Course Curriculum

The Graduate Diploma of Health Research is an 80-credit-point postgraduate program designed to equip students with advanced skills in health research design, implementation, and analysis. The course comprises five compulsory core units totaling 50 credit points and three specialist elective units totaling 30 credit points. The core units—Research Design, Research, Ethics and Impact, Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Qualitative Research—provide students with a comprehensive foundation in both the theoretical and practical aspects of health research. These subjects emphasize the development of critical thinking, ethical awareness, and methodological expertise, enabling students to design robust studies and interpret complex data in diverse health contexts.In addition to the core components, students select three specialist electives from either the Health Research or Public Health streams, allowing them to tailor the program to their professional interests or career goals. The Health Research stream offers electives such as Public Health Anthropology, Clinical Trials and Intervention Studies, Indigenous Health Research, and Epidemiology and Control of Communicable Diseases. The Public Health stream includes units such as Indigenous Health, Health Promotion, Health Policy, Global Health, Sexual and Reproductive Health, and Health Systems, Planning and Evaluation. Students intending to progress to the Master of Public Health are advised to complete Health Policy, Indigenous Health, and Public Health as their electives to meet the core requirements of both programs.Delivered and coordinated by experts from the Menzies School of Health Research, this program combines rigorous academic training with applied research practice in Indigenous, public, and global health contexts. It provides a pathway to further study, including the Master of Health Research, Master of Public Health, and Higher Degree Research programs. Overall, the Graduate Diploma of Health Research prepares graduates for research and professional roles in public health, clinical research, and evidence-based policy development.