Health and Illness in Populations
UndergraduateADU-PUBH20252026
Course information for 2026 intake
Enrol today with instant approval and no entry requirements
- Study method
- 100% online
- Assessments
- 100% online
- Enrol by
- 28 Dec 2025
- Entry requirements
- No ATAR needed, No prior study
- Duration
- 13 weeks
- Start dates
- 5 Jan 2026,
- 4 May 2026,
- 24 Aug 2026
- Price from
- $2,100
- Upfront cost
- $0
- Loan available
- FEE-HELP available
Health and Illness in Populations
About this subject
On successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
- Identify major causes of morbidity (sickness) and mortality (deaths) in Australia and globally
- Describe public health problems and how they are measured using basic epidemiological terminology and calculations
- Evaluate how social determinants and other risk factors for communicable and chronic disease influence personal and population health
- Describe the basic principles and salient features of health promotion and disease prevention to improve population health
- Evaluate the roles and functions of policies and diverse stakeholders, including in government departments and health systems, in defining, influencing, and responding to public health issues
- Identify ethical and economic issues associated with policies and interventions aimed at improving health
- Identify, critique, synthesise, report and reference appropriate public health literature
- Participate constructively, as an individual or within groups, in learning activities
- Sources of information and data about public health issues
- Chronic conditions, infectious diseases and risk behaviours that are public health issues
- Epidemiological measurement of public health issues using counts, prevalence, incidence, rates and risk
- Determinants of public health issues
- Indigenous health
- Public health interventions: Disease prevention, health promotion, and protection
- Ethical and economic issues in responding to public health issues
- Population and high-risk approaches in public health
- Public health and the Australian health system
Health and Illness in Populations aims to introduce students interested in health sciences careers such as public health practice, health-related research, or clinical practice, to a population view of health. It draws on a range of disciplines that contribute to a focus on the health of populations, including epidemiology, health promotion and disease prevention, history, politics, and ethics. The course invites students to develop a critical view about what constitutes public health issues, how they are measured, and potential responses to improve population health.
All assessments are assignment based.
- Timed Quizzes (30%)
- Epidemiology of a Health Priority Report (30%)
- Intervening to Improve a Health Priority Presentation (40%)
For textbook details check your university's handbook, website or learning management system (LMS).
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- 8
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- 10
Entry requirements
No entry requirements
Equivalent subjects
You should not enrol in this subject if you have successfully completed any of the following subject(s) because they are considered academically equivalent:
UAD-PUB1001OUA (Not currently available)
Additional requirements
- Equipment requirements - Headphones or speakers (required to listen to lectures and other media). Headset, including microphone (highly recommended). Webcam (may be required for participation in virtual classrooms and/or presentations).
- Software requirements - It is essential for students to have reliable internet access in order to participate in and complete your units. myLearning is the Adelaide University's online learning environment. myLearning provides access to various features including announcements, course materials, discussion boards and assessments.
- Other requirements - Based on duty of care requirements, a student admitted to Adelaide University must be at least 17 years of age by the date of enrolment, in accordance with Adelaide University's Admission for Coursework Programs Procedure.
Study load
- 0.125 EFTSL
- This is in the range of 10 to 12 hours of study each week.
Equivalent full time study load (EFTSL) is one way to calculate your study load. One (1.0) EFTSL is equivalent to a full-time study load for one year.
Find out more information on Commonwealth Loans to understand what this means to your eligibility for financial support.
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What to study next?
Once you’ve completed this subject it can be credited towards one of the following courses
Bachelor of Health Service Management
UndergraduateADU-HSM-DEG
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