School of Public Health and Community Medicine

Welcome!

Explore your options at the School of Public Health and Community Medicine

Study at the School of Public Health and Community Medicine (SPHCM) in Sydney, Australia at UNSW. The School is a leading educator in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region through its postgraduate programs in Public Health, International Public Health, Health Management and Infectious Diseases Intelligence. For undergraduate students, we offer the new Bachelor of International Public Health. The School also offers excellent research degrees including a unique doctorate in Applied Public Health which incorporates workplace experience and a thesis in professional practice. Our School is strongly committed to excellence in learning, teaching and research to enhance public health and health services. We provide quality learning that is student-centred and relevant to real-world practice.

 
 

Short courses imageAre you ready to kick start the next stage of your career?

Our new short healthcare leadership and management courses will help you develop skills to drive change in health and equity around the world. We're excited to be part of the brand-new Medicine and AGSM partnership to deliver flexible, online courses for the next generation of healthcare leaders.

The courses will get you ready with real case studies from senior leaders and practical skills such as integrating evidence into practice and harnessing teams to inspire change.

For more than 60 years our leading educators, researchers and clinicians have translated discoveries into breakthrough cures, public health strategies, policies and turned high achieving students into the leaders of healthcare with globally recognised qualifications. Short courses commence in July 2020.

Find out more or register here
 

 

 

Rebecca Ivers Welcome
Head of School Welcome
See more
image - Front2
Postgraduate & Undergraduate Programs
See more
image - Front4 0
Research Flagship Areas
See more
Image link to SPHCM Facebook
SPHCM Facebook
See more
 
Adam Craig image
SPOTLIGHT ON OUR PEOPLE
 
 

Dr Craig is the Deputy Director of the Bachelor of International Public Health (BIPH) program, a Lecturer in Global Health, and a researcher focusing on novel disease outbreak early warning surveillance systems in Pacific Island nations. Joining the SPHCM in 2017 after 16 years of field epidemiology experience, he has worked with international agencies including UNICEF, World Health Organization, World Bank, and others. In tackling COVID-19, Adam has been seconded to NSW Health and is a team leader in the Operations part of the Public Health Emergency Operations Centre. Adam talks about what this role entails, his current research, and the practical skills students can take from the SPHCM’s public health and infectious disease programs, especially in response to COVID-19. 

“My work is important to me because I want to make a meaningful difference to people’s health and help to tackle inequity”.  Read more about Adam here  

 

 
Madhav Raman imageSTUDENT PERSPECTIVES
 

Madhav Raman - Master of Public Health (MPH) / Master of Health Management (MHM) with Extension (Dual Degree with Research Component)

"I am originally from India, but I grew up in Nairobi, Kenya, and still call it home. When I finished my undergraduate studies in medicine, I decided that I wanted to transition from a more patient-focused role into a more challenging role involving population health, leadership, and management. Hence that was my reason for applying to the Dual Master's Program in Public Health and Health Management. I enjoy participating in the many extracurricular activities and programs that are offered at UNSW, which has allowed me to expand my network and community and provided me with opportunities to contribute to UNSW as a student leader."   Read more about Madhav here 
 
 

See more SPHCM student profiles . . .

 

LATEST NEWS
 

Samuels BuildingNew name for school puts population health in focus
UNSW Medicine’s School of Public Health and Community Medicine will now be called the School of Population Health to reflect their broader approach to population and global health. “Population health invokes the field of research that informs developments in the public health system. It is the framework through which we apply public health approaches.” Prof Ivers explained. “In this sense it is more closely aligned with our approach to both teaching and research and our plans for the future.” <Read News Item>
 

Aboriginal art‘Working for our people’: what helps build a stronger Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workforce?
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workforce has unique skills that make its members powerful advocates and agents of change in the Australian health system to improve outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, new research shows. The Career Pathways Project Report has found that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health staff bring passion, commitment, and an intuitive understanding of cultural safety to their work and work environments. <Read News Item>
 

Woman wearing a maskElimination, eradication, and the myth of 'living with' a certain level of COVID-19
UNSW Sydney experts explain the epidemiology definitions you should know before tuning in to another COVID-19 press update – and the ones Australia needs to work on. “Eradication means no global cases of a disease – except samples in laboratories,” explains A/P Heywood from the SPHCM. “We achieved this for smallpox in 1980. Elimination, on the other hand, means no sustained community transmission in a specific region or country.” <Read News Item>
 

Image Covid-19 public health challengeSchool supports NSW Health in COVID Response
Dr Kerry Chant, Chief Health Officer, NSW led a panel discussion at the School earlier this month where she acknowledged the role some of the School members are playing in helping the government tackle COVID-19. The panel, moderated by ABC’s Sarah Dingle, shared important information and insight into the current pandemic, the country’s overall response and also the way forward. <Read News Item>
 

Image Creating ChancesSport for Social Change - Football United (FUn) Program
Can soccer build social cohesion? Does sport have the power to bring communities together, promote racial harmony and lead to social integration? The School’s recent research on the long-running Football United program, suggests that sport can indeed achieve this and has the potential to positively influence the life trajectories of the people involved. <Read News Item>
 

Image Covid-19 masksImproving the impact of non-pharmaceutical interventions during COVID-19: examining the factors that influence engagement and the impact on individuals
A research article by the School, in collaboration with NSW Health, focusses on improving the success of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIS) (e.g. physical distancing, isolation and quarantine, personal protective behaviours etc.) in flattening the curve. The article reviews a range of literature in order to identify the key determinants impacting engagement with NPIs, with emphasis on community understanding and motivation.  <Read News Item>
 

Image Tony ButlerAnnouncement of New Research Program at SPHCM: Justice Health Research Program (JHRP)
The School of Public Health and Community Medicine is set to establish a new program of research in justice health. Prof Tony Butler will lead the move of JHRP from Kirby Institute to SPHCM, bringing with him a team of academics currently working on range of projects involving adult and juvenile prisoners, and community-based offenders. These groups endure some of the worst health outcomes in society and this has implications for the health of the wider community. <Read News Item>
 

See more News articles and events . . .

 

.