Public and Population Health
Public and population health is a broad but unique area of health care. Public health and population health are a group of health professions and services that are concerned with the health of communities and populations, not just the health of individuals.
The role of public and population health is to promote and protect health and wellbeing, and prevent disease, illness and injury in communities and populations.
Public and population health roles and services have an important role in ensuring:
- all people have the opportunity to be healthy and make healthy choices
- diseases and health conditions are diagnosed early through screening programs so people can get the health care and treatment they need as soon as possible
- we live in healthy environments and manage the impacts of climate change
- our hospitals and health services are ready to respond to natural disasters and disease outbreaks
- laws and policies, both in and outside of health, promote and protect the health and wellbeing of people.
Public and population health professionals include public health officers, health promotion officers, epidemiologists, medical entomologists, public health nurses and public health physicians.
Environmental health officers and scientists are also public health professionals and the largest profession within public health – you can read more about them here.
Pathway key:
-
Study
-
Job Outcomes
-
Personal Story
-
Further Options
Are you interested in health care and want to make a big difference to the health of our populations? Have you thought about public and population health?
AQF 2
Potential Certificate III qualifications for public and population health
AQF 3
Potential Certificate IV qualifications for public and population health
AQF 4
Potential Associate Degree qualifications for public and population health
AQF 6
With this qualification you could work as a:
- Public Health Officer
- Health Promotion Officer
- Public Health Program Coordinator
- Public Health Project Officer
- Health Promotion Project Officer
Potential Bachelor Degree qualifications for public and population health
AQF 7
With this qualification you could work as a:
- Public Health Officer
- Health Promotion Officer
- Public Health Policy Officer
- Project Manager
- Public Health Program Manager
- Health Service Manager
- Health Data Analyst
- Health Educator
- Community Health Officer
With this qualification you could work as a:
- Environmental Health Officer
- Medical Entomologist
- Public Health Officer
- Health Promotion Officer
- Environmental Health Scientist
- Public Health Policy Officer
- Health Service Manager
- Health Data Analyst
- Health Educator
- Community Health Officer
- Biostatistician
Potential postgraduate Certificates and Diplomas for public and population health
AQF8
With this qualification you could work as a:
- Public Health Officer
- Health Promotion Officer
- Public Health Policy Officer
- Health Service Manager
- Health Data Analyst
- Health Educator
- Project Manager
- Public Health Nurse*
*If you have completed the right undergraduate qualifications in nursing to be registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia. Visit https://www.ahpra.gov.au/.
Masters qualifications for public and population health
AQF9
With this qualification you could work as a:
- Public Health Officer
- Health Promotion Officer
- Public Health Policy Officer
- Health Service Manager
- Health Data Analyst
- Health Educator
- Project Manager
- Public Health Nurse*
- Public Health Physician*
*If you have completed the right undergraduate qualifications in medicine or nursing to be registered with the Medical or Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia. Visit https://www.ahpra.gov.au/.
Further information:
For more information about public and population health careers, download the Public and Population Health Careers Guide developed by Queensland Health. The Public and Population Health Careers Guide is packed with info about all kinds of career opportunities in public and population health – and it’s designed especially for high school students (and parents, teachers, and career advisers too)!
You’ll read about the different types of jobs you can have in public and
population health including:
- The kinds of activities and tasks you’ll undertake in the role.
- What personal characteristics might help you succeed.
- What training and study you’ll need.
- How in demand you’ll be and how much you might earn.
- Where you can find more information.
