Healthier environments, people, and communities
“This degree teaches you to consider all the elements affecting health and disease; from policy to personal choices … this degree is a springboard for change.”
— Rachel Ngan Kee
BHealSc Student
With a focus on the health of populations and communities, public health looks at how we can prevent and control diseases, prolong life, and promote health.
Public Health involves collective action across sectors and disciplines with a strong focus on reducing ethnic and socioeconomic inequities in health.
You can study Public Health as a major in the three year Bachelor of Health Sciences degree (BHealSc) or as a minor subject in a Bachelor of Applied Science (BAppSc), Arts (BA), Arts and Science (BASc), Commerce (BCom), Performing Arts (BPA), Science (BSc), or Theology (BTheol) degree.
Make a difference in a rewarding career
New approaches are required as we face diverse and important health challenges.
These include:
- An increase in the number of older adults and people living with long-term conditions and disability
- Multiple inequities in health determinants and outcomes
- Limited health resources
- Environmental change and its many effects on health
Postgraduate programme
The University of Otago also a great postgraduate public health programme at our Christchurch, Dunedin, and Wellington campuses. So if you are interested in furthering your study, this is a great option.
The Postgraduate Diploma in Public Health (DPH) is designed to develop public health skills at the postgraduate level. Candidates are required to hold a degree or to have appropriate professional qualifications and experience.
This programme is taught as an internal (on campus) programme at Otago Medical School's three campuses: Christchurch, Dunedin, and Wellington. It consists of eight 15-point papers, four of which are compulsory and four others selected from sixteen options.
Candidates for the degree of MPH will have completed the DPH, or an equivalent qualification, at an acceptable level of attainment. The course of study will consist of either a thesis, or four DPH papers (not already completed) plus a dissertation.
View further information on postgraduate studies in Public Health.
Rachel Ngan Kee chose to major in Public Health after enjoying a paper in the subject during Health Sciences First Year (HSFY).