Why study health economics and economic evaluation?
This specialisation enables students to critically analyse and discuss policy issues in public health through an economic lens. Students will be equipped to interpret and apply economic evidence and cultivate the necessary skills to conduct independent health economics research. This specialisation extends to developing expertise in evaluating the cost-effectiveness of new interventions or services, and scrutinising public health policies and healthcare systems to determine their value for money. The skills and knowledge developed will help students understand and lead in resource allocation, public health management and policy making within Australia and internationally.
Study options in health economics and economic evaluation
Why study health economics and economic evaluation at Melbourne?
Explore our industry-leading research outputs:
Learn about the university’s groundbreaking research at the Nossal Institute of Global Health. Explore how the Institute leverages economics to advance One Health – a key priority of the Australian Centre for Disease Control (CDC).
Undertake health economics coursework with the university’s specialised Melbourne Health Economics centre. Cultivate your applied research skills in the growing areas of:
- Child Health Economics
- Economics of Global Health and Infectious Disease
- Economics of Genomics and Precision Medicine
- Health Economics and Simulation Modelling for Chronic Disease.
- Royal Children’s Hospital
- Royal Melbourne Hospital
- Royal Women’s Hospital
- St Vincent’s Hospital
- Peter McCallum Cancer Centre
- VCCC Alliance
- Australian Genomics
- Methods and Implementation Support for Clinical and Health (MISCH) Research Hub
- Nossal Institute for Global Health
- Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI)
- Burnet Institute
- Melbourne Sexual Health Centre
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI)
Diverse careers
We are a global institution, and our qualifications enable you to progress in your career. The range of roles you can expect after completing a public health education include, but are not limited to:
- Health Economist
- Public Health and Health Care Manager
- Policy or Program Officer
- Research or Data Analyst
- Consulting roles
- Positions in market access, pricing and reimbursement
- Health economics and outcomes research (HEOR)
Health economics and economic evaluation sectors
Graduates from this specialisation often find themselves in roles within organisations such as:
- Research roles at universities and hospitals
- Federal, state, territory and local government (e.g. Health Reform Unit)
- Private industry e.g. pharmaceutical or device companies
- Not-for-profit organisations e.g. Heart Foundation, Cancer Council
- Health care service providers e.g. Primary Health Networks
- Consultancies
- Health insurance companies
- World Health Organization
- Non-Government Organisations (NGOs)
Hear from our alumni
This course emphasised the importance of looking at public health programs, not just in terms of their costs and benefits, but also in terms of equity. I believe that healthcare should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their socioeconomic status. Learning about health economics allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of the complexities of healthcare financing and resource allocation.
Dr Sri Umasugi, Master of Public Health (Health Economics and Economic Evaluation) 2021
I found the Master of Public Health at the University of Melbourne suited my needs as all the knowledge and skills I was looking for are catered for in the Health Economics and Economic Evaluation stream. It has introduced me to various techniques of economic appraisal and modelling in public health.
Kanya Anindya, Master of Public Health (Health Economics and Economic Evaluation), 2019