University of Sydney Handbooks - 2013 Archive

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Qualitative Health Research

Graduate Certificate in Qualitative Health Research

(GradCertQHR) KG018 or GCQUAHER1000

Graduate Diploma in Qualitative Health Research

(GradDipQHR) KF056 or GNQUAHER1000

Master of Qualitative Health Research

(MQHR) KC087 or MAQUAHER1000

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.

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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.
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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 Sydney Medical School.

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Further enquiries

Dr Julie Mooney-Somers
Phone: +61 2 9036 3412
Fax: +61 2 9036 3436
Email:


Website:
http://sydney.edu.au/medicine/public-health/future-student/study-program/coursework-degrees/qualitative-health-research.php
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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 August 2012. 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:
sydney.edu.au/handbooks/medicine/
See the Policy Online website: 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.

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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
Advanced Qualitative Health Research 		6    N QUAL5005
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


Departmental permission is required for students who have not completed PUBH5500.
 Int May
QUAL5003
Qualitative Research Analysis & Writing 		6    A Basic understanding of the nature of qualitative knowledge and types of qualitative data.
P 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
Semester 2

Part 1
BETH5000
Critical 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.
 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.
 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.
 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.
 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.
 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.
 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.
 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.
 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      Int October
MIPH5014
International Health Promotion 		4   

Students who have enrolled in PUBH5033 should contact the unit co-ordinator to seek permission before enrolling in MIPH5014, as there is some overlap between the two units of study.
 Semester 2
MIPH5115
Women's and Children's Health 		4      Semester 2
MIPH5116
Culture, Health, Illness and Medicine 		4      Semester 2
MIPH5117
Global Non-Communicable Disease Control 		2      Semester 2a
MIPH5118
Global Perspectives of HIV/AIDS 		4      Semester 2b
MIPH5135
Health Systems in Developing Countries 		4      Semester 2
MMHU6910
Narrative, Literature and Medicine 		6      Semester 2
MMHU6913
Health in World History 		6      Semester 1
PSYC5012
Health and Risk Communication 		6      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
PUBH5118
Indigenous Health Promotion 		4      Semester 2b
PUBH5414
Public Health Advocacy 		2      Int Sept
PUBH5415
Injury Prevention 		2      Int October
PUBH5418
Tobacco Control in the 21st Century 		6      Int August
PUBH5419
Falls Prevention in Older People 		4      Semester 2
PUBH5420
Public Health Advocacy Strategies 		4    C PUBH5414
Semester 2b
SEXH5008
Sex and Society 		2   

AusAID students must enrol in the face-to-face version
Semester 1b
Semester 2b
SEXH5101
Public Health Aspects of STIs 		2   

AusAID students must enrol in the face-to-face version.
 Semester 1a
Semester 2a
SEXH5102
Public Health Aspects of HIV/AIDS 		2   

AusAID students must enrol in the face-to-face version
Semester 1b
Semester 2b
SEXH5205
Advanced Adolescent Sexual Health 		6      Semester 2

Part 2
GCST5902
Natures and Cultures of Bodies 		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 1
LNGS7006
Cross-Cultural Communication 		6      Semester 2
LNGS7274
Media Discourse 		6      Semester 1
LNGS7301
Functional Grammar 		6      Semester 1
SCLG6903
New Debates in Social Theory 		6      Semester 1
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Units of study descriptions for 2013

ANTH6915 Ethnographic Method

This unit of study is not available in 2013

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
Note: Department permission required for enrolment
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 Critical Concepts in Bioethics

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Robert Irvine 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: 1 x 750wd review (15%) and 1 x 1500wd essay (35%) and 1 x 2000-2500wd essay (50%) Campus: Camperdown/Darlington Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) Day or On-line
This unit of study offers an introduction to the field of bioethics. The course canvasses different ways that bioethics is 'made-up' in discourse, thought and practice, and the meaning of 'bioethics' historically and in contemporary society. Mapping some of the key literature on current on-going debates and contentions, the seminars explore different perspectives that people have of bioethics from points within and outside of the discipline and why bioethics and bioethical dilemmas have become important objects of popular and professional concern. Topics include voluntary euthanasia, human rights, animal research, the pharmaceutical industry, globalization, environmental bioethics and public health. Learning activities will include seminars and small group discussion.
Textbooks
Students are provided with a book of readings (in digital format). Most supplementary readings can be accessed through the library or online.
BETH5101 Introduction to Ethical Reasoning

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: A/Prof Ian Keeridge Session: Semester 1 Classes: 13 x 2hr seminars.This course is offered in face-to-face or distance mode (fully online 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 or On-line
In this unit of study students gain the background in ethical philosophy necessary to engage in advanced analyses of issues in bioethics. Introduction to Ethical Reasoning familiarises students with classical theoretical frameworks such as virtue ethics, Kantian deontology, and utilitarianism that have been influential in the history of Western philosophy. The unit also examines more contemporary approaches to ethics, such as the capabilities approach, feminist ethics, human rights doctrines, and poststructuralist approaches. Across these different theoretical frameworks, discussions will focus on topics such as cultural relativism, universalism in ethics, difference and power.
Textbooks
Students are provided with a book of readings (in digital format). Most supplementary readings can be accessed through the library or online.
BETH5102 Philosophy of Medicine

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Christopher Jordens Session: Semester 1 Classes: 13 x 2hr seminars.This course is offered in face-to-face mode or distance mode (fully online). Students must opt for one mode or the other. 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: 1 short written exercise ( Campus: Camperdown/Darlington Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) Day or On-line
This unit of study introduces some key philosophical questions and debates concerning medicine and the biomedical sciences. It is divided into three sections. The first explores key concepts and distinctions such as health, disease, mental illness and disability. The second section deals with topics that lie at the heart of a scientific approach to medicine, namely, causation, experimentation, evidence and clinical reasoning. The final section of the course invites students to reflect critically on the preceding section by exploring the rationality claims of non-orthodox approaches, by inquiring closely into the meaning of medical terms, and by taking a broad view of the notion of risk.
Textbooks
Students are provided with a book of readings (in digital format). Most supplementary readings can be accessed through the library or online.
BETH5103 Biomedicine and Society

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Christopher Jordens Session: Semester 2 Classes: 13 x 2hr seminars. This course is offered in face-to-face mode or distance mode (fully online). Students must opt for one mode or the other. 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 or On-line
How does biomedicine both influence and reflect the broader society of which it is a part? This unit of study addresses this general question by examining a set of issues relating to sex and drugs. A key theme in the course is the "medicalisation" of human experience in the domains of gender, reproduction and sexual behaviour. The course aims to widen the scope of bioethical inquiry through readings that explore the issues from a range of different perspectives including history, sociology, politics, health policy, philosophy, religion, feminism, public health, and personal experience. Each topic introduces specific concepts which students are encouraged to apply. Students are also encouraged to draw on their own disciplinary and/or professional background. Seminars, on-line discussions and coursework will provide opportunities to learn from other students, and apply learning from other units of study in bioethics.
Textbooks
Students are provided with a book of readings (in digital format). Most supplementary readings can be accessed through the library or online.
BETH5201 Ethics and Biotech: Genes and Stem Cells

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Ainslie Newson Session: Semester 1 Classes: 6 x 2hr seminars, 1 x 8 hr intensive. This course is offered in face-to-face mode or distance mode (fully online). 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 x 400wd tutorial assessments (3 x 10%); 1 x 1200-1500wd essay (30%); 1 x 2200 - 2500wd essay (40%) Campus: Camperdown/Darlington Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) Day or On-line
This unit of study introduces students to the broader ethical, philosophical, social, political, legal and regulatory issues that underlie genetics, stem cell research and the emerging biotechnologies. The unit will begin with a brief overview of the relevant science before considering differences between scientific, cultural and religious understandings of life and human identity. The unit also focuses on the political, regulatory and commercial context of biotechnology and the control of information. Students will examine the ethical issues that arise in clinical and population genetics, stem cell research and cloning as well as explore the boundaries of research and knowledge and the issues raised by emerging biotechnologies, such as nanotechnology and proteomics.
Textbooks
Students are provided with a book of readings (in digital format). Most supplementary readings can be accessed through the library or online.
BETH5202 Human and Animal Research Ethics

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: A/Professor Ian Kerridge Session: Semester 2 Classes: 3 x 8 hr intensive. This course is offered in face-to-face mode or distance mode (fully online). 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 or On-line
This unit of study introduces students to research ethics in its social context. It explores the philosophical underpinnings of the research endeavour including the justifications for engaging in research, research priorities and research integrity. The unit also reviews the history of research and the impact of research abuse on subjects, both human and animal. International and national guidelines for ethical human and animal research will be covered and participants are encouraged to develop practical skills in relation to their own research. The second part of the unit investigates current areas of controversy and public interest in research.
Textbooks
Students are provided with a book of readings (in digital format). Most supplementary readings can be accessed through the library or online.
BETH5203 Ethics and Public Health

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: A/Professor Ian Kerridge Session: Semester 2 Classes: 4 x 8hr Intensives. This course is offered in face-to-face mode or distance mode (fully online). 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: 12 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 or On-line
This unit of study provides students with an overview of the broader philosophical, ethical, socio-political 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 examines 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 examines 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.
Textbooks
Students are provided with a book of readings (in digital format). Most supplementary readings can be accessed through the library or online.
BETH5204 Clinical Ethics

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: A/Professor Ian Kerridge Session: Semester 1 Classes: 3 x 8hr Intensives.This course is offered in face-to-face mode or distance mode (fully online). 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 or On-line
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.
Textbooks
Students are provided with a book of readings (in digital format). Most supplementary readings can be accessed through the library or online.
BETH5205 Ethics and Mental Health

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: A/Professor Michael Robertson Session: Semester 2 Classes: 3 x 8hr Intensives. This course is offered in face-to-face mode or distance mode (fully online). Assessment: 1 x 1500wd essay (25%); 1 x 2500wd essay (50%); online learning participation (15%); and attendance (10%) Campus: Camperdown/Darlington Mode of delivery: Block Mode or On-line
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.
Textbooks
Students are provided with a book of readings (in digital format). Most supplementary readings can be accessed through the library or online.
GCST5902 Natures and Cultures of Bodies

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Kane Race Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x2-hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x4000-5000wd (case studies) (90%) and in-class presentation (10%) Campus: Camperdown/Darlington Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) Day
This unit explores various approaches to embodiment in the wake of contemporary theories of biopolitics, or the politics of life. The body is approached as an object of knowledge and power, as always implicated with technologies, as an organisation of affects and a medium of experimentation. Beginning with Foucault's work on sexuality, we consider various approaches that address the changing natures and cultures of bodies. We also develop ways of accounting for the action of nonhuman actors in forms of activity in which humans participate. The unit combines theoretical reflection with case studies of bodily practices, cultures, subcultures and technologies.
HPOL5000 Introduction to Health Policy

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Anne Marie Thow & Professor Stephen Leeder Session: Semester 1 Classes: 2 x 2-day workshops, online lectures and discussions Assessment: 1 x 1500wd written assignment (30%); 1 x 3000wd written assignment (50%); Online learning quiz (5%); online problem based learning exercise (15%) Campus: Camperdown/Darlington Mode of delivery: Distance Education/Intensive on Campus
To develop a critical and comparative understanding of the history, theory and practice of health policy. To give an overview of the political choices and frameworks - national and global - that shape policymaking.
Learning objectives:
- acquire a critical understanding of the basic history and features of the Australian health system
- understand the main frameworks used to analyse and make policy
- understand the main issues in the translation of policy into practice
- demonstrate the capacity to apply these understandings in particular settings through case studies.
Content:
This unit explores the main structures and institutions that make health policy. The unit examines debates over policy frameworks, and the evidence and advocacy in setting priorities. Conflicts over health policy will be placed in broader contexts - comparing different health systems and assessing global influences. Case studies will be used to examine the relationships between policy and practice.
Textbooks
Buse K, Mays N, Walt G (2005). Making health policy. Open University Press: London.
HPOL5003 Analysing Health Policy

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Associate Professor James Gillespie, Professor Stephen Leeder Session: Semester 2 Classes: 2 x two day workshops plus online discussions Assessment: 1x2500 word assignment (50%), 1x3000 word assignment (50%) Campus: Camperdown/Darlington Mode of delivery: Distance Education/Intensive on Campus
To develop skills for the effective critical appraisal of health policy. To familiarize students with the principles, and limitations, of evidence-based health policy and a broader understanding of its political context.
Learning objectives:
- to develop critical appraisal skills to critique the research that underpins policy
- to identify and analyse the main influences on policy development
- to evaluate existing policy frameworks and processes in relation to evidence, political context and broader community values
Content:
This unit builds policy analysis and analytical skills by exploring policy design, implementation and evaluation.
It looks at the methods and limitations of evidence-based health policy and the problems of integrating equity concerns when developing and applying health policy.
The workshops focus on using and critiquing epidemiological and social science literature to understand and build the evidence base for policy, and on understanding the political and social contexts in which agendas are set and policies implemented.
Textbooks
Buse K, Mays N, Walt G (2005). Making health policy. Open University Press: London.
HPSC4102 History of Science

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: A/Prof 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
Weekly Readings
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
Stockwell, P. (2007) 'Sociolinguistics: A resource book for students'. London: Routledge.
LNGS7004 Register and Genre in English

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Ahmar Mahboob Session: Semester 1 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: Dr Toni Borowsky 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
Piller, I. (2011). 'Intercultural Communication: A critical introduction'.Edinburgh University Press Ltd.
LNGS7274 Media Discourse

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Monika Bednarek Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x2-hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x500wd summary (5%), 1x1500wd image analysis (35%), 1x3000wd text analysis (60%) Campus: Camperdown/Darlington Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) Day
"Sexy, healthy and 100% Australian-owned!" This unit examines linguistic approaches to media discourse. The language of news texts and television series will form a special focus of the unit, along with how images are used to construe meaning. We will explore general aspects of media institutions (news and television), the ways in which social identities are constructed in the media, differences between the language of various types of media texts, the rhetoric of persuasion and the discourses of popular culture.
LNGS7301 Functional Grammar

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Ahmar Mahboob Session: Semester 1 Classes: 2x2-hr seminars/week 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: Int October Classes: 1x 2day intensive lectures Assessment: 1x 2000word 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 are also addressed. During the short course, students will also explore issues such as pre-travel preparations, protection from vector-borne diseases and vaccinations. The teaching method is face-to-face teaching. 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: 1x 2hr lecture per week for 13 weeks; 1x 1hr tutorial per week for 9 weeks Assessment: 1500 words essay (30%), 2500 words report (50%), tutorial participation and attendance (20%) Campus: Camperdown/Darlington Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) Day
Note: Students who have enrolled in PUBH5033 should contact the unit co-ordinator to seek permission before enrolling in MIPH5014, as there is some overlap between the two units of study.
This unit of study aims to provide students with an understanding of the principles, theory and methods that are employed in health promotion and prevention. The unit will give attention to the full spectrum of health promotion and prevention programs, from the development of local level initiatives to global policies to achieve health goals. It will have a strong practical and methodological focus, with the objective of enabling students to develop knowledge and skills for planning, implementing and evaluating health promotion programs. Models and methods that are commonly used in health promotion and disease prevention will be described and discussed by using real life examples. Among the major issues examined are the health impact of social and economic development at the national and global levels, prevention and control of non-communicable and communicable diseases, including cigarette smoking, hygiene practices, capacity building and workforce development for health promotion and prevention.
Textbooks
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 (70%), tutorial facilitation (15%), 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, family planning, diarrhoeal disease, pneumonia, and 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 2 Classes: 1 x 2 day workshop; 1 x 2hr seminar per week for 7 weeks; also offered fully online. Assessment: 1x3000word essay (75%) and 1x1hr class facilitation (25%) Campus: Camperdown/Darlington Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) Day or On-line
This unit aims to provide an integrated and interpretive approach to an understanding of health-related behaviours of populations in international settings, by synthesizing anthropological knowledge and methodology, and the interactions of culture, biology, psychology and environment. The teaching process is by student-led, lecturer-guided, discussion based review and critical analysis of relevant topics. During the unit, students will explore a range of issues in global and multicultural health from an anthropological perspective. Methodological approaches will encompass ethnography and other anthropological data collection methods. The issues covered will include cultural influences on health, illness and healing, such as indigenous and traditional beliefs and systems, gender and cultural change and the impact of modernization and development on illness and healing. The impact examines disease and illness patterns - their distribution and persistence, mental illness and culture and attitudes towards the use of medications; and the provision of culturally sensitive and appropriate services. The emphasis will be on covering a range of topic areas relevant to the students enrolled, and those of particular importance in contemporary international and multicultural health contexts.
Textbooks
Unit notes supplied by School.
MIPH5117 Global Non-Communicable Disease Control

Credit points: 2 Teacher/Coordinator: Professor Bob Cumming Session: Semester 2a Classes: 1x 2hr lecture per week for 7 weeks; also offered fully online Assessment: 1x 2000word written assignment (100%) Campus: Camperdown/Darlington Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) Day or On-line
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 in relation to NCDs, health promotion for NCDs and approaches to NCD research in developing countries. Lectures are given by health professionals with direct experience of NCD control in developing countries.
Textbooks
Unit notes supplied by School.
MIPH5118 Global Perspectives of HIV/AIDS

Credit points: 4 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Joel Negin Session: Semester 2b Classes: 4 days of intensive lectures spread over a 1 month period; also offered fully online Assessment: 1xgroup report (20%), peer evaluation (10%), 1x2000 word individual assignment (60%), and participation in discussions (10%) Campus: Camperdown/Darlington Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) Day or On-line
This unit offers a detailed and evidence-based assessment of the global HIV situation to equip students with the latest understanding of HIV distribution and trends globally, its social and economic implications, the measures being taken to prevent and treat HIV and AIDS, the gaps that need to be addressed in HIV control, and the politics around global HIV issues. Examples from different parts of the world, particularly less developed settings, are used to illustrate 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: Dr Joel Negin, Dr Alexandra Martiniuk Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x 2hr lecture per week for 10 weeks; plus 2x 0.5 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
MMHU6910 Narrative, Literature and Medicine

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Estelle Noonan Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x 2 hr seminar weekly (evening) or online Assessment: 500-1000 word online assessment (10%); 1 x 1,500 word essay (25%); 1 x 3,500 word essay (50%); 1 oral presentation (15%) Campus: Camperdown/Darlington Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) Evening or On-line
This unit of study explores the connections between literature, narrative and medicine. From writings by Leo Tolstoy, Franz Kafka, and Virginia Woolf, to contemporary texts by Vincent Lam and Jean-Dominique Bauby, students will encounter and analyse a wide range of literary and non-literary narratives concerned with illness, embodiment and healing. The unit will provide a space for informal discussion and reflection on the texts we encounter, while also introducing students to influential theories of narrative and modes of cultural, literary and linguistic analysis that can further enrich our understandings of these texts. Students are encouraged to probe the limits (the 'what', 'how', and 'who') of knowledge issuing from literary and other modes of narrating health. Topics or themes covered during the course include: narrative theory (narratology); narrative competence; literary/cultural representations of health practitioners; rhetoric (semiotics) of health; literary/cultural constructions of disability and femininity; narrative ethics; language and embodiment; medico-literary 'genres' (e.g. autopathography and the medical [anti]bildungsroman); narrating death and dying; and the limits of narrative.
MMHU6913 Health in World History

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Alex Cameron-Smith Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x 2 hr seminar weekly or online response to readings Assessment: 2x 2500 word essay (100%) Campus: Camperdown/Darlington Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) Evening
This unit of study offers the student an overview of the history of health, both as a changing concept in medicine and society and as evolving practices of public health. The unit traces the main historical developments in public health and medicine from ancient and modern preoccupations with geography and climate, through the development of hospitals, the effects of imperialism and globalisation, and the involvement of states and international organisations in health. It will examine the influence of scientific and laboratory revolutions between the seventeenth and twentieth centuries, before considering medicalisation and social discourses of health in the twentieth century. In addition to the history of ideas, this unit will focus on health practices and patient experiences as they interacted with changes in medical knowledge and broader society. Students will thus learn to examine the history of health within political, economic and cultural contexts, including those of class, religion, race and gender.
PSYC5012 Health and Risk Communication

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

Credit points: 4 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Geoff Morgan Session: Semester 2 Classes: Mixed mode of 13 online lectures and 6 face-to-face/online case studies (13 sessions of 2 hours) . All the content for the unit can be completed online if necessary. Assessment: 1x written assignment (45%), 1x quiz (40%) and case study participation (15%) Campus: Camperdown/Darlington Mode of delivery: On-line or Distance Education/Intensive on Campus
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. Regional and global issues of sustainability, climate change and land use planning will also be covered. The unit aims to develop an understanding of environmental health hazard identification and risk assessment, as well as the principles of hazard regulation and control. The disciplines of epidemiology, toxicology and ecology will be used to characterise risks associated with environmental hazards and explore various approaches to managing the risks. Students completing this unit will appreciate the multi-disciplinary nature of environmental health issues and the need to work closely with health and other external government agencies.
Textbooks
Environmental Health (Third Edition). Moeller DW. Harvard University Press;
PUBH5114 Alcohol, Drug Use and Health

Credit points: 4 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Carolyn Day Session: Semester 2 Classes: 13 weeks of 1hr teaching sessions and/or associated readings and online activities. The teaching sessions are a combination of one day face to face workshop 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 eLearning site.
PUBH5115 Alcohol, Drug Use and Health

Credit points: 2 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Carolyn Day 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 eLearning site.
PUBH5118 Indigenous Health Promotion

Credit points: 4 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Clive Aspin Session: Semester 2b Classes: 1 x 2day workshop, 7 weeks x 2 hr lectures Assessment: 1 x 2000 word essay (70%), workshop and class participation (30%) Campus: Camperdown/Darlington Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) Day
Despite the many positive political, social and legal advances that have taken place in Australian society, it is impossible to ignore the fact after more than 200 years of colonisation, the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous health outcome continues to be unacceptably wide. Using a health promotion framework, the unit will provide students with an opportunity to increase their understanding of the history and culture of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. It is hoped that students will utilise this understanding to develop more congenial and productive relations with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the community, and within the spheres of their chosen professions. During the unit students are encouraged to examine factors that determine health, to analyse the major factors that influence Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health outcomes, and the relationship between these factors. The course will provide opportunities to discuss and identify strategies to address the health disparities between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and other Australians.
Textbooks
Course reader will be provided.
PUBH5414 Public Health Advocacy

Credit points: 2 Teacher/Coordinator: Professor Simon Chapman Session: Int Sept Classes: 1 x 2 day 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: Int October 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: Int 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%) 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: Associate Professor Cathie Sherrington and Dr Anne Tiedemann Session: Semester 2 Classes: 6-8 hours of online lectures and tutorials per week for 13 weeks Assessment: 1x 2000 word written assignment (60%), 1 x assignment with "short answer" questions (20%), participation in moderated online discussions (20%) 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.
PUBH5420 Public Health Advocacy Strategies

Credit points: 4 Teacher/Coordinator: Professor Simon Chapman, Dr Becky Freeman Session: Semester 2b Classes: 2 full days followed by 3 weeks of online Corequisites: PUBH5414 Assessment: 2500 word essay (70%), online participation (30%) Campus: Camperdown/Darlington Mode of delivery: Block Mode
This unit builds on content from Public Health Advocacy PUBH5414. Students will have the opportunity to critique and analyse case studies from a variety of both successful and unsuccessful public health advocacy examples. There will be an emphasis on how online environments and social media tools are contributing to public health advocacy debates and campaigns. Recent examples of how online media have influenced health policy and programming will be presented. Students will examine and prepare writing for online media such as news, blogs, and social media. The lectures will include guest speakers from non-government organisations, government and other experienced stakeholders from across the public heath sector.
Textbooks
Recommended: Chapman S. (2007) Public Health Advocacy and Tobacco Control: Making Smoking History. Oxford: Blackwell.
PUBH5500 Advanced Qualitative Health Research

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Julie Mooney-Somers Session: Semester 1a Classes: Block mode (2 x 3 days) Prohibitions: QUAL5005 Assessment: 2x 2000wd assignments (2x40%) plus 2x 500wd reflections on workshops (2x10%) Campus: Camperdown/Darlington 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. Workshop One will address: 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 qualitative literature? How do I design a qualitative study? You will learn about interviewing, focus groups and observation; participate in a focus group; and design and conduct your own interview. Workshop Two addresses: 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? How are methodologies and theories used in qualitative research? What is good quality qualitative research? Can I generalise qualitative findings? You will analyse your own interview data; and learn how to make arguments for qualitative research in health. In both workshops you will meet working qualitative researchers and hear about their projects. This advanced Unit will show you a new way of thinking critically about research and researching, and give you the skills and confidence to begin evaluating and doing qualitative research for yourself.
QUAL5002 Qualitative Methodologies & Study Design

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Julie Mooney-Somers Session: Int May Classes: Block mode (2x3 days) Corequisites: PUBH5500 Assumed knowledge: Basic understanding of the nature of qualitative knowledge and the processes of qualitative research. Assessment: 2x1000wd short answer (25%, 25%); 1x 4000wd assignment (50%) 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 intermediate unit assumes a basic understanding of qualitative research and focuses on qualitative methodologies. Qualitative methodologies are informed by theories from sociology, anthropology, philosophy and other disciplines. They shape the research questions, objectives, design and outcome of a qualitative study. This course begins with general principles of qualitative methodology and study design. We examine seven qualitative methodologies in detail: narrative inquiry, community based participatory research, ethnography, grounded theory, creative, qualitative synthesis, and case study. We consider their historical and theoretical roots, the research practices they encourage, and their current status. The final session considers how we can use methodologies as resources rather than recipes, maintaining both flexibility and coherence in our study designs.
QUAL5003 Qualitative Research Analysis & Writing

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

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Julie Mooney-Somers Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x 2 day workshop + fortnightly collaborative work Prerequisites: PUBH5500, QUAL5002 Corequisites: QUAL5003 Assumed knowledge: Good understanding of the nature of qualitative knowledge and of qualitative research processes. Assessment: Research proposal (30%, 20%), Human Research Ethics Committee Application (30%, 20%) Campus: Camperdown/Darlington Mode of delivery: Distance Education/Intensive on Campus
This is the capstone Unit of Study for the Master of Qualitative Health Research, and is available to Grad Cert and Grad Dip Qualitative Research students. 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. Day one of the Workshop will be spent learning about the research funding process, developing aims and formal research questions, exploring methods and methodology, and reviewing successful qualitative grant applications. Day two will be spent working through a funding proposal and learning about issues of ethics. Across the semester, you will work to refine and document your research plans and ethical reasoning and receive support from peers and the unit coordinator through fortnightly teleconferences. 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 1 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, globalisation, 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: Dr Anthony Santella Session: Semester 1b,Semester 2b Classes: Semester 1b is online only; Semester 2b :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 (70%), online quiz (30%) Campus: Camperdown/Darlington Mode of delivery: On-line
Note: AusAID students must enrol in the face-to-face version
This unit will explore determinants of sexuality from a societal perspective, with particular reference to their potential impacts on public health. It is available in both online and face-to-face modes. Social science theories of sexuality will be considered, and cross-cultural and historical accounts of sexual practices will be reviewed. Particular emphasis will be placed on the impact of diversity, culture, society, environment, life experiences, personal beliefs and health on sexual activity and potential Public Health impacts such as the spread of STIs & HIV. Course content will include diversity; adolescence sexual development; sex education; sexual assault, gender; sexual orientation and sexual behaviour.
SEXH5101 Public Health Aspects of STIs

Credit points: 2 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Anthony Santella Session: Semester 1a,Semester 2a Classes: Session 1a online only. 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 5 and attendance at 2 hours of lectures per week, half semester, taken face-to-face for 3 weeks Assessment: written assignment (70%) and online quizzes (30%) Campus: Camperdown/Darlington Mode of delivery: Block Mode or On-line or Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) Day
Note: AusAID students must enrol in the face-to-face version.
This unit aims to provide a public health perspective of the community impact of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). It is available in both online and face to face modes. At the end of this unit, students will be able to understand the underlying principles of the surveillance systems used to monitor STIs; the core risk activity groups involved in the transmission of STIs; how the epidemiologies of STIs vary within and between societies; the public health impacts of STIs; and effective preventative strategies at individual and community levels. Course content will include an introduction to the basic biology of STIs; epidemiology and surveillance methods; STI service delivery considerations; STI/HIV interactions, impact of vulnerable at-risk populations; health promotion for STIs; policy approaches and ethical & legal issues.
SEXH5102 Public Health Aspects of HIV/AIDS

Credit points: 2 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Anthony Santella Session: Semester 1b,Semester 2b Classes: Session 1b online only. Session2b: 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 (70%) and online quizzes (30%) Campus: Camperdown/Darlington Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) Day or On-line
Note: AusAID students must enrol in the face-to-face version
This unit aims to provide a public health perspective of the impact of HIV infection. It is available in both online and face to face modes. At the end of this unit, students will be able to understand the underlying principles of the surveillance systems used to monitor HIV infection; the core risk activity groups involved in the transmission of HIV; how the epidemiology of HIV infection varies within and between societies; the public health impacts of HIV infection; and effective prevention strategies. Course content will include an introduction to the basic science of HIV infection; epidemiology and surveillance; sexual blood borne and mother to child transmission; STI/HIV interactions; other methods of transmission; health promotion for HIV; government perspectives and ethical and legal issues.
SEXH5205 Advanced Adolescent Sexual Health

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Melissa Kang Session: Semester 2 Classes: fully online Assessment: continuous assessment including participation in group discussion, 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.
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