Choose from 45+ majors
#1 Melbourne university for health graduate salary
1 in 4 Deakin arts graduates hold leadership roles
Why choose health sciences / arts at Deakin
Build a flexible double degree tailored to your interests with Deakin's Bachelor of Health Sciences/Bachelor of Arts. This course allows you to study health alongside a wide range of arts disciplines, developing a diverse skill set that prepares you for a variety of career pathways. With strong demand in healthcare and social assistance sector, you will graduate with the knowledge and skills to contribute to improving the health and wellbeing of individuals and communities.
Tailor your degree by choosing from over 45 majors across health and arts, building expertise in areas such as public health, disability and inclusion, criminology or media. You will explore ideas that matter to you while developing critical thinking, communication and problem-solving skills. You can also choose to complete a 120-hour professional placement in a health setting and build practical experience through applied learning in your arts studies.
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Create a degree that reflects your interests
Choose from 45+ majors across health and arts to build a qualification aligned to your goals.
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Strong graduate outcomes
1 in 4 Deakin arts graduates hold leadership or management roles, alongside strong outcomes in health, ranked #1 Victorian university for median graduate salary.
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Build industry experience
Complete a 120-hour professional placement in health and develop work-ready skills through arts employability-focused units and projects.
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Flexible, cross-disciplinary learning
Combine health and arts to develop critical thinking, communication and problem-solving skills across a wide range of careers.
Connected to industry
Deakin’s strong industry connections help shape your learning. Build practical experience in real workplace contexts through work-integrated learning, mentoring and networking opportunities. Industry advisory boards also help shape our degrees, which means what you study is current, relevant and aligned to what your future employers need.
Deakin puts employability first
Career outcomes
Combine your understanding of health and wellbeing with skills in communication, critical thinking and problem-solving. Graduate ready to work across health, government, community and creative sectors, with the versatility to tackle complex issues from different perspectives.
Communications officer
Turn complex information into clear, engaging content. Develop campaigns that help health organisations promote healthier behaviours, communicate public health initiatives and connect with diverse communities.
- $90k
Typical annual salary in Australia
- 3.8/5
Job satisfaction
Policy analyst
Research complex social and health issues, analyse evidence and help shape policies that improve communities. Work across government, health services, advocacy organisations and not-for-profits to support informed decision-making.
- $110k
Typical annual salary in Australia
- 4/5
Job satisfaction
Other jobs
- Health promotion officer
- Public health project officer
- Advocacy officer
- Community development officer
- Social research officer
- Media and communications officer
FAQs
Deakin's campuses in Melbourne, Geelong and Warrnambool are set in vibrant, multicultural communities where it is easy to connect and feel at home. As the #1 university in Australia for international student happiness and student satisfaction, you will be supported at every step of your journey. You can join clubs and societies through the Deakin University Student Association (DUSA), attend social events, go on trips and live on campus to meet people from around the world. Each campus has fitness centres, cafes and 24-hour security, as well as prayer rooms and multifaith chaplains.
Deakin offers a range of merit-based scholarships that can reduce your tuition fees by 20%, 25%, 50% or 100% for the duration of your degree. Eligibility varies by scholarship and the degree you choose, but you will automatically be considered for most scholarships when you apply to Deakin. Use the Find a scholarship tool and filter by 'citizenship' to see what is available to you, or explore Australia Awards scholarships if you are from an eligible country.
As an international student at Deakin, you can work part time according to the conditions of your visa. On a Student Visa (Subclass 500), you can work up to 48 hours per fortnight during trimesters. When you are on a trimester break you can work as much as you want. Compulsory work experience that forms part of your degree does not count toward this limit. Find part-time roles and internships through DeakinTALENT and learn more about working in Australia.
Most students studying full time at Deakin need a Student Visa (Subclass 500). You can apply for this visa after you accept your offer and receive your electronic Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE). To apply, you will need a valid passport, your CoE, proof of Overseas Student Health Cover and any other documents required by the Department of Home Affairs. Apply as early as possible, but do not book travel until your visa has been granted. Find out more about student visas.
Australia is widely regarded as one of the safest and most welcoming countries in the world for students, with strong legal protections, reliable public services and a multicultural community. In fact, Melbourne is ranked the #4 student city in the world! At Deakin, you will be part of a supportive community, with 24/7 help, dedicated campus security and practical tools to help you feel safe, confident and connected. Deakin’s SafeZone app also connects you directly to campus security and support services if you ever need help. Find out more about studying in Australia.
Deakin offers a wide range of support to help you settle in and succeed throughout your studies – we are ranked the #1 university in Melbourne for student support. You can access 1:1 study support, English language support, career planning help, disability services and free counselling, as well as financial assistance if you need it. On campus, the SafeZone app and 24/7 security services mean help is always within reach. You can explore the full range of support services for international students or start an online chat with a student ambassador before you arrive.
To enrol in an undergraduate degree at Deakin, many degrees require a minimum IELTS score of 6.0 (or equivalent). Some degrees require higher scores so check the entry requirements tab on the degree page for details. You may also meet the requirement through recent secondary or university study completed in English, or by demonstrating five or more years of living and working in an English-speaking country. Eligibility is assessed on a case-by-case basis. If you do not yet meet the requirement, the Deakin University English Language Institute (DUELI) offers pathway programs to help develop your English reading, writing, listening and speaking skills. Completion of DUELI’s English for Academic Purposes can give you the minimum English language requirements for most Deakin degrees.
Deakin is the #1 university in Melbourne for international student graduate employment. Our degrees are developed with industry insight, so you will gain career-ready skills from the beginning. Each Deakin student can access work-integrated learning through opportunities including placements, internships and projects with well-known industry partners. Our dedicated international student career support program helps you learn about the Australian workforce, make connections and build your network through placements. You will get support with your resume, help looking for an internship or a job after graduation and even advice about your career options overseas.
There is more than one way to study at Deakin. If you do not meet the academic requirements, Deakin College offers a guaranteed pathway to Deakin with small, supportive classes on campus. If you meet the academic requirements but not the English requirements, you can enrol in a Deakin University English Language Institute (DUELI) English pathway program and progress to your chosen Deakin degree upon successful completion. Deakin also has formal pathway agreements with partner institutions in countries like China, India, Vietnam, Sri Lanka and the United States, so you can start your studies locally before transferring to Australia to complete your degree.
*Deakin references data from a range of government, higher education and reputable media sources. Learn more about our achievements on our University rankings page, or explore our sources page for supporting references.
What will I study in the Bachelor of Health Sciences/Bachelor of Arts?
The Bachelor of Health Sciences/Bachelor of Arts combines core health study with flexible arts options, allowing you to build knowledge across both disciplines while tailoring your degree to your interests. You will develop an understanding of health systems alongside skills in critical thinking, communication and analysis.
Build foundations across health and arts
Understand health and wellbeing
Learn foundational concepts in health systems, human health and the factors that influence outcomes.
Develop core skills
Build your ability to think critically, work with information and communicate effectively.
Begin your majors from first year
Start your health major alongside your arts major, exploring areas such as public health, disability and inclusion, criminology or media.
Deepen knowledge and build your focus
Explore health systems and populations
Examine how healthcare systems operate and how health outcomes vary across communities.
Apply evidence to real issues
Develop your ability to interpret research and respond to health and social challenges.
Progress your studies
Continue building your health major alongside your arts major and minor.
Apply your learning in practice
Apply planning and evaluation skills
Learn how to design and evaluate health programs that respond to community needs.
Work on a client challenge
Collaborate in interdisciplinary teams to solve a practical problem, building teamwork and problem-solving skills used in professional settings.
Strengthen applied skills
Continue progressing your majors while applying your knowledge in professional contexts.
Continue building depth across your studies
Complete your health minor
Finalise your health studies alongside continued progression in your arts major.
Tailor your degree
Select units that align with your interests and career goals across both disciplines.
Gain practical experience
Choose to complete a 120-hour professional placement, applying your skills in professional settings.
Course structure
To complete the Bachelor of Health Sciences/Bachelor of Arts, you must pass 32 credit points.
Most units are equal to one credit point. As a full-time student you will study four credit points per trimester and usually undertake two trimesters per year.
Are you a current student? For course information that applies to the year you started your degree, visit the handbook.
All students are required to meet the University's academic progress and conduct requirements
Units
The course structure includes 16 credit points from each of the two component courses. The 16-unit maximum size of the component degrees of combined courses does not permit students in D391 to complete two major sequences within the Health Sciences degree. For this reason, they are restricted to a major sequence and a minor sequence.
The sixteen credit points within the Health Sciences component of the combined course are made up of:
- The six core units of the Bachelor of Health Sciences;
- A major sequence of six credit points consisting of the specified units at Levels 1, 2 and 3
- A minor sequence of four credit points, consisting of at least one unit at Level 1 and no more than one unit at Level 3 (subject to pre-requisite requirements) from the set of approved minor sequences.
The sixteen credit points within the Arts and Education component of the combined course are made up of:
- A major sequence of 8 credit points as described under course A310 Bachelor of Arts;
- Remaining credit point(s) may be used to undertake a Bachelor of Arts minor sequence or to take additional elective unit chosen from the Bachelor of Arts.
- A minimum of 4 credit points at level 3 of Arts coded units.
Level 1 - Trimester 1
Level 1 - Trimester 2
Level 2 - Trimester 1
Level 2 - Trimester 2
Level 3 - Trimester 1
Level 3 - Trimester 2
Health Majors - Major and minor sequence available unless stated otherwise
- Disability and Inclusion (previously titled: People, Society and Disability) - Major and Minor
- Environmental Health - Major
- Exercise Science - Major and Minor
- Family, Society and Health - Major and Minor
- Food Studies - Major and Minor
- Health Promotion - Major and Minor
- Indigenous Knowledges - Minor only
- Medical Biotechnology - Major and Minor
- Nutrition - Major and Minor
- Physical Activity and Health - Major and Minor
- Psychology for Allied Health (previously titled: Psychology for Professional Development- Major and Minor
- Public Health-Major and Minor
- Sustainability and Planetary Health (previously titled: Health, Nature and Sustainability) - Major and Minor*
Arts Majors - Major and minor sequence available unless stated otherwise
- Animation - Minor only
- Anthropology
- Arabic
- Chinese
- Criminology
- Design thinking - Minor only
- Digital Cultures
- English-Children's Literature
- English Creative Writing
- English-Literature
- Education
- Film and television studies
- Gender and Sexuality Studies
- History
- Indigenous Studies
- Indonesian
- International Relations
- Media and Communication
- Media Studies
- Middle East Studies
- Performing Arts
- Philosophy
- Politics and Policy studies
- Public Relations studies
- Religious Studies
- Social Media
- Sociology
- Sport and Society - Minor only
- Sport Journalism
- Spanish
- Strategic Advertising
- UX^ Design - Minor only
- Visual Arts and Photography
- Visual Communication Design
- Web Design - Minor only
^UX refers to User Experience
Professional recognition
This double degree lets you choose one major from the Bachelor of Health Sciences and one from the Bachelor of Arts, giving you a unique combination of skills and knowledge. Several majors may offer pathways to professional recognition, which can really boost your employability by showing employers your qualifications meet industry standards.
The nutrition major may allow you to register as a nutritionist, while public relations subjects are accredited by the Public Relations Institute of Australia. The Bachelor of Arts design units are also recognised by the Design Institute of Australia. These accreditations and recognitions not only demonstrate your degree’s quality but also open doors to a variety of career opportunities once you graduate.
What to expect while studying
You may be able to study available units in the optional third trimester to fast-track your degree, however your course duration may be extended if there are delays in meeting course requirements, such as completing a placement.
Any unit which contains work integrated learning, a community placement or interaction with the community may require a police check, working with children check or other check. Please refer to the relevant unit guide.
As a student in the Faculty of Health you can expect to participate in a range of teaching activities each week. This could include lectures, seminars, practicals and online interaction. You can refer to the individual unit details in the course structure for more information. You will also need to study and complete assessment tasks in your own time.
Work Integrated Learning
A core unit at third-year level, based on inter-professional learning (IPL), provides students the opportunity to draw together their cross-disciplinary learning to demonstrate the knowledge and the skills they have acquired throughout the course and apply them to real-world issues. HSH324 Integrated Learning for Practice involves interdisciplinary teams working to develop responses to real-world problems for presentation to a professional audience.
At Deakin, we're committed to ensuring an inclusive environment that supports all students to belong, thrive and succeed. We work closely with students, where needed, to identify potential barriers to participation and where possible, provide tailored support so students can engage with learning and assessment activities.
If you are neurodivergent, have a disability, health condition or mental health condition that may impact your study or participation in university life, and want to know how Deakin could support you, contact our Domestic students (opens in a new window) or International students (opens in a new window) or Disability Resource Centre (opens email client) teams for a collaborative and confidential discussion. This discussion is to support you to make plans for your studies and future career and will not have any bearing on your application to the course.
When can I start?
When you study depends on your course, location and available intakes. Check the table to see when you can start and how study is offered throughout the year.
Note - Online and Waurn Ponds (Geelong) is not available to international students.
Your course learning outcomes describe the knowledge, skills and capabilities you’ll develop and be able to demonstrate by the time you graduate. Built into your course through your units and assessments, they provide a clear picture of what you’ll be equipped to know, understand and do – preparing you to apply your learning with confidence beyond university.
| Course Learning Outcomes Bachelor of Health Sciences | Course Learning Outcomes Bachelor of Arts |
|---|---|
| Integrate and apply a broad and coherent knowledge of the determinants of health and illness, health and social data, health equity, cultural diversity, human rights, public policy, health and social systems, and ethical practice, to plan, implement and evaluate programs relevant to health and community services sectors. | Demonstrate a broad and coherent body of knowledge in the Arts disciplines, with depth in the underlying principles and concepts in one or more disciplines or areas of practice. |
| Use a range of modes of communication to engage and facilitate groups, organisations and culturally diverse communities as well as communicate discipline specific knowledge to a variety of audiences such as professionals, government and non-government representatives, community members, clients and/or patients. | Demonstrate highly developed skills in oral, written and electronic communication and the ability to communicate research outcomes, and produce scholarly papers. |
| Select and use appropriate technologies to source, interpret, evaluate, adapt, collate and disseminate relevant information to professional networks and communities in an ethical and professional manner. | Research, analyse, synthesise and disseminate information using a range of appropriate technologies and resources in a rapidly-changing global environment. |
| Critically analyse evaluate and synthesise relevant discipline specific issues and contemporary literature/research within the health and social services field, applying an evidence-based approach. | Use critical and analytical thinking and judgement in selecting and applying appropriate theories and methodologies to evaluate information and knowledge about society, culture and the arts. |
| Apply best practice and respond effectively using well-developed cognitive and creative skills within an evidence-based framework to identify, research, analyse, generate and provide practical solutions to a range of changing, diverse and complex health issues, contributing new insights, solutions or understanding. | Apply cognitive, technical and creative skills to generate solutions to unpredictable and sometimes complex problems in the Humanities, Social Sciences and the Creative Arts, including cross-disciplinary approaches. |
| Employ independent, self-directed work and learning practices in a responsible manner, including self-reflection, in order to practice professionally and contribute to the improvement of the health and wellbeing of individuals and populations. | Demonstrate autonomy, responsibility and accountability for personal actions and a continued commitment to learning in personal, professional, and scholarly contexts. |
| Establish and facilitate collaborative professional relationships, adapting roles and working as part of interdisciplinary teams with a range of stakeholders to advance the health science field. | Work and learn collaboratively with colleagues, other professionals and members of the wider community. |
| Reflect on a variety of viewpoints, attitudes and beliefs, including one’s own, to engage ethically in professional practice and foster capacity building in health sciences within globally diverse social, cultural and environmental contexts. | Demonstrate an awareness of ethical issues, cultural diversity, and social responsibility when engaging in scholarship and professional roles in the local, national or international community. |
- Award granted
Bachelor of Health Sciences/Bachelor of Arts
- Year
2027 course information
- VTAC code
1400514073 - Burwood (Melbourne), International full-fee paying place
- Deakin code
- D391
- CRICOS code?Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students
035503K Burwood (Melbourne)
- Level
- Undergraduate
- Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) recognition
The award conferred upon completion is recognised in the Australian Qualifications Framework at Level 7
Fees
Estimated tuition fee
$40,800
for 1 yr full-time AUD
The estimated tuition fee above is based on a typical first-year full-time enrolment of 8 credit points and is provided as a guide only. Your tuition fees are determined by your course and unit enrolment. Your tuition fees will vary depending on your study load, the course duration, and any approved recognition of prior learning.
Scholarships
Deakin scholarships recognise your hard work and achievements. Our support can ease the financial pressure of studying in Australia so you stay focused on your success. Numbers are limited, so apply early for the best chance.
Apply now
Apply directly to Deakin
Applications can be made directly to the University through StudyLink Connect - Deakin University's International Student Application Service.
We recommend engaging with a Deakin Authorised Agent who can assist you with the process and submit the application.
Apply through VTAC
If you are an international student completing an Australian Year 12 in Australia or overseas, you must submit an application through the Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre (VTAC). In addition, you may also apply directly to Deakin through StudyLink Connect - Deakin University's international student application service.
Recognition of prior learning
We value your previous study and experience. Recognition of prior learning enables you to get credit for what you've already achieved. When you apply, we'll consider your previous study and experience for recognition of prior learning.
Pathways
This course provides a pathway to higher degree by research courses and other postgraduate coursework programs in a wide range of areas including public health, health economics, public health nutrition.