The time and cost can be reduced based on your previous qualifications and professional experience. This means you can fast track the masters degree from 2 years down to 1.5 years duration. See entry requirements below for more information.
Course map - enrolment planning tool
These course maps are for new students commencing from Trimester 1 2027:
Build the expertise to improve health and wellbeing at a population level with Deakin’s Master of Health Promotion. Develop skills in program planning, communication, policy, advocacy and research to address the social and structural determinants of health and drive meaningful, lasting change.
Grounded in principles of equity, social justice and empowerment, this course prepares you to work across sectors to create healthier, more inclusive communities. Accredited by the International Union for Health Promotion and Education, this course enables you to register as a Health Promotion Practitioner and gain global recognition.
Gain a deep understanding of how social, environmental, political and economic factors influence health outcomes, while building the capacity to design, deliver and evaluate evidence-informed health initiatives. With opportunities to complete 120 hours of professional experience and tailor your studies across areas such as global health, nutrition and community development, you will graduate ready to lead action for healthier, more equitable outcomes and contribute to improved population health.
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 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.
Professional recognition
This course is accredited by the International Union for Health Promotion and Education (IUHPE). Graduates can register with IUHPE as a registered Health Promotion Practitioner, securing you global and Australian recognition. Deakin is the first and only Victorian University to hold this accreditation.
Graduates may be eligible to apply for membership of the Australian Health Promotion Association (AHPA). All Master of Health Promotion students also have option of obtaining free membership to AHPA for the duration of their studies.
Note: information regarding professional recognition is accurate at the time 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. Representations about accreditation apply only to the course and the relevant professional body retains discretion as to who they admit as members of their association. Deakin University cannot exercise any control over membership of an external body.
Career opportunities
The health sector is Australia’s largest and fastest-growing. Contemporary health challenges such as obesity, mental health, climate change and an ageing population have increased the demand for skilled health promotion practitioners able to address the underlying social and ecological determinants of ill health and lead in the promotion of wellbeing.
With a Master of Health Promotion you can take advantage of this demand. Health promotion practitioners are employed locally and globally in all levels of government, health services, the education sector, private business and non-government, not-for-profit and community organisations. This also includes national and state-wide peak authorities such as VicHealth, the National Heart Foundation, Asthma Foundation, Gender Equity Victoria and The Cancer Council. Some of the areas you could be working in include:
community development
social planning and activities
health education
program development and evaluation
advocacy
policy development
youth services
aged and disability services
women’s health
migrant, refugee and asylum seeker services
Mandatory student checks
Any unit which contains work integrated learning, a community placement or interaction with the community may require a National Police Record Check, a Working with Children Check or other check. Refer the relevant unit guide.
Course learning outcomes
Course Learning Outcomes
Apply a critical and advanced knowledge in the area of health promotion that includes:
theories of behaviour change, inequalities and inequities in health
the action areas for health promotion
the determinants of health (biological, behavioural and socio-environmental)
the biomedical, behavioural and socio-environmental models of health and their relevance to health promotion practice in general and needs assessment in particular
stages of program planning, implementation, evaluation and sustainability
awareness of how health promotion practice is influenced, such as, ethnicity and Indigenous status, age, gender, society, culture, geography, the environment and socio-economic status.
Communicate on health promotion issues in an effective and coherent manner, attentive to the needs of the target audience.
Develop effective communication skills relevant for the professional health sector.
Demonstrate mastery in current technologies to discover, select, analyse, employ, evaluate, and disseminate technical and non-technical information applicable to health promotion.
Demonstrate critical thinking to evaluate, using appropriate analytical and research methods, health promotion problems and solutions for individuals and communities.
Apply theoretical constructs and critical analysis to real-world and ill-defined problems and develop innovative health promotion solutions.
Apply knowledge and skills in creative ways to adapt to new situations in professional practice and/or plan for further learning in the field of health promotion.
Work effectively within health promotion and multi-disciplinary teams with others from a range of backgrounds.
Apply the highest ethical standards in the development, design, construction and management of health promotion programs for Australia or elsewhere.
Note – From 2026, Deakin commenced introducing Graduate Attributes (GAs), which define the distinctive characteristics of a Deakin graduate. You may notice some courses still refer to Graduate Learning Outcomes (GLOs) during this transition period.
Course rules
To complete the Master of Health Promotion you must pass 16 credit points. The number of credit points required may vary, depending on your entry point or how much credit you receive as recognition of prior learning (RPL) based on your professional experience and previous qualifications.
A 16-credit point Master of Health Promotion includes:
DAI001 Academic Integrity and Respect at Deakin (0-credit-point compulsory unit) in your first study period
7 credit points of core units
1 credit point of course elective units chosen from:
8 credit points of course electives - which can be completed via one of the following options:
major project (4 credit points) and 4 credit points of course electives
minor project (2 credit points) and 6 credit points of course electives
8 credit points of course electives
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.
Students must complete either a major project, minor project or 8 credit points of course electives. Any student wishing to do both a minor and a major project, may do so with the permission of the Course Director, and will therefore only be required to complete 2 elective units from the Electives list.
~Students must have a minimum Weighted Average Mark (WAM) of 60 to be eligible to undertake the minor project option.
Students may choose to complete a specialisation in Mind, Society and Substance
Mind, Society and Substance specialisation(SP-H759001) This specialisation is optional and the units are available as elective unit options or can be combined to complete this specialisation.
Disaster Risk Reduction and Community Led Recovery
Work experience
Students will undertake work integrated assessment tasks in several core and elective units, and they have the option of undertaking a minor or major project.
Other learning experiences
Internships/internships are also available to students enrolled in HSH755 Health practicum as an elective.
Course duration
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.
Tuition fees will vary depending on the type of fee place you hold, your course, your commencement year, the units you choose to study, your study load and/or unit discipline.
Your tuition fees will increase annually at the start of each calendar year. All fees quoted are in Australian dollars ($AUD) and do not include additional costs such as textbooks, computer equipment or software, other equipment, mandatory checks, travel, consumables and other costs.
For further information regarding tuition fees, other fees and charges, invoice due dates, withdrawal dates, payment methods visit our Current students website.
Contact Student Central for assistance in course planning, choosing the right units and explaining course rules and requirements. Student Central can also provide information for a wide range of services at Deakin. To help you understand the University vocabulary, please refer to our Enrolment codes and terminology page.
