Postgraduate: Course rule and topic information

Master of Primary Health Care

(MPHC)

Program of Study

THE MASTER OF PRIMARY HEALTH CARE HAS BECOME A STREAM IN THE MASTER OF PUBLIC HEALTH.
NO NEW STUDENT INTAKE

INTRODUCTION

The Master of Primary Health Care is a 54-unit coursework program which is offered by the Faculty of Health Sciences on a Commonwealth Supported basis in both internal and external mode.

The program comprises 42 units of core topics and 12 units of elective topics selected from the following specialty areas:

• Health Promotion
• Primary Health Care
• Primary Health Care in Developing Countries
• Primary Health Care Research and Evaluation

The course articulates with the Graduate Certificate offered by the Department of Public Health, the Graduate Diploma in Primary Health Care and the Master of Science (Primary Health Care), the Doctor of Public Health, and the sequentially developed topics allow progression through the awards.

Students who hold either the Graduate Certificate offered by the Department of Public Health or the Graduate Diploma are granted credit for topics already taken.

COURSE AIMS

The course aims to provide experienced practitioners and managers in primary health care with opportunities:

• to enhance their public health knowledge, skills and understanding in ways that enable them better to plan, develop, manage and evaluate initiatives and programs to promote health and prevent disease; and,
• to reflect critically on practice and practice skills and to relate practice to recent, relevant theories.

COURSE RULE

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Applicants who do not hold either a Graduate Certificate offered by the Department of Public Health or the Graduate Diploma in Primary Health Care must normally either:

• hold an approved degree or an equivalent qualification from an approved tertiary institution and have had not less than two years' approved work experience in primary health care; or
• have completed the final examination of a professional institution recognised by the Faculty Board and have had not less than three years' approved work experience in primary health care; or
• hold another approved qualification and have had not less than three years' approved work experience in primary health care, public health or similar area.

Up to 20% of places may be reserved for candidates without any of the above qualifications but who have had at least five years' approved work experience and are deemed by the Board to be suitable for admission.

The Board may also, under certain circumstances and subject to specific conditions, admit others who can show evidence of fitness for candidature.

PROGRAM OF STUDY [November, 2007]

To qualify for the Master of Primary Health Care, a student must complete 54 units with a grade of P or NGP or better in each topic, according to the following program of study.

Not all topics are necessarily available in a given year.

Except with permission of the Faculty Board, the program must be completed full-time within four consecutive semesters or part-time within ten consecutive semesters. A lesser period may be set for students granted credit for previous studies.

CORE TOPICS

All students who commenced in 2007 must complete the following topics. Normally the five 6-unit topics are completed before any elective studies begin, and the 12-unit Practicum* is undertaken after completing all other requirements for the degree.

ELECTIVE TOPICS

Students select 12 units from the following topics or any other masters level topics offered by a tertiary institution and approved by the course coordinator.

Topics for the degree of Master of Palliative Care, Master of Health Services Management, Master of Remote Health Practice, Master of Public Health, University of Adelaide and other public health courses within Australia with approval of the relevant course coordinators.