Why health, gender and society?
Deep social inequalities across the globe undermine public health experience and access and the effectiveness of health promotion interventions.
In this specialisation, you will learn how intersecting social structures and processes like colonialism, racism, patriarchy, capitalism and ableism drive disparities in health. Students acquire tools to conduct meaningful research within communities to address health problems and develop health interventions with communities that have the most at stake. You will develop knowledge and skills in community engagement and health advocacy that look beyond notions of individual behaviour change to address the causes of inequity and develop solutions for fairer and healthier societies.
Study options in health, gender and society
Why study health, gender and society at Melbourne?
- Explore how the Gender and Women's Health Unit of the world-class Centre for Health Equity is improving the health of women, their families and communities.
- Leverage knowledge from the community-engaged, co-productive research outputs of the Melbourne Social Equity Institute, alongside the nation’s premier researchers.
- Gain cross-disciplinary insights from the Asia Institute, the University of Melbourne’s world-class centre for gender studies.
Explore our industry-leading research outputs:
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 Promotion Officer
- Community Development Officer
- Community Health and Engagement Officer
- Research Officer
- Environmental Health Officer
- Health Policy Adviser
- Technical Adviser
Health, gender and society sectors
Graduates from this specialisation often find themselves in roles within organisations such as:
- Federal, state and local governments
- National and international non-government organisations
- Community-based organisations
- United Nations agencies
- Think tanks and advocacy organisations
- Universities and research institutes
- Health and social care service providers
- Private sector
Hear from our alumni
I have loved the flexibility of the MPH. I did not start with a specialisation in mind, meaning I could draw from different streams. By my final semester, I had found my way into the Health, Gender and Society stream due to my elective studies and health sociology research project. I am passionate about the structural determinants of health, such as colonialism and neoliberalism.
Bronte Alson, Master of Public Health (Health, Gender & Society)