This degree is closed to new applications. You may be interested in other courses in Public health
Graduate Diploma in Public Health
Postgraduate | ACU-MPH-GDI | 2024
Guide populations towards a healthier future
Raise a magnifying glass to public health issues, principles and policies. Take an advanced approach to disease prevention and management by learning about biostatistics and epidemiology. Work towards advocating health on a national or global scale.
- Study method
- 100% online
- Assessments
- 100% online
- Applications close
- No dates available
- Credit available
- Yes
- Duration
- 1 year full time or part time equivalent
- Total subjects
- 8
- Price from
- $22,298
- Available loans
- Australian Higher Education Loan Program (HELP)
Graduate Diploma in Public Health
About this degree
This degree aims to equip graduates with advanced knowledge, understanding and skills in public health to improve population health and well-being at community, national and global levels in an ethical, evidence-based manner
On successful completion of the Graduate Diploma of Public Health, graduates should be able to:
- Describe advanced knowledge across major subject areas within public health
- Employ advanced communication and interpersonal skills, across a range of media, to support effective public health practice.
- Demonstrate advanced skills necessary to critique and implement a range of public health interventions, taking account of values such as respect for human rights, the dignity of the human person and commitment to social justice
- Analyse and utilise best available evidence to support public health action
ACU’s Graduate Diploma in Public Health equips graduates with advanced knowledge, understanding and skills in public health to improve population health and well-being. The degree prepares graduates to practice with a community, national or global focus, and with an ethical, social justice perspective.
On successful completion of the degree, graduates should be able to demonstrate advanced knowledge across major subject areas within public health; analyse and utilise best available evidence to support public health action; and demonstrate skills needed to critique and implement a range of public health interventions.
Articulation from this course into the Master of Public Health program is available.
ACU’s Graduate Diploma in Public Health program is distinguished by:
- Study options and flexibility to meet the needs of postgraduate students who are also working; for example, full-/part-time study, on-campus or online study mode, intensive unit teaching schedules (including weekends);
- A curriculum designed with reference to Australian and international conceptual frameworks for public health;
- A focus on illustrating theory with relevant, practical examples of established and emergent public health issues and contemporary social issues with substantial health impacts, such as family violence, homelessness and cyber-/workplace bullying;
- Assessment tasks designed to simulate practice-relevant data, situations, problems or issues, with students assessed on their responses as public health practitioners;
- An articulation option from this program into the ACU Master of Public Health. Successful completion of all units in this program allows articulation into second-year Master of Public Health studies, with a choice of completion via the Research Pathway (involving additional research training and preparation of a minor research thesis) or by Capstone Pathway (involving a practice-based project or other approved fieldwork/project/experience). Students articulating into the Master of Public Health from this program may also chose to undertake the Global Health & Advocacy specialisation;
- Alignment of public health’s professional values with ACU’s Mission; for example, striving to achieve prevention of illness and improved, equitable health outcomes for all people (public health practice) with the pursuit of the dignity of the human person and the common good (ACU’s Mission).
Recommended study pattern
Students are required to follow the pattern of unit enrolment set out in the relevant Course Enrolment Guide, unless otherwise approved by the Course Coordinator. In all aspects of progress through the course, students will be advised by the Course Coordinator.
For this course students are allowed to enrol in up to 4 subjects per study term. To enrol in more than 3 subjects please contact us.
To qualify for the degree, a student must complete 8 subjects from the Schedule of Unit Offerings.
Schedule of Unit Offering:
- Introduction to Health Sciences Research
- History and Principles of Public Health
- Health Promotion
- Biostatistics (to be offered in Semester 1 2023 only. As of ACUO Term 2 to be replaced by Biostatistics for Health Sciences.
- Epidemiology
- Determinants of Health
- Disease Prevention and Management
- Public Health Law and Policy
Award requirements
To qualify for the degree, a student must complete 8 subjects from the Schedule of Unit Offerings
Exit points
A student who has completed the requirements for the Graduate Certificate in Public Health may exit with the relevant award.
Degrees are usually made up of core subjects and electives. Some degrees include a choice of majors, so you can focus your studies on a specialisation.
This list is a general overview. Download the full Degree Guide for more information.
Submission of Application to Course Complete form to ACU
Transition arrangements are changes that occur when courses are updated or phased out. This happens regularly as part of continuous improvement. It may affect you if you are currently enrolled in this course, or if you plan to use credit from previous study towards it.
ACU will cease delivery of this degree through OUA Full-Service but will be accepting applications for 2023 through OUA's Lead-Referral program or direct application to ACU. Existing students, in this degree, will continue to enrol in units through OUA. Students who have not course completed by the final study period/session will be transferred into ACU Online campus version of the degree.
All students that have enrolled in this course via OUA will register to graduate through the normal ACU procedures as outlined in the ACU Student Portal in the year of course completion.
Established in 1991 after amalgamating four eastern Australian Catholic tertiary institutes, Australian Catholic University now has seven campuses, from Brisbane to Melbourne and welcomes students of all beliefs. Specialising in arts, business, education, health sciences, law, theology and philosophy, ACU encourages its students to think critically and ethically and bring change to their communities and offer this online through Open Universities Australia.
Learn more about ACU.
Explore ACU courses.
- QS Ranking 2024:
- 34
- Times Higher Education Ranking 2024:
- 29
Entry requirements
This is a restricted degree. Subject enrolment is only available to students admitted into this degree.
To be eligible for admission to the course, an applicant must have:
- a Bachelor degree (or higher) or equivalent
An applicant must also comply with the Admission to Coursework Programs Policy.
Students must meet English Language requirements as follows:
- IELTS: Overall score 6.5, Individual score of 6.0 in all test
- PTE: 58 with a minimum of 50 in all four communicative skills
- TOEFL: Internet based total of 79: minimum 21 in writing, 18 in speaking, 13 in reading and 12 in listening
- ACU English Language Test: B (65-74%)
- CAE: Overall CAE of 176, Minimum individual score of 169 in all tests
ACU will consider requests for advanced standing based on prior studies to a maximum equivalence of 4 subjects (40cp).
For further information click here .
Career opportunities
A wide range of career opportunities are available to graduates of Public Health programs in Australia. According to a recent public health workforce study, these opportunities are typically within the public or not-for-profit sector; however, one-quarter of postgraduate public health graduates are employed in the private sector.
Approximately half of all postgraduate public health graduates are employed within the health sector, with others finding opportunities within education, government and services sectors.
Managerial, analytical and program-/project-based roles are common destinations for postgraduate public health graduates. For many health practitioners, particularly medical practitioners or registered nurses, a postgraduate public health degree expands their career opportunities within their existing field (eg different roles or modes of practice).
Career outlook
- Health and Welfare Services Managers:
- Over $120K
- Health Promotion Officers:
- Unknown average
- Policy and Planning Managers:
- Over $120K
Degree FAQs
That's up to you! Because we let you choose when to study online, you can actually pick up and pause study when it suits you. Many universities have a set time you need to complete your degree within. For some this is up to 10 years, and for others there is no limit.
There are some degrees that are stricter about when you can take breaks, and about how many years you can take to complete your degree. Please always check with your uni what the limits are.
As a general guide, Commonwealth supported place students have 10 years to finish their undergraduate degree through OUA, However, if you're studying with Griffith University, there's a limit of 8 years to complete your studies. If you want to take a break that lasts more than two study terms, you'll need to apply for a leave of absence. You can apply for a leave of absence for up to 12 months, as long as you complete your studies within the maximum time allowed for your degree.
If you're studying with Macquarie University, with the exception of certain degrees, there's no limit to how long you can take. But, please check with Macquarie Student Administration to be sure.
If you're studying with the University of Adelaide, you have up to 9 years to complete your undergraduate degree and graduate.
If you're studying with La Trobe University and want to take a break of minimum 1 study term, you must apply for leave of absence to avoid being inadvertently withdrawn from your degree.
Through OUA, you can study all year round, so it's possible to fast-track and finish up sooner than studying at a traditional uni would allow. That said, you need to spend around 12 hours a week on each undergraduate subject you do, so taking on extra work to finish ahead of time can be challenging.
You may be eligible for a HELP loan from the Australian government, depending on your citizenship status and where you'll be living during your studies. You can also pay upfront with your credit card.
Payment options are explained in Fees, and you can contact a student advisor for more information.
You might find learning through OUA a little different to how you've studied in the past. It can take time to develop the skills you need for independent online study.
We connect you with subjects and degrees that are taught by leading Australian universities. You can complete single subjects, or follow a degree structure to work towards a specific qualification. Subjects are offered in several study terms throughout the year, so you can choose to study part-time or full-time, continuously or with breaks.
We help you find the subjects or degree that's right for you, and we handle your enrolment in uni and some administration. Your uni sends you your study materials and deals with all academic matters. They're also in charge of your assessment and graduation. If you go on to complete a degree, you'll graduate from the uni offering your degree, for example, RMIT University or Griffith University.
Before starting an enrolment, it's important to read the entry requirements for your chosen course to ensure that you're eligible to apply. If you don't quite meet the requirements, we can help you find a pathway into your course through open-entry subjects, which anyone can study. Chat with us to find out more.
Our close of enrolment times vary. You can check the cut-off dates for upcoming study terms by visiting Key dates.
There are a lot of reasons to study your course online through us.
You can enrol without entry requirements
We have a unique open-door policy that makes it possible for everyone to enrol in university study, no matter their academic history. If you don't meet the entry requirements for a degree, we'll help you get in through single undergraduate subjects and transition into a qualification from there.
You have total control over how you study
Upskill without committing to a whole degree upfront. Or enrol in a full degree, but take it a subject at a time. We'll introduce you to flexible study options you didn't even know about, so you can fit uni around what matters to you.
You'll graduate with the same qualification as an on-campus student
Once you enrol through us, you'll study online with the university that provides your degree. This means that when you complete your qualification, you'll graduate with the same degree as on-campus students.
We'll help you navigate the university world
Our friendly student advisors will be your guide every step of the enrolment journey. They'll help you compare universities, choose a course, provide documentation and understand your finance options.
Here at Open Universities Australia, we make enrolling online as straightforward as possible. To get started, find the course for you by browsing the options on this page. You can also compare different qualifications using our handy comparison tool, or request help from one of our student advisors.
When you've made your choice, click 'Apply now' on the relevant course page and follow the prompts to begin your enrolment. We'll ask you to supply some supporting documentation, including proof of your identity, your tax file number, and a unique student identifier (USI) during this process.
Your university will get in touch with you via email to confirm whether or not your application has been successful.
If you get stuck at any time, reach out to us and we'll talk you through it.
You can also take a look at our online self-service enrolling instructions.