Bachelor of Health Promotion

The Bachelor of Health Promotion at the University of Notre Dame Australia is a three-year degree for people who want to improve health at the population level, not just treat individuals. You study how health is shaped by where people live, work and learn, and how to design programmes that make the healthy choice the easy choice. Core subjects cover health promotion principles, epidemiology, health policy, social determinants of health, programme planning and evaluation, and health communication. You also build skills in research methods and data interpretation, because health promotion arguments are won with evidence.

How the degree is structured

Australian bachelor degrees are made up of units of study, each with a credit point value. At Notre Dame, you typically enrol in four units per semester, with two semesters a year. Over three years that adds up to 24 units, or 600 credit points. The degree usually includes a mix of core health promotion units, some elective units, and a capstone unit in your final year where you apply what you have learned to a real health issue. Some students choose to add an honours year, which is a fourth year of research training and a thesis. That path suits anyone considering a research career or further study.

Work-integrated learning and accreditation

Health promotion is a field where employers expect you to have spent time in the sector before you graduate. The degree includes professional placement, often in community health services, local councils, non-government organisations, or state health departments. You might find yourself helping run a smoking cessation campaign, mapping food access in a low-income suburb, or evaluating a school wellbeing programme. Notre Dame has strong links with health and community organisations, particularly in Western Australia and New South Wales. The degree is accredited by the International Union for Health Promotion and Education (IUHPE), which means your qualification is recognised by health promotion bodies internationally.

Skills you gain

You learn to plan health programmes from scratch: assess needs, set objectives, choose strategies, budget, implement, and evaluate. You learn to write for different audiences, from a government brief to a social media post. You learn to work with communities rather than doing things to them. And you learn to read research critically and use it to argue for change. Group work is common, because health promotion is a team sport.

Who this suits

This degree suits school leavers who care about social justice and public health, and mature-age students looking for a career change into something meaningful. You do not need a science-heavy background. What you need is curiosity about people and a willingness to challenge the idea that health is just about individual choices. Graduates work in health departments, community health centres, NGOs, local government, and international health organisations. If you are an international student, you can work up to 48 hours per fortnight while studying, and after graduating you may be eligible for the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream. English requirements for international applicants are IELTS Academic 6.0–6.5 overall for this degree, though you should check the official page for the exact score and accepted equivalents. Tuition is published on the CRICOS register. Always confirm details on the official University of Notre Dame Australia page or the CRICOS listing for course code 057670B.

• Health Promotion Officer
• Community Health Worker
• Health Education Officer
• Programme Coordinator (health NGOs)
• Policy Officer (health departments)
• Health Communications Officer
• Research Assistant (public health)
• Wellbeing Coordinator (schools, workplaces)

These roles are found in state and territory health departments, community health services, local councils, non-government organisations such as Cancer Council and Heart Foundation, Aboriginal community controlled health organisations, and international aid agencies. Some graduates go on to further study in public health or health promotion.