Master of Health Promotion

Course overview

The Master of Health Promotion gives you the skills and platform to create healthy social and ecological environments for whole populations. You will develop skills and knowledge in health program planning, evidence-based strategies, policy, advocacy and research to prevent, minimise and respond early to health issues and their underlying causes.

Want an internationally recognised qualification that opens the door to a career that builds strong and just communities?

Health promotion contributes to social change for improved health outcomes, especially for marginalised and disadvantaged communities. Preventative action saves health dollars as well as promoting wellbeing. With a Master of Health Promotion, you can be a key player in creating social and environmentally just and equitable communities. You’ll graduate with a valuable set of analytical, creative, advocacy, planning and communication skills that prepare you to lead the way in health promotion, locally and globally. Plus, the course’s practical learning opportunities ensure you’re ready for both the current and emerging health challenges of the 21st century.

The course explores evidence-based health promotion strategies that improve the health of individuals, families, communities and countries. These are strategies that empower people to take control of their own health and advocate for just and equitable policies, strengthen community action and create environments that are more supportive of good health. Get hands-on practice developing these initiatives from start to finish, while gaining a deep understanding of the social, environmental, political and economic conditions that impact health. Whether you see yourself working on the prevention of violence against women, mitigation and adaptation to climate change, or promotion of positive mental health and wellbeing for youth, you will have the skills and experience to not only manage, but thrive.

Some of the course’s core study areas include:

• health communication
• evidence-based health program planning
• health program evaluation
• health equity and human rights
• contemporary health issues and policies
• health research.

You can customise your degree to your interests by choosing from a broad range of elective units. Choose from topics such as, nutrition, global health policy, environmental protection and obesity prevention to create a unique degree that takes your career further. The course also gives you the option of undertaking a major or minor project. These projects allow you to apply the knowledge and skills developed in the course to a contemporary health issue through either a critical a literature review, industry-linked project, policy proposal/review or an applied research project.

A strong focus of the course is professional development through practical experience. In particular, the course’s new work-integrated learning elective allows you to undertake 150 hours of valuable industry experience. This can be an agency-based work placement with one of our many industry partners, or agency-sponsored work based at the Deakin Freelancing Hub. These projects give you the chance to develop and apply your new skills in real-world contexts. They also allow you to work alongside leading health promotion practitioners and build professional networks that unlock new career pathways.

Our academics are renowned for their contributions to social and environmental justice, equity and the promotion of community wellbeing. Their project work and research feed into the course, ensuring content is authentic, relevant and responsive to the needs of an evolving sector. There are also opportunities for students to join academics and their colleagues on projects that address current health issues of global importance. We have academics embedded in many renowned healthcare organisations, institutes and health and environmental settings across many different roles, so you will have access to the perfect mentor no matter your interests and career aspirations.