Undergraduate programs
University Breadth Subject
Global Health, Security and Sustainability
The Nossal Institute for Global Health offers an exciting subject exploring the root causes of disease, poverty, injustice and inequity that exist in the world today. Titled "Global health, Security and Sustainability", this subject has been available to third year undergraduate students since 2010.
Breadth subjects are selected from outside a student's major area of study. They are a feature of Melbourne's New Generation undergraduate degrees and aim to provide graduates with training in a particular discipline (depth) as well as knowledge and understanding across disciplines (breadth).
Global Health, Security and Sustainability" features eminent speakers from a range of academic disciplines to provide students with diverse approaches to examining, understanding and addressing old and new threats to health, human security and sustainability. Students are encouraged to draw on disciplines in law, arts, engineering, economics, biosciences and medicine to explore and understand the depth, complexity and multi dimensionality of current global health challenges.
Case studies are used to introduce the concept of chains of causation, and provide an overview of the inequity and imbalances in health status, health service provision, and health research between and within countries. The field of view ranges from the individual to the global context, including major threats to health, security and sustainability, particularly global warming and the risks of nuclear war. Various academic disciplines provide alternative perspectives to better understand how health inequities and threats arise, what tools and mechanisms are available to address them, and what we have learned about improving health.
For further details, please read the University of Melbourne Handbook entry for this subject.
Advanced Medical Science
Though not currently offered, the Nossal Institute for Global Health has previously hosted the international health stream of the Advanced Medical Science (AMS) year in the undergraduate curriculum.
This one year research program for medical students encompassed formal course work in Melbourne covering international health essentials, ethics and research methodology followed by up to three months fieldwork with a partner organisation in South and South East Asia. From 2003- 2010, over fifty students undertook projects across nine countries in the region. The program provided a structured opportunity for medical students in Australia to experience international health research.
Project titles and abstracts for research projects completed through AMS can be found below.
Past Research Project Titles: 2003-2010
Past Project Abstracts: 2005-6, 2006-7, 2007-8, 2008-9, 2009-10