Get work-ready
Depending on your course, you'll complete a range of work-integrated learning experiences, giving you an opportunity to transfer your knowledge and skills to a practical setting. Over the 120 hours of placement on offer, we'll frequently unpack different case studies to help spark ideas for your own unique career pathway. These placements help you to consolidate your skills under the supervision of qualified practitioners, so you can be work‑ready after graduation.
Undergraduate
Undergraduate (your first degree)
An undergraduate degree is generally completed between two to four years, depending on the pattern of study and any recognition of prior learning you may have. Associate degrees, bachelor and bachelor with honours are all undergraduate degrees.
Postgraduate
Postgraduate (further study)
A postgraduate qualification can be undertaken by students who have already completed an undergraduate degree or possess significant, demonstrable work experience. Postgraduate courses include graduate certificates, graduate diplomas, masters and PhDs, as well as specialist programs for industry professionals.
Research
Higher Degrees by Research (supervised research)
Research degrees are research based master’s or PhD programs that focus on a single area of expertise. They provide students the opportunity to carry out highly specialised research under expert supervision.
Master of Public Health
We offer six specialisations: epidemiology, health promotion, humanitarian assistance, disability and inclusion, public health practice, health economics and management, public health nutrition and an applied research stream where you can do your own project. This flexible degree allows you to tailor your units to align with your areas of interest and specific career goals.
Graduate Certificate of Epidemiology Intelligence
The COVID-19 global health crisis has seen the demand for experienced health specialists grow significantly. With our new graduate certificate, you’ll become equipped with an understanding of foundation epidemiology to inform public health decision-making, policy and practice. You'll be immersed in the study of surveillance, investigation, prevention and control of public health events, and will learn about outbreak detection and response including contact tracing, as well as public health preparedness.
Career opportunities
Become a public health practitioner and be prepared to take action on global public health challenges via organisations such as the WHO, UNDP, UNICEF and the government sector. You can find employment in a diverse range of areas, such as:
- chronic illness (such as asthma, arthritis, heart disease)
- healthy eating
- mental health
- physical activity
- social inclusion
- women's health.
Graduate in demand with 301,000 new jobs by 2026
The healthcare and social assistance industry is the largest growing employment sector in Australia. It’s projected to grow by nearly 16% by November 2026 with 301,000 new jobs created.*
Research with us
If you're a medical professional, allied health worker or clinician looking for bigger picture approaches that improve the health of individuals, populations, the environment and communities – then postgraduate study in public health could be for you.
There has never been a better time to study public health. With a diversity of opportunities in epidemiology, policy and public health practice, the choice is yours.
Berni Murphy
Associate Head of School International and Master of Public Health Course Director
Accreditation
Public health at Deakin is ranked in the top 200 worldwide.** Graduates from the Bachelor of Public Health and Health Promotion may be eligible to become members of the Public Health Association of Australia and the Australian Health Promotion Association.
As a Master of Public Health or Graduate Diploma of Public Health student, you will receive free student membership with the Public Health Association of Australia (PHAA) throughout your degree. You can then join the PHAA as an individual member once you graduate.
Latest articles
- Responding to COVID-19: Deakin University research reveals impact on healthcare workers
- Responding to a pandemic: which careers in public health play key roles?
- How to become an epidemiologist: careers in public health
Responding to COVID-19: Deakin University research reveals impact on healthcare workers
Learn how Deakin's Institute of Health Transformation conducted research about what it was like for healthcare workers on the frontline of COVID-19.
Responding to a pandemic: which careers in public health play key roles?
Understand what really goes on behind the scenes of the response to a crisis like an infectious disease outbreak.
How to become an epidemiologist: careers in public health
As a public health epidemiologist you can be part of real-world discoveries and drive realistic, sustainable solutions to urgent public health concerns.
Footnotes
*2021 Employment Outlook - for the five years to November 2026, Australian Government National Skills Commission.
**ShanghaiRanking's Global Ranking of Academic Subjects 2021
Browse other disciplines within health and community services
Choose an area that you're interested in and learn how Deakin's extensive range of study options and experiences can help turn your dreams into reality.
