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Public Health Courses overview
Public health is the science of improving the quality and quantity of life. It refers to the measures that are taken to increase overall health, to prevent disease, and to analyse the factors that both contribute to and take away from living a healthy life.
True health is something holistic and multidimensional. Health is something that affects us on both individual and social levels. This is reflected in the United Nations definition of health, which is "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”.
The populations and organisations that consume and create public health policy are just as varied. Far from being relegated to hospitals and doctors offices, public health encompasses any place, practice or culture that affects our well-being. This includes environmental factors, community atmosphere, mental health, workplace health, and so much more.
Is public health for me?
A degree in public health could be for you if you hope to improve the world and the quality of life of your fellow citizens. Public health allows people to contribute to the overall well-being of the community - it doesn’t matter if you are not suited to a career in straight biomedicine.
Study pathway
To start you career in public health, there are many options. It is possible to study a Bachelor of Public Health and Health Promotion if you want to start your educational journey from the undergraduate level.
If you would like to further your education in public health or if you have an undergraduate degree in a related field, post-graduate study options make it possible. These include a graduate diploma, graduate certificate or masters in public health. A doctorate or PhD is also possible and encouraged with research and field study to contribute to the field of public health.
Employment options
There are many employment options on offer for those with a degree in public health. As mentioned, the umbrella of public health encompasses such a wide range of groups, issues and facets of our society, which is reflected in the diverse range of jobs available in the field.
Common jobs in the public health sector include:
Biostatistician
Those with careers in the field of biostatistics use numbers and data to develop understanding and solutions about health behaviours and diseases. Another career path for those with an understanding of biostatistics is a health informatics specialist (read more here).
Medical and health services manager
Medical and health services managers are encouraged with leading, organising, managing and the overall administration of healthcare systems including hospital care and other health networks (read more here).
Community health worker
Community health workers provide essential health and medical care to their respective locales. Such health services include preventive, promotional and rehabilitative care (read more here).
Epidemiologist
Epidemiologists offer the evidence that governs best-practice public health. It is their job to study the patterns of cause and effect of health issues within populations to provide health advice based on evidence. They can assist with clinical research, disease outbreaks, clinical trials, forensics, and much more (read more here).
Health policymaker
Someone who works in health policy is responsible for creating the plans and actions that will lead to a specific health outcome. According to the World Health Organisation, health policy has three general goals. Health policy can aim to outline a vision for the future; aim to describe the health priorities and the expected roles of different groups; or aim to inform people and shift perspectives on health (read more here).
Health communications and health promotion
Are you good at convincing people to better their health? A career in health promotion and health communication seeks to communicate health information in a contextual way in order to improve the understanding of health. Thus, better health outcomes can be achieved. Health promotion and communication covers health education campaigns, public health campaigns, and even the dialogue between doctor and patient (read more here).
Specialisations
Possible specialisations within the public health degree include but are not limited to: