Future Students

Health Science

You will graduate with a depth of knowledge and skills in science and population health.  Your strong foundation of basic sciences, skills in scientific investigation and critical thinking, knowledge of health will enable you to address  a range of  health issues in the community.

Students complete a unit in professional practice amd a one semester placement with a health agency.Thus the degree produces gradautes who are work ready.Graduates have excellent job prospects in the commonwealth, state and local government organisations, non-government organisations, research, the pharmaceutical industry and the private health sectors. The health industry is eager to employ our high quality health science graduates.

The Bachelor of Health Science offers flexibility in unit selection along with some core requirements. These requirements include the study of public health, the study of one science area, at least two business units, exposure to the work environment and a unit on professional practice. If you complete a combined degree, there is an increase in core requirements and major areas of study.

Level 1
The first level of the Bachelor of Health Science has been designed as a broad introduction to a range of subject areas. These include human biology or biology, public health, at least one business unit, and may include chemistry, psychology, human movement, physics, geography, anthropology, mathematics, philosophy, computer programming and/or some arts units such as a language or history.

Level 2
In Level 2 you continue your science and public health studies. Public health is preventing ill-health and promoting good health. It is about determining the influences on health, such as the social, economic, environmental, historical, political, physical and biological, how these influences interact and how the health of communities can be improved by managing these influences. Public health focuses on the health of the community, rather than individual health.

You chose one science major from 12 different disciplines including microbiology, pharmacology, human biology, anthropology, biochemistry, physiology,  genetics, psychology, pathology, biophysics, computer science and geography.
You will also complete your other business unit in level 2. If you choose a social science (psychological studies, anthropology, geography) or computer sciences your science major you must also enrol in a physiology unit.

Level 3
In Level 3, you complete your science major, continue with the public health major and complete the professional practice unit. In this year you learn about epidemiology and health research in your public  health major.

Level 4
Finally in first semester of Level 4, you complete the public health major. These level 4 public health units discuss health administration, health economics, health promotion and disease control. Your work placement occupies second semester.

If you progress very well through your degree, you may be offered the opportunity to complete Honours in Health Science in the fifth level of the course.

Career opportunities

Recent graduates have jobs at the Cancer Council WA , the Institute of Child Health Research, the Department of Health, Ramsey Health and the Hospital Benefit Fund. Graduates are working on a residential environment project (RESIDE), assessing the impact of environmental change in mosquito-borne diseases,  investigating the role of shiftwork in breast cacncer,  promoting health and fitness and on an osteoporosis clinical trial. Other career prospects, for which a Bachelor of Health Science would provide an ideal undergraduate foundation include health promotion, health counselling, community health, local government health services, health informatics, health statistics, health planning, epidemiology, health services, clinical trials research, health policy officer, health economist, health care/public health administration, and health technologies.