Bachelor of Public Health and Health Promotion/Bachelor of Commerce
2023 Deakin University Handbook
| Year | 2023 course information |
|---|---|
| Award granted | Bachelor of Public Health and Health Promotion / Bachelor of Commerce |
| Course Map | This course map is for new students commencing from Trimester 1 2023. This course map is for new students commencing from Trimester 2 2023. Course maps for commencement in previous years are available on the Course Maps webpage or please contact a Student Adviser in Student Central. |
| Campus | Offered at Burwood (Melbourne), Waurn Ponds (Geelong) |
| Online | Yes |
| Duration | 4 years full-time or part-time equivalent |
| CRICOS course code | 031151F Burwood (Melbourne) |
| Deakin course code | D388 |
| Approval status | This course is approved by the University under the Higher Education Standards Framework. |
| Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) recognition | The award conferred upon completion is recognised in the Australian Qualifications Framework at Level 7. |
Course sub-headings
- Course overview
- Indicative student workload
- Professional recognition
- Career opportunities
- Participation requirements
- Mandatory student checks
- Pathways
- Fees and charges
- Course Learning Outcomes
- Course rules
- Major sequences
- Course structure
- Work experience
- Third party arrangements
- Other learning experiences
Course overview
Deakin's Bachelor of Public Health and Health Promotion/Bachelor of Commerce combined course allows you to take your commercial knowledge into the fast-growing health sector, or your health expertise into the commercial world. Graduates can register with the International Union for Health Promotion and Education (IUHPE), with Deakin being the only Victorian university to hold this accreditation.You will also gain a globally recognised commerce qualification, learning to solve real commercial challenges alongside industry leaders.
The hands-on experience you will undertake in a health-related agency will equip you with the skills needed to work in a public health or health promotion role. Build a foundation of robust commercial and personal skills and pursue your passions by choosing to major in one of nine specialised areas of commerce. You will graduate ready to tackle a career with great scope in the booming health sector, the business sector or where the two intersect.
Do you want a broad and highly transferable skill set that helps you contribute to the wellbeing of individuals and societies?
This combined course gives you a thorough understanding of the social and environmental factors that cause poor health, as well as those that create and sustain good health. Examine how health is created and influenced in our society, and explore the different approaches for improving the population’s health.
Through community engagement, program planning and evaluation, capacity building, research, policy development and health communication you will develop professional practices that can be applied to a range of settings and population groups. You’ll also gain a professional business qualification through your studies in the complementary discipline of Commerce.
As a graduate, you will be well-prepared for a broad range of career opportunities – from business, marketing and management roles within the health industry, to health promotion and public health roles within the government, corporate, private and public sectors, including:
- community development officer
- community engagement officer
- health promotion officer
- health public relations officer
- health researcher
- medical marketing manager
- partnerships coordinator
- project manager
- social marketing officer
- social planning officer.
Our multidisciplinary approach will enable you to broaden your knowledge across a variety of areas in health and business. Plus, with opportunities to learn and collaborate with likeminded students in multidisciplinary teams, you’ll be exposed to both complementary and alternative health streams. You will also develop an understanding of the expertise and roles of different health professionals, many of whom you might find yourself working alongside in your future career.
Indicative student workload
As a student in the Faculty of Health you can expect to participate in a range of teaching activities each week. This could include classes, 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.
Professional recognition
Deakin’s Bachelor of Public Health and Health Promotion is fully accredited by the International Union for Health Promotion and Education (IUHPE). This accreditation enables our health promotion graduates to register with the IUHPE as a registered Health Promotion Practitioner, securing them global recognition.
Deakin’s Bachelor of Public Health and Health Promotion is fully accredited by the International Union for Health Promotion and Education (IUHPE). This accreditation enables our health promotion graduates to register with the IUHPE as a registered Health Promotion Practitioner (HPP), securing you global as well as Australian recognition.
Graduates may also be eligible to become members of the Public Health Association of Australia (PHAA) and obtain professional accreditation as the Australian Health Promotion Association (AHPA).
Students who complete the accounting major can apply for the:
- CA Program of the Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ)
- Associate membership for the CPA Program
- IPA Program of the Institute of Public Accountants (IPA)
- Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA).
Students who complete the marketing major are eligible for a one-year credit towards their five-year Certified Practicing Marketer certification awarded by the Australian Marketing Institute (AMI).
Students who complete the finance major are recognised through the CFA Institute University Affiliation Program.
Students who complete the financial planning major satisfy the education standards of the Financial Adviser Standards (FAS). This enables students to provide financial advice in Australia and eligibility to enter certification programs of the professional financial planning associations. These include the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® Certification Program by the Financial Planning Association of Australia (FPA) and the Fellow Chartered Financial Practitioner designation by the Association of Financial Advisers (AFA).
Depending on your units of study, commerce graduates are also eligible to apply for membership to the:
- Australian HR Institute (AHRI)
- Institute of Managers and Leaders (IML)
- Institute of Public Accountants (IPA).
Students should consult the professional body or a course adviser to identify additional requirements for membership.
Note: All information regarding professional recognition is accurate at the date of publication. Enquiries regarding accreditation and professional membership should be directed to the School of Health and Social Development in order to ascertain the current status of accreditation at any future point in time beyond publication. Representations about accreditation apply only to the course, and the relevant professional body retains discretion as to whom they admit as members of their association. Deakin University cannot exercise any control over membership of an external body.
Career opportunities
As a graduate of this course you may find employment in either of these professional areas and work with groups such as children, adults, the disadvantaged and employees. Knowledge of business and health issues assists with executive management positions within the health industry that have policy development, budget and staff management responsibilities.
As a graduate you may qualify to work in positions such as Health Promotion Officer, Community Development Officer, Social Planning Officer, Health Educator, Women’s Health Officer, Health Policy Developer, Planning Officer, Health Researcher, Partnerships Coordinator or Program Evaluator. You will be prepared for a diverse range of employment areas including but not limited to healthy eating, physical activity, mental health, social inclusion, chronic illness (such as asthma, arthritis, heart disease) and women’s health.
The opportunities available to you will be somewhat dependent on the major sequence you choose to undertake as part of your degree.
The degree is a foundation for Honours and postgraduate study that leads to a research career in public health and/or health promotion or commerce.
Participation requirements
The course contains core public health-health promotion unit HSH303 Public Health and Health Promotion Practicum that aims to provide students with an in-depth, working understanding of public health-health promotion principles and approaches in the field. Students are required to undertake a minimum of 120 hours of work experience in a health-related agency. In addition to developing a practical understanding of public health-health promotion, this experience will help students further develop the professional and personal skills required to work in a public health-health promotion role. The practicum component follows one seminar session covering: the expectations of the unit, and overview of project management; and an introduction to workplace organisation and context.
Reasonable adjustments to participation and other course requirements will be made for students with a disability. More information available at Disability support services.
Mandatory student checks
Working with Children Check
Applicants will be required to hold a valid Working with Children Check (WWCC) for the relevant state prior to undertaking placements as part of this course. Further information and guidance will be provided to students when they enrol into their placement unit. Learn more about the Working with Children Check.
Police record check
Applicants will be required to hold a valid National Police Record Check for placements as part of this course. Further information and guidance will be provided to students when they enrol into their placement unit.
Pathways
This course provides pathway to the Honours program and subsequently higher degree by research courses and other postgraduate coursework courses.
Alternative exits
Bachelor of Public Health and Health Promotion (H313)
Bachelor of Commerce (M300)
Fees and charges
Fees and charges vary depending on your course, the type of fee place you hold, your commencement year, the units you choose and your study load.
Tuition fees increase at the beginning of each calendar year and all fees quoted are in Australian dollars ($AUD). Tuition fees do not include textbooks, computer equipment or software, other equipment or costs such as mandatory checks, travel and stationery.
Use the Fee estimator to see course and unit fees applicable to your course and type of place. Further information regarding tuition fees, other fees and charges, invoice due dates, withdrawal dates, payment methods is available on our Current students fees website.
Course Learning Outcomes
See course entry for Bachelor of Public Health and Health Promotion (H313) or Bachelor of Commerce (M300).
Course rules
To complete the Bachelor of Public Health and Health Promotion/Bachelor of Commerce students must complete 32 credit points. Most units (think of units as 'subjects') are equal to 1 credit point. In order to gain 32 credit points you will need to study 32 units (AKA 'subjects') over your entire degree. Most students choose to study 4 units per trimester and usually undertake two trimesters each year.
The course comprises a total of 32 credit points, which must include the following:
- 16 core units in public health and health promotion (these are compulsory)
- 8 Bachelor of Commerce core units: MAA103, MAE101, MAF101, MIS171, MLC101, MMK101, MMM132 and MWL101 (these are compulsory).
- a prescribed Commerce major sequence
- a minimum of 4 credit points at level 3 which must be Faculty of Business and Law units course grouped to a Faculty of Business and Law undergraduate degree.
See course entry Bachelor of Public Health and Health Promotion (H313) or Bachelor of Commerce (M300).
All commencing Faculty of Health Undergraduate and Postgraduate course work students are required to complete HAI010 Academic Integrity in their first trimester of study (0 credit point compulsory unit).
Students are required to meet the University's academic progress and conduct requirements.
Note: Food and Agribusiness major is offered to students who commenced prior to 2022 only.
Major sequences
Course structure
Core Units
Level 1 - Trimester 1
| HAI010 | Academic Integrity (0 credit points) |
| HBS107 | Understanding Health |
| HSH102 | Disease Prevention and Control |
Two commerce units
Level 1 - Trimester 2
| HBS108 | Health Information and Data |
| HSH103 | Health Protection |
Two commerce units
Level 2 - Trimester 1
| HSH112 | Local and Global Environments for Health |
| HSH208 | Health Communication |
Two commerce units
Level 2 - Trimester 2
| HSH113 | Social Perspectives on Population Health |
| HSH212 | Professional Practice |
Two commerce units
Level 3 - Trimester 1
| HSH205 | Epidemiology and Biostatistics 1 |
| HSH323 | Program Planning, Management and Evaluation |
Two commerce units
Level 3 - Trimester 2
| HSH216 | Epidemiology and Biostatistics 2 |
| HSH319 | Population Health: A Research Perspective ^ |
Two commerce units
Level 4 - Trimester 1
| HSH302 | Politics, Policy and Health |
| HSH318 | Implementation and Evaluation |
Two commerce units
Level 4 - Trimester 2
| HSH303 | Health Practicum |
| HSH313 | Contemporary Health Issues |
Two commerce units
^HSH319 last offering is Trimester 2 2024. Students will complete HSH219 as an alternative core unit from 2025.
Work experience
Public Health and Health Promotion
The Public Health and Health Promotion Practicum requires you to undertake a minimum of 120 hours of work experience in a health-related agency. In addition to developing a practical understanding of public health-health promotion, this experience will help you further develop the professional and personal skills required to work in a public health-health promotion role.
Course duration - additional information
Course duration may be affected by delays in completing course requirements, such as accessing or completing work placements.
Further information
Student Central can help you with course planning, choosing the right units and explaining course rules and requirements.
- Contact Student Central
Third party arrangements
Placement agreements are compliant with the Student Placement Procedure.
Placement partners establish and operate facilities with the capacity to educate Deakin students relevant to the partner’s core business (which is health and course related), supervising the development of industry skill-sets and training for each individual over 120 hours.
Quality assurance arrangements
External benchmarking with Curtin University has been completed.
Other learning experiences
Students are invited to participate in study tours – previous examples have included Cambodia and India.