Course description

Your role as a student and (future) public health practitioner is to improve the health of populations in a changing and inequitable world. Through the Foundations of Public Health course, you will establish a strong grounding in public health, gaining a critical overview of the history, principles, philosophy, and conceptual underpinnings of public health, and the scientific disciplines that make up the public health 'toolbox'. Health equity, social justice, and human rights are at the core of public health and underpin all that we do in this course. Together we will investigate health inequalities, one of the most fundamental challenges in public health, and the structural, social, environmental, commercial, political, and biological determinants that shape the health of individuals, groups, and populations. We will also examine what constitutes relevant evidence and different ways of 'knowing' in public health, not just in a disciplinary sense, but also through the lens of culture and context. Significant public health achievements and complex contemporary challenges will be explored from local/global and multidisciplinary perspectives. The critical thinking, reflection and analytical skills developed in this course will ensure you are well equipped to continue your study in public health and for your future as a leader in public health practice.

Archived offerings