University of Sydney Handbooks - 2018 Archive

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Health Communication

 

Unit of study descriptions

ARIN6902 Internet Cultures and Governance

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x2000wd journalism piece (40%), 1x3000wd essay (50%), 1x1000wd tutorial exercise (10%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
The internet plays an increasingly important role in all aspects of social, cultural and economic life. This unit of study explores cultures and governance of the online world and investigates how politics manifest not only in public debates and policy, but also in the struggle to develop new information architectures and digital ecosystems.
ARIN6905 New Media Audiences

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Prohibitions: ARIN6903 Assessment: 1x1500wd Seminar presentation (20%), 1x2500wd Essay (40%), 1x2000wd case study reviews (blog) (30%), Seminar participation (10%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
Media audiences are experiencing knowledge, art and entertainment in novel ways as cultural industries increasingly take up emerging technologies. New Media Audiences investigates the range of contemporary practices of production, distribution and consumption associated with digital tools. We examine the sites where audiences experience digital media: art galleries, cinemas, theatres, homes, mobile devices, public spaces, workplaces and online. We analyse how these spaces and interfaces structure audience experience, afford interaction and encourage participation.
BETH5203 Ethics and Public Health

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: TBC Session: Semester 2 Classes: 5x7hour intensives; or Distance Education (online). Prohibitions: BETH5206 Assessment: 5xOnline Quiz (50%); 1x2500wd essay (50%) Mode of delivery: Block mode, Online
This unit provides students with an overview of the ethical and political issues that underlie public health and public health research. The unit begins with some fundamentals: the nature of ethics, of public health (and how it might be different to clinical medicine) and of public health ethics. It introduces key concepts in public health ethics including liberty, utility, justice, solidarity and reciprocity, and introduces students to different ways of reasoning about the ethics of public health. A range of practical public health problems and issues will be considered, including ethical dimensions of communicable and non-communicable diseases in populations, and the ethical challenges of public health research. 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).
BETH5206 Introduction to Public Health Ethics

Credit points: 2 Teacher/Coordinator: TBC Session: Semester 2a Classes: 2x7hour intensives; or Distance Education (online) Prohibitions: BETH5203 Assessment: 2xOnline Quiz (40%); 1x1500wd essay (60%) Mode of delivery: Block mode, Online
Note: Students enrolled in the Graduate Diploma or Master of Public Health may choose to take BETH5203 (6CP) instead of BETH5206 (2CP). This unit is available to Master of Public Health (MPH) students only.
BETH5206 Ethics and Public Health introduces you to a range of ethical issues that arise within the practice of public health. It begins with an orientation to the field: we will discuss conceptualisations of public health, what ethics is, and how ethics relates to evidence. We will talk about the origins and development of public health ethics as a (relatively new) field, and how it is distinguished from other areas of ethics. Your learning will then be structured around three sets of important concepts. The first are concepts central to utilitarian reasoning: benefit, harm and cost. The second cluster of concepts relates to the proper relationship between the citizen and the state (including public health as an institution): they are freedom, liberty and paternalism. The third cluster includes fairness, justice and equity, concepts that are often used rhetorically in public health, but not always carried through into practice. We will focus on two main case studies to apply what you learn. Throughout this unit you will be encouraged to ask questions, and to compare and debate competing answers to those questions. What is public health? What does it mean to say that something is harmful? To what extent should we each be free to engage in practices that harm our health? What is the proper role of the state in attempting to change the health of populations? What is equity and why does it matter (and if it matters, why aren't we doing more about it)? This is a Core Unit for Graduate Diploma and Master in Public Health students. Most learning occurs in the context of two 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). Most supplementary readings can be accessed through the library or online.
CEPI5215 Writing and Reviewing Medical Papers

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Associate Professor Angela Webster Session: Semester 1,Semester 2 Classes: 9 self-paced modules each comprising: course notes, lecture, demonstrations, exercises, quizzes Prerequisites: (PUBH5010 or CEPI5100) Prohibitions: CEPI5214 Assumed knowledge: Some basic knowledge of summary statistic is assumed Assessment: quizzes (30%), assignment 1 (20%), assignment 2 (50%) Mode of delivery: Online, Block mode
Note: Students without the pre-requisites are encouraged to contact the unit coordinator to discuss their motivation and experience.
Students will work at their own pace through 9 modules covering research integrity, medical style, abstracts, presentations and posters, constructing a paper, data visualisation, manuscript submission, responding to reviewers comments, publication dissemination, and reviewing a paper. This unit aims to teach students the principles of research integrity in writing for medical journals, typical issues they may face, and link to resources to help them maintain integrity through their publishing careers. It will guide them to reliable evidence based resources to improve their conference abstract, presentation and poster design, and manuscript style and writing.. Students will learn about reporting guidelines, common pitfalls in writing and presenting research, choosing a journal, keywords, improving tables and figures for manuscripts through open source software, copyright, writing cover letters and response letters to reviewers. Students will learn about measuring research impact and ways to improve your research reach, dealing with the media and press releases, using social media in dissemination, digital archiving and basic skills needed to act as a quality peer-reviewer. This is an online unit, but those needing to study in block mode will do online study as well as a workshop.
Textbooks
No mandatory text book-readings available online.
CISS6004 Health and Security

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x1.5hr lecture/week, 1x1.5hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x1000wd Issue brief (35%), 1x3000wd Research essay (50%), 1x500wd Self-evaluation (15%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit assesses the political and security significance of disease-related events and developments. Whether one contemplates historical experiences with smallpox, the contemporary challenges posed by diseases such as HIV/AIDS and SARS, or the risks arising from new scientific developments such as synthetic biology, it is clear that diseases exercise a powerful influence over civilised humankind. The unit concentrates on areas in which human health and security concerns intersect most closely, including: biological weapons; fast-moving disease outbreaks of natural origin; safety and security in microbiology laboratories; and the relationships between infectious disease patterns, public health capacity, state functioning and violent conflict. The overall aim of the unit is to provide students with a stronger understanding of the scientific and political nature of these problems, why and how they might threaten security, and the conceptual and empirical connections between them.
DVST6906 Culture and Politics of Health Development

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x500wd Research essay proposal (10%), 1x3500wd Research essay (60%), 1x1000wd equivalent Class presentation (15%), 1x1000wd Online weekly reading notes (15%), Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit of study provides an integrated and interpretive approach to understanding the culture and politics of health development in middle and low-income countries. The structures and processes that inform the politics and culture of health development are global, regional and local, and encompass and operate at different social and institutional levels in diverse settings. The articulation of these will be studied, along with the processes and transitions to local worlds that unfold in embedded cultural and social contexts.
EDPK5003 Developing a Research Project

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Rachel Wilson Session: Semester 1,Semester 2 Classes: 4x4 hr Saturday workshops, plus online lectures and activities Assessment: online exercises (40%) and class presentation (20%) and research proposal (40%) Mode of delivery: Block mode
This unit is seen as the foundation unit in research methods and it provides an overview of the research process, with a focus on developing skills for critical evaluation of research reports and the design of research projects. Research strategies, sampling and design issues and various methods of data collection and analysis are examined. Students explore both quantitative and qualitative research approaches. The assessment in this unit is developed around students' own research interests and by the end of the unit students will have developed their own research proposal document.
HPOL5000 Introduction to Health Policy

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Anne Marie Thow Session: Semester 1 Classes: block mode with compulsory intensive workshops on campus. 2 x 2-day workshops, online lectures and discussions Assessment: Online learning quiz (5%); online problem based learning exercise (15%); 1 x 1500wd written assignment (30%); 1 x 3000wd written assignment (50%) Mode of delivery: Block mode
This unit aims to develop a critical and comparative understanding of the history, theory and practice of health policy. It gives an overview of the political choices and frameworks - national and global - that shape policymaking. The unit examines policy frameworks, and the roles of politics, evidence and advocacy in setting policy priorities. Analysis and debates regarding health policy will be placed in broader contexts - comparing different health systems and priorities for health. Case studies will be used to examine the relationships between policy and practice.
Learning outcomes. By the end of this unit students will be able to: (i) Define the boundaries and key features of health policy; (ii) Understand the basic history and features of the Australian health system; (iii) Identify policy instruments and how they function; (iv) Understand the main frameworks used for analysing policy; (v) Understand the factors influencing how policy issues are prioritized in health; (vi) Gain skills in policy communication, including preparation of a policy brief.
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: Dr Carmen Huckel Schneider, Associate Professor James Gillespie Session: Semester 2 Classes: Block mode with compulsory Intensive workshops on Campus or online only mode. Block mode 2 x 2 day workshops plus online discussion or online only with pre-recorded lectures and online discussion. Assessment: 1x2500 word assignment (35%), participation grade (5 x short online or face-to-face learning activities) (15%), 1x3000 word policy research project proposal (50%) Mode of delivery: Block mode
This unit aims to develop skills for undertaking policy research and analysis. The unit takes a multidisciplinary approach to familiarise students with fundamental frameworks and methodologies that can be applied to analyse policy from multiple disciplines including public health, social and political sciences, behavioural sciences, public policy and history.
Learning outcomes. By the end of the unit students will be able to: (i) Apply a critical analysis to questions of policy success or failure; (ii) Understand and explain the different methodological approaches that can be applied in policy analysis and research; (iii) Identify appropriate research methodologies, data collection methods and analysis for specific policy research questions; (iv) Design a health policy research project.
Textbooks
Sarantakos, S. (2013). Social Research (4th ed.). New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Other required and recommended readings and reference lists will be available through eLearning.
HPOL5007 Global Health Policy

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Carmen Huckel Schneider, Dr Anne Marie Thow Session: Semester 2 Classes: Block mode with compulsory Intensive workshops on Campus or online only mode. Block mode 2 x 2 day workshops plus 4 tutorials (tutorials offered face-to-face or online) or online only. Assessment: 1 x 2000 word essay (35%), Tutorial discussion papers or online discussion (15%), 1 x 3000 word essay (50%) Mode of delivery: Block mode, Online
The aim of this unit is to equip students with the knowledge and skills to identify and articulate political and policy processes at the global level, become familiar with institutions and actors involved in global health policy, and utilize strategies for influencing policy making at the global level. We analyse the influence and power of institutions and actors in the development and implementation of global health policy, and investigate the governance of global health policy responses. Teaching makes extensive use of current case studies from recognised experts in the field.
Learning outcomes. By the end of this unit students will be able to: (i) Explain the effects of globalization on health of populations; (ii) Demonstrate how events and trends in health and non-health areas affect global health policy; (iii) Identify and classify the different types of actors/institutions that influence health policy; (iv) Undertake a policy stakeholder analysis with reference to power, influence and interests; (v) Develop strategies to influence global health policy development and implementation; (vi) Define global health governance and its role in structuring and regulating global health policy.
Textbooks
Buse K, Mays N, Walt G (2012). Making health policy. Second edition. Open University Press: London.
LAWS6052 Govt Regulation, Health Policy and Ethics

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Prof Cameron Stewart Session: Intensive October Classes: Sep 27, 28 and Oct 25, 26 (9-5) Assessment: class presentation (20%) and 7000wd essay (80%) Mode of delivery: Block mode
Note: MHL students may select this unit as one of the three core units required in addition to LAWS6252.
This unit examines government regulation of health care and professional practice. With regard to each area of government decision-making, issues are analysed by reference to the interplay between social goals, human rights, legal rights and ethical considerations. Topics covered include the constitutional and statutory sources of government power with respect to health care: regulatory models and reform of public health legislation; therapeutic goods administration; health insurance; pharmaceutical benefits and the pharmacy industry; human tissue legislation; discipline of health professionals with a focus on the National Law; health care complaints tribunals; a right to health care; ethical theories in law and medicine; the ethics of human experimentation; and ethics committees.
LAWS6848 Law, Business and Healthy Lifestyles

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Prof Roger Magnusson Session: Intensive September Classes: Intro Class: Aug 6 (6-8) then Aug 16, 17 and Sep 13, 14 (9-4.30) Assessment: Option 1: one short response question (20%) and 6000wd essay (80%) or Option 2: one short response question (20%), 3000-3500wd essay (40%) and one take-home exam question (40%) or Option 3: one short response question (20%) and two 3000-3500wd essays (80%) Mode of delivery: Block mode
This unit is about legal and regulatory responses to tobacco use, obesity, poor diet, harmful use of alcohol and sedentary lifestyle - the leading causes of preventable disease in Australia, in high-income countries generally, and increasingly, in developing economies. Cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes and tobacco-related diseases (known as 'non-communicable diseases' or NCDs) are society's greatest killers. But what can law do - and what should law be doing - to prevent them? Unlike other health threats, NCDs and their risk factors are partly caused by consumer choices that are lived out every day across the country. The challenge of encouraging healthier lifestyles cannot be separated, then, from the regulation of the businesses that all too often have a vested interest in unhealthy lifestyles. Law's relationship with smoking, alcohol and food is complex and contested. Nevertheless, governments around the world are experimenting with a wide range of legal strategies to encourage healthier lifestyles. This unit will focus on developments in Australia and the United States, placing legal developments in these countries in an international context. During the course, we will confront some important over-arching questions. What are the global determinants of NCDs, and to what extent are global solutions needed? What do global solutions look like? To what extent should law intervene to influence the behaviour of populations-as distinct from treating lifestyle-related risk factors as the personal responsibility of each individual? Does a regulatory approach to the prevention of NCDs imply coercion? Does it signal the emergence of the 'nanny state'? Does progress depend on motivating people to consciously improve their habits and lifestyles? Is it possible to regulate business without micro-managing or dictating commercial decisions and 'legislating the recipe for tomato ketchup?' Throughout the unit, students will be encouraged to explore the tension between personal responsibility and freedom, and the broader public interest in a healthy population and a productive economy. Key topics include: Frameworks for thinking about law, and environments that support healthier lifestyles; Global health governance and the prevention of non-communicable diseases; Tobacco control: where to from here? Personal responsibility for health, and law's role; Regulating alcohol; Obesity prevention; and Law's role in improving diet and nutrition, and encouraging active living.
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.
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.
MECO6900 News Writing

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x2hr introductory lecture, 1x2hr seminar/week Prohibitions: MECO4101 Assessment: 1x4500wd News reporting portfolio (50%), Seminar participation (10%), 1x1500wd News Story reporting package (40%), Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This core unit introduces students to news writing skills required by print media, including the elements of journalistic style, the structure of news stories, interviewing, researching, news gathering and editing skills. The unit of study focuses on journalistic news writing but will also be useful to anyone seeking to work in fields that require professional communication skills, such as public relations and communication management, or corporate roles that require strong writing ability.
MECO6901 Dealing with the Media

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x2000wd communication plan (30%), 1x500wd media release (20%), 1x500wd presentation to client (15%), 1x3000wd essay (35%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
Dealing with the Media provides students with practical experience in seeking media coverage for a specific issue on behalf of a non-profit organisation. It requires students to research, design, present, implement and evaluate a communication strategy, and to develop key tactical elements including media releases for distribution across multi-media platforms.
MECO6904 Dissertation Part 1

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1,Semester 2 Classes: 6x0.5hr supervisor consultations/semester Prerequisites: 24 credit points from Digital Communication & Cultures or Media Practice or Health Communication or Strategic Public Relations or Publishing degree tables Corequisites: MECO6939 Prohibitions: : MECO6928 or MECO6935 Assessment: A completed research proposal and, where necessary, an ethics application, together with research and writing contributing to a dissertation of 12000 words, for completion in MECO6905. Mode of delivery: Supervision
Note: Department permission required for enrolment
This unit requires students to commence the conduct of their own research projects under the supervision of a member of staff and write a dissertation of 12000 words (completed in the second semester of enrolment in MECO6905). In some cases these projects will give students the opportunity to extend lines of enquiry suggested by units of study already completed for the degree. In other cases, students may have an interest in an area not covered by the coursework programs offered during their candidature that can be developed as a supervised project.
MECO6905 Dissertation Part 2

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1,Semester 2 Classes: 6x0.5hr supervisor consultations/semester Prerequisites: 48 credit points, including MECO6904 from Digital Communication & Cultures or Media Practice or Health Communication or Strategic Public Relations or Publishing degree tables Prohibitions: : MECO6928 or MECO6935 Assessment: Completion of writing for a dissertation of 12000 words (100%) Mode of delivery: Supervision
Note: Department permission required for enrolment
This unit requires completion of a dissertation of 12000 words, begun in the previous semester. Together with MECO6904, the unit allows students to conduct their own research projects under the supervision of a member of staff.
MECO6908 Strategy Selection in Corporate PR

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x2000wd communications plan (30%), 1x PR tactics presentation (group) (2000wd equivalent per student) (30%), 1x2000wd essay (30%), tutorial participation (10%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This core unit of study analyses corporate communication strategy selection in organisations to determine effectiveness. Students examine the strategic intent of a national or international corporation by studying its corporate communication tactics, specifically its annual reports and other marketing collateral. The unit will equip students to determine the effectiveness of the organisation's communication with stakeholders and strategic publics including customers, employees, environmental groups, governments and shareholders.
MECO6909 Crisis Communication

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: 2x1000wd short-answer essay (30%), 1x3000wd research report (50%), 1x500wd group project presentation (10%), 1x500wd weekly comments (10%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
The unit will examine how organisations use public relations (PR) to deal with crisis situations. Throughout the unit we will use case studies to explore frameworks, risk prioritisation, issues management, planning, response and evaluation strategies for diverse organisations and topics from environmental and corporate to health and social.
MECO6915 Writing Features: Narrative Journalism

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x700wd pitching assignment (15%), 1x1500wd draft first feature (20%), 1x1500wd final first feature (20%), 1x2000wd second feature (40%), 1x300wd market report (5%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit teaches students the basic principles of short-form narrative journalism or feature writing suitable for publication in magazines, websites and newspapers. Genres covered include the profile, the Essay, travel, memoir, investigative journalism, cultural commentary and behind-the-news stories. Skills in pitching story ideas, interviewing, research, structure and style will be covered in workshop-based classes, providing opportunities to critique work and become familiar with editing processes prior to submission of assignments.
MECO6919 Health Communication

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x1000wd commentary and critique (20%), 1x500wd discussion leadership (15%), 1x1500wd research project on health issue (25%), 1x3000wd research paper (40%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit introduces key concepts in health communication. Students will explore micro- and macro-level theories of health (behaviour) communication that inform the design and implementation of health communication campaigns, planned and unplanned effects of communication campaigns, and the evaluation of such campaigns. It aims to give students a critical and practical understanding of theory and research concerning the role of communication in health promotion efforts.
MECO6926 International Media Practice

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x1500wd Critical review (25%), 1x1500wd Media commentary (25%), 1x3000wd Essay (50%), Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit of study introduces students to the theory and practice of international media. It considers variation among international media practice by studying media institutions, occupations, contents and audiences across the world, including China, India, USA, Europe, Africa, Australia and the Middle-East. Students will have the opportunity to deepen their understanding of international media practice and to develop knowledge and skills that will assist them in facing the challenges of the global media work environment.
MECO6927 Organisational Communication

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: 2x1250wd in-class essay (40%), 1x3000wd group research project (50%), 1x500wd discussion facilitation (10%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit of study introduces key concepts in organisational communication. Students will explore various structures of organisations and how those structures affect the flow of communication within workplaces. Upon the completion of the unit, students will develop their understanding of key concepts in organisational communication and apply them to analyse communication problems in organisations. Students will also be able to offer well-grounded criticism on selected organisational issues.
MECO6928 Media and Communication Internship

Credit points: 6 Session: Intensive December,Intensive June,Semester 1,Semester 2 Classes: 20 day internship placement Prerequisites: 48 credit points from Digital Communication & Cultures or Media Practice or Health Communication or Strategic Public Relations or Publishing degree tables Prohibitions: : MECO6904 or MECO6905 or MECO6935 Assessment: 1x20day internship placement, 1x1500wd reflective journal (and folio) (40%), 1x1500wd industry research report (40%), 1x1500wd social media participation (20%) Practical field work: 20 day (140 hours) full-time internship in an approved organisation Mode of delivery: Professional practice
Note: Department permission required for enrolment
This capstone unit of study offers Master degree students in the Department of Media and Communications (MECO) 20 days (140 hours) work experience in roles relating to their degree. Internships require critical reflection on professional practice and foster skills, knowledge and experience that enhance employment prospects. Placements may include reporting, editing, producing, designing, researching, publishing, public and media relations, campaigns, and other tasks. Available to MECO Master students only, following the completion of at least two core units of study.
MECO6934 Social Marketing

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2b Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x1000wd essay (25%), 1x2500wd team project report (45%), 1x1000wd team project presentation (15%), 1x1500wd weeekly discussion (15%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
Social Marketing integrates marketing concepts with other approaches to influence behaviours that benefit individuals and communities. Examples include smoking cessation, HIV prevention and recycling. Key elements include research, theory, competition and segmentation. This unit builds students' knowledge of how social marketing can be used to facilitate behaviour change and improve social outcomes, including health, environment, economic and education programs. It will include how to design, manage and communicate social and behaviour change programs in Australia and internationally.
MECO6935 Professional Project

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1,Semester 2 Classes: 1x2hr meetings/week Prerequisites: 48 credit points from Digital Communication & Cultures or Media Practice or Health Communication or Strategic Public Relations or Publishing degree tables Prohibitions: : MECO6904 or MECO6905 or MECO6929 or MECO6939 Assessment: 1x1000wd project proposal (20%), 1x3000wd research essay (40%), seminar presentation (10%), 1x1000wd exegesis (20%), 1x1000wd in-class presentation (10%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This capstone unit is designed for students¿ final semester of study, providing them with the opportunity to apply learning from their degree to the completion of a researched project relevant to their career goals. Working with the coordinator, students choose an academic essay, industry report, media campaign or journalism project. Learning is supported by training in literature reviewing and data collection, research methods, project planning and independent consultations.
MECO6936 Social Media Communication

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1a Classes: 26hrs seminar in Intensive mode (equivalent to 1x2hr seminar/week) Assessment: 1x2000wd equiv Social Media Design Brief (25%), 1x2500wd Social Media Project (45%), 1x1500wd Online Article and Comments (30%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit introduces the fundamentals of strategic social media use for professional and organisational communication, media practice and cultural production. It aims to equip students with the knowledge and skills to become competent, ethical social media communicators and to critically analyse social media forms, services and cultures. Students will explore online, mobile and locative platforms for interacting with audiences, publics and online communities, including professional networks.
MIPH5115 Women's and Children's Health

Credit points: 4 Teacher/Coordinator: Associate Professor Camille Raynes-Greenow, Dr Ying Zhang Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x2hr lecture per week for 9 weeks, 1x1hr tutorial per week for 8 weeks; also offered fully online Assessment: 1x5000 word individual assignment, (50%), 1x 8 page group report (30%), tutorial participation (20%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day, Online
This unit is an introduction to the health status of women and children in low and middle income countries and highlights the interconnectedness of women's and children's health. It presents some of the major causes of mortality and morbidity and interventions and approaches to improving outcomes from a public health perspective. Each week a different expert covers relevant issues such as perinatal mortality, contraception, nutrition, HIV, cancer, diarrhoeal disease, vaccine preventable diseases and childhood disability.
Textbooks
Readings are available on the unit's eLearning site.
MIPH5124 Health Issues and Humanitarian Emergencies

Credit points: 4 Teacher/Coordinator: Ms Bronwen Blake, Professor Michael Dibley, Professor Lyndal Trevena Session: Intensive November Classes: 2x 2 day workshop Assessment: 1 x 2500 word written assignment (70%), written reflective pieces (20%), attendance and participation (10%) Mode of delivery: Block mode, Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit gives students an overview of public health aspects of humanitarian emergencies in developing country situations and the range of appropriate responses. This includes considering problems faced by government and non-government organisations in humanitarian emergency relief efforts. Topics covered in the unit include international and human rights law, the role of donor agencies, refugee health, nutritional emergencies, site planning for refugee camps, water and sanitation, sexual violence, protection of vulnerable groups, and communicable disease surveillance and 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 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x 2hr lecture per week for 10 weeks; plus 2x 0.5 day workshops; also offered fully online Assessment: 1x1500 word research paper (40%), 1x2000 word solution proposal (50%), and participation (10%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day, 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.
MKTG6203 Innovative Marketing Strategies

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: Intensive - 6 days, 9am - 4:30pm Assessment: final exam (40%), project (30%), exercises (30%) Mode of delivery: Block mode
Note: This unit is only available to students enrolled in the Master of Marketing, Graduate Diploma and Graduate Certificate of Marketing.
This unit is about developing and managing innovative competitive marketing strategies. It not only combines concepts, frameworks and tools from across the marketing discipline, it also transcends the traditional boundaries of the discipline itself (as the modern marketer often must), drawing on materials from strategic management, entrepreneurship and finance. The central focus is on strategy development and how its management can create superior and sustainable value for both customers and shareholders, by introducing a long term perspective.
MKTG6204 Contemporary Consumer Behaviour

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Classes: Intensive - 6 days, 9am - 4:30pm Assumed knowledge: Assumed knowledge includes the funadamentals of marketing and consumer behaviour theory. Assessment: fundamental quizzes (10%), written report (25%), report presentation (20%), class participation (15%), exam (30%) Mode of delivery: Block mode
Note: This unit is only available to students enrolled in the Master of Marketing, Graduate Diploma and Graduate Certificate of Marketing.
This unit explores contemporary consumer behaviour and how this knowledge can be useful in assisting marketing managers to enhance their decision-making in contemporary markets. To achieve this objective, the unit moves beyond basic consumer behaviour theory to understand how contemporary consumers behave across a wide variety of contexts, including commercial and not-for-profit markets. Where appropriate the unit explores various techniques of investigating consumer behaviour and developing a consumer centric approach. The unit also highlights how knowledge of consumer insights can appropriately be linked to various marketing practices so as to increase the likelihood of achieving marketing goals.
NURS5099 Promoting Health and Care in the Community

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: four intensive, on-campus study days Assessment: 1500 word evaluation (15%), presentation (35%) and 3000 word report (50%) Mode of delivery: Block mode
This unit of study will focus on community needs assessment, community participation, health promotion, health literacy and the ways in which these inform and underpin promoting health and care in the community. Students will examine evidence-based health promotion strategies, develop community-based health assessment skills, and enhance their communication skills to work with people at home, including motivational and counselling skills and develop knowledge and skills in cultural competence person centred care.
PUBH5010 Epidemiology Methods and Uses

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Erin Mathieu, Professor Tim Driscoll Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x 1hr lecture and 1x 2hr tutorial per week for 13 weeks - faceto face or their equivalent online Prohibitions: BSTA5011,CEPI5100 Assessment: 1x 6 page assignment (25%), 10 weekly quizzes (5% in total) and 1x 2.5hr supervised open-book exam (70%). For distance students, it may be possible to complete the exam externally with the approval of the course coordinator. Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day, Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) evening, Online
This unit provides students with core skills in epidemiology, particularly the ability to critically appraise public health and clinical epidemiological research literature regarding public health and clinical issue. This unit covers: study types; measures of frequency and association; measurement bias; confounding/effect modification; randomized trials; systematic reviews; screening and test evaluation; infectious disease outbreaks; measuring public health impact and use and interpretation of population health data. In addition to formal classes or their on-line equivalent,it is expected that students spend an additional 2-3 hours at least each week preparing for their tutorials.
Textbooks
Webb, PW. Bain, CJ. and Pirozzo, SL. Essential Epidemiology: An Introduction for Students and Health Professionals Second Edition: Cambridge University Press 2017.
PUBH5026 Mass Media Campaigns and Social Marketing

Credit points: 2 Teacher/Coordinator: A/Professor Philayrath Phongsavan, Professor Adrian Bauman (coordinators), Adjunct Professor Tom Carroll Session: Intensive August Classes: Face-to-face/ on-campus 2-day residential workshop (lectures, on-line discussions, and student participation and student presentations) Prerequisites: PUBH5033 Assumed knowledge: Training in research methods epidemiology is advised but not essential. Assessment: 1x 1500 word assignment (60%); on-line participation/discussion (40%) Mode of delivery: Block mode
This unit focuses on mass-reach public health campaigns used to promote health and prevent disease. Building on introductory Masters of Public Health units of study in health promotion/disease prevention [or equivalent], this unit describes the rationale for mass-media led campaigns, social marketing interventions, and how they fit into a comprehensive approach to population health promotion and chronic disease prevention. The major themes covered are the principles of mass-reach communications in public health; designing campaigns [formative evaluation]; developing public health campaigns as part of comprehensive health promotion; understanding the messages, branding and marketing of campaigns; process and impact evaluation of campaigns; the differences between campaigns and social marketing initiatives; and the role of ancillary and supportive health promotion strategies, including media placement and advocacy. In addition, the role of, and evaluating social media campaigns will be included. The unit will equip students with skills to plan, design, implement and evaluate public health campaigns.
Textbooks
Course readings will be provided before the workshop. These are required readings, and there is some individual student preparation required for presentation at the first workshop and after the workshop to prepare for the on-line two weeks discussions.
PUBH5027 Public Health Program Evaluation Methods

Credit points: 2 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Justin Richards, Dr Anne Grunseit Session: Semester 2 Classes: 2 day residential workshop in semester 2 Assessment: In-class participation (20%) and one 1500 word assignments at the end of the unit (80%) Mode of delivery: Block mode
This unit of study is taught over two days of residential workshop and is an introduction to public health program evaluation principles. It builds on core MPH methods subjects, but extends learning objectives to develop skills in practical and applied public health and health promotion program planning, evaluation and research methods. Both qualitative and quantitative methods will be used in program evaluation discussions, but the major focus will be on measuring the implementation of programs, and assessing public health program impact. There is an emphasis on evaluating 'real world' programs that address chronic disease prevention and health promotion, but other broad public health content areas will also be used as examples. The unit comprises four areas of discussion, including the [i] principles of evaluation; [ii] research designs and methodological issues for community and applied public health settings; [iii] methods for measuring program impact and outcomes; [iv] the principles of research translation and dissemination; and [v] evaluation values and disciplines. Attendance at the two days of residential teaching is compulsory for participants.
Textbooks
Recommended: Bauman A, Nutbeam D. Evaluation in a Nutshell. McGraw Hill Sydney (2nd Edition, 2013)
PUBH5032 Making Decisions in Public Health

Credit points: 2 Teacher/Coordinator: A/Prof James Gillespie, A/Prof Alison Hayes Session: Semester 2 Classes: 2-day workshop; fully online version available Assessment: Multiple choice assessment (50%); Written assignment of 1000 words (50%) Mode of delivery: Block mode, Online
This unit introduces students to the methods by which evidence is translated, used and abused when governments make decisions affecting public health. Students will become familiar with the main tools used by health economists and policy analysts. The unit will emphasize the role of different forms of evidence and values for priority-setting and policy-making. Unit technical content is unified by common themes and case studies. Students will apply methods and principles of health economics e.g. resource scarcity, opportunity cost, efficiency and equity to practical real-life examples (including specific indigenous health issues) to critically consider the role of economic evidence in health decision-making in Australia.
Students will then use policy analysis methods to critically examine the Australian health care system and decision-making in public health. The unit will pay particular attention to questions of power and equity, including the position of indigenous peoples. Finally, it will look at how evidence is framed and used in decision-making. Teaching will make use of contemporary case studies so students learn how technical analytical tools are used in practical examples of policy development, decision-making and public debate. The unit gives public health students an essential basic knowledge of both disciplines (health economics and health policy) and lays the groundwork for more advanced studies.
PUBH5033 Disease Prevention and Health Promotion

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: A/Professor Philayrath Phongsavan, James Kite Session: Semester 1 Classes: 3 half-day workshops, face-to-face tutorials and online discussion; fully online version available Assessment: 1x1500 word assignment (25%); 1 presentation (15%); 1 x 2500 word assignment (50%); tutorial participation (10%) Mode of delivery: Block mode, Online
This core unit of study introduces students to evidence-based health promotion as a fundamental approach to preventing disease and reducing health inequalities in populations. The unit is divided into three modules: (i) building blocks of disease prevention and health promotion, (ii) using evidence and evaluating disease prevention and health promotion programs, and (iii) using research to inform policy and practice. This unit will give students an understanding of disease prevention and health promotion and their relationship to public health, introduce design, implementation, and evaluation of disease prevention and health promotion interventions, and develop and refine students' research, critical appraisal, and communication skills. The unit will also illustrate how prevention and health promotion principles are applied in Aboriginal settings. The role of translation of research into policy and practice to enhance public health impact will also be explored.
Textbooks
Course Readings Provided
PUBH5111 Environmental Health

Credit points: 4 Teacher/Coordinator: Associate Professor Geoff Morgan Session: Semester 2 Classes: The unit is delivered via face to face mode or via online mode. Both modes cover the same course content. Face to face students: Thirteen lectures (13 sessions of approximately 1.5 hours each) offered online, with the first (introductory) lecture delivered face to face as well as online; Six face to face tutorials (6 sessions of 2 hours each); One online group assignment plan discussion. Online students: Thirteen lectures (13 sessions of approximately 1.5 hours each) offered online; Six online tutorials (6 sessions of 2 hours equivelent each); One assignment plan online group discussion. Assessment: 1 x written assignment plan and group discussion (5%); 1 x written assignment 2000 words (70%); 10 x lecture multiple choice quiz (10 x 0.5 = 5%); 5 x tutorial quiz questions (10%);1 x tutorial briefing note (5%); 5 x group tutorial briefing note (5 x 1 = 5%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day, Online
This course aims to describe the interrelation between our environment and human populations, local communities and individuals and the potential impact on health of environmental agents/contaminants. 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 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 inform risk communication strategies. Students completing this unit will appreciate the multi-disciplinary nature of environmental health, the application of a risk assessment framework to characterise environmental health risks and inform risk management and risk communication, and the need to work closely with a broad range of stakeholders including commonwealth and state health, environment and planning agencies, local government, industry, researchers and the community.
Textbooks
(Recommended only): Environmental Health (Fourth Edition). Moeller DW. Harvard University Press, 2011; Environmental Health in Australia and New Zealand. Edited by Nancy Cromar, Scott Cameron and Howard Fallowfield, Oxford University Press, 2004; Enviromental Health, from Global to Local, 3rd Edition. Frumkin H. Wiley, 2016.
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. Students can complete the unit either online or in blended mode. The teaching sessions are a combination of online seminars and discussion activities for online students. Those enrolled in the blended mode, take part in online seminars and two compulsory one day face-to-face workshops. Prohibitions: PUBH5115 Assessment: 2 x 1500 word assignments (55%), compulsory discussion related activities (30%); online quizzes (15%) Mode of delivery: Block mode, 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 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 understanding of research, policy and treatment services for alcohol and drug use disorders, and to examine the needs of special populations.
Textbooks
Readings are available on the unit's eLearning site.
PUBH5116 Genetics and Public Health

This unit of study is not available in 2018

Credit points: 4 Teacher/Coordinator: A/Professor Anne Cust, Dr Gabrielle Williams Session: Intensive October Classes: 1x 2.5 day workshop Assessment: 3x 30min online quiz (15%), small group assignment (20%), in-class group debate (10%), and take home exam of 6 questions (250 words each) (50%). 5% will also be allocated to peer-assessed teamwork Mode of delivery: Block mode
Note: Pre-readings and some lectures will be posted on the unit's eLearning site 2-3 weeks before the course starts, and it is expected that you will look at this content before coming to the first day of the course. This will enable more time for class discussion.
This unit caters for practitioners, policy and decision-makers, students and researchers in public health, public policy, journalism, law, epidemiology, medicine, science, industry, ethics, philosophy, communication and advocacy. It gives a basic introduction to genetics and genetic epidemiology and covers issues like genetic determinants of disease, genetic testing and screening, psychosocial, legal and ethical aspects of genetics and genetic testing, genetic education and genetics and public policy.
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 reflective essay (10%), 1 x analytic essay (10%), online quizzes and other activities (30%), 1 x 3000 word essay (50%) Mode of delivery: Block mode
Health promotion in urban, regional and remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities requires working collaboratively with each community to develop human capital and capabilities within a paradigm of hope and respect for alternate worldviews. In this unit, you will acquire an understanding of health promotion in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander contexts, and examine the distal, medial and proximal determinants of health and subsequent risk factors that have resulted in high rates of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander morbidity and mortality. You will learn how to ethically engage and work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and invest in relationships that enable genuine partnerships to develop. You will also identify and challenge neo-colonial policies and practices, and learn how to navigate around other barriers that hinder Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander self-determination. And you may end up questioning some of your own assumptions and behaviours as part of this process.
Later in the unit you will choose and explore a particular community and health issue, then work with an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander health promotion professional and/or leader from that community to apply your skills and understanding in a compulsory workshop. The outcome will be a draft health promotion plan that addresses a specific priority health issue in a specific urban, regional or remote Aboriginal and/or 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.
PUBH5308 Health Workforce Policy Analysis

This unit of study is not available in 2018

Credit points: 2 Teacher/Coordinator: Prof Deborah Schofield, Dr Michelle Cunich Session: Intensive October Classes: On-line materials plus compulsory attendance at a two day workshop. Assessment: Assignment on a health workforce policy analysis topic of the student's choice (100%) Mode of delivery: Block mode
This unit will examine the major mechanisms of health workforce planning in Australia. The nature of the Australian health workforce will be considered, and the processes by which planning is influenced through government policy and research translated and integrated with policy. Current health workforce issues such as adequacy of education and training programs, ageing, and the distribution of the workforce will be addressed. Current approaches to planning for an adequate health workforce, and evaluations of the quality of evidence on current health workforce models of care will be examined using practical examples.
Textbooks
Australia's Health Workforce, Productivity Commission Research Report, 2005 Available at: http://www.pc.gov.au/study/healthworkforce/finalreport/index.html
PUBH5416 Vaccines in Public Health

Credit points: 2 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Aditi Dey, Dr Frank Beard, Professor Peter McIntyre Session: Semester 2 Classes: Preparatory online lectures and 1x 2day workshop at the Children's Hospital Westmead Prerequisites: PUBH5010 or CEPI5100 or PUBH5018 Assessment: 2x short online quizzes (10%) plus 1x 2000 word assignment (90%) Mode of delivery: Block mode
Note: Students who have not done the core units of study in epidemiology (PUBH5010 or CEPI5100) or biostatistics (PUBH5018) but have previous demonstrable experience in these study areas will be required to request permission from the unit of study coordinator to enrol in this unit of study. Permission is required to ensure that students have a basic grounding in epidemiology and biostatistics. The coordinator emails the Postgraduate Student Administration Unit to advise whether or not the student has permission to enrol.
The aim of this unit is to provide students with an understanding of immunisation principles, the impact of vaccination on the epidemiology of vaccine preventable diseases (VPDs), how to assess the need for new vaccines and how to implement and monitor a new vaccination program. This unit covers the history and impact of vaccination; basic immunological principles of immunisation; surveillance of diseases, vaccination coverage, vaccine effectiveness and adverse events; vaccine scares; risk communication; immunisation in the developing country context; assessing disease burden and new vaccines. Learning activities include short online preparatory lectures and a workshop with interactive lectures and small group case studies.
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: Block mode, 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) Chapman S. Public Health Advocacy and Tobacco Control: Making Smoking History. Oxford: Blackwell, 2007.
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.
PUBH5422 Health and Risk Communication

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Claire Hooker, Associate Professor Julie Leask, Professor Phyllis Butow Session: Semester 2 Classes: Block/intensive 2 blocks of 2 x 9-5 full days; please check with the coordinator for scheduling Assessment: Assignment 1: 1 x 2500 word (35%), Assignment 2: 1 x 2500 words or equivalent (35%), online activities (30%). Attendance at intensives is compulsory and 80% attendance is required to pass the unit of study. Mode of delivery: Block mode
In this unit, students learn how to communicate effectively with respect to health risks, both to individuals with health concerns, and with respect to risks to the public. The first half covers individual health risk communication in clinical settings, including: theories of health communication, patient centred care and shared decision making; evidence-based communication skills; research paradigms including interaction analysis; cross-cultural communication in health care; discussing prognosis; and informed consent. The second half explores risk communication for public health, including: how to effectively manage outbreak or other crisis situations; how to communicate about issues where the risk is low but ublic concern is high (such as with respect to the fluoridation of water); and how to best manage controversies. We teach theories of risk perception and communication with particular application to public health incident responses. We give practical guides to media messages, risk message framing, public engagement, traditional and social media, and the ethical aspects of public communication. The unit offers students the opportunity to learn from outstanding guest lecturers who work in these areas and interactive opportunities for students to try their skills in risk communication and decision making.
Textbooks
Students are provided with a list of readings (in digital format). Most supplementary readings can be accessed through the library or online.
PUBH5500 Advanced Qualitative Health Research

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Julie Mooney-Somers (Semester 1); Andrea Smith (Semester 2) Session: Semester 1,Semester 2 Classes: 2x3 full day workshop in March/April (semester 1); 2x3 full day workshops in August/September (semester 2) Prohibitions: QUAL5005 or QUAL5006 Assessment: interviewing activity with reflection (25%); 2000wd essay (25%); 2x group presentations (20%); multiple choice quizzes (20%); 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.
QUAL5005 Introducing Qualitative Health Research

Credit points: 4 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Julie Mooney-Somers (semester 1); Andrea Smith (semester 2) Session: Semester 1,Semester 2 Classes: block mode: 2x2 full day workshops in March/April (semester 1) or 2 x 2 full day workshops in August/September (semester 2) OR distance mode: 10 x weekly online lectures and activities (semester 1 only) Prohibitions: PUBH5500 or QUAL5006 Assessment: Interviewing activity with reflection (35%); multiple choice quizzes (20%); 1750-word essay (35%); online or in-class participation (10%) Mode of delivery: Block mode, Online
Note: This Unit is primarily aimed at Master of Public Health (MPH) students. Other students are encouraged to consider PUBH5500 instead. MPH students who complete PUBH5500 get an automatic waiver for QUAL5005
Introducing Qualitative Health Research is perfect if you're a beginner and want to gain an overview of this research approach. Over the course of the unit we will address: What is qualitative research? How is it different from quantitative research? 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? How are theories used in qualitative research? 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. You will also meet working qualitative researchers and hear about their projects. This introductory Unit will give you the skills and confidence to begin evaluating qualitative literature and doing qualitative research for yourself.
SCLG6902 Doing Social Research

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Prohibitions: SCLG3003 Assessment: 1x1500wd paper (25%), 1x1500wd Oral Presentation (25%), 1x3000wd Research proposal (50%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit of study provides a comprehensive lecture program that covers the research process, from the selection of a topic through to data analysis and the interpretation of results. Students will engage in debates about the philosophical basis of social research, and will undertake exercises designed to enhance their skills in conducting research. For the primary assessment, students will select a topic and develop a research proposal, suitable for submission to a funding agency, or for a Masters or PhD thesis.
SCWK6910 Working with Communities

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Amanda Howard Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: 2x500wd on-line quiz (35%); 1x4000wd practice essay (45%); and participation (20%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) evening
Working with communities is a key policy and practice priority for government and non-government agencies in Australia. This unit will critically examine the current policy frameworks informing work with communities as well as current practice models of community development and community engagement. The unit seeks to explore the why and how of work with communities. It will draw on an emerging Australian body of research about working with communities based in the community of Glebe. This unit is suitable for practitioners seeking to work more effectively with communities.
SEXH5008 Sex and Society

Credit points: 2 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Shailendra Sawleshwarkar, Dr Michael Walsh Session: Semester 2a 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 (70%); Online quiz (20%); Online discussions (10%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day, Online
This unit will explore determinants of sexuality from a societal perspective, with particular reference to their potential impacts on public health. 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 on sexual and reproductive health including HIV. Course content will include diversity; adolescent sexual development; sex education; sexual assault, gender; sexual orientation and sexual behaviour.