The Leadership, People and Organisations unit will aim to raise awareness of the need for leadership and management skills amongst veterinary public health professionals. Through experiential learning activities, group case study analysis and scenario based problem-solving activities, students will identify how they can develop effective management and leadership skills at the residential session. In the online classroom, students will use independent study and group learning to further explore aspects of leadership and working successfully within organisations.
After completing the Leadership, People and Organisations unit, students will be able to: explain the importance and principles of leadership in the context of animal health management and veterinary public health: discuss aspects of leadership such as personality, intelligence, values, cultural differences, motivations, self efficacy and perception: identify their own skill requirements: use and explain the principles of action learning: explain the effects of group dynamics in work teams: discuss how power and influence impact on success at work: analyse and develop their own leadership skills: explain how work design can affect organizational and team success: discuss organizational behaviour and culture: recommend strategies to transform organizations.

After completing Hazards to Human and Animal Health, students will be able to: Describe the key elements of risk assessment and the concepts of hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP) intervention; List sources of chemical contamination of food of animal origin and describe how to detect, monitor and prevent these; Explain how the national residue survey works; Discuss the microbial hazards in food of animal origin and the means by which they affect humans, and identify critical control points; Summarise key points of the current antibiotic resistance debate concerning the implications for public health of antibiotic use in animals; Describe critical aspects of important zoonotic diseases acquired by humans by ingestion of animal products and other routes of exposure and identify possible means of prevention; Analyse the factors that influence the emergence of new diseases and discuss changes that need to be implemented in animal and human health surveillance; List the notifiable animal diseases (endemic and emergency) in Australia and discuss the rationale and process for notification and control; describe global trends in livestock disease distribution - both in time and space; Describe the disease control programs for a range of current animal diseases and discuss their health, welfare and political ramifications.

After completing the Veterinary Epidemiology I unit students will be able to- discuss epidemiology and the work of epidemiologists in relation to other disciplines; apply the concepts of epidemic theory and herd immunity appropriately to animal disease control issues; contribute to investigations of disease outbreaks and low productivity in animal populations; calculate and interpret the measures of disease frequency and measures of association; select an appropriate epidemiological study design for a specific research question; identify and minimise sources of bias and error in study designs; select appropriate diagnostic tests and interpret their results (at individual and herd level).

This unit of study is an introduction to project management for students whose main objective is to develop a range of skills in the field of Veterinary Public Health Management. The unit of study is composed of a 3-day residential and distance education, together totalling 150 hours. As a result, not every area of project management can be covered in depth. The unit concentrates on the project management processes and deliverables in order to give the student a solid grounding in project management. Obviously project management also involves other areas such as leadership, "soft skills" and the strategic aspects of projects. While some soft skills specific to project management are covered, other leadership and team management aspects are not covered in this unit of study. They are however covered in the Leadership units of study that are core to the Veterinary Public Health Management Program.
After completing Project Management, students will be able to: define project context, project phases and project knowledge areas; use common project management terminology; define project initiation stage processes and deliverables; define the processes required to execute and control the project plan; define project closing processes and to create a project review report (PRR) as part of a process to continually improve their understanding of project management; discuss the complexities and challenges of project management; propose effective strategies to deal with these complexities and challenges.
Students will also be able to define project planning stage processes and create a project plan including a: Stakeholder Management Plan; Scope Management Plan; Time Management Plan; Cost Management Plan; Quality Management Plan; Communications Management Plan; HR Management Plan; Risk Management Plan.

After completing Animal Health Economics, participants will be able to: Discuss the importance of animal diseases in efficiency of animal production, consumers' perceptions of animals and animal products, and global trade; Analyse economic problems using basic methods such as partial budgeting, cost-benefit analysis and decision analysis; Detail the critical steps in systems analysis and choose appropriate modelling types and techniques; Describe the uses of linear and dynamic programming, and Markov chain and Monte Carlo simulations; Discuss the basic principles of risk analysis; Explain the basic steps in the decision-making process and the role of risk analysis in this process; Explain the role of decision support systems in animal health management and demonstrate their profitability; Build and interpret spreadsheet models for economic analyses in MS EXCEL; Discuss the importance of Animal Health Economics in decision making, implementation and evaluation of animal health programs, and policy development and implementation processes.

After studying the Principles of Animal Health Policy Development unit, students will be able to: Describe the structure and role of Australia's Veterinary Service; Outline the process of law making and policy development in relation to public health and animal health in Australia; Outline current policy issues relating to veterinary public health and animal health in Australia; Discuss strategies used to resolve conflicts among stakeholders and to address the economic, political, technical and social issues that may arise; Discuss the means whereby veterinary public health and animal health policy is monitored and enforced; Discuss evaluation and improvement strategies for animal health policy.

The Leadership: Managing Change unit of study will cover advanced leadership and management issues in veterinary public health. A key role for managers and leaders is managing change. The aims of this course are to: introduce you to selected theories and concepts which underpin the practice of change management; explore the roles that you and others play in initiating and facilitating organisations to change; provide you with frameworks for analysing and understanding your own experience of change in organisations; identify the range of key skills you need to effectively lead and implement change; assess your own change skills and recognise the special abilities you have already developed.
This unit looks at change on many levels, beginning with a micro focus on the individual and culminating with a more macro view of the whole organisational system. It balances practical skill building with a solid foundation of theoretical understanding. In this unit of study students will explore managing change around three central concepts: the change agent; change perspectives; change and organisations.

After completing Veterinary Epidemiology 2, students will be able to design an appropriate epidemiology study to investigate a specific research question, including: sampling procedure; data collection tools; database for data storage and manipulation; statistical procedures; methods to manage confounders, clustering and collinearity.

In this course, students will work with existing data. Issues of developing a study design will not be dealt with. students will however consider the impact of a particular study design on the interpretation of the data generated. after studying this unit students will be able to: identify potential sources of data and their strengths and weaknesses; identify and apply appropriate descriptive and analytical and statistical methods for different purposes; perform some analysis on data using commonly available software programs; Identify and manage potential bias and confounding in data; describe and interpret the results of data analysis; incorporate the outcomes of data analysis in policy development.

After studying the Wildlife Epidemiology unit, you will be able to: Apply epidemiological concepts to wildlife populations. Explain the concept of disease ecology. Discuss issues relevant to disease determination in wildlife populations and explain the associated diagnostic challenges. Discuss alternate study methodologies and design a valid observational study for a wildlife population. Discuss design and analysis issues relevant to wildlife disease studies. Identify sources of wildlife animal health data and discuss wildlife health information systems. Critically review published literature on wildlife disease studies.
This unit is offered in alternate years to VETS7014 Aquatic Animal Epidemiology.

After studying Risk Analysis you will be able to: apply the terminology and major concepts, principles, tools and techniques used in risk management in an animal health context; analyse and evaluate the main approaches to risk management in animal health (including veterinary public health) and trade; evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of some of the tools used in risk management; synthesise the tasks and issues associated with risk management with your knowledge of animal and public health; approach risk communication with an understanding of the different methods of good risk communication and the relationship between risk perception and risk communication.

After studying this unit, you will be able to: apply epidemiological concepts to farmed and wild aquatic animals; explain the requirements of import risk analysis for aquatic animals and identify sources of aquatic animal health data; explain the requirements of aquatic animal disease surveillance and targeted surveys; design analytic epidemiological studies; explain sources of bias in aquatic animal systems; contribute to investigations of fish kills.

After studying Surveillance, Preparedness and Response you will be able to: explain how surveillance contributes to the assessment and management of risks that affect public health, animal health, or trade; provide advice on the development of a surveillance strategy to meet defined objectives; describe a preferred framework for managing animal health emergencies.

After studying this unit students will be able to: Describe the important characteristics of the main epidemiological data types; Develop a data-collection form for an epidemiological study; Design a simple relational database for recording animal health-related data; Manage data in a computer spreadsheet, including importing, exporting, recoding, transforming and summarising data; Undertake descriptive analysis of data using computer spreadsheets or other appropriate software; Undertake descriptive analysis of data using computer spreadsheets or other appropriate software.

After completing Food Safety participants will be able to describe the respective roles and recent initiatives in food safety of the various government and industry organisations that make up the global, national and regional regulatory system for the safety of food of animal origin; Describe and critically analyse the key elements in food safety risk assessment and management and critically apply this to the analysis of a total quality management food safety system; Describe the critical aspects of the epidemiology, pathogenesis, management and prevention of the well-recognised bacterial food-borne pathogens; Identify emerging food-borne pathogens of animal origin and describe the critical aspects of the epidemiology that make them a particular public health concern; Describe the principles used in newer microbiological diagnostic tests and their application in food safety programs; Discuss the elements required for an effective national antimicrobial resistance management program; List the potential sources of and critically assess the potential public health threats posed by the presence of natural toxins and environmental contaminants in food of animal origin.

After completing this unit, students will be able to: Understand and describe the biologic principles of common tests and how their inherent characteristics affect their accuracy and precision; Analyse and summarise data from a test evaluation or test comparison study; Critique published test evaluation studies and describe their strengths and weaknesses considering design and analysis guidelines in the veterinary medical literature; Incorporate quantitative test results in clinical decision making about an individual animal's disease status; Interpret test results from prevalence estimation studies involving single and multiple animal; opulations, from risk factor studies and from disease surveillance systems; Plan a disease surveillance system or disease survey and select a diagnostic test(s) (considering its strengths and weaknesses) to meet specified surveillance or survey objectives.

This Unit of Study, delivered by distance education using an online classroom, will use four case studies to introduce students to the application of three statistical procedures (linear regression, logistic regression, survival analysis) in epidemiological research for animal health and public health. Approaches to account for the impact of confounding, effect modification and clustering suitable for these statistical procedures will be discussed. After completing this unit, students will be able to: identify an appropriate statistical method for testing associations with a categorical and a continuous outcome; conduct descriptive and univariable regression analyses using standard statistical software; build multivariable linear and logistic models for measuring association of a variable with an outcome after accounting for other variables and confounders; interpret the output of regression analyses from standard statistical software and present the results in research papers and project reports; evaluate statistical results presented in epidemiology journals (such as Preventive Veterinary Medicine) and identify clustering in epidemiological data and have basic skills to account for clustering while analysing hierarchical data.

This unit of study seeks to enable the development of key managerial skills.Topic areas include: social intelligence and communication skills; strategy and decision making skills; ethics; management systems and organisational design; You will also be taught how to lead teams, manage yourselves and your careers, and also how to engage your stakeholders in the process of developing these skills.

After completing Veterinary Epidemiology 2, students will be able to design an appropriate epidemiology study to investigate a specific research question, including: sampling procedure; data collection tools; database for data storage and manipulation; statistical procedures; methods to manage confounders, clustering and collinearity.

In this course, students will work with existing data. Issues of developing a study design will not be dealt with. students will however consider the impact of a particular study design on the interpretation of the data generated. after studying this unit students will be able to: identify potential sources of data and their strengths and weaknesses; identify and apply appropriate descriptive and analytical and statistical methods for different purposes; perform some analysis on data using commonly available software programs; Identify and manage potential bias and confounding in data; describe and interpret the results of data analysis; incorporate the outcomes of data analysis in policy development.

Completing the research project will enable you to execute research in a professional and ethical manner. A six credit point project should equate to at least 150 hours work.

Completing the research project will enable you to execute research in a professional and ethical manner. A 12 credit point project should equate to at least 300 hours work.

After studying the Wildlife Epidemiology unit, you will be able to: Apply epidemiological concepts to wildlife populations. Explain the concept of disease ecology. Discuss issues relevant to disease determination in wildlife populations and explain the associated diagnostic challenges. Discuss alternate study methodologies and design a valid observational study for a wildlife population. Discuss design and analysis issues relevant to wildlife disease studies. Identify sources of wildlife animal health data and discuss wildlife health information systems. Critically review published literature on wildlife disease studies.
This unit is offered in alternate years to VETS7014 Aquatic Animal Epidemiology.

After studying Risk Analysis you will be able to: apply the terminology and major concepts, principles, tools and techniques used in risk management in an animal health context; analyse and evaluate the main approaches to risk management in animal health (including veterinary public health) and trade; evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of some of the tools used in risk management; synthesise the tasks and issues associated with risk management with your knowledge of animal and public health; approach risk communication with an understanding of the different methods of good risk communication and the relationship between risk perception and risk communication.

After studying this unit, you will be able to: apply epidemiological concepts to farmed and wild aquatic animals; explain the requirements of import risk analysis for aquatic animals and identify sources of aquatic animal health data; explain the requirements of aquatic animal disease surveillance and targeted surveys; design analytic epidemiological studies; explain sources of bias in aquatic animal systems; contribute to investigations of fish kills.

After studying Surveillance, Preparedness and Response you will be able to: explain how surveillance contributes to the assessment and management of risks that affect public health, animal health, or trade; provide advice on the development of a surveillance strategy to meet defined objectives; describe a preferred framework for managing animal health emergencies.

After studying this unit students will be able to: Describe the important characteristics of the main epidemiological data types; Develop a data-collection form for an epidemiological study; Design a simple relational database for recording animal health-related data; Manage data in a computer spreadsheet, including importing, exporting, recoding, transforming and summarising data; Undertake descriptive analysis of data using computer spreadsheets or other appropriate software; Undertake descriptive analysis of data using computer spreadsheets or other appropriate software.

After completing Food Safety participants will be able to describe the respective roles and recent initiatives in food safety of the various government and industry organisations that make up the global, national and regional regulatory system for the safety of food of animal origin; Describe and critically analyse the key elements in food safety risk assessment and management and critically apply this to the analysis of a total quality management food safety system; Describe the critical aspects of the epidemiology, pathogenesis, management and prevention of the well-recognised bacterial food-borne pathogens; Identify emerging food-borne pathogens of animal origin and describe the critical aspects of the epidemiology that make them a particular public health concern; Describe the principles used in newer microbiological diagnostic tests and their application in food safety programs; Discuss the elements required for an effective national antimicrobial resistance management program; List the potential sources of and critically assess the potential public health threats posed by the presence of natural toxins and environmental contaminants in food of animal origin.

After completing this unit, students will be able to: Understand and describe the biologic principles of common tests and how their inherent characteristics affect their accuracy and precision; Analyse and summarise data from a test evaluation or test comparison study; Critique published test evaluation studies and describe their strengths and weaknesses considering design and analysis guidelines in the veterinary medical literature; Incorporate quantitative test results in clinical decision making about an individual animal's disease status; Interpret test results from prevalence estimation studies involving single and multiple animal; opulations, from risk factor studies and from disease surveillance systems; Plan a disease surveillance system or disease survey and select a diagnostic test(s) (considering its strengths and weaknesses) to meet specified surveillance or survey objectives.

This Unit of Study, delivered by distance education using an online classroom, will use four case studies to introduce students to the application of three statistical procedures (linear regression, logistic regression, survival analysis) in epidemiological research for animal health and public health. Approaches to account for the impact of confounding, effect modification and clustering suitable for these statistical procedures will be discussed. After completing this unit, students will be able to: identify an appropriate statistical method for testing associations with a categorical and a continuous outcome; conduct descriptive and univariable regression analyses using standard statistical software; build multivariable linear and logistic models for measuring association of a variable with an outcome after accounting for other variables and confounders; interpret the output of regression analyses from standard statistical software and present the results in research papers and project reports; evaluate statistical results presented in epidemiology journals (such as Preventive Veterinary Medicine) and identify clustering in epidemiological data and have basic skills to account for clustering while analysing hierarchical data.

This unit of study seeks to enable the development of key managerial skills.Topic areas include: social intelligence and communication skills; strategy and decision making skills; ethics; management systems and organisational design; You will also be taught how to lead teams, manage yourselves and your careers, and also how to engage your stakeholders in the process of developing these skills.