Master of Public Health in Australia spans a duration of 1-3 years and exposes graduates and practitioners to extensive and in-depth knowledge in the field and consolidates their expertise and specialization in this field. The annual cost of studying in the top universities for public health courses in Australia ranges from 32,000 to 55,000 AUD (17.58 lakhs to 30.22 lakhs INR) depending on the institution.

Check: Top Healthcare Universities in Australia 

A bachelor's degree in a relevant field with a minimum average of 60% is required for admission to the program. International students interested to study in Australia are accepted for this program in two intakes. Top specializations for Master of Public Health in Australia include biostatistics, epidemiology, public health practice, public health economics, and others. Graduates of Masters in Public Health in Australia earn around 78,000 AUD (42.62 lakhs INR) per annum.

Also read: Job Opportunities in Australia for International Students

Master of Public Health in Australia: Highlights

Master of Public Health in Australia: Top Universities

Master of public health is available in some top-ranking universities in Australia. These universities are outlined below according to the world-course ranked by Academic ranking of world universities (ARWU) along with the program, duration of study and program fee.

* Applicants with a bachelor degree in a health-related area (such as Behavioural science, psychology, health information management, Medicine (Australian degrees only), Nursing, Nutrition, dietetics, Paramedic science, and Public health) may be eligible for 48 credit points of advanced standing on entry to the course. This will reduce the course duration to 18 months full-time or three years part-time.

Why Study Master of Public Health in Australia?

• Top 10 Australian universities rank globally amongst the top 150 universities offering masters in public health abroad. 
• The healthcare and medical industry were among the fastest-growing in Australia with job opportunities increasing by 11.1%. This growth indicates a demand of 2 million health professionals by 2025. 
• According to a report from PwC Australia, the demand for the healthcare and social assistance workforce is expected to increase by 14.9% over the next four years.
• The average annual salary for graduates entering the health industry is around 127,000 AUD (~70 Lakhs INR).​

Master of Public Health in Australia: What is it About?

Master of public health is mostly a coursework program that spans for about 1-3 years in full-time study and two to five years in a part-time program. However, the duration of study in an institution like Monash University, etc depends on the entry qualifications. Students entering with a postgraduate qualification spend lesser duration than students entering with a bachelor’s degree.

In most universities in Australia, masters in public health have three components:

• The core course component which is about six to eight subjects depending on the program structure of the institution
• The specialist/elective components where students focus on their specialization and develop the skills required to work in their chosen public health field.
• The capstone subjects which offer the student the opportunity to apply what they have learned across the core subjects and specialization/elective subjects in real-world projects. The experience component may take the form of a research project with an expert in the field, a practice placement with a recognized organization or selective subjects.

Most international students specialize in one or more of the following key areas are Indigenous Health, Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs, Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, Nutrition, Aging, Primary Care, Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Sexual Health, Gender and Women’s Health, Global Health, Health Program Evaluation, Health Economics & Economic Evaluation, Indigenous Health, as well as Health Social Sciences

Master of Public Health in Australia: Course Curriculum

The course has a robust curriculum built from the undergraduate course structure to consolidate and build expertise and specialization amongst students.

In the first year of study, core courses like Foundations of Public health, Prioritising and Planning in Public Health, Quantitative Research in Public Health, Biostatistics and Epidemiology are offered. 

Elective courses like the sub-courses of Ageing are also offered. The second-year is usually a progression of the first-year subject plus the introduction of advanced methodology in healthcare practices with research work and work experience.

Graduates of the master program in public health who wish to further their studies and have successfully completed the institution-allocated credit point may apply for entry to the Master of Applied Science (Research) or the Doctor of Philosophy as the case may be.

Master of Public Health In Australia: Admissions

Applicants opting to pursue a Master of Public Health in Australia must be aware of the following mentioned details. Applicants should visit the university's application webpage or the program page on the official website of the institution they wish to apply to. In addition to the official school portal, admission to University of Queens (UQ) and University of Western Australia (UWA) can be processed through Approved UQ Agent and Approved UWA Agent respectively in the applicant's country.

Master of Public Health In Australia: Eligibility Criteria

Along with your applications you are required to submit the following documents:

• Transcripts: Transcripts showing full details of subjects and grades offered in the previous institution(s) are required
• Photocopies: Photocopies of all official certificates
• Certified copies of evidence of course completion if not included on the transcript
• One-three LOR(s)
• Evidence of English Language proficiency (if applicable)
• Course-specific required documents
• Resume/ CV
• A copy of the passport or photo page of the passport.
• Financial Statements (not necessary)
• Statement of purpose

Master of Public Health in Australia: Admission Requirements

The minimum eligibility requirements for studying at some of the top-ranking universities for public health courses in Australia are as follows:

The application fee is required (the amount varies) by some courses and universities but not all universities in Australia charge a fee for the application. Some universities require advance payment before the commencement of school.

Admission Decisions

The applications for all the universities listed above are always carefully reviewed and decisions are mostly released two to twelve weeks on average. Where relevant, admission is usually awarded to the highest ranked applicants or applicants selected based on the relevant requirements. 

Masters in Public Health in Australia: Tuition Fees

International master’s applicants interested in pursuing Master of Public Health in Australia must have sufficient funding which is distributed into three categories- the pre-arrival cost, the cost of study and the cost of living. It costs anywhere between 9,000 to 50,000 AUD (4.92 to 27.34 lakhs INR) to study Master of Public Health in Australia. Given below are the tuition fees for some of the top universities for Master of Public Health in Australia:

Cost of Living in Australia

The table below highlights the cost of living in Australia. This includes the average of minimum expenses of food, clothing, entertainment, cost of accommodation and transportation required for pursuing a Master of Public Health in Australia.

Master of Public Health in Australia with Scholarships

The table below shows some available scholarships for international students pursuing Master of Public Health:

Master of Public Health in Australia: Scope

The Master program in Public Health produces industry trained graduates who go onto a varied range of career pathways. International students can decide to work anywhere he/she finds a suitable work, depending on their area of focus.  In a recent survey conducted by the alumni network of Melbourne University, it was discovered that the most common type of organization to be employed in post-graduation are:

• Non-Government Organizations. Examples are international health agencies (either based in Australia or overseas) and large and small local disease-specific agencies, research institutes, etc.
• Government affiliated organizations, such as hospitals, primary health care organization, large international health organizations;
• Government (Local, State, and Federal);
• Universities and Research Institutions;
• Private companies, usually based in Australia. These can be the larger consulting firms, smaller health-focused consulting firms, health communication companies or the pharmaceutical industry.

The job role obtained by Master’s in Public Health degree holders varies due to the versatile nature of the program. Some job titles in this field are listed in the table below together with the average annual salary.

Master of Public Health in Australia v/s Master of Public Health in Canada

Master of Public Health (MPH) programs in Australia and Canada are both highly regarded for their academic excellence and professional training in public health. However, there are some notable differences in their program structures, admission requirements, and career opportunities.

Some examples of organizations that employ health workers and undertake public health work are Hospitals, Community Health Services, World Health Organisation, Universities, Health Research Institute, Consulting firms (PwC Australia; Deloitte Access Economics), Center for Disease Control, Family Planning and Sexual Health Centre, The Cancer Council, Department of Health (State government), Department of Health (Commonwealth government), Local Government, etc.

This program will benefit health professionals interested in moving into the public health area; mid-career health professionals seeking advancement in their area of work and clinicians wishing to broaden their range of expertise and/or move into management.

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