Undergraduate Courses
  • Students are to follow the requirements of the Handbook for the year they commenced the course.

    However, the subject links below do not contain the subject information for the current year. You can view current subject information through the new Course Handbook.

Indigenous Health

The course information on this page is for new students commencing their degree in 2016 only. 

Students should follow the rules and requirements for the year that they commenced their course. The online course information for years prior to 2016 are available from the Archives link in the menu.

Students should also review current subject availabilities via the Subject Descriptions link in the menu.

Overview

The major in Indigenous Health is an ideal degree for those interested in working in public health careers and careers relating to the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The core areas of study include understanding the health of indigenous populations; skills in obtaining, reviewing and analysing health information; planning and managing a health program or project; and health promotion and indigenous community development.

In growing recognition of the need to 'close the gap' there is an increasing need to provide population health strategies to improve the health of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people of Australia. This major is open to people from both Indigenous and non-indigenous backgrounds. Job opportunities include health workers and indigenous health officer in local and state government.

Subjects required for Major

To qualify for award of the major Indigenous Health, a student must complete a total of at least 144 credit points as specified in the table below.   No more than 60 credit points in total may be taken at 100 level.

Subject Code Subject Name Credit Points Session(s)
Year 1
Autumn
HAS 130 Social Determinants of Health 6 Autumn
MEDI110 Human Growth Nutrition and Exercise 6 Autumn
INDS150 Introduction to Indigenous Australia 6 Autumn
Select ONE of the following TWO subjects:
PSYC101 Introduction to Behavioural Science 6 Autumn
PSYC121 Foundations of Psychology A 6 Autumn
Spring
MEDI150 Fundamental Concepts in Food and Nutrition 6 Spring
Select ONE of the following TWO subjects:
PSYC123 Research Methods and Statistics 6 Spring
STAT251 Fundamentals of Biostatistics 6 Spring
Plus 12 credit points of elective subjects* 12 Spring
Year 2
Autumn
HAS 230 Contemporary Public Health Issues 6 Autumn
HAS 231 Health Promotion 6 Autumn
Plus 12 credit points selected from the Indigenous Health elective list 12 Autumn
Spring
HAS 251 Introduction to Epidemiology 6 Spring
Plus 18 credit points selected from the Indigenous Health elective list 18 Spring
Year 3
Autumn
HAS 349 Research Skills in Public Health 6 Autumn First Offered 2017
Plus 18 credit points of elective subjects at 200 or 300 level* 18 Autumn
Spring
HAS 351 Health Promotion Competencies 6 Spring First Offered 2017
HAS 347 Social Sciences Project** 6 Spring First Offered 2017
HAS 350 Social Determinants of Indigenous Health 6 Spring First Offered 2017
Plus ONE 6 credit point elective subject at 200 or 300 level* 6 Autumn

* Elective subjects may be chosen from the General Schedule. Subjects from the Sciences or Social Sciences are recommended for this degree. 

** High achieving students interested in undertaking a limited international work placement of three to four weeks in a public health related field during either the Summer or Winter recess periods have the option to complete HAS 335 in place of HAS 347 . To be eligible to undertake HAS 335 students must have a minimum credit grade in all core 200 level subjects.  Students who wish to be eligible to apply for an OS-Help loan should undertake HAS 335 in Autumn session of the final year of the degree.

Indigenous Health Electives 

Subject Code Subject Name Credit Points Session(s)
MEDI240 Current Services in Indigenous Health 6 Not offered in 2016
MEDI342 Indigenous Community Development: Environmental Health Issues 6 Not offered in 2016
MEDI341 Research in Indigenous Health 6 Autumn
MEDI242 Functional Structures in Indigenous Communities 6 Not offered in 2016
MEDI243 Comparative Indigenous Health Issues 6 Autumn
MEDI343 Indigenous Community Development: Social and Emotional Wellbeing 6 Spring
MEDI344 Indigenous Community Development: Health Promotion 6 Not offered in 2016

Credit Arrangements

Credit and articulation arrangements are available from the Course Finder. Refer to UOW's credit arrangements for information on how to apply for credit.

Other Information

Further information is available at:
UOW Course Finder
Email: ssc@uow.edu.au

Last reviewed: 1 December, 2016