University of Sydney Handbooks - 2016 Archive

Download full 2016 archive Page archived at: Fri, 13 May 2016 14:40:28 +1000

Qualitative Health Research

 

For the most up to date unit of study information, please use the Find a Course search.
Enter the unit of study code and select "Units of Study" from the drop down list.

Unit of study descriptions

BETH5000 Critical Concepts in Bioethics

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Robert Irvine Session: Semester 2 Classes: 13x2hr seminars or Distance Education (online). Attendance is compulsory if enrolled in face-to-face mode. Assessment: 1x 750wd review (15%) and 1x 1500wd essay (30%) and 1x 2000-2500wd essay (45%) and 1x online work/class participation (10%) Mode of delivery: Online
This unit of study offers a critical review of the field of bioethics. The course canvasses different ways that bioethics is 'made-up' in discourse, thought and practice, and the meaning of 'bioethics' historically and in contemporary society. Mapping some of the key literature on current on-going debates and contentions, the seminars explore different perspectives that people have of bioethics from points within and outside of the discipline and why bioethics and bioethical dilemmas have become important objects of popular and professional concern. Topics include the moral and ethical dimensions of advances in biomedical science and biotechnology, the virtuous bioethicist, narrative in bioethics, going public in bioethics, bioethics across cultures, feminist bioethics, bioethics and non-human animals, and, climate change and environmental bioethics. Learning activities will include seminars and small group discussion.
Textbooks
Students are provided with a book of readings (in digital format). Supplementary readings can be accessed through the library or online.
BETH5101 Introduction to Ethical Reasoning

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: A/Prof Ian Keridge Session: Semester 1 Classes: 13x2hr seminars or Distance Education (online). Attendance is compulsory if enrolled in face-to-face mode. Assessment: 1x 2000wd essay (35%); 1x 4000wd essay (55%); participation in seminars or online (10%) Mode of delivery: Online
In this unit of study students gain the background in ethical philosophy necessary to engage in advanced analyses of issues in bioethics. Introduction to Ethical Reasoning familiarises students with classical theoretical frameworks such as virtue ethics, Kantian deontology, and utilitarianism that have been influential in the history of Western philosophy. The unit also examines more contemporary approaches to ethics, such as the capabilities approach, feminist ethics, human rights doctrines, and poststructuralist approaches. Across these different theoretical frameworks, discussions will focus on topics such as cultural relativism, universalism in ethics, difference and power.
All assessments must be completed to pass this Unit.
Textbooks
Students are provided with a book of readings (in digital format). Supplementary readings can be accessed through the library or online.
BETH5102 Philosophy of Medicine

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: A/Prof Christopher Jordens Session: Semester 1 Classes: Online lectures plus 12x1.5hr seminars, or fully online. Assessment: 1x1200wd short written exercise (30%); 1x3000-4000wd major essay (60%); participation in seminars or online (10%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) evening
Note: If an insufficient number of students opt to attend seminars on campus, the co-ordinator may choose to teach this Unit of Study in online mode only. Students will be contacted if this occurs.
This unit of study introduces some key philosophical questions and debates concerning medicine and the biomedical sciences. It is divided into three sections. The first explores key concepts and distinctions such as health, disease, mental illness and disability. The second section deals with topics that lie at the heart of a scientific approach to medicine, namely, causation, experimentation, evidence and clinical reasoning. The final section of the course invites students to reflect critically on the preceding section by exploring the rationality claims of non-orthodox approaches, by inquiring closely into the meaning of medical terms, and by taking a broad view of the notion of risk.
All assessments must be completed to pass this Unit.
Textbooks
Required readings are available through the unit of study website. Supplementary readings can be accessed through the university library.
BETH5103 Biomedicine and Society

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: A/Prof Christopher Jordens Session: Semester 2 Classes: Online lectures plus 13x1.5hr seminars, or fully online. Assessment: 1x1200wd exercise (30%); 1x3000-4000wd essay (60%); Participation in seminars or online (10%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) evening
Note: If an insufficient number of students opt to attend seminars on campus, the co-ordinator may choose to teach this Unit of Study in online mode only. Students will be contacted if this occurs.
How does biomedicine both influence and reflect the broader society of which it is a part? This unit of study addresses this general question by examining a set of issues relating to sex and drugs. A key theme in the course is the "medicalisation" of human experience in the domains of gender, reproduction and sexual behaviour. The course aims to widen the scope of bioethical inquiry through readings that explore the issues from a range of different perspectives including history, sociology, politics, health policy, philosophy, religion, feminism, public health, and personal experience. Each topic introduces specific concepts which students are encouraged to apply. Students are also encouraged to draw on their own disciplinary and/or professional background. Seminars, online discussions and coursework will provide opportunities to learn from other students, and apply learning from other units of study in bioethics.
All assessments must be completed to pass this Unit.
Textbooks
Required readings are available through the unit of study website. Supplementary readings can be accessed through the university library.
BETH5104 Bioethics, Law and Society

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Sascha Callaghan Session: Semester 1 Classes: 4x8hr intensives or online. Attendance is compulsory if enrolled in face-to-face block mode. Assessment: 1x2000wd problem (40%); 1x3500 word essay (60%) Mode of delivery: Online
Note: A three-year undergraduate degree in science, medicine, nursing, allied health sciences, philosophy/ethics, sociology/anthropology, law, history, or other relevant field, or by special permission
This unit of study begins by introducing students to intersections amongst health care, ethics, and the law. In particular students will explore the moral basis of law and the means by which law influences moral norms, clinical practice, and health policy. Students learn how to critically read and analyse primary sources of law relevant to bioethics. Students will then examine a number of areas of law that have particular significance for bioethics and society including consent, tort law, competence, advance directives, maternal-foetal conflicts, abortion, reproduction, end-of-life-decision-making, genetics and infectious disease.
All assessments must be completed to pass this Unit.
Textbooks
Required: Kerridge, Lowe and Stewart (2013), Ethics and law for the health profession, 4th Edition (Federation Press). All other compulsory readings are provided to students in digital format. Most supplementary readings can be accessed through the library collection.
BETH5201 Ethics and Biotechnology

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Ainsley Newson Session: Semester 1 Classes: 6x2hr seminars & 1x8hr intensive; or Distance Education (online). Attendance is compulsory if enrolled in face-to-face mode. Assessment: 2x400wd tasks (2x10%); 1x1500wd essay (30%); 1x2500wd essay (40%); participation in seminars or online (10%) Mode of delivery: Online
Note: If an insufficient number of students opt to attend seminars on campus, the co-ordinator may choose to teach this Unit of Study in online mode only.
This unit of study introduces students to the ethical, social and legal issues that underlie a wide range of biotechnologies, including: genetics, genomics, human reproduction, stem cell research, nanotechnology and emerging biotechnologies. Key concepts influencing debates in this area are covered, such as 'procreative beneficence', personhood, risk, consent, public engagement, and property in the body (including gene patenting). Topical case studies are included to keep up with recent developments in the field. Students will explore the ethical limits to research and knowledge in biotechnology.
Textbooks
All readings are accessed online via elearning.
BETH5202 Human and Animal Research Ethics

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Ainsley Newson Session: Semester 2 Classes: 4x8hr intensive or Distance Education (online). Attendance is compulsory if enrolled in face-to-face mode. Prohibitions: BETH5208 Assessment: Continuous assessment (short weekly tasks) (10%); 'Best 3' short weekly tasks (10%); 1x1500wd essay (30%); 1x2500wd essay (50%) Mode of delivery: Online
This unit of study critically examines research ethics in its wider context, from structuring research to its dissemination. It explores the ethical underpinnings of a variety of research methods and their uses in humans and non-human animals including the justifications for engaging in research, key concepts in research ethics and research integrity. The unit also reviews the history of research and the impact of research abuse on participants, both human and animal.
Textbooks
All readings are made available via elearning.
BETH5203 Ethics and Public Health

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: A/Professor Stacy Carter Session: Semester 2 Classes: 5x8hr Intensives; or Distance Education (online). Prohibitions: BETH5206 Assessment: 5xOnline Quiz (50%); 1x2500wd essay (50%) Mode of delivery: Block mode
Note: Prerequisites: A three-year undergraduate degree in science; medicine; nursing; allied health sciences; philosophy/ethics; sociology/anthropology; history; or other relevant field; or by special permission.
This unit provides students with an overview of the ethical and political issues that underlie public health and public health research. The unit introduces key concepts in public health ethics including liberty, utility, justice, paternalism, solidarity and reciprocity, and introduces students to different ways of reasoning about the ethics of public health. A critical history of public health and an examination of public health law provide important context. Students also explore the ethical dimensions of central public health problems, including modifying lifestyles, managing communicable diseases, screening and overdiagnosis, researching communities, responding to global health challenges and using evidence. Throughout, the emphasis is on learning to make sound arguments about the ethical aspects of public health policy, practice and research. Most learning occurs in the context of five teaching intensives, which are highly interactive and focus on the development and application of reasoning skills.
Textbooks
Students are provided with a list of readings (in digital format).
BETH5204 Clinical Ethics

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Ainsley Newson Session: Semester 1 Classes: 4x8hr Intensives or Distance Education (online). Attendance is compulsory if enrolled in face-to-face mode. Assessment: 1x1500wd case study (30%); 1x2500wd essay (50%); continuous assessment (short weekly tasks) (10%); 'Best 3' short weekly tasks (10%). Mode of delivery: Block mode
This unit will provide students with an overview of the ethical issues that underlie the delivery of healthcare. Students will explore: major conceptual models for ethical reasoning in the clinical context; key ethical concepts in the clinical encounter (such as consent, professionalism and confidentiality); major contexts in which ethical issues arise in clinical practice; and the role of clinical ethics consultation. The unit will also consider specific issues and populations within clinical practice, such as ethical aspects of healthcare at the beginning and end of life. Learning activities will include lectures (in an intensive format), facilitated discussion, case study activities, readings and weekly discussions.
Textbooks
All readings are accessed online via elearning.
BETH5205 Ethics and Mental Health

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: A/Professor Michael Robertson Session: Semester 2 Classes: Distance Education (online). Assessment: 1x1500wd essay (30%); 1x4000wd essay (50%); participation in online tasks (20%) Mode of delivery: Online
Mental health and mental illness are unique in the field of health care and bioethics. The very nature of psychiatric disorder and its relationship with prevailing social and cultural factors, in addition to the unique status of the mental health patient, necessitate a specific discourse in biomedical ethics in the area of mental health. This course will provide participants with a broad perspective of issues in bioethics applied to mental health and mental illness. Students will examine the history of the psychiatric profession and consider the adequacy of current safeguards against the abuses of power seen in the history of psychiatry. Other areas considered in the course include the current ethical dilemmas in mental health care, the implications of technological advances in the neurosciences, the philosophical basis of the concept of mental disorder, the relationship between power and the psychiatric profession and the complex relationship between morality, mental health and the law. The course aspires to inform future decision makers in health, public policy, clinical settings and academia in the unique aspects of biomedical ethics in the field of mental health.
All assessments must be completed to pass this Unit.
Textbooks
Robertson M and Walter G Ethics and Mental Health: The Patient, Profession and Community (2013) London CRC Press
GCST5902 Natures and Cultures of Bodies

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: 3x 2000 Case study (90%), 1x Seminar participation (10%), Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
The nature/culture distinction is under pressure today as relations to our bodies, the world and each other are transformed by technology, ecological crisis, gender practices and new forms of consumption. Thinking beyond this distinction by examining the practices of bodies, this unit combines theoretical reflection with case studies to give students new tools for cultural analysis.
HPOL5000 Introduction to Health Policy

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Justin McNab Session: Semester 1 Classes: Block mode with compulsory Intensive workshops on Campus. 2 x 2-day workshops, online lectures and discussions Assessment: 1 x 1500wd written assignment (30%); 1 x 3000wd written assignment (50%); Online learning quiz (5%); online problem based learning exercise (15%) Mode of delivery: Block mode
To develop a critical and comparative understanding of the history, theory and practice of health policy. To give an overview of the political choices and frameworks - national and global - that shape policymaking.
Learning objectives:
- acquire a critical understanding of the basic history and features of the Australian health system
- understand the main frameworks used to analyse and make policy
- understand the main issues in the translation of policy into practice
- demonstrate the capacity to apply these understandings in particular settings through case studies.
Content:
This unit explores the main structures and institutions that make health policy. The unit examines debates over policy frameworks, and the evidence and advocacy in setting priorities. Conflicts over health policy will be placed in broader contexts - comparing different health systems and assessing global influences. Case studies will be used to examine the relationships between policy and practice.
Textbooks
Buse K, Mays N, Walt G (2012). Making health policy. Second edition. Open University Press: London. Other recommended reading materials will be available on the unit's eLearning site
HPOL5003 Analysing Health Policy

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Professor Andrew Wilson and A/Prof James Gillespie Session: Semester 2 Classes: Block mode with compulsory Intensive workshops on Campus. 2 x two day workshops plus online discussion Assessment: 1x3000 word assignment (50%), 1x3000 word assignment (50%) Mode of delivery: Block mode
This unit develops skills for the effective critical appraisal of health policy. It familiarizes students with the principles, and limitations, of evidence-based health policy and how this is shaped by the health and political systems. Learning objectives: - to develop critical appraisal skills and analytical methods for analysing health policy - to identify and analyse the main influences on policy development - to evaluate existing policy frameworks and processes in relation to evidence, political context and broader community values Content: This unit builds policy analysis and analytical skills by exploring policy design, implementation and evaluation. It looks at key approaches to analysing health policy, the methods and limitations of evidence-based health policy and the problems of integrating equity concerns when developing and applying health policy. The workshops focus on the critical use of epidemiological and public policy analysis to build the evidence base for, and analysis of policy, taking into account political and social contexts.
Textbooks
Buse K, Mays N, Walt G (2012). Making health policy. Second edition. Open University Press: London. Other required and recommended readings and reference lists will be available through eLearning
HPSC4102 History of Science

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Prof Stephen Gaukroger. Taught by HPS staff and guest lecturers. Session: Semester 2 Classes: One 2 hour seminar per week. Assessment: 10xquestions (50%) and 1x5000 wd essay (50%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
Note: Department permission required for enrolment
This unit explores major episodes in the history of science from the 18th century until the present as well as introducing students to historiographic methods. Special attention is paid to developing practical skills in the history and philosophy of science.
Textbooks
Weekly Readings
HSTY6987 Presenting the Past

This unit of study is not available in 2016

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Assoc Prof Penny Russell Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x2-hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x4000wd essay (75%), 1x1000wd seminar paper (15%) and class participation (10%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
A work of history may range in scope from a single life to the forces of internationalism, from a single moment to the span of human history, from a single locality to the globe. Why, and how, do historians tell such different stories? In this unit we explore the ideologies and social perspectives that underpin the historian's craft. Examining trends in historical scholarship, we consider how engagement with different methodologies has contributed to the social, cultural, intellectual and political 'turns'.
LNGS7002 Language, Society and Power

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x4000wd Research project (80%), 1x1000wd Online discussion (10%), 1x1000wd Quiz (10%), Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
Language is a symbolic currency: mastery of the standard language can buy institutional power, mastery of urban teenage slang can buy street cred. This course introduces students to key issues in sociolinguistics and language sociology such as the political economy of language, language variation and change, and critical discourse analysis. Members of the class will undertake empirical research.
LNGS7004 Register and Genre in English

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: 3x 2000wd each Text analysis (100%), Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit of study introduces students to current research in the theory of genre and register with a focus on English. It will explore how choices in grammar and discourse (e.g. speech function, conjunction, cohesive devices, methods of development and argumentation, schematic structure) impact on the ways in which people engage with different types (genres, registers) of texts. The framework for the unit derives from a variety of linguistic approaches, including corpus linguistics and functional linguistics.
LNGS7006 Cross-Cultural Communication

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x1000wd Linguistic Relativity (20%), 1x2000wd Mid-semester exam (30%), 1x3000wd Final paper (50%), Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
In today's globalised and multicultural societies, cross-cultural communication is common enough. Even so, it continues to be a challenge, both for people who engage in cross-cultural communication on a daily basis, and for researchers trying to describe and understand it. In this unit of study we will consider a variety of discourse-analytic approaches to studying cross-cultural communication, including conversation analysis, speech act theory, interactional sociolinguistics, the ethnography of communication, and critical discourse analysis. In our analyses of actual samples of cross-cultural communication we will pay particular attention to the social positioning of participants in an interaction, and the ways how social relationships (particularly of power and intimacy) between participants are reflected in their linguistic practices. The unit will end with exploring applied perspectives, particularly on cross-cultural communication in educational, courtroom and workplace interactions.
LNGS7274 Media Discourse

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x500wd Summary (5%), 1x2500wd Image analysis/interpretation (35%), 1x3000wd Text Analysis (60%), Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
"Sexy, healthy and 100% Australian-owned!" This unit examines linguistic approaches to media discourse. The language of news texts and television series will form a special focus of the unit, along with how images are used to construe meaning. We will explore general aspects of media institutions (news and television), the ways in which social identities are constructed in the media, differences between the language of various types of media texts, the rhetoric of persuasion and the discourses of popular culture.
LNGS7301 Functional Grammar

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x3000wd equivalent Grammar assignment (50%), 1x3000wd equivalent Final assignment (50%), Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit will focus on Halliday's functional grammar, including coverage of transitivity, mood, theme, clause-complexing and nominal group and verbal group structure (including functional structures and introductory accounts of the systems from which they derive). The unit will focus on English but include exemplification from other languages where appropriate. In addition the place of grammar in functional models of language will be considered, and critical aspects of system/structure theory introduced.
MIPH5008 Travel and Tropical Medicine

Credit points: 2 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Giselle Manalo, Dr Paula Fogarty Session: Intensive October Classes: 1x 2day intensive lectures Assessment: 1x 2000word individual essay (80%) and attendance (20%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit aims to provide an overview of common health issues and emerging travel-related diseases, with a general look at prevention and control of these problems for travellers or those intending to work in tropical or resource-poor settings for a significant period of time. Travel/public health regulations associated with outbreaks and disasters are also addressed. During the short course, students will also explore issues such as pre-travel preparations, protection from vector-borne diseases and vaccinations. The teaching method is face-to-face teaching only. Attendance is compulsory.
Textbooks
Readings are available on the unit's eLearning site
MIPH5014 International Health Promotion

This unit of study is not available in 2016

Credit points: 4 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Philayrath Phongsavan Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x 2hr lecture per week for 11 weeks; 1x 1hr tutorial per week for 9 weeks Prohibitions: PUBH5033 Assessment: 1500 word essay (30%), 2500 word report (50%), tutorial participation and attendance (20%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
Note: Students who have enrolled in PUBH5033 should contact the unit co-ordinator to seek permission before enrolling in MIPH5014, as there is some overlap between the two units of study.
This unit of study aims to provide students with an understanding of the principles, theory and methods that are employed in health promotion and prevention. The unit will give attention to the full spectrum of health promotion and prevention programs, from the development of local level initiatives to global policies to achieve health goals. It will have a strong practical and methodological focus, with the objective of enabling students to develop knowledge and skills for planning, implementing and evaluating health promotion programs. Models and methods that are commonly used in health promotion and disease prevention will be described and discussed by using real life examples. Among the major issues examined are the health impact of social and economic development at the national and global levels, prevention and control of non-communicable and communicable diseases, including cigarette smoking, hygiene practices, capacity building and workforce development for health promotion and prevention.
Textbooks
Readings are available on the unit's eLearning site.
MIPH5115 Women's and Children's Health

Credit points: 4 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Jane Hirst Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x2hr lecture per week for 10 weeks, 1x1hr tutorial per week for 9 weeks; also offered fully online Assessment: 1x2000 word individual assignment, (50%), 1x group report (30%), tutorial participation (20%) Mode of delivery: Online
This unit aims to give students an overview of the health status of women and children in developing countries. It also examines causes of major health problems and approaches to improving the health of women and children in developing countries. The unit covers a variety of issues in women's and children's health, including approaches to prevention of maternal and fetal, neonatal and child mortality, , mother to child HIV transmission, women and violence, family planning, diarrhoeal disease, pneumonia, and vaccine preventable diseases.
Textbooks
Readings are available on the unit's eLearning site.
MIPH5116 Culture, Health, Illness and Medicine

Credit points: 4 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Cynthia Hunter Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1 x 2 day workshop; 1 x 2hr seminar per week for 7 weeks; also offered fully online. Assessment: 1x3000 word essay (65%) and 1x1hr class facilitation (25%), class participation 10%. Mode of delivery: Online
This unit aims to provide an integrated and interpretive approach to an understanding of health-related behaviours of populations in international settings, by synthesizing anthropological knowledge and methodology, and the interactions of culture, biology, psychology and environment. The teaching process is by student-led, lecturer-guided, discussion based review and critical analysis of relevant topics. During the unit, students will explore a range of issues in global and multicultural health from an anthropological perspective. Methodological approaches will encompass ethnography and other anthropological data collection methods. The issues covered will include cultural influences on health, illness and healing, such as indigenous and traditional beliefs and systems, gender and cultural change and the impact of modernization and development on illness and healing. The impact examines disease and illness patterns - their distribution and persistence, mental illness and culture and attitudes towards the use of medications; and the provision of culturally sensitive and appropriate services. The emphasis will be on covering a range of topic areas relevant to the students enrolled, and those of particular importance in contemporary international and multicultural health contexts.
Textbooks
Readings are available on the unit's eLearning site.
MIPH5117 Global Non-Communicable Disease Control

Credit points: 2 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Rohina Joshi Session: Semester 2a Classes: 1x2hr-lecture/week for 7 weeks; also offered fully online Assessment: 1x 2000word written assignment (90%) and class participation (10%) or online discussion (10%). Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit aims to provide candidates with an understanding of the causes and control of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) with a focus on low and middle income countries (LMIC). These diseases are associated with social and economic development and the demographic and health transitions. Topics covered in the unit include cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer, primary health care in relation to NCDs, health promotion for NCDs and approaches to NCD research in developing countries. Lectures are given by health professionals with direct experience of NCD control in LMICs.
Textbooks
Readings are available on the unit's eLearning site.
MIPH5118 Global Perspectives of HIV/AIDS

This unit of study is not available in 2016

Credit points: 4 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Joel Negin Session: Semester 2a Classes: 4 days of intensive lectures spread over a 1 month period; also offered fully online Assessment: 1xgroup report (20%), peer evaluation (10%), 1x2000 word individual assignment (60%), and participation in discussions (10%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit offers a detailed and evidence-based assessment of the global HIV situation to equip students with the latest understanding of HIV distribution and trends globally, its social and economic implications, the measures being taken to prevent and treat HIV and AIDS, the gaps that need to be addressed in HIV control, and the politics around global HIV issues. Examples from different parts of the world, particularly less developed settings, are used to illustrate key issues influencing the HIV control agenda globally. Emphasis is placed on developing a critical and analytical approach to assessing the HIV situation and developing interventions for its control.
Textbooks
Readings are available on the unit's eLearning site.
MIPH5135 Health Systems in Developing Countries

Credit points: 4 Teacher/Coordinator: Associate Professor Joel Negin, Associate Professor Alexandra Martiniuk Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x 2hr lecture per week for 10 weeks; plus 2x 0.5 day workshops Assessment: 1x1500 word research proposal (40%), 1x2000 word case study report (50%), and participation (10%) Mode of delivery: Online
Health systems are complex and multi-faceted. Successful health systems require attention to political economy, governance, institutions, and local context. This unit will cover health systems in developing countries to equip students with a conceptual understanding and a set of tools to address major public health challenges from a health systems perspective. With a focus on evidence-based decision making, the unit will provide an understanding of health systems including specific topics such as health workforce, financing, service delivery, information systems and policy, and how these impact health interventions and health status in less developed countries. A multi-sectoral, integrated model will be used to understand the varied aspects of development challenges related to health systems. A case study approach will then provide students with concrete examples of health systems challenges and will strengthen students' ability to view health problems in a holistic, multi-faceted manner. The unit will provide students with the tools needed to make a practical difference in health systems in less developed countries with emphasis on implementation of health projects and bringing interventions to scale.
Textbooks
Readings are available on the unit's eLearning site.
MMHU6910 Ethics, Narrative Competence and Health

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Claire Hooker Session: Semester 1 Classes: 13 x 2hr seminar or Distance Education (online). Attendance is compulsory if enrolled in face-to-face mode. Assessment: 1x500-1000wd online task (10%); 1x1,500wd essay (30%); 1x3000wd essay (50%); 1 oral presentation or equivalent online task (10%) Mode of delivery: Online
This unit of study explores the connections between narrative, literature, ethics and health and medicine. Students will be introduced to the fundamental importance of narrative competence for health professionals and to tools for developing narrative competence. We will consider a range of ethical issues arising from narrative and literature in health and medicine, including differences between how patients/ the public and health professionals/ clinicians understand and value health and illness, and how to incorporate issues around identity, existence and values into public health and medicine. Students will also be given new analytic tools from the humanities for use in health-related settings. It will introduce students to influential theories of narrative and modes of cultural, literary and linguistic analysis that can further enrich our understandings of these texts. Students will encounter and analyse a wide range of literary and non-literary narratives concerned with illness, embodiment and healing. Topics or themes covered during the course include: narrative theory (narratology); narrative competence; literary/cultural representations of health practitioners; rhetoric (semiotics) of health; literary/cultural constructions of disability and femininity; narrative ethics; language and embodiment; medico-literary 'genres; narrating death and dying; and the limits of narrative.
All assessments must be completed to pass this Unit.
MMHU6913 Health in World History

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Claire Hooker Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x 2 hr seminar weekly or online response to readings Assessment: 2x 3000 word essay (100%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) evening
From Black Death, syphilis, fevers, and venereal disease to Truvada whores and complex dynamic systems, this unit of study requires students to systematically explore the major critical perspectives on public health by examining its history. Most public health policy and practice is in fact determined by the traditions, ideas, values and practices that developed in the past. Students will gain an understanding of how how different forms of evidence have been constructed for different public health policies, and able to identify the social and cultural correlates of shifts in medical and health concepts over time. They will also learn to situate developments in public health in relation to macro political and economic determinants, as they explore how public health and colonial and State power co-developed and how these alliances and power structures continue to be reflected today in the Emerging Infectious Diseases worldview. Students will be able to offer explanations both of what drives change and paradigm shifts in public health policy and practice and of the effects of underlying long term continuities in approaches to public health. Students will be required to use their knowledge to develop self-reflexive critical assessments of the ethical commitments they want to guide their own practice and that of contemporary public health policy.
PSYC5012 Health and Risk Communication

This unit of study is not available in 2016

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: lectures, videos, interactive exercises, case study discussions and small group-work. This unit will be taught in a block intensive mode over five days Assessment: Major or two minor essays (100%) Mode of delivery: Block mode
In this unit of study students will consider health communication in the context of the health professional-patient relationship and in the public sphere. This unit of study seeks to develop a critical awareness of the determinants of effective communication, particularly in relation to health risks to the individual and society. The unit of study will investigate: theories of health communication, including patient centred care and shared decision making; evidence regarding the impact of good and poor communication on patient and health professional outcomes; research paradigms in this area including interaction analysis; cross-cultural communication issues in health care; risk communication in the context of informed consent to clinical trials, discussing prognosis and responding to public health risk events; and theories of risk perception and communication. The aim of this unit of study is to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the key issues related to communication in health care and health policy settings.
PUBH5111 Environmental Health

Credit points: 4 Teacher/Coordinator: Associate Professor Geoff Morgan Session: Semester 2 Classes: Mixed mode of 13 lectures (13 sessions of approximately 2 hours each) offered online, and 6 case studies (6 sessions of 2 hours each) offered face-to-face and online (choice of one or the other). All the content for the unit can be completed online if required. Assessment: 1x written assignment (50%), 1x quiz (20%) and 6 x case study participation and quiz (6 x 5% = 30%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
The unit will explore the major categories of environmental health hazards including air quality, water quality, chemical hazards (eg soils and contaminated sites), physical hazards (eg noise and radiation), microbiological hazards (eg Legionnaires' disease) and food safety. Regional and global issues of sustainability, climate change and land use planning will also be covered. The unit aims to develop an understanding of environmental health hazard identification and risk assessment, as well as the principles of hazard control. The disciplines of epidemiology, toxicology and ecology will be applied within a risk assessment framework to characterise health risks associated with environmental hazards and determine risk management options and risk communication strategies. Students completing this unit will appreciate the multi-disciplinary nature of environmental health hazards, the application of a risk assessment framework to characterise environmental health risks, and the need to work closely with a broad range of stakeholders including commonwealth and state health and environment agencies, local government, industry and the community.
Textbooks
Environmental Health (Fourth Edition). Moeller DW. Harvard University Press, 2011;
PUBH5114 Alcohol, Drug Use and Health

Credit points: 4 Teacher/Coordinator: Associate Professor Carolyn Day Session: Semester 2 Classes: 13 weeks of 2hr teaching sessions and/or associated readings and online activities. The teaching sessions are a combination of a one day face-to-face workshop and online seminars. Students unable to attend face-to-face sessions can do the entire course online. Prohibitions: PUBH5115 Assessment: 2 x 1500 word assignments (60%), compulsory discussion related activities (30%); online quizzes (10%) Mode of delivery: Block mode
This unit aims to assist students in developing an evidence-based understanding of the epidemiology of alcohol and drug use and its impact on health, and the effectiveness of methods for prevention and management of related problems. This fuller drug and alcohol elective covers all the content of PUBH5115 and goes on to assist the student to develop more advanced skills in research and in management of clinical services in relation to alcohol and drug use disorders, and to examine the needs of special populations.
Textbooks
Readings are available on the unit's eLearning site.
PUBH5115 Alcohol, Drug Use and Health

Credit points: 2 Teacher/Coordinator: Associate Professor Carolyn Day Session: Semester 2a Classes: 7 weeks of 2hr teaching sessions and associated online activities. The teaching sessions are a combination of face-to-face and online seminars. Students unable to attend face to face sessions can do the entire course online. Prohibitions: PUBH5114 Assessment: 1x 1500 word assignment (60%); compulsory discussion related activities (30%); online quizzes (10%) Mode of delivery: Online
This unit aims to assist students in developing an evidence-based understanding of the epidemiology of alcohol and drug use and its impact on health, and the effectiveness of methods for the prevention and management of related problems.
Textbooks
Readings are available on the unit's eLearning site.
PUBH5118 Indigenous Health Promotion

Credit points: 4 Teacher/Coordinator: Suzanne Plater Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1 x 2-day compulsory workshop and preparatory online activities. Assessment: 1 x 3000 word essay (60%), reflective essay (10%), analytic essay (10%), online quizzes (20%) Mode of delivery: Block mode
Note: Department permission required for enrolment
Health promotion in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities requires investment in building the human capital and capabilities of the population within a paradigm of hope. You will first acquire an understanding of the distal, medial and proximal determinants of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and the subsequent risk factors that have resulted in high rates of morbidity and mortality. You will also learn how to ethically engage with and consult Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and understand how the often unintentional misuse of power can deny disadvantaged people the right to take control of their health and wellbeing. You will then work with an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health promotion professional to apply these skills and understanding in a compulsory workshop. The outcome will be a draft a health promotion plan that addresses a specific priority health issue in a specific urban, regional or remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community. The conceptual and technical tools learned may then be built upon and applied to any health issue in any Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander setting.
Textbooks
Course materials will be provided.
PUBH5415 Injury Prevention

Credit points: 2 Teacher/Coordinator: Professor Rebecca Ivers Session: Intensive October Classes: 1 x 2day workshop Assessment: 1 x 2000 word essay (90%) and participation in small group work during the workshop (10%) Mode of delivery: Block mode
This unit aims to provide students with a clear understanding of the magnitude of the injury burden, both in higher and lower income countries, and the strategies that are required to address this burden. This unit will cover: injury definitions, measurement and surveillance; risk factor identification; intervention strategies and their evaluation; advocacy; cause-specific injury topics. During the 2 day workshop, guest speakers will outline issues relevant to the general injury prevention field and students will participate in interactive small group work which will focus on issues relevant to cause-specific injuries, in collaboration with guest contributors.
Textbooks
Students will be provided with a course manual. Recommended text: McClure R, Stevenson M, McEvoy S. The Scientific Basis of Injury Prevention and Control. Melbourne: IP Communications, 2004.
PUBH5418 Tobacco Control in the 21st Century

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Becky Freeman Session: Intensive August Classes: 1x3 day workshop of lectures and problem-focused discussions, followed by 4 weeks of problem-based online discussions Assessment: 2x 2000 word essays (60%), 1x 100 item online quiz (10%) and online discussion and participation (30%) Mode of delivery: Distance education/intensive on campus
The unit consists of learning topics, each of which is supported by extensive Web based resources, and 4 moderated online discussion forums, each focusing on a problem related to tobacco use and control. Lecture topics include: history of tobacco use and control; the burden of illness from tobacco use; secondhand smoke: the research evidence; measuring tobacco use, uptake and cessation in communities; international trends in tobacco consumption; the tobacco industry; the WHO's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and new forms of tobacco advertising and promotion. Problem focused discussion forums include: Harm reduction and tobacco control, regulation of tobacco, improving and implementing pack warnings; promoting smoking cessation, prevention of uptake (youth programs); denormalisation of the tobacco industry; controlling advertising; and controlling exposure to tobacco smoke, making news on tobacco and influencing political policy on tobacco.
Textbooks
(recommended only)
PUBH5419 Falls Prevention in Older People

Credit points: 4 Teacher/Coordinator: Professor Cathie Sherrington and Dr Anne Tiedemann Session: Semester 2 Classes: 6-8 hours of online lectures and tutorials per week for 13 weeks Assessment: 1x 2000 word written assignment (60%), 1 x assignment with "short answer" questions (20%), participation in moderated online discussions (20%) Mode of delivery: Online
This fully online unit aims to teach students about the principles of falls prevention in the older person with an emphasis on the application of these principles in the field. This unit will focus on risk factors for falls and the development, implementation and evaluation of fall prevention programs. Students will learn about and discuss research methods for the understanding of, prediction of, and prevention of falls, critically evaluate journal articles, and discuss the development of fall prevention programs using case studies.
Textbooks
Recorded lectures, lecture notes, case studies and journal articles will be provided online from a password-protected site
PUBH5420 Public Health Advocacy Strategies

Credit points: 4 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Becky Freeman Session: Semester 2b Classes: 2 full days followed by 3 weeks of online Assessment: 2500 word essay (70%), online participation (30%) Mode of delivery: Block mode
Students will have the opportunity to critique and analyse case studies from a variety of both successful and unsuccessful public health advocacy examples. There will be an emphasis on how online environments and social media tools are contributing to public health advocacy debates and campaigns. Recent examples of how online media have influenced health policy and programming will be presented. Students will examine and prepare writing for online media such as news, blogs, and social media. The lectures will include guest speakers from non-government organisations, government and other experienced stakeholders from across the public heath sector.
Textbooks
Recommended: Chapman S. (2007) Public Health Advocacy and Tobacco Control: Making Smoking History. Oxford: Blackwell.
PUBH5500 Advanced Qualitative Health Research

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Julie Mooney-Somers Session: Semester 1 Classes: 2x3 full day workshop in March/April Prohibitions: QUAL5005 Assessment: interviewing activity with reflection (35%); 2500wd essay (35%); multiple choice quizzes (2x10%); in-class participation (10%) Mode of delivery: Block mode
This unit of study provides a comprehensive introduction to qualitative inquiry in health. It is designed for beginners and people who want an advanced-level introduction. Over the course of the unit we will address: What is qualitative research? How is it different from quantitative research? What is its history? What research problems can it address? How do I design a qualitative study? What are the different (and best) ways to generate data? How do you analyse qualitative data? Is methodology different to method? What are ontology and epistemology? What is reflexivity (and aren't qualitative researchers biased)? What are the ethical issues? What is good quality qualitative research? Can I generalise qualitative findings? You will get practical experience and skills through carrying out an observation, participating in a focus group, conducting an interview, analysing data, arguing for qualitative research in health, and appraising the quality of published literature. In both workshops you will meet working qualitative researchers and hear about their projects. This advanced unit will show you a new way of thinking critically about research and researching, and give you the skills and confidence to begin evaluating and doing qualitative research for yourself.
QUAL5002 Qualitative Methodologies and Study Design

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Julie Mooney-Somers Session: Intensive May Classes: 2x3 full day workshop Corequisites: PUBH5500 Assumed knowledge: Basic understanding of the nature of qualitative knowledge and the processes of qualitative research. Assessment: group presentation (2x15%); peer review (2x10%); 4000wd assignment (50%) Mode of delivery: Block mode
Note: Departmental permission is required for students who have not completed PUBH5500.
Qualitative methodologies are historical traditions and systems for planning and justifying research methods. This intermediate unit assumes a basic understanding of qualitative research and focuses on qualitative methodologies. Qualitative methodologies are informed by theories from sociology, anthropology, philosophy and other disciplines. They shape the research questions, objectives, design and outcome of a qualitative study. This course begins with general principles of qualitative methodology and study design. We examine several qualitative methodologies in detail, including: narrative inquiry, community based participatory research, ethnography, grounded theory, arts-based, and qualitative synthesis. We consider their historical and theoretical roots, the research practices they encourage, and their current status. The final session considers how we can use methodologies as resources rather than recipes, maintaining both flexibility and coherence in our study designs.
QUAL5003 Qualitative Research Analysis and Writing

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Julie Mooney-Somers Session: Semester 2 Classes: 2x2 full day workshop plus optional tutorials Prerequisites: PUBH5500 Assumed knowledge: Basic understanding of the nature of qualitative knowledge and types of qualitative data. Assessment: practical analysis activities (20%, 20%, 20%), 2000/5000wd draft journal article (40%) Mode of delivery: Block mode
In this Unit you will analyse and write about qualitative data. This intermediate unit assumes a basic understanding of qualitative research and focuses on qualitative analysis and writing. Workshop one will introduce you to several advanced analytic strategies; previous years have included conversation analysis, thematic analysis, discourse analysis and grounded theory analysis. Between workshops, you will work to analyse a portfolio of qualitative data. Workshop Two will concentrate on writing; we will practice tricks and tips for starting writing, structuring articles, and editing your own work. Most importantly, we will practice thinking in genres, asking the question: who is going to read this, and how should I write for them? After completing this Unit you will have a wider range of analytic techniques at your disposal, and will have experience in shaping your writing to make it appropriate for its intended audience.
QUAL5004 Designing a Qualitative Research Project

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Julie Mooney-Somers Session: Semester 2 Classes: 2 full day workshop plus optional tutorials Prerequisites: PUBH5500, QUAL5002 Corequisites: QUAL5003 Assumed knowledge: Good understanding of the nature of qualitative knowledge and of qualitative research processes. Assessment: Research proposal (30%, 20%), Human Research Ethics Committee Application (30%, 20%) Mode of delivery: Block mode
This Unit of Study is only for students in the Qualitative Health Research program. It will draw together what you have learned over the course of your studies, and culminate in the production of a research plan, and a Human Research Ethics Committee application. You should come to the first workshop day with a problem that is appropriate to research qualitatively. Ideally the problem you work on will be either an intended PhD project, workplace project or a project for which you will be seeking grant funding. Day one of the Workshop will be spent learning about the research funding process, developing aims and formal research questions, exploring methods and methodology, and reviewing successful qualitative grant applications. Day two will be spent working through a funding proposal and learning about issues of ethics. Across the semester, you will refine and document your research plans and ethical reasoning and receive support from peers and the unit coordinator through regular meetings. The Unit of Study aims to ensure that as a graduate of the QHR program you are well-prepared to commence a qualitative PhD or qualitative research project.
QUAL5101 Qualitative Capstone I

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Julie Mooney-Somers Session: Semester 1,Semester 2 Classes: Independent research under supervision Prerequisites: PUBH5500 AND QUAL5002 AND QUAL5003 AND QUAL5004 Assessment: Project management plan and demonstration of progress (30%), 1500word reflexive essay (40%), 1500word methods section (30%) Mode of delivery: Supervision
Note: Department permission required for enrolment
Note: students must negotiate supervision arrangements and an agreed project with Unit Coordinator prior to enrolling
The research capstone experience supports MQHR students to put into practice what they have learnt during their candidature, by planning and executing a substantial qualitative research project. The project may be pilot work for a future PhD or to seek grant funding, or a standalone piece of work. Students should identify an academic staff member with relevant content knowledge to supervise the project. Students should only enrol in this unit after they have developed a research proposal in QUAL5004 and secured ethical approval. Students will use QUAL5101 to generate data for their capstone project. After completing this Unit students will have demonstrated skills in refining data collection tools, sampling and recruitment strategies; describing and justifying data collection decisions; data generation; and project management. For this six credit point unit, students will spend at least 126 hours on completing the work required, including generating data, writing draft methods section, and attendance at supervisory meetings.
QUAL5102 Qualitative Capstone II

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Julie Mooney-Somers Session: Semester 1,Semester 2 Classes: Independent research under supervision Prerequisites: PUBH5500 AND QUAL5002 AND QUAL5003 AND QUAL5004 Corequisites: QUAL5101 Assessment: Project management plan and demonstration of progress (10%), 1000word methods section (20%), 5000word analysis report (70%) Mode of delivery: Supervision
Note: Department permission required for enrolment
Note: students must negotiate supervision arrangements and an agreed project with Unit Coordinator prior to enrolling
The research capstone experience supports MQHR students to put into practice what they have learnt during their candidature, by planning and executing a substantial qualitative research project. The project may be pilot work for a future PhD or to seek grant funding, or a standalone piece of work. Students should identify an academic staff member with relevant content knowledge to supervise the project. Students should only enrol in this unit after they have developed a research proposal in QUAL5004 and secured ethical approval. Students will use QUAL5102 to conduct data analysis for their capstone project. After completing this Unit students will have demonstrated skills in refining data analysis strategies; conducting data analysis; describing and justifying data analysis strategies, and project management. For this six credit point unit, students will spend at least 126 hours on completing the work required, including generating analysis, writing draft methods section, and attendance at supervisory meetings.
QUAL5103 Qualitative Capstone III

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Julie Mooney-Somers Session: Semester 1,Semester 2 Classes: Independent research under supervision Prerequisites: PUBH5500 AND QUAL5002 AND QUAL5003 AND QUAL5004 Corequisites: QUAL5101 AND QUAL5102 Assessment: 6000word journal article ready for submission (70%), 1 additional alternative research output (conference poster, conference, community report, media piece) (30%) Mode of delivery: Supervision
Note: Department permission required for enrolment
Note: students must negotiate supervision arrangements and an agreed project with Unit Coordinator prior to enrolling.
The research capstone experience supports MQHR students to put into practice what they have learnt during their candidature, by planning and executing a substantial qualitative research project. The project may be pilot work for a future PhD or to seek grant funding, or a standalone piece of work. Students should identify an academic staff member with relevant content knowledge to supervise the project. Students should only enrol in this unit after they have developed a research proposal in QUAL5004 and secured ethical approval. Students will use QUAL5103 to conduct research dissemination for the capstone project. After completing this Unit students will have demonstrated skills in identifying an appropriate target journal for publication; writing for an identified audience; formatting according to the guidelines of the target journal; developing an alternative research output for the purposes of research communication. For this six credit point unit, students will spend at least 126 hours on completing the work required, producing two research outputs and attendance at supervisory meetings.
SCLG6903 New Debates in Social Theory

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x2400wd Research essay (40%), 1x2400wd Research essay (40%), 1x1200wd equivalent online presentations and discussion (20%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit explores a series of issues of controversy and debate in social theory. These include debates over: the information age; new information and communication technologies; the new capitalism and changing work practices; the cultural sphere; new forms of power and surveillance; shifting claims to insight in knowledge societies; the role of education in social inequality; the bases of making knowledge claims; and globalisation. The unit involves both face-to-face seminars and online discussions.
SEXH5008 Sex and Society

Credit points: 2 Teacher/Coordinator: Associate Professor Richard Hillman, Dr Shailendra Sawleshwarkar Session: Semester 2a,Semester 2b Classes: 2 hours of lectures per week, half semester, which can be taken either face-to-face or online. International students including Australia Awards Scholarship students must enrol into the face-to-face version Prohibitions: SEXH5414 Assessment: written assignment (50%), online quiz (30%), online discussions (20%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit will explore determinants of sexuality from a societal perspective, with particular reference to their potential impacts on public health. It is available in both online and face-to-face modes. Social science theories of sexuality will be considered, and cross-cultural and historical accounts of sexual practices will be reviewed. Particular emphasis will be placed on the impact of diversity, culture, society, environment, life experiences, personal beliefs and health on sexual activity and potential Public Health impacts such as the spread of STIs and HIV. Course content will include diversity; adolescence sexual development; sex education; sexual assault, gender; sexual orientation and sexual behaviour.
SEXH5101 Public Health Aspects of STIs

Credit points: 2 Teacher/Coordinator: Associate Professor Richard Hillman, Dr Shailendra Sawleshwarkar Session: Semester 2a,Semester 2b Classes: 2 hours of lectures per week, half semester, which can be taken either face-to-face or online. International students including Australia Awards Scholarship students must enrol into the face-to-face version. Prohibitions: SEXH5414 Assessment: written assignment (50%), online quiz (30%), online discussions (20%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit aims to provide a public health perspective of the community impact of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). It is available in both online and face to face modes. At the end of this unit, students will be able to understand the underlying principles of the surveillance systems used to monitor STIs; the core risk activity groups involved in the transmission of STIs; how the epidemiologies of STIs vary within and between societies; the public health impacts of STIs; and effective preventative strategies at individual and community levels. Course content will include an introduction to the basic biology of STIs; epidemiology and surveillance methods; STI service delivery considerations; STI/HIV interactions, impact of vulnerable at-risk populations; health promotion for STIs; policy approaches and ethical and legal issues.
SEXH5102 Public Health Aspects of HIV/AIDS

Credit points: 2 Teacher/Coordinator: Associate Professor Richard Hillman, Dr Shailendra Sawleshwarkar Session: Semester 2b Classes: 2 hours of lectures per week, half semester, which can be taken either face-to-face or online. International students including Australia Awards Scholarship students must enrol in the face-to-face version. Prohibitions: SEXH5414 Assessment: written assignment (50%), online quiz (30%), online discussions (20%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit aims to provide a public health perspective of the impact of HIV infection. It is available in both online and face to face modes. At the end of this unit, students will be able to understand the underlying principles of the surveillance systems used to monitor HIV infection; the core risk activity groups involved in the transmission of HIV; how the epidemiology of HIV infection varies within and between societies; the public health impacts of HIV infection; and effective prevention strategies. Course content will include an introduction to the basic science of HIV infection; epidemiology and surveillance; sexual blood borne and mother to child transmission; STI/HIV interactions; other methods of transmission; health promotion for HIV; government perspectives and ethical and legal issues.
SEXH5205 Advanced Adolescent Sexual Health

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Melissa Kang Session: Semester 2 Classes: fully online Assessment: continuous assessment including participation in group discussion(20%); in-depth case discussion (20%); multiple choice quiz (20%); 1500 word essay (40%); Mode of delivery: Online
This unit aims to introduce the constructs of adolescent sexuality, explore the determinants of adolescent sexual health and to discuss the personal and public health implications of adolescent sexuality, with additional emphasis on a deeper exploration of an area of adolescent sexual health that is of particular interest to the student.
At the end of this unit of study, students will be able to describe the biological, developmental and socio-cultural contexts of adolescent sexual health as well as the constructs, challenges and diversities of adolescent sexuality. They will learn techniques used to optimize communication with adolescents and explore legal, ethical and public health implications of adolescent sexuality. They will also understand and describe one area of adolescent sexual health that the student chooses to study in depth from a list of suggestions.
The course is taught fully online using a range of assessments including group discussion, short answer questions and discussions based on case scenarios. It is divided into 6 modules: adolescent sexuality, adolescent sexual health, reproductive health issues in adolescence, diversity, legal and ethical issues and sexual health promotion.