University of Sydney Handbooks - 2011 Archive

Download full 2011 archive Page archived at: Fri, 16 Sep 2011 11:21:48 +1000
You are here: Home / Sydney Medical School / Postgraduate coursework / Courses P-Z / Qualitative Health Research

Qualitative Health Research

Graduate Certificate in Qualitative Health Research

(GradCertQHR) KG018

Graduate Diploma in Qualitative Health Research

(GradDipQHR) KF056

Master of Qualitative Health Research

(MQHR) KC087

Course Credit points for award Duration full-time Duration part-time
GradCertQHR 24 not available 1 to 3 years
GradDipQHR 36 1 year 1.5 to 4 years
MQHR 48 1 year 1.5 to 6 years
Overview

Qualitative research is becoming increasingly popular in health-related fields including medicine, public health, nursing, allied health, dentistry and health policy. Qualitative health research can assist policymakers, clinicians, health promotion professionals and consumers to understand the perspectives people bring to their health, the values people hold, and the actions people take.

Qualitative researchers observe people as they go about their usual activities, interview people, conduct focus groups and examine documents and images. They systematically analyse the resulting data to gain a better understanding of issues as they arise in the ordinary social world. Qualitative researchers spend their time in conversation, interpretation and writing more than in calculation. For proficient communicators who love language and ideas, qualitative research offers a demanding but extremely rewarding career, grounded in textual rather than statistical analysis.

The Qualitative Health Research program provides hands-on training in qualitative research practice, sophisticated engagement with qualitative research theory and methodology, solid preparation in health issues, and access to units of study across many disciplines.

Course Outcomes

Students will have an opportunity to develop:

  • connections: to peers interested in qualitative inquiry, and to working qualitative researchers
  • knowledge: about the history of qualitative research, qualitative methodology and ethically sound research practice
  • skills: in qualitative study design, data collection, data analysis and writing, including writing applications for research ethics approval and grant funding
  • confidence: to reason and argue about qualitative methodology, and about the purpose and value of qualitative inquiry.
Further Information

All programs in qualitative research include the same four core units. These provide skills training and conceptual foundations. They cover essential ideas, commonly-used methodologies, study design strategies and skills for data creation, analysis and writing. In the final unit of study (QUAL5004) students will be mentored to develop a sound proposal for a future research project. Master’s and Graduate Diploma students have access to elective units of study; for Master’s students this includes units of study beyond the Faculty of Medicine.

Back to top

Degree Resolutions

Sydney Medical School resolutions and the printed handbook are the official statement of Faculty policy. The resolutions contained in the printed handbook are accurate as at November 2010. If a conflict is perceived between the content of the printed handbook and information available elsewhere, Sydney Medical School resolutions and the information available in the handbook online shall always take precedence. See the handbook online website:
http://sydney.edu.au/handbooks/handbooks_admin/medicine.shtml.
See the Policy Online website: http://sydney.edu.au/policy, for copies of University policies.

 

Graduate Certificate in Qualitative Health Research

Graduate Diploma in Qualitative Health Research

Master of Qualitative Health Research


These resolutions must be read in conjunction with applicable University By-laws, Rules and policies including (but not limited to) the University of Sydney (Coursework) Rule 2000 (the 'Coursework Rule'), the Resolutions of the Faculty, the University of Sydney (Student Appeals against Academic Decisions) Rule 2006 (as amended) and the Academic Board policies on Academic Dishonesty and Plagiarism.

Course resolutions

1 Course codes

Code Course title
KG018 Graduate Certificate in Qualitative Health Research
KF056 Graduate Diploma in Qualitative Health Research
KC087 Master of Qualitative Health Research

2 Attendance pattern

The attendance pattern for these courses is full time or part time according to candidate choice, except for the Graduate Certificate in Qualitative Health Research, which is part time only.

3 Master's type

The master's degree in these resolutions is a professional master's course, as defined by the Coursework Rule.

4 Embedded courses in this sequence

(1)
The embedded courses in this sequence are:
(a)
the Graduate Certificate in Qualitative Health Research
(b)
the Graduate Diploma in Qualitative Health Research
(c)
the Master of Qualitative Health Research.
(2)
Providing candidates satisfy the admission requirements for each stage, a candidate may progress to the award of any of the courses in this sequence. Only the longest award completed will be conferred.

5 Admission to candidature

(1)
Available places will be offered to qualified applicants according to the following admissions criteria. In exceptional circumstances the Dean may admit applicants without these qualifications who, in the opinion of the Faculty, have qualifications and evidence of experience and achievement sufficient to successfully undertake the award.
(2)
Admission to the Graduate Certificate in Qualitative Health Research requires:
a degree from the University of Sydney or equivalent qualification.
(3)
Admission to the Graduate Diploma in Qualitative Health Research requires:
a bachelor's degree from the University of Sydney or equivalent qualification.
(4)
Admission to the degree of Master of Qualitative Health Research requires:
a four year degree from the University of Sydney or equivalent qualification;
or
a degree from the University of Sydney or an equivalent qualification and passing a preliminary examination(s) prescribed by the Faculty, unless otherwise exempted.

6 Requirements for award

(1)
The units of study that may be taken for the courses are set out in the Table of Units of Study: Qualitative Health Research.
(2)
To qualify for the award of the Graduate Certificate in Qualitative Health Research a candidate must successfully complete 24 credit points of core units of study.
(3)
To qualify for the award of the Graduate Diploma in Qualitative Health Research a candidate must successfully complete 36 credit points, including:
(a)
24 credit points of core units of study;
(b)
12 credit points of elective units of study from Part 1 of the Table.
(4)
To qualify for the award of the Master of Qualitative Health Research a candidate must successfully complete 48 credit points, including:
(a)
24 credit points of core units of study;
(b)
24 credit points of elective units of study from Part 1 and/or Part 2 of the Table.

7 Transitional provisions

(1)
These resolutions apply to persons who commenced their candidature after 1 January, 2011 and persons who commenced their candidature prior to 1 January, 2011 who formally elect to proceed under these resolutions.
(2)
Candidates who commenced prior to 1 January, 2011 complete the requirements in accordance with the resolutions in force at the time of their commencement.

Back to top

Table of Units of Study: Qualitative Health Research

Unit of study Credit points A: Assumed knowledge P: Prerequisites C: Corequisites N: Prohibition Session

Core units
Candidates would normally take QUAL5004 in their final semester of enrolment.
PUBH5500
Introducing Qualitative Health Research 		6      Semester 1a
QUAL5002
Qualitative Methodologies & Study Design 		6    A Basic understanding of the nature of qualitative knowledge and the processes of qualitative research.
C PUBH5500 or equivalent


Departmental permission is required for students who have not completed PUBH5500
Semester 1b
QUAL5003
Qualitative Research Analysis & Writing 		6    A Basic understanding of the nature of qualitative knowledge and types of qualitative data.
P PUBH5500 or equivalent


Departmental permission is required for students who have not completed PUBH5500
Semester 2
QUAL5004
Designing a Qualitative Research Project 		6    A Good understanding of the nature of qualitative knowledge and of qualitative research processes.
P PUBH5500, QUAL5002
C QUAL5003


Departmental permission is required for students who have not completed PUBH5500
Semester 2

Part 1
BETH5000
Core Concepts in Bioethics 		6    A 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.


A limited number of students may be granted permission to take this unit during their honours year.
 Semester 2
BETH5101
Introduction to Ethical Reasoning 		6    A 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.


A limited number of students may be granted permission to take this unit during their honours year.
 Semester 1
BETH5102
Philosophy of Medicine 		6    A A three-year degree in science, medicine, nursing, allied health sciences, philosophy/ethics, sociology/anthropology, history, or other relevant field - or by special permission.


A limited number of students may be granted permission to take this unit during their honours year.
 Semester 1
BETH5103
Biomedicine and Society 		6    A 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.


A limited number of students may be granted permission to take this unit during their honours year.
 Semester 2
BETH5201
Ethics and Biotech: Genes and Stem Cells 		6    A 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.


A limited number of students may be granted permission to take this unit during their honours year.
 Semester 1
BETH5202
Human and Animal Research Ethics 		6    A 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.


A limited number of students may be granted permission to take this unit during their honours year.
 Semester 2
BETH5203
Ethics and Public Health 		6    A 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.


A limited number of students may be granted permission to take this unit during their honours year.
 Semester 2
BETH5204
Clinical Ethics 		6    A Honours or equivalent degree, or other appropriate terminal undergraduate degree (such as a three-year nursing degree) in science, medicine, nursing, allied health sciences, philosophy/ethics, sociology/anthropology, history, or other relevant field-or by special permission.


A limited number of students may be granted permission to take this unit during their honours year.
 Semester 1
BETH5205
Ethics and Mental Health 		6      Semester 2
HPOL5000
Introduction to Health Policy 		6      Semester 1
HPOL5003
Analysing Health Policy 		6      Semester 2
MIPH5008
Travel and Tropical Medicine 		2      Semester 2b
MIPH5014
International Health Promotion 		4      Semester 2
MIPH5115
Women's and Children's Health 		4      Semester 2
MIPH5116
Culture, Health, Illness and Medicine 		4   
Note: Department permission required for enrolment
Departmental permission is required.
 Semester 1
Semester 2
MIPH5117
Diseases of Modernisation 		2      Semester 2a
MIPH5118
Global Perspectives of HIV/AIDS 		4      Semester 2
MIPH5135
Health Systems in Developing Countries 		4      Semester 2
MMHU6906
Bodies on Display:Medicine, Museums, Art 		6      Semester 2
MMHU6909
Risk and Health: Communication, Policy 		6   
Note: Department permission required for enrolment
Students request permission from the unit of study coordinator to enrol in this unit. The coordinator emails the Postgraduate Student Administration Unit advice that the student has permission to enrol.
 Semester 2
MMHU6911
Spirituality, Medicine and Health Care 		2   
Note: Department permission required for enrolment
Students request permission from the unit of study coordinator to enrol in this unit. The coordinator emails the Postgraduate Student Administration Unit advice that the student has permission to enrol.
 Semester 2
PUBH5111
Environmental Health 		4      Semester 2
PUBH5114
Alcohol, Drug Use and Health 		4    N PUBH5115
Semester 2
PUBH5115
Alcohol, Drug Use and Health 		2    N PUBH5114
Semester 2a
PUBH5116
Genetics and Public Health 		4      Semester 2b
PUBH5118
Aboriginal Health Promotion 		4      Semester 2b
PUBH5414
Public Health Advocacy 		2      Semester 2
PUBH5415
Injury Prevention 		2      Semester 2
PUBH5418
Tobacco Control in the 21st Century 		6      Semester 2
PUBH5419
Falls Prevention in Older People 		4      Semester 2
SEXH5008
Sex and Society 		2      Semester 2b
SEXH5101
Public Health Aspects of STDs 		2      S2 Intensive
Semester 2a
SEXH5102
Public Health Aspects of HIV/AIDS 		2      Semester 2b
SEXH5205
Advanced Adolescent Sexual Health 		6    N SEXH5204
Semester 2

Part 2
ANTH6915
Ethnographic Method 		6      Semester 2
HPSC4102
History of Science 		6    P Available only to students admitted to HPS Honours, Graduate Diploma in Science (History and Philosophy of Science) and Graduate Certificate in Science (History and Philosophy of Science), or by special permission.

Note: Department permission required for enrolment

 Semester 1
Semester 2
HSTY6987
Writing the Past 		6      Semester 1
LNGS7002
Language, Society and Power 		6      Semester 1
LNGS7004
Register and Genre in English 		6      Semester 1b
LNGS7006
Cross-Cultural Communication 		6      Semester 2
LNGS7274
Media Discourse 		6      Semester 2
LNGS7301
Functional Grammar 		6      Semester 1a
SCLG6903
New Debates in Social Theory 		6      Semester 2
Further enquiries

Dr Stacy Carter
Phone: +61 2 9036 3407
Fax: + 61 2 9036 3436
Email:


Website: http://sydney.edu.au/medicine/public-health/future/coursework/qualitativehealthresearch
Back to top

Units of Study Descriptions for 2011

ANTH6915 Ethnographic Method

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Robbie Peters Session: Semester 2 Classes: Please consult Dept for class schedule Assessment: 1x3000wd (equiv.) practical exercise (60%) 1x500wd tutorial paper (10%) and 1x take-home exam (30%) Campus: Camperdown/Darlington Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) Day
Ethnography/Participant Observation emerged as the foundational method of modern anthropology with the recognition that the study of other cultures required an understanding of them as lived by their participants. Students follow the development of the method in a variety of social contexts (urban, village, tribe, corporation) forms of relationship (language, performance, space, exchange) forms of representation (notes, description, narrative, analysis, film) and as a sustained critical dialogue about the self, politics and the ethics of the ethnographer.
BETH5000 Core Concepts in Bioethics

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 13 x 2 hr seminars Assumed knowledge: 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. Assessment: 1x750 wd review (15%) and 1x1500wd essay (35%) and 1x200-2500 wd essay (50%) Campus: Camperdown/Darlington Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) Day
Note: A limited number of students may be granted permission to take this unit during their honours year.
This unit of study provides a broad overview of the primary issues in, and theoretical approaches to, bioethics. Following an introduction to the history of bioethics and review of the major theoretical approaches to applied ethics, central debates in bioethics surrounding doctor-patient relationships, informed consent, privacy/confidentiality, research ethics, abortion, euthanasia, genetics, cloning, stem cell research, justice and distribution of health care resources, etc., are examined. In addition to classical cases and traditional theoretical perspectives, emerging topics and alternative perspectives are explored. The unit concludes with the topic of global public health and socio-political critique(s) of the discipline of bioethics itself. Learning activities will include seminars, small group sessions, and project work.
BETH5101 Introduction to Ethical Reasoning

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Classes: 13 x 2hr seminars Assumed knowledge: 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. Assessment: 1 x 2000wd essay (35%); 1x 4000wd essay (55%); participation (10%) Campus: Camperdown/Darlington Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) Day
Note: A limited number of students may be granted permission to take this unit during their honours year.
This unit prepares students for advanced analysis of issues in bioethics by laying foundations in both critical thinking and ethical theory. Following an introduction to the construction and assessment of arguments, central issues of debate in meta-ethics, normative ethics, and political philosophy are examined. Major traditional (historical, consequential, deontological, contractarian/egalitarian, and communitarian) theoretical frameworks as well as postmodern/continental perspectives are introduced and critically evaluated. The unit concludes with an introduction to applied and professional ethics. It is recommended, but not required, that BETH5101 is taken during students' first semester in the program.
BETH5102 Philosophy of Medicine

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Classes: 13 x 2hr seminars Assumed knowledge: A three-year degree in science, medicine, nursing, allied health sciences, philosophy/ethics, sociology/anthropology, history, or other relevant field - or by special permission. Assessment: 1x exercise 1200wds (30%); 1 x essay 3000-4000wds (60%); Participation (10%) Campus: Camperdown/Darlington Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) Day
Note: A limited number of students may be granted permission to take this unit during their honours year.
This unit of study introduces students to the broader philosophical issues and epistemological structures that underlie medicine and the biomedical sciences. The unit will begin by introducing students to the philosophy of science and medicine, epistemology and the concepts of health, illness and disease. The second part of the unit will review debates regarding disease causation and the social construction of disease. Students will then consider issues relating to the generation and use of knowledge and evidence, and the differences between conventional and alternative/non-Western approaches to illness and healing. The final part of the unit will focus on diagnosis, nosology and classification of disease, with particular reference to mental illness.
BETH5103 Biomedicine and Society

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 13 x 2hr seminars Assumed knowledge: 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. Assessment: 1 x exercise 1200 wds (30%); 1 x 3000-4000 wd essay (60%); Participation (10%) Campus: Camperdown/Darlington Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) Day
Note: A limited number of students may be granted permission to take this unit during their honours year.
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 series of ethical and social issues relating to sex and drugs. The issues relate to gender, reproduction and sexual behaviour, and some of the drugs that have played a key role in the medicalisation of human experience in these domains. The course readings explore the issues from a range of different perspectives (i.e. history, sociology, politics, health policy, philosophy, religion, feminism, public health, and personal experience) with the aim of broadening the scope of bioethical inquiry. 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, on-line discussions and coursework will provide opportunities to learn from other students, and apply learning from other units of study.
BETH5201 Ethics and Biotech: Genes and Stem Cells

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Classes: 6 x 2hr seminars 1 x 8 hr intensive Assumed knowledge: 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. Assessment: 3 Tutorial assessments - 400 wds each (3x 10%); 1 x 1200-1500 wd essay (30%); 1 x 2200 - 2500 wd essay (40%) Campus: Camperdown/Darlington Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) Day
Note: A limited number of students may be granted permission to take this unit during their honours year.
This unit introduces students to the broader social/political, ethical/philosophical and legal/regulatory issues that underlie genetics, stem cell research and the emerging biotechnologies. The unit will provide a brief overview of the relevant science before considering scientific, cultural and religious understandings of life and human identity. The second part of the unit will review the political, regulatory and commercial context of biotechnology and the control of information. Students will then review the history of genetics and eugenics and the ethical issues that arise in clinical and population genetics, stem cell research and cloning. The final part of the unit will explore the boundaries of research and knowledge and the issues raised by emerging biotechnologies, such as nanotechnology and proteomics. Learning activities will include an intensive seminar program, small group sessions and reading. Students will be able to concentrate on stem cell research, clinical or molecular genetics or other biotechnologies according to their clinical and scientific interests and experience.
BETH5202 Human and Animal Research Ethics

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 3 x 8 hr intensive Assumed knowledge: 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. Assessment: Continuous assessment (20%); Briefing paper (30%); Position Paper (50%) Campus: Camperdown/Darlington Mode of delivery: Block Mode
Note: A limited number of students may be granted permission to take this unit during their honours year.
This unit introduces students to research ethics in its social context. Students will first analyse the philosophical underpinnings of the research endeavour, including the justifications for engaging in research, research priorities and research integrity. The unit will then review the history of research and research abuses, the evolution of research ethics and the regulation of research in Australia. The second part of the unit will focus on issues arising in the conduct of research including; the protection of research subjects (both human and animal), consent, confidentiality and risk/benefit analysis.
BETH5203 Ethics and Public Health

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 3 x 8hr Intensives Assumed knowledge: 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. Assessment: 10 x Online tasks 250-400wds (20%); 1 x 1000 wd essay (30%); 1 x 2500 wd essay (50%) Campus: Camperdown/Darlington Mode of delivery: Block Mode
Note: A limited number of students may be granted permission to take this unit during their honours year.
This unit will provide students with an overview of the broader philosophical, ethical, sociopolitical and cultural issues that underlie public health and public health research. Students will first review the history of public health and examine the values that underpin health promotion and disease prevention. The second part of the unit will critique the place of facts and values in public health and the construction and use of information, with particular reference to evidence-based-medicine. The third part of the unit will examine the cultural, moral and social context of public health including the social determinants of health, the construction of health services, the determination of research priorities and issues relating to human rights and global health. Learning activities will include 2-hour weekly seminars and readings. Assessment tasks will consist of essays and a presentation/project.
BETH5204 Clinical Ethics

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Classes: 3 x 8hr Intensives Assumed knowledge: Honours or equivalent degree, or other appropriate terminal undergraduate degree (such as a three-year nursing degree) in science, medicine, nursing, allied health sciences, philosophy/ethics, sociology/anthropology, history, or other relevant field-or by special permission. Assessment: 1 x 1500 wd case study ((30%); 1 x 3000 wd essay (50%); 10 x online tasks 25-400 wd (20%) Campus: Camperdown/Darlington Mode of delivery: Block Mode
Note: A limited number of students may be granted permission to take this unit during their honours year.
This unit will provide students with an overview of the broader philosophical, ethical, sociopolitical, and cultural issues that underlie the delivery of healthcare. Students will first explore major conceptual models for ethical reasoning in the clinical context; the design and delivery of clinical ethics consultation; and issues relating to the role of the professions. The second part of the unit will examine the foundations of clinical practice, including consent, competence, veracity, confidentiality, and decision-making. The third part of the unit will consider specific issues and populations within clinical practice, such as the care of vulnerable populations, mental health, and chronic illness. The next part of the unit will focus on skills associated with clinical ethics including analytic and mediation skills. The unit will conclude with reflections on current debates in the Australian healthcare context, particularly issues associated with healthcare rationing. Learning activities will include lectures (in an intensive format), facilitated discussion, case study presentations, and readings. Assessment tasks will consist of essays, a portfolio/journal, and a presentation/project.
BETH5205 Ethics and Mental Health

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 3 x 8hr Intensives Assessment: 1 x 1000 - 1500 wd essay (25%); 1 x 2200 - 2500 wd essay (50%); On line learning participation (15%); Attendance (10%) Campus: Camperdown/Darlington Mode of delivery: Block Mode
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 the profession 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.
HPOL5000 Introduction to Health Policy

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr James Gillespie, Professor Stephen Leeder Session: Semester 1 Classes: 2x2day workshops, online lectures and discussions Assessment: 1x1500word paper (25%), 1x3000word paper (50%), and online learning activities (25%) Campus: Camperdown/Darlington Mode of delivery: Distance Education/Intensive on Campus
This unit aims to develop a critical and comparative grasp of the theory and practice of health policy and to give an overview of the political choices and frameworks that shape policymaking. The unit explores the main structures and institutions that make health policy. Students will debate the reform of policy frameworks, raising questions about equity, ethics and the role of socio-economic status over access to health care and priorities of the current system. Australian policy debates will be placed in their broader context by comparing different health systems and assessing global influences. Case studies will be used to examine the relationships between policy and practice.
HPOL5003 Analysing Health Policy

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr James Gillespie, Professor Stephen Leeder Session: Semester 2 Classes: 2x2day workshops, online discussions Assessment: 1x2500 word assignment (50%), 1x3000 word assignment (50%) Campus: Camperdown/Darlington Mode of delivery: Distance Education/Intensive on Campus
This unit develops skills for the effective critical appraisal of health policy, with an examination of the principles, and limitations, of evidence-based health policy and evaluation of the research that underpins policy proposals. It builds policy analysis and analytical skills by exploring policy design, implementation and evaluation using approaches drawn from public policy, political science and public administration to look at the role of politics and equity in health policy development and implementation. The workshops cover the use of epidemiological and social science literature in policy development.
Textbooks
Kent Buse, Nicholas Mays and Gillian Walt, Making health policy. Open University Press, 2006.
HPSC4102 History of Science

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Ofer Gal Taught by HPS staff and guest lecturers. Session: Semester 1,Semester 2 Classes: One 2 hour seminar per week. Prerequisites: Available only to students admitted to HPS Honours, Graduate Diploma in Science (History and Philosophy of Science) and Graduate Certificate in Science (History and Philosophy of Science), or by special permission. Assessment: 10xquestions (50%) and 1x5000 wd essay (50%) Campus: Camperdown/Darlington 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
Course reader
HSTY6987 Writing the Past

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Assoc Prof Penny Russell Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x2-hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x4000wd essay (75%), 1x1000wd seminar paper (15%) and class participation (10%) Campus: Camperdown/Darlington 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 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Ahmar Mahboob Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x2-hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x5000wd assignment, including a group research project (100%) Campus: Camperdown/Darlington 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.
Textbooks
Meshtrie, R., J. Swann, et al. (2000). Introducing Sociolinguistics. Edinburgh, Edinburgh University Press.
LNGS7004 Register and Genre in English

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Monika Bednarek Session: Semester 1b Classes: 1x2-hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x5000wd assignment (100%) Campus: Camperdown/Darlington 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.
Textbooks
J R Martin & David Rose, Genre Relations: mapping culture, Equinox
LNGS7006 Cross-Cultural Communication

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Assoc Prof Jane Simpson Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x2-hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x1500wd presentation (25%), 1x1500wd problem set (25%), 1x3000wd essay (50%) Campus: Camperdown/Darlington 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.
Textbooks
Holliday, A., M. Hyde, et al. (2004). Inter-cultural communication: an advanced resource book. London, Routledge.
LNGS7274 Media Discourse

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Prof James Martin Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x2-hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x5000wd assignment (100%) Campus: Camperdown/Darlington Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) Day
"Sexy, healthy and 100% Australian-owned!" In this unit you will learn about discourse analytic approaches to media communication. The discourse of advertising and gender discourses in the media will form a special focus of the unit. Furthermore, we will explore the politics of media discourses, the ways in which social identities are constructed in the media, differences between communication in various media (print, radio, TV, Internet), the rhetoric of persuasion and the discourses of popular culture. The framework for the unit derives from functional linguistics and critical discourse analysis, as well as cultural studies.
Textbooks
Bell, A 1991 The Language of the News Media. London: Blackwell
LNGS7301 Functional Grammar

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Prof James Martin Session: Semester 1a Classes: 2x2-hr seminar/week (Week1-6) Assessment: 1x4000-5000wd assignment on grammar analysis and its application to texts (100%) Campus: Camperdown/Darlington 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: Semester 2b Classes: 1x2day intensive lectures Assessment: 1x2000word individual essay (90%) and attendance (10%) Campus: Camperdown/Darlington Mode of delivery: Block Mode
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 area also addressed. During the short course, students will also explore issues such as pre-travel preparations, protection from vector-bourne diseases and vaccinations. The teaching method is face-to-face teaching. Attendance is compulsory.
Textbooks
Unit notes supplied by School.
MIPH5014 International Health Promotion

Credit points: 4 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Philayrath Phongsavan Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x2hr lecture per week for 13 weeks; 1x1hr tutorial per week for 9 weeks Assessment: 1,500 words essay (30%), 2,500 words report (50%), tutorial presentation and attendance (20%) Campus: Camperdown/Darlington Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) Day
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 activities, from local level initiatives to the development of national 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. This unit of study provides students with opportunities to look at theory and practice in health promotion and the major health promotion issues at national and international levels. 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 economic development at the national and global levels, prevention and control of cigarette smoking, non-communicable and communicable diseases.
Textbooks
Unit notes supplied by School.
MIPH5115 Women's and Children's Health

Credit points: 4 Teacher/Coordinator: Professor Heather Jeffery Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x2hr lecture per week for 10 weeks, 1x1hr tutorial per week for 9 weeks and 1 half day SCORPIO workshop. Assessment: 1x1500 word essay, problem based (50%), 1x15 minute presentation (25%), tutorial facilitation (10%), peer evaluation (5%), and active participation in SCORPIO workshop (10%) Campus: Camperdown/Darlington Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) Day
This unit aims to give students an overview of the health status of women and children in international settings. It also aims to examine causes of major health problems and possible approaches to improving the health of women and children in resource-poor 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, poverty, mother to child HIV transmission, women and violence, traditional practices and early marriage, family planning, diarrhoeal disease, pneumonia, vaccine preventable diseases.
Textbooks
Unit notes supplied by School.
MIPH5116 Culture, Health, Illness and Medicine

Credit points: 4 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Cynthia Hunter Session: Semester 1,Semester 2 Classes: 1 x 2 day workshop; 1 x 2hr seminar per week for 7 weeks Assessment: 1x3000word essay (75%) and 1x1hr class facilitation (25%) Campus: Camperdown/Darlington Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) Day
Note: Department permission required for enrolment
Note: Departmental permission is required.
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 international 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
Unit notes supplied by School.
MIPH5117 Diseases of Modernisation

Credit points: 2 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr. Rohina Joshi, Professor Bob Cumming Session: Semester 2a Classes: 1x2hr lecture per week for 7 weeks Assessment: 1x2000word written assignment (100%) Campus: Camperdown/Darlington 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) in developing countries. 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 management of 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 Africa, Asia and the Pacific.
Textbooks
Unit notes supplied by School.
MIPH5118 Global Perspectives of HIV/AIDS

Credit points: 4 Teacher/Coordinator: Mr Joel Negin Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x2hr lecture per week for 11 weeks; 1x1hr tutorial per week for 7 weeks; plus 1 day peer learning sessions through group presentations Assessment: 1xgroup presentation (20%), peer evaluation (10%), 1x2000 word individual assignment (60%), and tutorial (10%) Campus: Camperdown/Darlington 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 andAIDS, 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 analysis of the 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
Unit notes supplied by School.
MIPH5135 Health Systems in Developing Countries

Credit points: 4 Teacher/Coordinator: Mr Joel Negin Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x2hr lecture per week for 9 weeks; plus 2x0.5 day workshop Assessment: 1x1500 word research proposal (40%), 1x2000 word case study report (50%), and participation (10%) Campus: Camperdown/Darlington Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) Day
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
Unit notes supplied by School
MMHU6906 Bodies on Display:Medicine, Museums, Art

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Claire Hooker Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x 2 hr seminar per week for 13 weeks Assessment: 1x 3000 wd essay (60%), 1x 2000 wd essay (40%) and participation Campus: Camperdown/Darlington Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) Day
This single semester unit of study examines how the body has been represented in the convergent spaces of medicine and art. The unit focus is on medical museums, with a component of fieldwork and interaction with museums on and nearby the University campus - the Wilson anatomy museum, the pathology museum, the Shellshear Museum (anthropological material), the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital Museum, The Macleay Museum and the Pathology museum at the University of NSW. In this course students will consider how and why the human body has been displayed and represented as an object of knowledge, art, and entertainment, through class sessions that consider the history of medical museums, the ethics of museum displays, and the relationship between museums and other forms of scientific and artistic display of the body in medical atlases, medical photography and in the work of artists who utilise medical museums. Later in the course some comparisons will be made with more recent forms of display and artistry around the medicalised body, such as the Visible Man project and Gunter von Huygens' plastination displays. While the focus of the course will be centred on representations of the body, students will also be encouraged to consider, compare and critique the ways in which museums present stories about medicine.
MMHU6909 Risk and Health: Communication, Policy

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Claire Hooker Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x2day intensive plus online learning and assessment Assessment: 1x 3000 wd essay (40%), 1x 1500 wd essay (30%) and participation and report (30%) Campus: Camperdown/Darlington Mode of delivery: Distance Education/Intensive on Campus
Note: Department permission required for enrolment
Note: Students request permission from the unit of study coordinator to enrol in this unit. The coordinator emails the Postgraduate Student Administration Unit advice that the student has permission to enrol.
This single semester unit of study examines connections between risk communication and health policy around a variety of health risk issues. The unit offers a combination of a two-day face-to-face intensive study of psychological and sociological approaches to understanding health risks, and of policy processes in health risk controversies. The central focus will be on communicating with patients and the public as risk events unfold, and on interaction and impacts of policy choices and risk communication. The two day intensive will be followed by a series of online problem based learning and assessment tasks, in which the skills and concepts of risk communication and policy development will be applied to real case examples. Exemplar will include controversies over: immunization, hormone replacement therapy, air and water quality, siting telecommunications towers, cancer clusters and responses to epidemic outbreaks
MMHU6911 Spirituality, Medicine and Health Care

Credit points: 2 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Claire Hooker Session: Semester 2 Classes: 2 day intensive face to face Assessment: 1 x 2000 word essay or major work equivalent (100%) Campus: Camperdown/Darlington Mode of delivery: Block Mode
Note: Department permission required for enrolment
Note: Students request permission from the unit of study coordinator to enrol in this unit. The coordinator emails the Postgraduate Student Administration Unit advice that the student has permission to enrol.
This unit of study will explore issues of spirituality in medicine and health care. Illness events and threatened mortality often bring spiritual issues to the fore for both patients and their carers, and healing is often experienced as necessarily encompassing spiritual dimensions by health care workers themselves. This unit will discuss concepts of spirituality, what dimensions spirituality provides to illness and healing, how to negotiate different religious practices in healing and in medical and health care ethics, and spirituality and end of life care. Participants will have the opportunity to workshop issues from their personal or professional experiences of health care.
PUBH5111 Environmental Health

Credit points: 4 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Geoff Morgan Session: Semester 2 Classes: Mixed mode of online lectures with some face-to-face/online case studies (13 sessions of 2 hours) Assessment: 1x written assignment (45%), 1x quiz (40%) and case study participation (15%) Campus: Camperdown/Darlington Mode of delivery: Distance Education/Intensive on Campus or On-line
This unit aims to develop an understanding of environmental hazard identification and risk assessment and for students to understand the principles of hazard regulation and control. The unit will explore the major categories of environmental health hazards such as air quality; water & food quality; chemical hazards eg contaminated sites; physical hazards eg noise and radiation; and microbiological hazards eg Legionnaires' disease. It will use the disciplines of epidemiology, toxicology and ecology to characterise risks associated with these hazards and will explore various approaches to managing the risks. In studying this unit students will appreciate the multi-disciplinary nature of environmental health concerns and the need to work closely with external agencies. Regional and global issues of sustainability, climate change and land use planning will also be addressed.
Textbooks
Basic Environmental Health. Yassi, A et al. Oxford University Press, 2001; Environmental Health in Australia and New Zealand. Edited by Nancy Cromar, Scott Cameron and Howard Fallowfield, Oxford University Press, 2004.
PUBH5114 Alcohol, Drug Use and Health

Credit points: 4 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Carolyn Day Session: Semester 2 Classes: 13 weeks of 1 x 2hr teaching sessions and associated online activities. The teaching sessions are a combination of face to face and online seminars. Students not able to attend face to face sessions can do the entire course online. Prohibitions: PUBH5115 Assessment: 2 x 1500 word assignments (60%), compulsory online discussion participation (30%); online quizzes (10%) Campus: Camperdown/Darlington Mode of delivery: Distance Education/Intensive on Campus or On-line
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 WebCT site.
PUBH5115 Alcohol, Drug Use and Health

Credit points: 2 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Carolyn Day, Associate Professor Kate Conigrave Session: Semester 2a Classes: 7 weeks of 1 x 2hr teaching sessions and associated online activities. The teaching sessions are a combination of face to face and online seminars. Students not able to attend face to face sessions can do the entire course online. Prohibitions: PUBH5114 Assessment: 1x 1500 word assignment (60%); compulsory online discussion participation (30%); online quizzes (10%) Campus: Camperdown/Darlington Mode of delivery: Distance Education/Intensive on Campus or On-line
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 WebCT site.
PUBH5116 Genetics and Public Health

Credit points: 4 Teacher/Coordinator: Professor Bruce Armstrong Session: Semester 2b Classes: 1x 3 day workshop Assessment: 3x 30min online quiz (25%), small group assignment (35%) and take home exam of 6 questions (250 words each) (40%). Campus: Camperdown/Darlington Mode of delivery: Block Mode
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 WebCT site.
PUBH5118 Aboriginal Health Promotion

Credit points: 4 Teacher/Coordinator: Mr Shane Hearn Session: Semester 2b Classes: 1 x 2day workshop, 7 weeks x 2 hr lectures Assessment: 1 x 2000 word essay (70%), workshop participation (30%) Campus: Camperdown/Darlington Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) Day
While many positive political, social and legal changes have taken place recently, the inescapable fact after 220 years of colonisation is that the gap in regard to health between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal populations is remarkably large. Using a health promotion framework the unit will provide students with an opportunity to gain an understanding of the history and culture of Aboriginal people. It is hoped that students will utilise this understanding to effect more congenial and productive relations with Aboriginal people in the community, and within the spheres of their chosen professions. During the unit students are encouraged to enquire factors that determine health, to analyse the major factors that influence Indigenous health issues, the relationship between these factors, their impact on health and to identify and discuss possible solutions to address the health disparities between non-Indigenous and Indigenous populations in Australia.
Textbooks
Course reader will be provided.
PUBH5414 Public Health Advocacy

Credit points: 2 Teacher/Coordinator: Professor Simon Chapman Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1 x 2day workshop Assessment: 1x letter to the editor of a newspaper (10%) and 1x 2000 word assignment (90%) Campus: Camperdown/Darlington Mode of delivery: Block Mode
This unit aims to familiarise students with the strategies of public health advocacy and to provide skills in content and discourse analysis of media coverage of health and medical issues. This unit covers the role of media advocacy in advancing public health policy; framing public health issues; news gathering, reporting and editing; strategies for media advocacy; political lobbying in public health advocacy. Teaching and learning activities include interactive lectures, case studies and small group work. Students will be expected to prepare for the sessions. Requirements will be distributed prior to the first day.
Textbooks
(recommended only)
PUBH5415 Injury Prevention

Credit points: 2 Teacher/Coordinator: Associate Professor Rebecca Ivers Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1 x 2day workshop Assessment: 1 x 2000 word essay (90%) and participation in small group work during the workshop (10%) Campus: Camperdown/Darlington 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: Professor Simon Chapman Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x3day workshop of lectures and problem-focused discussions, followed by 4 weeks of problem-based online discussions Assessment: 2x2000 word essays (60%), 1x100 item online quiz (10%) and online discussion and participation (30%) Campus: Camperdown/Darlington 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: Dr Soufiane Boufous and Dr Cathie Sherrington Session: Semester 2 Classes: 6-8 hours of online lectures and tutorials per week for 13 weeks Assessment: 1x 2000 word written assignment (60%) and participation in four moderated online discussions (40%) Campus: Camperdown/Darlington Mode of delivery: On-line
This fully online unit aims to teach students about the principles of falls prevention and falls injury prevention in the older person, with a focus on the application of these principles in the field. This unit will cover: risk factors of falls; the burden and economic implications of falls in the older person; the development and implementation of fall prevention programs; and the principles of program evaluation. Students will discuss the research methods surrounding the impact of falls, research design and the risk of falls, and will look at the development of falls prevention programs using case studies.
Textbooks
Lecture notes, case studies and journal articles will be provided online from a password-protected site. Recommended text: Lord SR, Sherrington C, Menz, H, Close J (2007). Falls in Older People:Risk factors and Strategies for Prevention. Cambridge University Press (2nd edition).
PUBH5500 Introducing Qualitative Health Research

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Stacy Carter Session: Semester 1a Classes: Block mode (2 x 3 days) Assessment: 2x 2000wd assignments (2x40%) plus 2x 500wd reflections on workshops (2x10%) Campus: Camperdown/Darlington Mode of delivery: Block Mode
This unit overviews qualitative inquiry. It is perfect if you're a beginner or unsure about the basics of qualitative research. Workshop One answers these questions: What is qualitative research? How is it different from quantitative research? What is its history? What research questions can it answer? How can I search for it? How do I design a qualitative study? You will learn about qualitative data collection: interviewing, focus groups and observing. Workshop Two answers these questions: What is the place of qualitative research in health and medicine? Is methodology different to method? What are ontology and epistemology? What is reflexivity (and aren't qualitative researchers biased)? How are methodologies and theories used in qualitative research? How is qualitative research synthesised and evaluated? Can I generalise qualitative findings? You will analyse qualitative data two ways in class (for concepts and for social processes), and briefly explore the qualitative data management software NVivo. In both workshops you will meet working qualitative researchers and hear about their projects. This Unit will show you a new way of thinking critically about research and researching. By the end of the Unit you will be ready to begin evaluating and doing qualitative research for yourself.
QUAL5002 Qualitative Methodologies & Study Design

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Stacy Carter Session: Semester 1b Classes: Block mode (2x3 days) Corequisites: PUBH5500 or equivalent Assumed knowledge: Basic understanding of the nature of qualitative knowledge and the processes of qualitative research. Assessment: 1x 4000wd assignment (60%) plus 2x 1000wd responses to workshops (2x20%). Campus: Camperdown/Darlington 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 is an intermediate unit focused on qualitative methodologies. If you are seeking answers to basic questions about qualitative research (How is qualitative different from quantitative research? What questions can it answer? Is qualitative research generalisable or biased? How do I collect qualitative data?) please do not take this Unit: first take PUBH5500. 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 then examine five common qualitative methodologies in detail: phenomenology, narrative inquiry, community based participatory research, ethnography and grounded theory. We will consider their historical and theoretical roots, the research practices they encourage, and their current status. The final day covers recent work about cases and case study, some newer methodologies (including appreciative inquiry and performative social science), and some leading contemporary social science methodologists (including Bent Flyvbjerg and Pierre Bourdieu). Finally we will ask how we can use methodologies as resources rather than recipes, maintaining both flexibility and coherence in our study designs.
QUAL5003 Qualitative Research Analysis & Writing

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Stacy Carter Session: Semester 2 Classes: 2x 2day workshops plus assessed online activities Prerequisites: PUBH5500 or equivalent Assumed knowledge: Basic understanding of the nature of qualitative knowledge and types of qualitative data. Assessment: online analytic work (40%), 3000 wd essay (40%), reflection on intensive workshops (2x10%) Campus: Camperdown/Darlington Mode of delivery: Block Mode
Note: Departmental permission is required for students who have not completed PUBH5500
In this Unit you will analyse and write about qualitative data. This is an intermediate Unit. If you seek answers to basic questions (How is qualitative different from quantitative research? What questions can it answer? Is qualitative research generalisable or biased? How do I collect qualitative data?) then please take PUBH5500 first.. There are many techniques for qualitative analysis. In Intensive One, we will build on PUBH5500 and QUAL5002, introducing approaches not taught in those Units: feminist forms of analysis, conversation analyses, content analyses, discourse analyses and analyses in creative methodologies. Between intensives, you will analyse a portfolio of qualitative data online with feedback and support. In Intensive Two we will practice tricks and tips for writing articles, fieldnotes and memos, and for theorising, editing and responding to reviews. We will encounter performative social science and learn about the publishing process. 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 Stacy Carter Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x 2 day workshop + 1x 1 day workshop + online activities Prerequisites: PUBH5500, QUAL5002 Corequisites: QUAL5003 Assumed knowledge: Good understanding of the nature of qualitative knowledge and of qualitative research processes. Assessment: Research proposal (30%), Human Research Ethics Committee Application (30%), online work (20%), presentation (20%) Campus: Camperdown/Darlington Mode of delivery: Distance Education/Intensive on Campus
Note: Departmental permission is required for students who have not completed PUBH5500
This is the capstone Unit of Study for the Master of Qualitative Health Research. It is available to Grad Cert and Grad Dip Qualitative Research students with special permission. 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 or a project for which you will be seeking grant funding. The first workshop will be spent learning about the research funding process, developing aims and formal research questions, exploring methods and methodology, and highlighting issues of ethics. Across the semester, you will work online to refine and document your research plans and ethical reasoning with support from peers and the course coordinator. On the final workshop day, you will formally present your proposals and your ethical reasoning. The Unit of Study aims to ensure that as a graduate of the MQHR you are well-prepared to commence a qualitative PhD or to seek support for your future qualitative research projects.
SCLG6903 New Debates in Social Theory

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Karl Maton Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x2000wd workbook (40%), 1x3000wd research essay (60%) Campus: Camperdown/Darlington Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) Day
Students will become familiar with the central recent developments in social theory. The unit will examine reinterpretation of a selection of core issues in social theory, as well as covering innovations such as actor-network theory, theories of language and culture, sexuality and the body, consumption and social identity, globalization, nation and state, economic sociology and the intersection of work and family life, democracy and civil society, ethics and recognition, multiculturalism and postcolonialism, knowledge societies, and the dynamics of postmodern social life.
SEXH5008 Sex and Society

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. AusAID students must enrol into the face-to-face version Assessment: written assignment (50%), online discussion (30%), online quiz (20%) Campus: Camperdown/Darlington Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) Day or On-line
This unit will explore the social, psychological and political determinants of sexuality, with particular reference to their potential impacts on public health. It is available in both online and face-to-face modes. Particular emphasis will be placed on the impact of culture, tradition, society, environment, life experiences, personal beliefs and health on sexual activity. Policy and legislative responses to sexual activity will be discussed, with regards to the consequences of sexual activity and methods for determining the effectiveness of such responses.Course content will include population studies on sexual behaviour; historical perspectives; variants of sexuality (including adolescence, prisoners, multicultural aspects, the elderly, disability, homosexuality and transgender issues); sexual dysfunction and counselling; commercial sex work; sex education; sexual assault, health promotion and ethical and legal aspects.
SEXH5101 Public Health Aspects of STDs

Credit points: 2 Teacher/Coordinator: Associate Professor Richard Hillman, Dr Shailendra Sawleshwarkar Session: S2 Intensive,Semester 2a Classes: Semester 2a: 2 hours of lectures per week, half semester, which can be taken either face-to-face or online; Semester 2a Intensive: compulsory attendance at a teaching day in week 4 and attendance at 2 hours of lectures per week, half semester, taken face-to-face for 4 weeks Assessment: written assignment and online quizzes. Assessment: written assignment (50%) and online quizzes (50%) Campus: Camperdown/Darlington Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) Day or On-line
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, travellers' sexual health; health promotion for STIs; policy approaches and ethical & 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. AusAID students must enrol in the face-to-face version. Assessment: written assignment (50%) and online quizzes (50%) Campus: Camperdown/Darlington Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) Day or On-line
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 Prohibitions: SEXH5204 Assessment: continuous assessment including participation in group discussion, short answer questions, 1000 word assignments plus 2500 word essay or field report. Campus: Westmead Mode of delivery: On-line
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.
Back to top