes of clinicians and biomedical scientists. This unit will build on your knowledge gained in first level anatomy and provide relevant knowledge and skills for more advanced studies in Anatomical Sciences.
LQB485 Cell Biology
Understanding the role of cells and how their cellular components are fundamental to a healthy life is crucial for your understanding of how they become disregulated in disease and how individual components might be targeted to treat diseases. This unit builds on your knowledge of cellular components to examine how these come together structurally and functionally to build cells and tissues that function as part of a whole organism capable of surviving and protecting itself from disease and trauma. It will provide a platform for students undertaking the final year cell and molecular biotechnology units. This unit will provide hands on laboratory experience working with cells and will enhance skills in assessing, summarising and placing biomedical research in the context of health and disease.
LQB488 Medical Physiology 2
An appreciation of how the human body works is an important prerequisite to understanding the basis of health, disease, diagnostic technologies and treatment strategies. This unit deals specifically with the physiological systems that are responsible for the maintenance of health in humans. It therefore provides a useful frame of reference for students enrolled in biomedical science, nutrition and dietetics, exercise science, medical engineering or any of the biological sciences. In the course of the semester you will investigate half the systems that constitute the human body with the remainder dealt with in the first semester unit Medical Physiology 1 (LQB388).
LQB494 Viruses and Viral Pathogenesis
This unit is designed for students in biomedical sciences, to provide a strong grounding in the field of virology and to expand on the fundamental mechanisms and processes that underpin the pathogenic potential of select viruses. This unit is a core unit in the infection and immunity strand, building on concepts introduced in Principles of Infection and Immunity (LQB292). LQB494 continues the study of the virus-host interactions with a focus on microbe-specific factors that underlie infectious disease progression, knowledge necessary for further studies of more advanced molecular virology analyses. You will develop a strong, fundamental knowledge of virology and industry-relevant skills, using cutting-edge technology in laboratory classes, to prepare you for a career in biomedical research, medical biotechnology and postgraduate studies in biomedical science.
LQB495 Molecular Genomics
This unit provides high-level training in human molecular pathology to provide clinical and research scientists with the core knowledge and practical skills for the detection and clinical interpretation of germline and somatic chromosomal genomic disorders. This unit will provide a foundation applicable to diagnostic molecular genomic and research laboratories.
LQB508 Pathophysiology
LQB508 Pathophysiology is an advanced unit that will build upon your existing knowledge of disease processes and practical skills gained in LSB258, LQB388 and LQB488. This unit will give you an in-depth understanding of the pathophysiology of a wide range of diseases/disorders with particular emphasis conditions identified as areas of national health priority by the Australian National Medical Health and Research Council (NHMRC) such as cardiovascular disease, cancer and metabolic syndromes. The lecture content is complemented by case study workshops. The practical component will assist you in developing the technical and analytical skills required to investigate the pathophysiology of disease processes crucial in both research and industry settings. Critical evaluation and communication, both written and oral, of complex pathophysiological research data is also a key component of this unit.
LQB529 Chemical Pathology
This unit is in the course to provide you with essential knowledge and practical skills to prepare you to work as a medical laboratory scientist in a Chemical Pathology laboratory. The unit is positioned in the developmental phase of the course and is preceded by LQB429 Quality and Analysis in Clinical Biochemistry. The sequencing and content of these units will prepare you for work in both smaller multi-disciplinary laboratories performing a limited number of biochemical tests, as well as larger specialised laboratories performing in-depth studies in all aspects of chemical pathology.
LQB562 Advanced Microbial Diagnostics
An integral part of the practice of diagnostic microbiology is the laboratory processing of clinical specimens derived from patients with infectious diseases. Ultimately you will need to have a comprehensive and in-depth knowledge and understanding of theoretical concepts in infectious disease microbiology and be able to apply that knowledge and understanding safely, competently and skillfully in a PC2 diagnostic laboratory context.LQB562 is part of a structured progression from your earlier LS47 units, including: LQB181 Introduction to Medical Laboratory Science, LQB292 Principles of Infection & Immunity, LQB362 Fundamentals of Microbiology and LQB462 Microbial Diagnostics. The LS47 medical microbiology stream as outlined above was specifically developed to ensure a stepwise and coherent learning pathway in your training to become a professionally-accredited medical laboratory scientist with expertise in diagnostic microbiology.
LQB570 Forensic Anatomy
A strong foundation in human anatomy, particularly human osteology, is essential for the identification and interpretation of human remains as required by the Coronial system. This unit focuses on building advanced theoretical and practical knowledge in the interpretation of a biological profile of unknown human skeletal remains. A biological profile includes the estimation of sex, ancestry, age and stature of unknown remains that assists towards potential matches in the missing persons database. This unit will also investigate crime scene examination techniques, human skeletal variability and taphonomy; and current research and applications within forensic anthropology. The unit culminates in the presentation of evidence in a moot court based on a semester long missing person case.
LQB571 Neuroscience
Neuroscience is the study of the structure and function of the nervous system and has the ultimate aim of understanding the neural basis of normal behaviour as well as the changes that are responsible for the debilitating consequences of nervous system disorders. In this unit you will explore a number of contemporary neuroscience topics including functional brain imaging, neural repair and regeneration, neuronal stem cells, memory and neurological disorders. This unit will utilise human cadaveric prosections and tissue obtained from euthanased animals. This unit is positioned in the advanced phase of the course and builds on knowledge of the physiology of the nervous system in Medical Physiology 1 (LQB388) and regional and imaging anatomy of the nervous system gained in Anatomical Imaging (LQB482).This unit will provide a strong foundation for entry into neurobiology research or clinical fields.
LQB581 Biomolecular Control Systems
This unit extends the principles of enzyme structure and function, and metabolic regulation, using several model systems. It develops an advanced understanding of basic theoretical and practical aspects of metabolic systems and biomolecular signalling pathways, and the integration and regulation of cellular responses to external stimuli. Through coverage of these principles you will further develop your knowledge, practical expertise and research skills in preparation for pursuing career opportunities relating to biochemistry or allied professions in biomedical science.
LQB583 Molecular Systems Biology
Over the past decade, technological advances have transformed research capabilities to the point where multiple biomolecular targets, such as genes, proteins or metabolites, within a single system can be investigated simultaneously. Systems biology involves the study of a complex system through multiple biomolecular perspectives to determine molecular relationships and functions across a biological system of interest. Resulting data is often interrogated using advanced bioinformatics to determine how networks of molecules relate to specific phenotypes. Importantly, such approaches are becoming increasingly prevalent in the laboratories of most leading research institutions globally. Thus, the skills necessary to extract meaningful biological information using omics approaches are highly sought after. This unit will provide you with a strong overview of various omics approaches and expose you to advanced bioinformatics tools for solving complex biological problems.
LQB595 Regenerative Medicine
This advanced unit provides you with the necessary skills to understand and apply theories of regenerative medicine and cellular engineering to investigate complex cellular behaviour; and investigate how these behaviours can be manipulated to promote human health. You will have the opportunity to develop critical technical skills in this unit relevant to future work in research laboratories. This unit builds on the knowledge and skills developed in LQB485 Cell Biology and provides the necessary platform to advance to more advanced studies in Cell and Molecular Biotechnology.
LQB596 Immunology and Immune Dysfunction
Our immune system has evolved to discriminate between self and non-self in order to protect against microbial infection and disease. While this discrimination is highly regulated, immune dysfunction can disrupt the balance between protection and uncontrolled inflammation leading to long-term and sometimes devastating chronic immune disease. This unit will develop a deeper understanding of immune regulation theory which is further applied to clinical immune dysfunction case studies. Further knowledge of immune pathway dysregulation in clinical disease is essential not only for understanding disease pathogenesis but also for the development of diagnostic and therapeutic targets.
LQB600 Pharmacology
An understanding of pharmacology and how drugs interact with physiological systems is important for biomedical scientists. This unit will extend your knowledge of systems physiology/pathophysiology gained in Medical Physiology 1 (LQB388) and Medical Physiology 2 (LQB488) and help you understand the principles behind the use of medicines, as well as the rationale for the development of new drugs. There will be an emphasis on learning about the major mechanisms of drug action. This unit will focus on common diseases and a number of body systems, including the peripheral and central nervous systems, cardiovascular system, respiratory system and endocrine system. This unit will prepare you for working in the field of clinical physiology, or for further studies in allied health, or medicine, and provide an understanding of the physiological basis of pharmacology for students interested in undertaking research in this exciting specialism.
LQB601 Cancer Biology
Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide and research into its treatment and prevention has significantly improved cancer mortality rates. This unit will build upon knowledge and skills acquired from Cell and Molecular Biology (LQB182); Human Health and Disease Concepts (LQB281), Cell Biology (LQB485), and other Biomedical Science units to specifically inform the study of cancer biology and the implementation of technologies employed to investigate this complex group of diseases. This unit has a substantial practical focus and will prepare students for further study in medical or biomedical fields, or for biomedical research. Cancer is a major research priority at QUT and this unit will provide a strong foundation for undertaking Higher Degree Research in this field. The unit will also deliver a hands-on experience in cancer research laboratory techniques that will ably equip cell and molecular biology students intending to enter the workforce following graduation.
LQB608 Extreme Physiology
This unit is designed for students undertaking the human physiology major in the Bachelor of Biomedical Science. You will integrate and apply knowledge obtained from Medical Physiology 1 (LQB388) and Medical Physiology 2 (LQB488) to study a number of advanced topics in physiology. In addition you will develop your ability to discuss, interpret and critically analyse important scientific issues. By successfully completing this unit you will be able to demonstrate a range of important skills including critical thinking, team work, planning, scientific writing, time-management, problem-solving and organisation skills. This unit has a very strong practical focus and you will investigate physiological problems independently and as a member of a team. These skills will prepare you for postgraduate study (such as the Bachelor of Biomedical Science - Honours), to work in biomedical research or for a career in clinical physiology.
LQB682 Biomolecular Design
This unit is designed to give you the essential concepts and techniques driving research and industrial biotechnology so that you will be equipped for multiple careers in the biological sciences. The skills you develop will allow you to enter a practical laboratory environment or to apply your knowledge in related areas of evaluations of technologies and intellectual property.
LQB683 Diagnostic Cytopathology
The goal of cytopathology is to predict the underlying histology of lesions using small samples obtained by minimally invasive methods. The results are used to direct patient management and often involve the integration of diagnostic tests you have developed and applied in earlier units, such as histology, immunohistochemistry and molecular pathology. This unit builds on the knowledge and practical skills you have gained in LSB466 and LSB566 to expand your practical/technical and diagnostic skills. This unit prepares you for employment in a diagnostic cytopathology laboratory and introduces the types of specimens reported, methods of processing applied and the cytological features used to diagnose tumours and benign conditions.
LQB684 Advances in Medical Biotechnology
This unit has a focus on learning by doing. Students design their own experimental methods, conduct research, collect data and analyze their results. Students focus their research project on one of the below questions in personalized medicine; Bio-Organoids: A cellular based research project utilizing 3D tissue culture, cellular assays and immunofluorescence. Genomic medicine: A dry-lab research project using GWAS to gain biological insight and tailor patient clinical management. Biomolecular analysis: Using advanced level biochemical assays including chromatographic and electrophoretic techniques. The research is complemented by an understanding of emerging treatments for health problems in remote Australia and Indigenous communities. You will further develop your scientific research and analytical skills and design innovative solutions for improving modern healthcare.
LQB693 Immunological Approaches for Research
Our immune system has evolved to discriminate between self and non-self in order to protect us against disease and to avoid autoimmune responses and disease. Understanding how our immune system works will allow an appreciation of the analyses, and their performance, required to monitor its function in health and disease. As one of the final units in the infection and immunity learning progression, this unit will collate the fundamental and advanced knowledge of immunology covered in the Biomedical Sciences' Infection and Immunity study area and illustrate the application of this knowledge and understanding by immunologists to recent real-world research focus areas. This approach will assist with your transition from university study into research career paths that understand and employ immunological research methods to investigate immunological study areas.
LQB694 Infectious Disease Outbreaks
Infectious diseases continue to be a major public health concern in Australia and globally. The emergence of drug-resistant bacteria and viruses that cause disease outbreaks and epidemics is a significant global health burden. Microbiologists play an essential role in the detection and management of infectious diseases, they research the pathogenesis and epidemiology of microbial pathogens, and develop new diagnostic, preventative and therapeutic technologies to prepare for disease outbreaks. You will apply your knowledge and understanding of infectious diseases to recent, real world disease outbreak cases. This unit will also expose you to researchers and infectious disease experts from universities, hospitals, and government organisations that deal with infectious diseases on a daily basis and will provide you with insights into career opportunities in this field.
LQB697 Cytogenomics
This unit provides high-level training in human cytogenomics to provide clinical and research scientists with the knowledge and skills for the detection and clinical interpretation of germline and somatic chromosomal genomic disorders. This unit will provide a strong foundation applicable to diagnostic cytogenomic and research laboratories.
LSB235 Anatomy of the Lower Limb
This is a foundational anatomy unit for clinical practice in Podiatry which requires a detailed understanding and knowledge of the systemic and regional anatomy of the lower limb. This unit introduces you to the theoretical and practical concepts of these two areas of anatomy. It builds on LQB187 human Anatomy and prepares you for your clinical studies.
LSB258 Principles of Human Physiology
Human physiology is the study of the normal function of the human body and a strong understanding of this discipline is important for all biomedical scientists. This first year foundation unit will introduce you to the principles underlying normal physiology as well as the major organ systems of the human body. This knowledge base will help provide an understanding of how the body maintains internal conditions within normal physiological limits and an understanding of how physiology can change during aging and disease processes. You will gain laboratory skills in physiological measurement and be able to interpret the data collected. This unit will provide you with a strong foundation for further studies in physiology, pharmacology, pathology and pathophysiology and will complement studies in anatomy, cell and molecular biology and biochemistry.
LSB365 Pathology
It is essential that students studying medical laboratory sciences have a substantive knowledge and skill set pertaining to pathology. Pathology is the study of disease processes from the cellular level to that of the whole organism. This unit is positioned in the developmental phase of LS47 and assumes knowledge and proficiency in the laboratory-based skills you have acquired and developed during your first-year units. Understanding general and systematic pathology is essential for the application of knowledge to clinically relevant states and major diseases that you will study in later clinical units of this course.
LSB466 Histological Techniques
Histological techniques are often essential for the diagnosis and management of disease, and therefore constitute an important skill set for medical laboratory scientists. Histological techniques are also widely used as a research tool for the analysis of tissue structure and thus are also valuable for biomedical scientists, especially for those interested in anatomical science. The purpose of this unit is to provide you with the opportunity to learn the theory underpinning basic histological techniques routinely used in clinical as well as research laboratories, and how they are applied and interpreted. The unit LSB466 Histological Techniques incorporates and builds upon your learning in LQB187 Human Anatomy.
LSB492 Microbiology
Optometrists require a strong knowledge base in microbiology for their professional practice and on which to base future studies within their discipline.A detailed knowledge of infectious agents, their structure, prevalence and pathogenicity will enable you to apply these concepts to infection control to prevent the transmission of disease and to understand the mode of action of antimicrobials. You will also study infectious agents that are aetiological agents of disease states of the eyes or of public health significance, and appropriate methods for the management and treatment of these disease states. Basic knowledge of biology and chemistry is assumed for this unit.
LSB525 Chemical Pathology
This unit is in the course to provide you with essential knowledge and practical skills to prepare you to work as a medical laboratory scientist. The unit is positioned in the developmental phase of the course and is preceded by LSB425, the study of quality and analysis in clinical pathology and is followed by LSB625 Diagnostic Endocrinology. The sequencing and content of these units will prepare you for work in both smaller multi-disciplinary laboratories performing a limited number of biochemical tests, as well as larger specialised laboratory performing in-depth studies in all aspects of chemical pathology.
LSB555 Principles and Practice of Clinical Haematology
Haematology is the study of blood. It investigates the causes and pathologies associated with blood cell dyscrasias and haemostatic abnormalities that lead to an increased risk of bleeding or thrombosis. For you to work with confidence in diagnostic haematology and meet future employer expectations. You will require knowledge of the most common conditions and scenarios encountered in haematology, along with the ability to recognise and interpret associated results and confirmatory tests. This unit is positioned in the developmental phase of LS47 and assumes knowledge and proficiency in the laboratory-based skills you have acquired and developed in your second-year units. Combined with LSB655 next semester, LSB555 will prepare you for future employment in a haematology and/or multidisciplinary pathology laboratory.
LSB566 Histopathology
Histopathology is an essential component of pathology and one of the major disciplines in clinical diagnostic pathology. This unit is positioned in the developmental phase of the course and builds upon your learning in LSB466. This unit is designed to provide you with theoretical knowledge and practical skills of advanced histological techniques used primarily in the clinical setting, but which may also have relevance to research applications. In contrast to preceding units, a greater emphasis will be placed on the theory and application of techniques required for disease diagnosis. This unit combined with your preceding unit LSB466 (Histological Techniques) prepares you for work in a diagnostic histopathology laboratory as a medical laboratory scientist.
LSB625 Diagnostic Endocrinology
Endocrinology is a specialised area of study in clinical biochemistry and investigates pathologies associated with the hormonal control mechanisms that regulate metabolism and growth within the body. This unit is in the course to provide you with essential scientific and technical skills to prepare you to work as a medical laboratory scientist. The unit is positioned in the developmental phase of the course and is preceded by LSB525, the study of chemical pathology. Combined, these units prepare you for employment in both smaller multi-disciplinary laboratories performing a limited number of biochemical tests, as well as larger specialised laboratories performing in-depth studies of all aspects of chemical pathology and endocrinology.
LSB655 Applied Clinical Haematology
Haematology is the study of blood and investigates non-malignant and malignant blood cell disorders, and abnormalities of the haemostatic system leading to an increased risk of bleeding or thrombosis. In order for you to work effectively and with confidence in a diagnostic haematology laboratory. It is essential you are able to identify and investigate the less frequently encountered disorders and complex malignancy cases. This unit is positioned in the developmental phase of the course and assumes knowledge and practical skills from LSB555.
LSB658 Clinical Physiology
Clinical Physiology (LSB658) is an advanced unit that will build upon your existing knowledge of disease processes gained in previous units. You will also utilise your accrued background knowledge gained throughout your course in anatomy and physiology, pharmacology and clinical practice to solve, and suggest treatment for, complex clinical cases.This unit will give you an in-depth understanding of the pathophysiology of a wide range of diseases/disorders with particular emphasis on disorders that are currently identified as areas of national health priority by the Australian National Medical Health and Research Council (NHMRC). The unit will further your skills in managing emergency situations by exposing you to new clinical scenarios with complex background pathophysiology, and assist you in developing new practical skills in clinical physiology instrumentation and data analysis.
LSB665 Transfusion and Transplantation Science
Medical scientists must be knowledgeable of transfusion and blood compatibility environment and competent in the laboratory procedures and practices required to provide a safe and reliable blood transfusion service. This involves immunohaematological knowledge, testing of blood samples for donors and patients, mainly in transfusion and pregnancy scenarios, and vigilance for quality outcomes. Transplantation science similarly involves compatibility assessment of donors and recipients, but for tissues other than blood. This unit is positioned in the late developmental phase of the course and requires that you have foundational knowledge in human immunology and haematology. This unit prepares you for employment in laboratories that participate in transfusion services, such as pathology/hospital bloodbanks.
Clinical sciences
CSB330 Foundations of Paramedicine
This foundational unit will introduce the profession, regulatory bodies and professional standards, and the foundations of high-quality, culturally safe and patient-centred healthcare. A particular emphasis of this unit is to provide a foundation for practical knowledge, skills and application of knowledge related to paramedic practice. This will enhance your work-integrated learning experience, and prepare you for clinical practice.
CSB338 Ethics and the Law in Health Service Delivery
Paramedics are confronted by situations with ethical and legal implications for both practitioners and the patients they provide care to. Introducing ethical and legal awareness appropriate for the professional development of health professionals governed by regulation will support graduates. Using legal and ethical principles – in addition to regulatory structures, the National Law and human rights – this unit will help you resolve dilemmas using ethical and legal frameworks. It will provide you with the ability to access and understand the information in relation to professional practice, policy, principles, legislation, conduct and standards.
Exercise and nutrition sciences
XNB251 Nutrition Science
Nutrition Science investigates the biochemistry and physiology of the major macro and micronutrients that areimportant to human health. This unit also discusses the impacts on human health, food sources, dietary intakerequirements and status assessment methods for these nutrients. You will estimate dietary intake of thesenutrients in human subjects, and you will review the scientific literature related to these nutrients, which youwill review and discuss in a literature review. This unit integrates nutrition knowledge with the science ofbiochemistry and physiology, and knowledge of statistics developed in XNB255. It provides the foundation onwhich further studies of nutrition and dietetics can be built, and develops life-long learning skills required fornutrition and dietetics professionals.
XNB252 Food and Nutrition Across the Lifecycle
This unit fits within the suite of units designed to give an overall coverage of basic and complex nutrition principles for all age groups and introduces nutrition related chronic disease. It focuses on food intake and promotion of diet-related health across the lifecycle in more depth than previously covered in first year and underpins primary and secondary prevention of chronic disease for individuals, groups and populations. The unit focuses on nutrition requirements and practical food based advice for each lifecycle stage beginning with pre-conception and continuing with each major life stage through to old age. It takes into consideration universal nutrition recommendations as well as selected and indicated social and cultural populations and settings, such as schools; and food patterns such as vegetarianism. It introduces population health approaches which will be further explored in XNH350 Community and Public Health Nutrition.
XNB263 Exercise Physiology
This unit provides the knowledge and skills required of an exercise professional to understand and assess the metabolic, cardiovascular, pulmonary, and neuromuscular responses to acute and chronic exercise. Throughout this unit, you will develop an understanding of the physiological mechanisms for exercise performance that inform concepts of exercise prescription and programming delivered later in the course. The content and techniques covered in this unit equally apply to those considering careers in exercise science, sports science, and clinical exercise physiology.
XNB271 Motor Control
This unit is designed to develop understanding of how humans control movement. You will learn about the organisation and function of the neurological and sensory systems as they relate to the control of movement. Further, you will develop skills to appropriately assess motor control in physical activity and exercise contexts. Mechanistic understanding of human movement planning and execution is imperative to the functions of an exercise professional, with learnings from this unit informing the devising of individualised fitness and skill acquisition programs.
XNB272 Biomechanics
This unit is designed to develop a basic understanding of how human movement is analysed from a biomechanical perspective and the skills necessary to complete simple analyses of human motion. Knowledge of basic biomechanical concepts is essential for all health-related professionals. This unit aims to understand the biomechanical principles of human movement, measure and analysis human movement and apply the biomechanical principles to optimising human movement.
XNB274 Functional Anatomy
This unit builds upon foundational knowledge provided in XNB199 Sport and Exercise Science 2 to advance understanding of the functional significance of anatomical structures. The underlying theme is to explore the relationship between structure and function with particular reference to human movement.
XNB277 Exercise and Sports Nutrition
The successful application of exercise and sports nutrition knowledge in a professional and ethical manner requires a thorough understanding of the principles of, and the interaction between, nutrition and physical activity. This unit introduces you to basic and advanced sports nutrition principles and to their application within the sport, exercise and physical activity environment. It also provides a basic introduction to exercise physiology, building on previous introductory physiology. This unit provides you with opportunities to build, practice and provide evidence of your analysis and problem-solving skills for nutrition and exercise sciences.
XNB278 Skill Acquisition
This unit focuses on skill acquisition for the sport and exercise domains. It is important for movement practitioners to fully grasp the ramifications of their learning designs in physical activity settings. To do this, a comprehensive understanding of contemporary skill acquisition theory and practice is crucial. The disciplinary content underpinning this unit is central in the design of quality practice activities in the clinical, teaching, and sporting domains associated with human movement. The unit aims to provide you with the fundamental knowledge required to design practice tasks to improve skilled performance.
XNB280 Exercise Conditioning
The prescription and programming of exercise are essential competencies of any exercise and sport scientists. This unit focuses on exercise programming and delivery to improve aerobic and anaerobic capacity in general populations through to athletic populations, and complements the resistance training unit which focuses on improving strength.
XNB282 Resistance Training
This unit will develop theoretical understanding and practical skills in strength training for general fitness. A combination of theoretical knowledge and practical skills is required to safely and effectively prescribe appropriate exercise for diverse populations. This unit is designed to introduce you to theoretical concepts, apply them to practical situations and develop basic skills and competencies for the implementation and prescription of resistance training for general fitness. You will build on prior knowledge of functional anatomy and physiology to understand the acute physiological stresses and chronic adaptations to resistance training.
XNB360 Cardiorespiratory, Metabolic and Renal Disorders
This unit is a clinical unit that develops key clinical knowledge required for exercise physiology practice. This unit specifically focuses on the cardiorespiratory, metabolic and renal disorders, including their epidemiology, aetiology, pathophysiology, clinical course, diagnostic and assessment procedures, and treatments. By identifying the causes of each disorder, along with their epidemiological characteristics, the underlying mechanisms that affect movement capacity, and approaches taken to diagnose, assess and treat these disorders, the unit aims to develop your knowledge of these disorders so that you can recognise how they affect and respond to movement, exercise and activity. This unit links to XNH386 Clinical Skills for Exercise Physiologists, where practical assessment skills relevant to the disease states covered in this unit, are taught.
XNB361 Musculoskeletal, Neurological and Occupational Disorders
This unit is a clinical unit that develops key clinical knowledge required for exercise physiology practice. This unit specifically focuses on the neurological, occupational and musculoskeletal disorders, including their epidemiology, aetiology, pathophysiology, clinical course, diagnostic and assessment procedures, and treatments. By identifying the causes of each disorder, along with their epidemiological characteristics, the underlying mechanisms that affect movement capacity, and approaches taken to diagnose, assess and treat these disorders, the unit aims to develop your knowledge of these disorders so that you can recognise how they affect and respond to movement, exercise and activity. This unit links to XNH386 Clinical Skills for Exercise Physiologists, where practical assessment skills relevant to the disease states covered in this unit, are taught.
XNB363 Sports Physiology
This unit will build upon the knowledge and skills you have gained from studying XNB273 Exercise Physiology. You will integrate and apply this exercise physiology knowledge to sports physiology, including performance in differing environmental stressors (e.g., temperature and altitude); the role of recovery, sleep and travel on performance; and ergogenic aids. In addition, you will develop your ability to discuss, interpret, and critically analyse topical issues in sports physiology and present testing reports to athletes and coaches. By successfully completing this unit, you will be able to demonstrate a range of important skills, including critical thinking, organisation, planning, experimental design, time-management, problem-solving, oral presentation, and professional communication skills. This unit has a strong practical focus, and you will investigate physiological problems independently and as a team member.
XNB364 Oncology and Mental Health Disorders
This clinical unit explores the scope of practice for a clinical exercise physiologist within the domains of cancer and mental health. It provides an understanding of the disease states and develops the exercise physiology professional competencies essential to practice within these domains. You will commence the development of your client consultation skills that will be further developed in XNH386 Clinical Skills for Exercise Physiologists.
XNB365 Applied Exercise and Sport Psychology
A key aspect of exercise and sport science is the role psychology plays in optimising performance levels. This unit explores the application of psychological principles underpinning sports performance and the common tasks and decision-making processes involved in the work of an exercise and sport psychologist. This unit builds upon the foundational first-year unit, XNB175 Exercise and Sport Psychology.
XNB368 Sports Injury Prevention and Rehabilitation
The role of exercise in preventing and treating athletic injuries is well accepted. Well-designed exercise/training programs must address the known risk factors for injury and recurrent injury. This requires an applied understanding of assessment, prescription and education based on evidence-based practice and sports science reasoning. This advanced unit synthesises your previous knowledge of anatomy, biomechanics, exercise physiology, and exercise prescription and builds on this by systematically considering a range of athlete-specific concepts and case studies as seen in professional practice and applying them to the sports science setting.
XNB370 Performance Analysis
This unit is designed to integrate knowledge from the core areas of exercise science (exercise physiology, biomechanics, skill acquisition and functional anatomy) and apply them to analysing sports performance. An ever-increasing range of quantitative information about human performance is available, including training and workload data, individual motion and kinematics, and competition results. Extracting key information from this data to support decision-making is an increasingly important process, whether in optimising training, talent identification, or tracking performance in sport; informing clinical and rehabilitation decisions following injury, or in more specialised settings in exercise and movement science research. A key component will be utilising available technology to collect, analyse and make sense of the data for the athletes and coaches.
XNB379 Strength and Conditioning
This unit will allow you to develop your understanding of and practical skills in strength and conditioning for improving sports performance. Practitioners in this field require 1) coaching skills in advanced resistance training, conditioning, speed and agility and skill development techniques; 2) the capacity to plan medium to long-term athlete development programs that enhance performance and minimise injury risk, and 3) an understanding of conventional practices in sports conditioning and the limits to their evidence base. In addition, strength and conditioning coaches need to understand the role of technology in monitoring athlete performance and signs and symptoms of overtraining and the interdisciplinary nature of their field.
XNB388 Exercise in Clinical Populations
This unit develops key clinical knowledge required for exercise physiology practice. It provides an understanding of various diseases, including their epidemiology, aetiology, pathophysiology, clinical course, diagnostic and assessment procedures, and treatments. By identifying the underlying mechanisms that affect movement capacity, the unit aims to develop your knowledge of these disorders so that you can recognise how they affect and respond to movement, exercise, and physical activity.
XNH269 Evidence Based Practice in Exercise Science
On completion of this unit you will have a fundamental understanding of the research process and how research informs the practice of exercise professionals. The skills you will develop will include the ability to critically evaluate research literature and interpret qualitative and quantitative data in the field of exercise science. This unit provides an introduction to the research process and basic analytical methods commonly used in this field to design evidence-based practice. This is a crucial part of the professional role of an exercise scientist, exercise physiologists and other sport, physical activity and exercise specialists. The development of research skills in this unit provides the basis for you to undertake future studies in exercise research.
XNH366 Clinical Skills for Exercise Physiologists
This unit is a clinical skills unit that develops the key clinical and practical skills required for exercise physiology practice. Specifically, the unit teaches and assesses core skill competencies to conduct an effective client consultation including health and fitness assessment, analysis of results to inform the development of evidence based exercise programs which meet the client's needs and goals, and professional communication skills. Also included are skills based on delivering effective client education to assist with chronic disease or injury rehabilitation management. The skills developed in this unit link to the disease states covered in XNB380 and XNB381.
XNH460 Clinical Exercise Physiology Professional Practice
This capstone unit is a final year unit that will draw together your exercise physiology learning from your entire course. This unit enables you to integrate and synthesise your knowledge and skills, as well as drawing on your work integrated learning experience to demonstrate your readiness to practice in the exercise physiology profession. It provides an opportunity for you and the University to reflect and endorse your readiness to practice in the exercise physiology profession.
XNH461 Clinical Exercise for Cardiorespiratory, Renal and Metabolic Disorders
The role of exercise for both treatment and secondary prevention in individuals with cardiorespiratory, renal, and metabolic disorders is well accepted. Well-designed treatment programs require assessment, prescription, and education based on practical clinical skills and clinical reasoning. This advanced unit converges and builds on your previous knowledge of exercise prescription and cardiorespiratory, renal, and metabolic pathophysiology by systematically considering a range of disorder-specific concepts and case studies as seen in professional practice and applying them to a real-world clinical practice setting.
XNH462 Clinical Exercise for Musculoskeletal and Neurological Disorders
The role of exercise for both treatment and secondary prevention in individuals with neurological and musculoskeletal disorders is well accepted. Well-designed treatment programs require assessment, prescription and education based on practical clinical skills and clinical reasoning. This advanced unit builds on your previous knowledge of exercise prescription and neurological and musculoskeletal pathophysiology by systematically considering a range of disorder-specific concepts and case studies as seen in professional practice and applying them to the clinical practice setting.
Nursing
NSB132 Integrated Nursing Practice 1 On campus
This beginning-level unit aims to establish cognitive skills in clinical reasoning which inform provision of safe, person-centred, and evidence-based nursing practice. This unit directly links to subsequent Integrated Nursing Practice units. Unit learning activities develop your understanding of the nurse role and skills in clinical reasoning relevant to fundamental care provision. Practice reflecting the Aged and Quality Standards is a particular focus, and this is then further explored and consolidated in subsequent integrated nursing practice units.
NSB203 Inquiry in Clinical Practice
This unit at a developmental level of your course, explores inquiry in clinical practice by examining the role of evidence-based practice and application of research processes in nursing practice further synthesised in your final year. Skills in interpretation of evidence will be developed and an overview of various approaches to research are examined to enable students to be effective consumers of research. The relationship between research, evidence, and safety and quality in health care is explored. This knowledge is foundational to all remaining units in the course. Contemporary nursing work requires the ability to seek, interpret, analyse, synthesise, and integrate evidence into practice. The facilitation of ongoing improvement in nursing practice requires critical thinking, broader perspectives, and decision making informed by evidence.
NSB204 Mental Health: Self and others
This unit focuses on the National Health Priority of mental health and explores the social determinants, legislation and policies that inform nursing care provision. Mental health issues are a universal human experience across the lifespan and affect one in 4 Australians. In this unit, learning activities embed the concepts of recovery and cultural safety as well as trauma informed care in promoting positive messages that challenge stigma and discrimination. Emphasis is given to the development of the professional self and attributes of trust, rapport building, and a non-judgemental approach to practice. Focus is also given to developing skills in assessing and responding to people who experience symptoms of mental illness. This includes history-taking, mental state, and risk assessment, while utilising the recovery framework.
NSB231 Integrated Nursing Practice 2 On campus
This unit is at the developing stage of the course and builds on preceding units. You are expected to draw on knowledge and skills gained in previous units to enhance your understanding of nursing practice and peoples’ experience of health and illness. Peoples’ experiences of the continuum of care in different contexts of health care are emphasised to highlight chronic and acute dimensions of illness using unfolding clinical cases. The unit also has a synergetic relationship with the NSB232 Integrated Nursing Practice 2 – Off campus unit, and units are co-requisites. A thorough understanding of the NMBA Registered Nurse Standards for Practice, National Health Priority Areas, and National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards is essential to nursing practice and will underpin success in this unit. Face-to-face teaching, particularly tutorials may commence in 0 week. Please refer to the published timetable.
NSB232 Integrated Nursing Practice 2 Off campus
This unit is a work integrated learning unit in which you complete a period (2 weeks /80 hours) of immersive learning in clinical practice in an off-campus health care context. A series of mandatory clinical practice sessions (CPS) develops your skills in safe practice. Failure to attend all mandatory CPS means you are unable to progress to clinical placement. The unit is at the developing stage of the course and builds on all preceding units. You will draw on knowledge and skills gained in previous units to incorporate into practice and further develop knowledge and skills. This unit has a concurrent requisite of NSB231 Integrated Nursing Practice 2 – On Campus. Your knowledge of and ability to apply the NMBA Registered Nurse Standards for Practice, National Health Priority Areas, Aged Care Standards, and National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards are essential to nursing practice. Mandatory elements will start in Orientation week.
NSB233 Integrated Nursing Practice 3 Off Campus
This unit is a work integrated learning unit in which you learn predominantly in off-campus health care contexts (4 weeks/160 hours). The unit is at the developing stage of your course and builds on all preceding units. You are expected to draw on knowledge and skills gained in previous units to develop your practice and will be actively encouraged to apply learning and skills from earlier units. The unit is a concurrent requisite of NSB236 Integrated Nursing Practice 3 – On campus to facilitate application of theory to practice. You will require knowledge of and ability to apply the NMBA Registered Nurse Standards for Practice, National Health Priority Areas, Aged Care Quality Standards, and National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards essential to nursing practice.
NSB236 Integrated Nursing Practice 3 On Campus
This unit consolidates cognitive skills in clinical reasoning by integrating prior knowledge and skills and further develop your understanding of decisions that informs nursing practice at a developing level. Peoples’ experiences of the continuum of care in different contexts of health care are emphasised to highlight chronic and acute dimensions of illness using unfolding clinical cases. The critical thinking and analyses of nursing practice elements of the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia Registered Nurse Standards for Practice are particularly emphasised. This unit links to subsequent integrated nursing practice units.
NSB334 Integrated Nursing Practice 4
This unit is a work integrated learning unit, with you learning predominantly off campus (4 weeks/ 160 hours) within healthcare contexts. This is a third-year unit at the consolidating stage of the course. It builds on all preceding units, with the expectation that previous knowledge and skills will be drawn upon in practice and to enable further development knowledge and skills. This is necessary to prepare for and successfully complete this capstone unit and provide safe and effective care as a beginning -level registered nurse. This unit is a work integrated learning unit with students learning predominantly in off-campus health care contexts. A thorough understanding of the NMBA Registered Nurse Standards for Practice, National Health Priority Areas, Aged Care Standards and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) standards is essential to nursing practice. Mandatory elements may start in Orientation week. Please check the published unit timetable.
NSB336 Integrated Nursing Practice Capstone
This unit is at the consolidating stage of the course, builds on preceding units and prepares you for the transition to independent practice as a registered nurse. You are expected to draw on knowledge and skills gained in previous units to enhance capabilities for practice. A thorough understanding of the NMBA Registered Nurse Standards for Practice, National Health Priority Areas, and National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards is essential to nursing practice and underpin this unit. This unit focuses on National Safety and Quality Health Standards (5) Comprehensive care and (8) Recognising and responding to acute deterioration. Understanding of these standards and related nursing care enables early identification of patient deterioration, can improve outcomes, and reduce required interventions. This on-campus unit fosters further development of knowledge and skills that you will critically analyse and reflect on throughout your remaining off-campus experiences.
NSB412 Clinical Elective
This unit offers the opportunity to undertake further clinical practicum experiences to enhance students' ability to practice competently in a range of clinical situations. Also the focus is on integrating knowledge, skills and attributes required to successfully integrate theory with clinical practice. The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) Registered Nurse Standards for Practice emphasised in this unit are: thinks critically and analyses nursing practice (ST1); comprehensively conducts assessments (ST4); develops a plan for nursing practice (ST5); provides safe, appropriate, and responsive quality nursing practice (ST6); and evaluates outcomes to inform nursing practice (ST7). This unit complements other second year units and links to Integrated Nursing Practice units.
NSB600 Introduction to Nursing Children and Childbearing Families
This unit provides an overview of the theoretical concepts and clinical application principles for practice in nursing and midwifery care for children and childbearing families. It addresses the childbearing process and the developmental stages of childhood and family dynamics, allowing the nursing role to contribute to maintenance and promotion of family health. Learning activities in this unit aim to develop your understanding of the role of the nurse or midwife as provider of care for women and their families during the normal childbearing process and during childhood. The unit is offered in blended mode and a large amount of independent study is required using online resources.
NSB606 Palliative Care Nursing
Palliative care is an increasingly important part of our healthcare system. The health and support needs of those who are dying are diverse and often change over time. To respond effectively to these needs, nurses must have knowledge and skills to provide a palliative approach to care. In this unit, students will extend their knowledge of the needs of those diagnosed with various life-limiting illnesses. The unit will enable students to develop further understanding of the core components of palliative care for these people. It will extend the understandings developed in other theoretical studies and experiences in clinical practice.
NSB608 Wound Care in Practice
Providing complex wound care to people in acute, residential and community health areas is a growing challenge for health care services. Quality wound care requires a holistic approach as impacts are seen in every aspect of a person's life. This unit provides you with an in-depth knowledge of acute and chronic wounds and specifically addresses challenges related to providing optimal nursing care for persons with wounds. Focus is given to linking existing knowledge and clinical skills from prior study to inform evidence-based practice in wound care. This unit takes an interdisciplinary approach to examining the science of wound healing, the principles and application of nursing care while also incorporating a necessary trans-disciplinary approach to care of a person with a wound. Learning activities assist you to respond to the challenges of assessment, management, and prevention of a range of acute and chronic wounds using an evidence-based, person-centred approach.
NSN434 Evidence-based Practice and Research Design
This unit examines the relationship between research evidence and practice. It creates an opportunity to identify, understand, and critique the contribution that evidence provides to best health care practice. Drawing on knowledge and skills of research methods and processes, you will learn to critique research, and develop a research study description.
NSN508 Dissertation Preparation
This unit builds on existing knowledge, skills and professional experience and provides the opportunity to develop, extend, and apply these skills to the preparation of a feasible and defensible research proposal for a research dissertation. The opportunity to develop skills in advanced information retrieval and synthesis, academic writing, and critical analysis are supported as you review a body of literature relevant to your dissertation and methodology. NSN508 is a preparatory unit for HLN700 or HLN750.
Psychology and counselling
PYB102 The Mind and the Brain
Psychology is a broad-ranging and multifaceted discipline which encompasses the scientific study of human behaviour and the systematic application of knowledge gained from psychological research to a broad range of real-world issues. The goal of this foundational unit is to introduce you to the areas of biological (physiological) and cognitive psychology and to develop your understanding of the methods used to critically evaluate, ethically conduct, and effectively communicate psychological research.
PYB159 Alcohol and Other Drug Studies
Drug and alcohol use and abuse is of growing concern in the community. This unit introduces you to theories of prevention and treatment of alcohol and other drug problems from a range of diverse perspectives. You will be exposed to multidisciplinary learning where you can identify career pathways while considering the field in relation to ethics, values and a range of population targets. This unit provides a useful foundation for PYB360, Interventions for Addictive Behaviours. You will participate in discussions and assessment pieces designed in conjunction with industry professionals, to embed learning with current real world issues.
PYB202 Social Psychology
Humans are social beings whose thoughts, feelings and actions are influenced by the real, imagined, or implied presence of others. This unit will allow you to develop greater insight into people's behaviour through the scientific investigation of the relationship between individuals and the social settings in which they live. We will study the effects of these social settings on people, and the psychological processes people use to influence others in social settings. We will consider cultural variation in social psychological phenomena, ethical issues in social psychological research, and how social psychological perspectives can help us understand and address real world issues. This unit will help you develop your database searching and written communication skills.
PYB203 Developmental Psychology
This unit is designed to introduce the major theoretical and methodological approaches to the study of developmental psychology, and to encourage you to consider the major life issues, events, and transitions that shape the course of development throughout the lifespan. This unit aims to develop awareness of general patterns of human development and of the ways in which the development of particular individuals and diverse groups may vary from these general patterns. We will also critically examine the importance of the physical, family, socio-cultural and historical contexts within which development occurs, and a gain a sense of the interdependency of all aspects of development.
PYB204 Perception and Cognition
Cognitive psychology is a major empirical and theoretical area of psychology which explores the processes and structures involved at each stage of information processing within the brain. The structures and processes involved in perception provide the brain with basic information about both the external world and many of the current states of the individual. Higher level cognitive processes and structures provide the foundation upon which more complex aspects of behaviour are based. This unit is to build on the concepts and issues in perception and cognitive psychology, and to develop an appreciation of the major contemporary theories of how we process and perceive information. The unit is placed in second semester of second year so that students following the normal course structure have an adequate background in research design and data analysis. With this background, students will carry out experiments in tutorial classes and analyse real data.
PYB208 Counselling Theory and Practice 1
Counselling processes, skills and knowledge have broad applicability in the modern world of work. In this unit you will have the opportunity to engage with the most prominent counselling models and approaches. Through an experiential learning process, you will learn about the theories and philosophies that underpin different approaches and develop skills and techniques required to apply these models in your future work. Self-awareness is widely recognised in the health and community sector as key to effective and ethical practice. By participating in counselling exercises, group discussions and individual reflections, you will be supported to deconstruct and examine your existing beliefs and values and consider the role they will play in your work with individuals, families and groups. You will then have the opportunity to develop your practice framework that you will take forward to guide your work in the real world.
PYB210 Research Design and Data Analysis
PYB210 extends on the analytical methods you learnt in PYB110 and prepares you for the more complex research designs you will engage with in PYB350. Research design, data analysis and associated digital capabilities are core skills in the discipline of psychology and integral to the scientist-practitioner model and are skills highly valued by employers of psychology graduates. A sound understanding of research design and data analysis will build your ability to work with and interpret data from a variety of sources, enabling you to critique research, and to apply an evidence-based approach to problem solving, invaluable skills in a wide variety of careers. PYB210 will develop your knowledge of research design, data collection methods and analysis, providing you with a theoretical grounding in analysis of variance techniques, regression, and qualitative methods, the practical ability to employ analytic software to conduct analyses and to interpret and report these analyses.
PYB215 Forensic Psychology and the Law
Forensic Psychology will introduce you to the overlap between psychology and the law; assist you to understand the influence and impact of this branch of psychology within the criminal justice system; and to provide you with an overview of the practice of forensic psychology, across diverse populations, including First Nations People. The study of psychology and law draws from a multi-disciplinary base for the application of specialised knowledge. As a student of this discipline area, you will acquire an appreciation of (and a critical perspective on) psychology and the law across the three criminal justice domains of the police, the courts, and corrections.
PYB260 Psychopharmacology of Addictive Behaviour
This unit aims to develop and extend your understanding of issues relating to behavioural pharmacology with a focus on substances commonly associated with addiction. It introduces the principles of behavioural pharmacology, and critically examines prevailing theories and models of addiction, and related research methods, and how they apply to diverse perspectives. Computerised programs specifically designed for psychology experiments are examined and underlie the authentic assignment of a psychopharmacological experiment journal manuscript, as do other digital technologies (e.g., learning management system, psychology journal database searches, and data presentation and word processing software). Tutorial group activities promote collaboration and the development of knowledge and skills relevant to a research career in psychology. This unit complements and could be combined with other units of addiction (e.g. PYB159, PYB360) to constitute a minor sequence.
PYB301 Psychology in the Community: Placement
This unit enables you to develop your work-literacy and work-readiness, by providing opportunities to apply psychological knowledge in authentic workplace contexts, supported by activities that promote critical reflection on your learning and workplace practices. You will arrange a 50 hour work placement at relevant organisation. You will be supported by the teaching team, on-campus workshops and activities designed to promote critical reflection on your workplace experience. All students considering this unit are strongly encouraged to apply for a Blue Card (suitability for working with children and young people clearance) before the commencement of semester as this clearance is required by most of our host organisations.
PYB302 Applied Social and Organisational Psychology
Psychology plays a critical role in enhancing people's lives, and in the functioning of groups, communities and organisations. In this unit students are exposed to a range of social and workplace issues which can be understood and addressed using concepts and theories aligned with social and organisational psychology. PYB302 focuses strongly on the application of theoretical perspectives to formulate innovative, feasible solutions to real-world issues. Social/organisational concepts and challenges are explored from varying viewpoints (including cultural perspectives) and students gain awareness of how their knowledge of social and organisational psychology can contribute to facilitating and supporting change. Students develop important graduate attributes, including innovative thinking, teamwork skills, digital practices (using technology to collaborate and present information) and writing for broad audiences. The unit expands students' awareness of potential career options.
PYB306 Psychopathology
This unit covers the principles of diagnosis and treatment for psychopathology. Disorder aetiology, treatment approaches, and the standard of evidence that underpins our knowledge of psychopathology are discussed. You will learn about the formal systems that are used to define a clinical disorder, and how to apply classification systems for the identification of psychopathology. An integrative approach to the understanding of psychopathology is emphasised, highlighting the reciprocal influence of biological, psychological, cultural and social factors on pathological functioning. This unit will provide you with a strong understanding of the evidence and scientific methods underpinning contemporary approaches for the identification, classification, and treatment of major classes of mental illness.
PYB307 Health Psychology
This unit examines the psychological dimension of physical illness, health, and health care. There is a strong focus on health psychology in an Australian context with a focus on cross-cultural and Indigenous health-related issues. The unit examines definitions of health and health psychology; the role of health psychology; the determinants of health behaviours (e.g., cognitive, attitudinal, motivational, personality, social, developmental); community health; medical settings and patient behaviour; patient and practitioner communication; stress, illness, and coping; and chronic illness.
PYB309 Individual Differences and Assessment
This unit will introduce you to key theories underpinning personality, and it will explore the extent to which key theories account for variation in personality and human behaviour. It will also cover key principles of psychological assessment, assessment methods, the relationship of assessment methods to key theories, and the ethical use of assessment tools. The unit will apply theoretical frameworks to contemporary challenges, such as depression and anxiety, work engagement, relationship distress, school achievement, and effective parenting. This unit includes a strong focus on building capability to use a mix of theory and research to inform real-world mental health problems. The unit will strengthen professional skills for those considering a future in psychology and related fields which rely on individual differences and assessment (e.g., clinical or counselling settings, educational, organisational, developmental, forensic and research settings).
PYB350 Advanced Statistical Analysis
PYB350 extends on the analytical methods you learnt in PYB210 to more complex research designs. Research design, data analysis and associated digital capabilities are core skills in the discipline of psychology and integral to the scientist-practitioner model of professional psychological practice and research. The skills are highly valued by employers of psychology graduates. A sound understanding of research design and data analysis enables you to become critical consumers of research and to apply a strong evidence based approach to problem solving. This unit will provide you with a thorough grounding in analysis of variance techniques, multiple regression, and qualitative analysis methods, data analytic tools used in a broad range of research across the social sciences. The unit is both theoretical and practical, providing you with the ability to employ analytic software to analyse quantitative and qualitative data and to appropriately interpret and report these analyses.
PYB356 Counselling Theory and Practice 2
Counselling students need to be cognizant of theory, skills, and process in order to work effectively and ethically in the modern world. At the core of the meaning of process is an assumption that counselling is about change: change that is facilitated by the therapeutic relationship between client and counsellor. This unit builds on the theoretical and skills focus of Counselling Theory & Practice 1. It seeks to develop students' capacity to monitor and reflect on how, in the role of counsellor, will manage therapeutic process when working with clients. Students will be invited to adopt a decolonising stance by actively engaging in critical thinking to consider how knowledge is created and to ensure that their counselling practice remains relevant in an increasingly diverse world.
PYB359 Working with Families and Groups
In the current health setting, counsellors and psychologists are regularly required to work with families, couples and groups. The complexity of working therapeutically with more than one person, requires specialist knowledge and skillsets. In PYB359, you will build on your existing understanding of different counselling paradigms to consider how these will be generalised to work with groups of people. The history and philosophy that underpins Systemic Family Therapy and Indigenous practice will also be explored providing students with alternate perspectives on how to support change for individuals and groups. Experiential tutorials will support you to develop practical skills and techniques to build competence and confidence in hosting family members, negotiating multiple concerns and requests and evoking change for all involved in a culturally safe manner.
PYB360 Interventions for Addictive Behaviours
Addictive behaviours (e.g., arising from alcohol use, tobacco use, gambling) are recognised as major problems nationally and internationally. This unit focuses predominantly on psychological aspects of addictive behaviours. The unit has a focus on the interdisciplinary nature of work within the field, including complementary treament approaches and interdisciplinary communication. To evaluate core scientific perspectives on addiction theory, classes initially review issues relating to psychological models of addiction and methods of studying addictive behaviours. Symptomatology, aetiology and assessment of addictive behaviours, as well as the theoretical underpinnings of a range of therapeutic interventions are also discussed. Following on from PYB159, this unit aims to prepare graduates for a potential career in Alcohol and Drug services.
Public health and social work
PUB326 Introduction to Epidemiology
Epidemiology is the quantitative language of public health. It enables us to understand the incidence and prevalence of disease, and causative and preventative factors. It is an important skill for all health professionals and is essential for those working in public health. This unit will cover calculating, interpreting and communicating epidemiological data to the general public and health professional audiences. Critical appraisal skills are applied to identify the strengths and weaknesses of research articles, and assess the validity and usefulness of the research findings. By applying the concepts learned in this unit to current public health problems and issues, you will contextualise the practice of epidemiology as it relates to real life and recognise its role in informing health promotion, public health programs and policies.
PUB359 Contemporary Health Information Management
This unit is an important component of the Health Information Management course as it prepares you for the professional practice to be undertaken in the final semester. As health information professionals it is essential to understand all aspects of contemporary health information management, including health information services, policies, procedures, staff and budgets. This unit will connect your knowledge of health information management from previous units in the course to its application within a practical context.
PUB406 Taking Action for Health Promotion
This unit focuses on critically analysing and planning health promotion using health promotion frameworks. Applying these frameworks to design contemporary health promotion solutions is essential for those who wish to work in a health promotion or related field. This unit extends the fundamental health promotion knowledge learnt in PUB530, Health Education and Behaviour Change to enable the translation of knowledge into practice. PUB406 provides essential learning for PUB875 Professional Practice.
PUB416 Research to Change the World
An understanding of the research process and tools, different types of research, and how to interpret and critically evaluate research in its multiple forms is needed to work effectively in Public Health and related areas. The unit explores a range of research methods - quantitative, qualitative, mixed methods. It will develop your skills in how to develop research questions and design surveys to address them.
PUB490 Quality Management in Health
Quality and risk management are important areas of activity for health care professionals, particularly in relation to clinical and administrative services, patient advocacy and more generally within health services as a whole. This unit provides you with the necessary knowledge and skills to develop a quality management program, perform quality improvement activities, and expand outcomes into process improvements and organisational change. Methods of health care performance measurement are explored, and a clinical quality framework model is introduced. Issues relating to administrative and clinical data quality, safety and privacy in an increasingly digital health care environment are also considered. This unit aims to provide a broad overview of health service and clinical management and is suitable for all undergraduates enrolled in a health-related degree.
PUB545 Health Policy Making and Advocacy - People, Power and Politics
Health policy, planning and advocacy are important processes that ensure health care systems are responsive to the social and environmental determinants of health and to the changing burden of disease in communities. In preparation for a professional career in health, this unit consolidates knowledge of health policy formulation, planning, implementation, evaluation and advocacy. Contemporary Australian health policy challenges will be examined at local, state and national levels. The dynamic nature of the health sector requires professionals to be proficient in translating health policy into practice. You will develop knowledge and skills in health policy development, analysis, planning and evaluation, and develop an understanding of the role and influence of advocacy on policy making.
PUB565 International Health and Social Justice
We live in a rapidly changing and increasingly globalised world with inequities and social justice challenges for achieving better health and wellbeing outcomes. We see movement of people for business, tourism, migration and political refuge at historically high levels. These changes have prompted the United Nations to develop Sustainable Development Goals to 2030, and created new challenges for public health in controlling infectious diseases, chronic disease, and environmental health challenges. Health systems change rapidly too. Global and national health agencies must adapt and refocus energies to deal with new challenges. Health professionals are moving throughout the world as the market for skilled people becomes more fluid and, in many ways, more exciting than ever before. This unit provides the core knowledge essential for all public health practitioners to meet future challenges in global health.
PUN015 Environmental Management and Sustainability
Population growth, non-renewable energy use, pollution and consumption are threatening the Earth's planetary systems that enable human health and wellbeing. With strong community pressure, government and private organisations are increasingly interested in environmental management, corporate compliance with environmental laws and showcasing their adoption of sustainable practices that reduce their ecological footprint. Organisations rely on environmental management, sustainability and HSE professionals to effectively manage environmental protection and lead in the adoption of new ideas and technologies that advance sustainable ways of working and living. It assumes high level understanding of the science, sustainability principles and imperative legal frameworks for environmental management. It promotes collaboration in complex thinking and collective capacity for effective action to address both local and major planetary challenges.
PUN230 Health Management Principles and Practice
Health Managers require appropriate knowledge, competencies and attitudes to confront the challenges facing the health of modern communities. Acquisition of management competencies can best occur through reflective practice and the application of the theoretical principles that underlie organisational behaviour and the systems, structures and processes that characterise modern healthcare. This unit forms the knowledge and competency basis for contemporary Health Managers and lays the foundation for more advanced management units in the Master of Health Management and Leadership.
PUN364 Food Safety
Food is a fundamental human need and a prerequisite to good health. Ensuring that the food we eat is safe is a major function of both government and industry. The food sector is one of the largest industries in Australia, with over 20 billion meals provided each year. Even though the food supply in Australia is one of the safest in the world, government data indicates that each year over 5 million cases of gastroenteritis are believed to be caused by contaminated food (most of these being unreported to health authorities). The aim of this unit is to develop a detailed understanding of food contaminants, food safety principles and legislation and their application so that future health professionals are able to identify and implement processes to ensure a safe food supply and prevent food-borne illness in the community. The material in this unit focuses on food safety regulation, but is also relevant to professionals working in the areas of food service management and nutrition.
PUN454 Leadership in Disaster Management
The unit addresses the key leadership and strategic concepts and issues related to disaster risk management. It provides opportunities for stakeholder mapping, crisis communication and decision-making in rapidly changing environments. It examines case studies of leadership in disaster management responses and recovery, and further opportunities for research and learning in this area. Upon completion of this unit, you will have a greater understanding of the critical role of disaster risk management and how to prepare and deliver a media briefing using effective communication strategies and protocols.
PUP034 Health Promotion 3: Program Planning
This unit is in the developmental stage of your course and furthers your knowledge and skills developed in PUP032 and PUP038 for developing a health promotion program. With a large portion of health promotion work involving the development of health promotion programs, the unit allows you to develop the skills that are essential for a health promotion practitioner.PUP034 provides you with opportunities to build, practise and provide evidence of your analysis and problem-solving skills for developing a health promotion program proposal. The unit should be taken either concurrently with PUP037, or before it.
PUP037 Health Promotion 4: Program Evaluation
Evaluation is a crucial aspect of health promotion and public health work. Within the health sector there is strong competition for funding from the government and non-government sectors. The need to use evidence upon which to make judgments about programs and influence policy rests increasingly on robust evaluations. This unit will advance your knowledge and application of evaluation techniques.This unit is in the developmental stage of your course and furthers your knowledge and skills developed in prior units. PUP037 provides you with opportunities to build, practise and provide evidence of your analysis and problem-solving skills for developing a health promotion program evaluation plan. You will conduct a small-scale evaluation of a health program based on theory and the evidence. The unit should be taken either concurrently with PUP034 or after it as PUP037 assumes that you are currently receiving or have prior knowledge in health program planning principles.
SWB215 Critical Approaches to Crises, Trauma and Addictions
This unit takes a critical approach to the topics of crises, trauma and addictive practices, and follows directly on from SWB221 Politics of Helping. The study of crisis, trauma and 'addictions' is important because many of our clients and the communities we serve, will have experienced high levels of social disadvantage, productive of much trauma and crisis. Trauma, especially the trauma from chronic hardship and abuse, increases the likelihood of people relying on addictive practices to cope, including those with very harmful consequences. Addictive practices, such as those relating to eating/weight, gambling, gaming, hoarding, and substances use will be considered as we ask questions about if and how we might intervene with diverse populations. Critical social work perspectives will be advanced, especially those that help make the connections between personal troubles and social injustice, and different modes and fields of social work practice.
SWB219 Legal and Ethical Dimensions of Social Work and Human Service Practice
Human service and social work professionals engage with people in a wide variety of situations across a range of fields of practice. The legal dimensions of practice range from the nature of legislative provisions to the legal accountabilities of direct practice. Practitioners often work with vulnerable and/or marginalised persons, groups and communities and need to understand the law as both context and as a dynamic resource with which they can engage. Legal and ethical considerations in practice often intersect and are usefully examined in conjunction with each other. An understanding and capacity to respond to ethical dimensions of practice situations is central to professional capability and requires you to develop literacy about key ethical approaches and concepts, and the capability to critically apply social work and human service professional Codes of Ethics.
SWB220 Practice Theories
In line with the orientation of the social work and human service courses as a whole, this unit emphasises the conceptual component of your developing personal and professional practice framework integral to working effectively with a range of service users in a range of different contexts. It is essential that you have a capacity to integrate and apply theoretical concepts to specific practice contexts, consider your own practice frame of reference and ideological influences, and understand the implications of these for practice. This unit introduces you to the dynamic interplay between the theoretical, personal, professional and ideological elements of social work and human service practice.
SWB221 Politics of Helping
Human service and social work students must build foundational knowledge and critical skills in practice processes that solve social problems while serving the mission of social justice. This unit begins with a critical analysis of the politics of help and helping processes, and an exploration of diversity with reference to questions about power, privilege and oppression. Because of its importance in preparing you to undertake professional placements, the unit is strategically located in second year. Understanding and reflecting on diversity-of many kinds-is embedded in this unit.
SWB222 Communication for Social Work and Human Services
This unit compares a range of practice approaches used in individual and community work when responding to trauma, bereavement, and crisis. The implications of using these contrasting practice approaches for counselling and community development practice will be explored in relation to a range of different presenting concerns including grief and loss, domestic violence, sexual assault, mental health issues, cultural violence and substance abuse. Gender sensitive and anti-racist practices will also be considered in responding to people experiencing grief, trauma and crisis. Application through simulated role-play and critical evaluation of your own practice using knowledge and skills associated with client centred, narrative (response based) and feminist approaches will be emphasised. Because the development of core practice knowledge and skills is required for professional placement, your full participation in all learning activities is expected and required.
SWB306 People, Community and Disability
Social work and human service practitioners must have the relevant professional knowledge and skills to understand the impact of disability experienced by people, families and carers. The experience of disability can universally impact people of any age or culture, at any point during life course transition. This unit provides a platform for developing foundational knowledge and skills to effectively respond to disability issues; you will be able to challenge social and cultural constructions located in local, national and international community contexts. Because of its importance in preparing you for working with people with disabilities, inclusive of their families, carers and communities, this unit is strategically located in your first year.
SWB307 Critical Youth Work Practice
This unit focuses on a wide range of practice arenas relevant to work in services for young people. Increasingly professionals working with young people or in agencies concerned with or impacting on young people require expertise about specific issues and practice responses. This expertise may be related to a particular professional role (eg policy analyst and advocate), the orientation or framework employed by the funding program or service (eg early intervention or prevention), or particular practice approaches that respond to issues/needs that may be impacting on young people who constitute the target group (eg mental health, drug use, juvenile offending). This unit will engage students in developing a critical youth work practice framework, supported by engaging with critical youth work theories and input from youth work practitioners.
SWH200 Critically Reflective Practice in Organisations
This unit engages you in critical examination of the professional role within contemporary organisational contexts. The unit integrates whole of course theory and practice by drawing on practice experiences from your field education placement as a stimulus for learning. The unit employs critically reflective approaches to learning and teaching about critical practice within contemporary workplaces characterised by neoliberal policies and managerialist practices. You will develop an understanding of ethical practice in organisations, informed by critical social theories, using a critical incident from your practice experience as a platform to develop your practice framework. This capstone unit links your own experiences with recent theoretical developments in professional practice for the social work and human services discipline. The unit focuses on building your organisational competence and professional confidence, as well as your commitment to critically reflective practice.
SWH312 Real Utopias, Social Alternatives and Policy Possibilities
This unit critically explores a wide range of proposals, models and social alternatives for radical social change in Australia and globally. Students develop knowledge through combining discussions of the values and rationales for different emancipatory visions (‘utopias’) with the analysis of (‘real’) empirical cases of institutional design in real-world existing institutions and policy experiments. The unit connects the professional discipline of social work with the idea of emancipatory agency in practice to generate potentialities about what is possible for changing and restructuring our social institutions in a direction that fits fundamental values of social justice, self-determination and sustainability better than the present institutions do.
SWH400 Critical Social Policy and Advocacy
This unit provides you with a conceptual framework grounded in critical theory for exploring the philosophical, historical and critical practice dimensions of social policy and advocacy. The unit orients you to the broad policy issues of poverty, inequity and social exclusion to make sense of the impact on different groups. The critical approach prepares you for engaging in the analysis, design, implementation and evaluation of social policy and the devising of alternatives to formulate socially just policy responses. This unit prepares you for real world policy transformatory practice by extending on knowledge from early policy units to develop analytical and advocacy skills to influence policy decisions and communicate socially just policy alternatives through policy writing, research and advocacy.
SWH401 Social Research for Social Change
Social service organisations are increasingly interested in methods for evaluating and authenticating program outcomes. Furthermore, professionals in these organisations need processes and procedures to analyse and address practice problems and contribute to the evaluation and development of models for service delivery. This unit equips you with knowledge and skills to investigate models of service and practice questions and to develop recommendations for change. A range of particular methods for developing, evaluating and improving models of social service and social care delivery will be examined including reflective practice, participatory action research, service evaluation and quality assurance processes, and the use of empirical research to inform practice. You will be able to apply methods learnt to a range of service delivery and practice contexts.
SWH404 Climate Justice in Local and Global Worlds
This unit orients you to the interface between climate justice, social justice and social work to refine your critical framework for practice in relation to climate change and climate justice. You will apply critical theories and social, economic and political philosophical positions to address social problems including climate change, food insecurity, forced migration, and global poverty, which shape communities and nations. Social workers and human service workers are at the forefront of developing sustainable thinking and cooperative social actions grounded in environmental and social justice as a way to respond to social problems. This unit extends on and integrates knowledge and theories, values, ethics and different practices learnt across the course journey with the addition of green social work practice.
SWN002 Introduction to Social Work Practice and Contexts
This introductory unit initiates your foundational understanding of the professional discipline of social work as the beginning step in constructing your professional identity. Understanding contemporary social, economic and political contexts is fundamental knowledge for effective social work practice. Developing a critical analysis of society and its associated structural inequalities, and a capacity for self-awareness and reflection on one's own values and assumptions are integral for ethical social work practice. The unit is positioned strategically to allow you to locate your learning and professional aspirations within a rapidly changing and uncertain global context. Reflecting the complex and intertwined nature of social work practice, this unit uses three inter-related pieces of assessment where unit learning outcomes are shown in a variety of ways. E.g. students do not only show critical self awareness in only one piece of assessment but across all three.
SWN003 Community and Policy Practice
The commitment by social workers to social justice in the modern welfare state is the cornerstone to creating inclusive community change efforts and fair social policy responses. This unit provides you with opportunities to re-orient your practice by using critical theory to research and analyse 'big' policy issues of poverty, inequity and social exclusion that impact on the lives of vulnerable groups. In developing your critical approach, you will better understand the nature and construction of social problems and formulate change responses through the design, implementation and evaluation of socially just community change and social policy strategies. This unit prepares you for moving from research and analysis of social problems and key change ideas to the consideration of the potentials and challenges of community action strategies and social policy solutions.
SWN004 Communication and Engagement in Professional Contexts
In this unit you will have the opportunity to gain practical and theoretical knowledge and skills for communicating as a critical social worker in the 'real world'. We will focus on client centred, feminist and narrative approaches practice in interpersonal, group and community work related to trauma, bereavement and crisis. You will apply, evaluate and reflect on use of a range of knowledge and skills relevant to effective communication and engagement, including communication across a range of mediums (face to face, phone, text, online). Diverse case studies will be critically analysed using an anti-oppressive/empowerment framework for practice. There are lecture, workshop and tutorial delivery modes that provide experiential learning in facilitated structured exercises. These opportunities help you to develop practice knowledge and skills and self-awareness so you are expected to actively participate in all learning activities.
SWN005 Health, Wellbeing and the Human Condition
In this unit an intersectional lens is applied to the health of communities not just individuals. This also means understanding health and wellbeing in its many dimensions (social, psychological, cultural, structural and spiritual), as well as their historical and political context. For example, it means understanding how the burden of disease and social determinants of health are related to oppressed populations; how colonisation and neoliberalism affect health and wellbeing. Questions will be asked about the opportunity for all to live a 'good life'. Mental health is treated as a subset of health and wellbeing.
SWN018 Theories and Frameworks for Social Work Practice
This unit builds literacy of a range of theories, models and perspectives relevant to critical social work practice. Power, oppression and privilege are key concepts. An historical overview will be provided to contextualise contemporary social work practices. For example, from the Charitable Organisation Society we have inherited case work, from the Settlement Movement we have incorporated neighbourhood work and community work, and from the Fabians, we considered how to use social policy to address major social problems such as poverty, unemployment and homelessness. With the emergence of alternative and critical influences, such as Marxism, feminism and ant-racism from the 1960s, increasing importance was given to environmental factors influencing the life chances of individuals. From these competing perspectives we must be able to coherently articulate our preferred perspectives with explicit reference to social justice and the AASW Code of Ethics.
SWN019 Research for Social Change
All qualified social workers need to appreciate the relevance of research for practice, including meaningful and broadly understood evidence-based practice. Research informs practice decision-making about reach, efficacy and the wellbeing of the organisations in which this takes place. Critical research is also foundational for advocacy and social change. In this unit you will design a research project, focussing on the research proposal. In the subsequent research unit, SWN020, you will build on this learning and carry out a research project using one of three methodologies: systematic literature review; critical reflection; or critical discourse analysis.
SWN020 Practice Research Project
Research skills are a required competency for Social Workers. Social workers need to have an understanding of relevant social research methods but must also be capable of implementing these methods to produce research outcomes of significance. This is a capstone (final) unit that synthesises the knowledge and skills gained across your degree, in particular your learning in SWN019 Research Skills for Social Work. Within this unit you will design and implement a research project in a rigorous and ethical manner. This research project is a major scholarly endeavour and serves as a critical component of the capstone experience as it assesses the application of your 'whole of course' knowledge, skills and values and aligns with the completion of your final placement and your Professional Learning Plan.
SWN023 Social Work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and Communities
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities experience significant oppression within the Australian context and consequently are over-represented in many of the fields of practice in which social work is engaged. Social work has contributed to this oppression through its implementation of oppressive policies. For social workers to work in an anti-oppressive manner with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples they require an in-depth understanding of colonisation and related oppressive policies and practices, social work's historical role in implementing these policies and practices, contemporary invitations to continue to oppress through practice, and an understanding of how this historical and contemporary context continues to impact on the experiences of many Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
SWN024 Child, Youth and Family Practice
Social workers work with children, young people, and families in many different contexts, requiring a broad range of knowledge and skills. This unit provides you with core knowledge and skills required for working with these groups. This unit uses a multidimensional approach to understanding the experiences and life course of children, young people, and families. Factors which contribute to vulnerability, such as poverty, domestic, family and community violence, and disability are explored. Skills working with diverse families are emphasised. This second year unit of the MSW(Q) builds on the communication and helping process skills developed in SWN004, and draws on the theories introduced in SWN018. Content and skills specifically intersect with mental health curricula in SWN005 and the impacts of colonisation in SWN023.
Professional experience packages for nursing
Our packaged units are designed to provide you with an exceptional nursing experience in a supportive environment.
You will spend 160 hours in clinical placement with a supervising nurse in one of the following packages. Other subjects you study alongside your nursing experience will provide you with unique health care knowledge in the areas of ethics law and health care, nursing children and childbearing families, palliative care, mental health or wound care.
Units requiring approval
Students need specific academic background knowledge to study these units. We will assess your eligibility and determine if you’re able to take these units after you apply. All units within the available professional experience packages for Nursing require approval, except for LWS101 Ethics Law and Health Care.
Package Option A – Semester 1 intake
- NSB231 Integrated Nursing Practice 2 On campus
- NSB232 Integrated Nursing Practice 2 Off campus (80 hours)
- NSB412 Clinical Elective (80 hours)
And choose one of the following units (if you want to study a fourth unit)
Package Option B – Semester 1 intake
This package is for senior students only who are in their final year of study.
- NSB334 Integrated Nursing Practice 4 (160 hours)
Please select one of the following units:
And choose one of the following units:
Package Option C – Semester 2 intake
- NSB233 Integrated Nursing Practice 3 Off Campus (160 hours)
- NSB236 Integrated Nursing Practice 3 On Campus
Plus select one or two of the following units:
Research experience
Why not consider a research project during your semester in Brisbane? Take a look at how to apply for research with study abroad, or email the QUT Faculty of Health at health.exchange@qut.edu.au for more information.
Apply for study abroad or exchange
Now that you know what you will study, applying is easy.
Need more information?
If you have questions about choosing units, get in touch with the study abroad and exchange team and we’ll gladly help you out.