HSH701 - Principles and Practice of Public Health
Unit details
| Year | 2027 unit information |
|---|---|
| Enrolment modes | Trimester 2: Burwood (Melbourne), Online |
| Credit point(s) | 1 |
| EFTSL value | 0.125 |
| Unit chair | Trimester 2: Carah Figueroa Trimester 3: Steph Main |
| Prerequisite | Nil |
| Corequisite | Nil |
| Incompatible with | Nil |
| Educator-facilitated (scheduled) learning activities - on-campus unit enrolment | 3 hours per week comprising 1 hour weekly lecture (recorded and accessible online) and 2 hour weekly seminar |
| Educator-facilitated (scheduled) learning activities - online unit enrolment | 3 hours per week comprising 1 hour weekly lecture (recorded and accessible online) and 2 hour weekly online seminar |
| Typical study commitment | Students will on average spend 150 hours over the teaching period undertaking the teaching, learning and assessment activities for this unit. |
Content
In this unit, students are provided with an integrated overview of the ways in which different theories and disciplinary perspectives have informed public health principles and practices both in the past and present. The unit provides the foundations for a contextual understanding of the specific methods of public health research, policy development and program planning and implementation.
Principles and Practice of Public Health is a 'glue' unit for the study of public health, drawing linkages between areas that may at first sight appear quite disparate. This unit aims to provide students with an overview of public health as an organised global and local effort to promote and protect the health of the public. The unit will immerse students in evidence based public health in exploring public health problems, their causes and solutions. Students will be encouraged to position themselves within public health debates.
Learning outcomes
| ULO | These are the Unit Learning Outcomes (ULOs) for this unit. At the completion of this unit, successful students can: | Alignment to Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes (GLOs) |
|---|---|---|
| ULO1 | Describe the history, principles and major fields of practice in public health and apply this knowledge to contemporary health issues and their contexts. | GLO2: Communication |
| ULO2 | Apply epidemiological, clinical, social, behavioural and other perspectives to analyse current and emerging public health issues, contexts and practices. | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities |
| ULO3 | Use digital skills and technologies to locate, critically analyse, evaluate, synthesize and present information about public health issues, their causes and solutions. | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities |
| ULO4 | Propose effective responses to current and emerging public health issues that demonstrate mastery of the underlying principles and evidence-base and disciplines of public health and its major fields of practice. | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities |
| ULO5 | Demonstrate constructive teamwork skills to support self and peers within a contemporary public health context. | GLO7: Teamwork |
| ULO6 | Demonstrate skills to professionally communicate public health information to a variety of audiences. | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities |
Note – From 2026, Deakin commenced introducing Graduate Attributes (GAs), which define the distinctive characteristics of a Deakin graduate. You may notice some units still refer to Graduate Learning Outcomes (GLOs) during this transition period.
Assessment
| Assessment description | Student output | Grading and weighting (% total mark for unit) | Indicative due week |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment 1: Online discussion board posts | 2 discussion board posts | 20% |
|
| Assessment 2: Essay | Individual written response of 1500 words | 40% |
|
| Assessment 3: Group presentation plus individual reflection | Part A: 10 minute group presentation; Part B: 750 word individual written reflection on the team collaboration and career journey | 40% |
|
The assessment due weeks provided may change. The Unit Chair will clarify the exact assessment requirements, including the due date, at the start of the teaching period.
Hurdle requirements
- Students must pass Assessment Task 3 in order to pass this unit.
Learning resource
The texts and reading list for HSH701 can be found via the University Library.
Note: Select the relevant trimester reading list. Please note that a future teaching period's reading list may not be available until a month prior to the start of that teaching period so you may wish to use the relevant trimester's prior year reading list as a guide only.
Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)
To fully engage with Deakin's learning experiences, students must be able to access and use internet-connected devices as outlined in computing requirements at Deakin.
To support student success at Deakin, we have a bring-your-own-device (BYOD) learning environment that acknowledges that students and educators bring with them the digital tools they regularly use to complete academic tasks. These tools stay with you beyond the classroom, helping you to keep learning, explore ideas more deeply, and connect with knowledge in ways that matter to you.
Students requiring a loan device should visit our Loan Laptop webpage or students requiring longer-term assistance should visit our Student Financial Assistance webpage.
Unit fee information
Fees and charges vary depending on the type of fee place you hold, your course, your commencement year, the units you choose to study and their study discipline, 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.
For further information regarding tuition fees, other fees and charges, invoice due dates, withdrawal dates, payment methods visit our Current Students website.