Somalia. Photo: B Snell

CRICOS Code 054588J

Overview

The course aims to provide both local and international students with the skills necessary to work with communities in less developed countries. Students will be taught how to conduct research and design, implement and evaluate programs that address major health & development priorities of communities.  Public health and research issues will be presented in the context of economic and social development, stressing cultural, political, gender, and environmental influences, and the impact of armed conflict and population migration.  The course will focus on primary health care, community development, globalisation, human rights and in particular the right to health, research law and ethics, maternal and child health, communicable disease control, chronic and nutritional diseases, health promotion, health service delivery, environmental health and emergency preparedness and response.

Entry Requirements

Essential Considerations

To be considered for the course applicants need to:

  • Submit a completed application form;
  • Applicants must have an undergraduate degree in an appropriate discipline and relevant professional experience
  • Provide documentation of their proficiency in English by obtaining a IELTS overall band score of 7.0 with no individual band score of less than 6.5, or a TOEFL score of 250 with an ER score of 5. [This only applies to students who have obtained their degrees from non-English speaking universities];
  • Provide a personal statement outlining their reasons for wanting to undertake the MIH course

Fees 2009 (local students only)

The MIH is a fee paying course of three semesters (12 units) of study at $16,040 per full time year (8 units)

For Enrolment  Information (local students)

Postgraduate Office
Monash University
Department of Epidemiology & Preventive Medicine
Email: pgradenq [AT} med.monash.edu.au
Website: http://www.med.monash.edu.au/epidemiology/pgrad/
Tel: +613 9903 0563 Fax: +613 9903 0556

Enrolment Procedure (International students)

For full application details refer to the Monash International Post Graduate Course Guide or http://www.monash.edu/international
For international application forms and inquiries contact:
Monash International, International Centre
Building 73
Monash University
Victoria 3800, Australia
Email: study [AT] monash.edu
Tel: +613 9627 4852 Fax: +613 9905 8297

For Course Information

Bebe Loff
Human Rights and Bioethics Unit
Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine
Monash University
Tel: +613 9903 0587 Fax: +613 9903 0556
Email: Bebe.Loff [AT] Med.monash.edu.au

Course Objectives

By the end of the course students will:-

  • Understand the history of Primary Health Care and its relationship with politics, economics and human rights.
  • Understand current global influences on health in less developed countries and current international agreements to address health disparities.
  • Analyse the economic, political, cultural, social & gender determinants of public health in resource poor settings
  • Understand the interaction between development,  human rights, ethics, and health status.
  • Understand, in broad terms, the application of law to research.
  • Understand core epidemiological and biostatistical concepts required in public health and the theoretical basis for quantitative and qualitative research performed in relation to human health.
  • Be able to apply basic quantitative and qualitative tools to primary health care programing in a less developed country setting.
  • Be able to critically review the ethical and scientific merit of international health research.
  • Develop appropriate health program management tools, including situational analysis, population surveys, behavioural studies, health information systems, operations research & participatory evaluation
  • Understand the special health needs of vulnerable and marginalised groups, including women and children, refugees and internally displaced persons;
  • Be able to develop in participation with local communities appropriate and accessible health programs aimed at health issues, such as chronic diseases, and communicable disease control.
  • Understand the special circumstances  & actions required in an acute disaster setting, including a refugee emergency.
  • Design and carry out ethical research to identify health priorities & generate initiatives for policy & action.
  • Participate in the development and management of community-based primary health care programs in a developing country setting, including needs assessments, planning and evaluation, health information collection, and operations research incorporating the essential components of participation and collaboration.
  • Develop community-based health promotion strategies to address identified priority health problems;
  • Be able to demonstrate skills in report writing, oral presentations, verbal & visual communications.

Course Structure

The course runs for 16 months over three semesters (full time or can also be studied part time). Students are required to select 12 units from the following list.

Core Units (Compulsory)

MPH 2048    Primary Health Care in Developing Countries
MPH 1040    Epidemiology
MPH 1041    Biostatistics
MPH 2049    Field Methods for International Planning & Evaluation
MPH 2055    Health ethics and human rights
EPM5023     International Research Bioethics
IDA4120      Community Development in a Globalising World*

Elective Units (Select Five)

MPH 2053    Public Health in Refugee Settings
EPM 5024    Research Bioethics and Law
EPM 5020    Comparative Moral Theory & Ethics
EPM 5021    Research with Vulnerable Populations
MPH 2050    Health of Women & Children in Developing Countries
MPH 2051    Communicable Disease Control in Developing Countries
MPH 2054    Nutritional Issues in Developing Countries
MPH 2058    Managing Community-based HIV programs
MPH 2082    Community Health Communications & Training
ENV432E     Environment & Health*
ECX 9750   Principles of Health Economics for Developing Countries
* Department of Geography and Environmental Science