Study a Health Sciences degree in Australia

Why study a Health Sciences degree at Flinders?

Influence the future of health and go beyond the ordinary in one of Australia's’ fastest growing industries – and prepare yourself for a career with global job opportunities. From treating patients in health clinics, providing preventative self-care, influencing health care policy in government agencies or undertaking life-changing research, the opportunities are limitless.

With over 26 globally recognised health and medical research institutes and centres on campus, studying in Australia at Flinders University will link you to world-renowned researchers.

New Health & Medical Research Building
Opening 2024

Flinders University is investing in a world-class Health and Medical Research Building (HMRB) for Southern Adelaide. As a leading biomedical research facility, it will enable collaboration between researchers, healthcare and industry partners, translating world-class research into improved community healthcare outcomes.

New Health & Medical Research Building

Opening 2024

Flinders University is investing in a world-class Health and Medical Research Building (HMRB) for Southern Adelaide. As a leading biomedical research facility, it will enable collaboration between researchers, healthcare and industry partners, translating world-class research into improved community healthcare outcomes.

Having led the field in medicine, health and care for nearly 50 years, this significant investment will support Flinders’ ambitious research growth agenda as we build on our reputation as one of Australia’s premier health and medical research universities.

Beyond the immediate benefits to medical research, this exciting development will help attract the best minds from interstate and overseas, provide incredible learning facilities for our students and support Adelaide’s international position as a BioMed City.

No.1 in SA
in Health Services & Support for full-time employment and median salary.

The Good Universities Guide 2022 (undergraduate),
public SA-founded universities only

Health Care and Social Assistance
is Australia’s largest and fastest growing industry and is projected to have the strongest employment growth of any industry through to May 2023.

Australian Jobs 2019

Five stars
in Rehabilitation for learning resources, overall educational experience and skills development.

The Good Universities Guide 2022 (postgraduate)

Globally recognised qualifications

Professionally accredited programs with globally recognised qualifications that increase your job opportunities worldwide.

Flinders Medical Centre

Flinders is the only university in South Australia with an on-campus teaching hospital. The Bedford Park Flinders Medical Centre serves as trauma centre for the southern suburbs, and parts of the Adelaide Hills.

On-campus clinical lab

Flinders Health Sciences clinical skills lab offers students the opportunity to service public patients in their chosen field.

Hands-on industry experience

The majority of Health Sciences programs include practical industry and clinical based placements and internships providing hands-on industry experience and skills.

Ground-breaking research

With over 26 globally recognised health and medical research institutes and centres on campus, you are linked with world-renowned researchers and modern, ground-breaking research. Our degrees always have the latest evidence-based learning outcomes and we work closely with industry and communities to ensure the education of our current and future health workforce is meeting both industry and community needs.

Courses available in Health Sciences

New course Midyear entry

Undergraduate

Honours

Bachelor of Health Sciences (Honours) 1 year

Postgraduate

Higher degree by research

Rhea Wadhwani,
Master Clinical Rehabilitation, India

“I love Flinders because it is career focussed. The post graduate experience that I was looking for, I have achieved at Flinders. The industry experience and placements have given me a new insight in looking at my profession differently.

The staff are super approachable and friendly and the valuable knowledge that I have received, I can put that back into practice in my profession.

I love that you can choose flexible pathways and enrich your learning experience. You can pick and choose modules and study exactly what you like. The thing that stood out for me when I was choosing my postgraduate experience and I have to say that I am very, very happy with what I chose.

The location really helps your studies too. Flinders is set on top of a hill overlooking the beach and the city – it’s so beautiful here. You get to spot the occasional koala and kangaroo and there is a lake. I love to sit by the lake and destress, to gather my thoughts and enjoy the unique Australian wildlife. I often sit there reading a book, or just taking in the view, feeding the ducks. It’s pretty rare having a lake on your uni campus!”

Rhea Wadhwani,
Master Clinical Rehabilitation, India

State-of-the-art facilities - Flinders Health2Go

Flinders Health Sciences clinical skills lab offers students the opportunity to service public patients in their chosen field.

A career in speech pathology

The majority of Health Sciences programs include practical industry and clinical based placements and internships providing hands-on industry experience and skills.

Himal Kandel,
PhD in Optometry and Vision Science, Nepal

“The main reason I chose Flinders was the match between my interest and the research being carried out in the discipline of Optometry.

After doing some research, I found that a world-class research on ‘patient-reported outcomes’ was going on at the discipline of optometry, Flinders University. I contacted the researchers here and the things started from there.

I would like to thank Flinders University for the fantastic experience I have had; we could use some of the most advanced techniques in our research. We had a great support to carry out our research: internal (library resources, research higher degree professional development programs – workshops) and external (collaborations with hospitals and other institutes) that were extremely useful to successfully carrying out my research.

The enabling environment here made it possible to achieve a number of accomplishments: I have published several papers in reputed journals and presented in several national and international conferences. My work, particularly my PhD work has been recognised by a number of awards including two prestigious StudyAdelaide international student awards: winner of the ‘Academic excellence: Post-graduate research’ award and the ‘International Student of the year 2018’ award.”

“The most significant thing I have gotten from my course is the industry placement, which gave me hands-on experience, enhanced my employability, and helped prepare me to enter the workforce.

In the Master of Occupational Therapy program, the teachers are sincerely concerned about how students are learning, and they are willing to discuss the whole education program with students, which makes the teaching and learning process become interactive.

Additionally, this program provides students with a wide variety of chance in placement, students can ask teachers to allocate them into the field which they are interested. This is a unique and provides me with a sense of security to explore and experiment which facilitates me to become more eager on learning.

During the placement of first semester, I had a chance to visit the Royal Society for the Blind, which is an organisation established for blindness. It is such a precious experience that I can understand how the Occupational Therapists in this place help their clients with daily activities, and it also provided me an opportunity to learn how the guide dog system works. It was a chance for me to know how theory turns into practice.”

Chia-Hung Hung
Master Occupational Therapy, Taiwan

“Flinders has a good reputation of graduates. It’s not always about university rankings! For me personally, university ranking does not mean anything, but the well-structured course and the practical knowledge that we acquired? That’s important.

During the course, we have a half-day or full-day placement each week. It provides us a good overview about the future working environment and the true fact of being audiologists. Things are different from textbooks to practices. We also have chances to administer tests in the placements.

Audiologists who graduated from Flinders are around Australia and they are doing a good job. In the second year of the course, we have a five-week placement in each semester. The goal of it is to help us practice more. And based on what I have seen, it does help. I am looking forward to helping people with good skills and ethics in any place in Australia in the future.

Studying in Flinders is by far the best choice I made. The university has a good plan to assist international students in all aspects. They do care about your life in university and you can actually feel it.”

Lacey Mengshu Wu
Master of Audiology, Taiwan

“I enjoy learning from our experienced lecturers who have had years of clinical and research training. I feel excited when I share the same passion and interests as my lecturers in their respective areas of expertise.

Currently I am completing my pediatric placement, which has been an eye-opening experience and has brought many insights into the role of a school speech pathologist. Besides that, I completed my placement in the fluency clinic at the Women’s and Children’s hospital last semester and enjoyed the learning and support from my clinical educator. Overall, I have gained useful clinical skills that supplemented the theoretical knowledge learnt in class. Placements have been really helpful in polishing my skills and knowledge in my speech pathology journey.

Leaving my family and friends in Singapore and juggling my rigorous coursework has been challenging. Despite the stress, I am grateful for new friendships I have formed in Adelaide.

I am also thankful for the support provided to international students —the Matthew Flinders Scholarship — which greatly reduced my stress and financial worries.”

Janine Lee
Master of Speech Pathology, Singapore

“The most significant thing I have gotten from my course is the industry placement, which gave me hands-on experience, enhanced my employability, and helped prepare me to enter the workforce.

In the Master of Occupational Therapy program, the teachers are sincerely concerned about how students are learning, and they are willing to discuss the whole education program with students, which makes the teaching and learning process become interactive.

Additionally, this program provides students with a wide variety of chance in placement, students can ask teachers to allocate them into the field which they are interested. This is a unique and provides me with a sense of security to explore and experiment which facilitates me to become more eager on learning.

During the placement of first semester, I had a chance to visit the Royal Society for the Blind, which is an organisation established for blindness. It is such a precious experience that I can understand how the Occupational Therapists in this place help their clients with daily activities, and it also provided me an opportunity to learn how the guide dog system works. It was a chance for me to know how theory turns into practice.”

Chia-Hung Hung
Master Occupational Therapy, Taiwan

“Flinders has a good reputation of graduates. It’s not always about university rankings! For me personally, university ranking does not mean anything, but the well-structured course and the practical knowledge that we acquired? That’s important.

During the course, we have a half-day or full-day placement each week. It provides us a good overview about the future working environment and the true fact of being audiologists. Things are different from textbooks to practices. We also have chances to administer tests in the placements.

Audiologists who graduated from Flinders are around Australia and they are doing a good job. In the second year of the course, we have a five-week placement in each semester. The goal of it is to help us practice more. And based on what I have seen, it does help. I am looking forward to helping people with good skills and ethics in any place in Australia in the future.

Studying in Flinders is by far the best choice I made. The university has a good plan to assist international students in all aspects. They do care about your life in university and you can actually feel it.”

Lacey Mengshu Wu
Master of Audiology, Taiwan

“I enjoy learning from our experienced lecturers who have had years of clinical and research training. I feel excited when I share the same passion and interests as my lecturers in their respective areas of expertise.

Currently I am completing my pediatric placement, which has been an eye-opening experience and has brought many insights into the role of a school speech pathologist. Besides that, I completed my placement in the fluency clinic at the Women’s and Children’s hospital last semester and enjoyed the learning and support from my clinical educator. Overall, I have gained useful clinical skills that supplemented the theoretical knowledge learnt in class. Placements have been really helpful in polishing my skills and knowledge in my speech pathology journey.

Leaving my family and friends in Singapore and juggling my rigorous coursework has been challenging. Despite the stress, I am grateful for new friendships I have formed in Adelaide.

I am also thankful for the support provided to international students —the Matthew Flinders Scholarship — which greatly reduced my stress and financial worries.”

Janine Lee
Master of Speech Pathology, Singapore