Indigenous Health Promotion coursework programs
The School of Public Health offers a one-year Graduate Diploma in Indigenous Health Promotion that gives you the skills to work in the interesting and important field. The course was developed in consultation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health professionals and is based on national and international best practice in Indigenous health promotion.
- Overview
- Course Content
- Course Structure
- Entry Requirements
- How to apply
- Enrolment information
- Coursework fees
The Graduate Diploma in Indigenous Health Promotion (GradDipIndigHlthProm) is for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers who have a role in promoting the health of their communities. The course will give you the opportunity to add knowledge and skills in promoting health to your clinical and community knowledge skills.
Indigenous health promotion aims to improve Indigenous health at a community level. This means identifying community needs and strengths, developing a plan of action, putting it into practice and evaluating the plan to identify the extent to which positive changes have occurred. To be effective health promotion practitioners, it is necessary to communicate effectively with Indigenous communities and organisations. It is also necessary to communicate with health service managers and with a range of organisations and people outside the health system. Active community participation in every part of the program is a vital principle.
The course is structured to include six teaching blocks conducted at the University of Sydney. Following each block, you will return to your community and/or workplace and complete a project to consolidate your learning.
The final part of the course requires you to contract with teaching staff to complete a self-directed project that brings together all the different parts of the course. There will be particular emphasis on demonstrating the importance of community participation and community development.
You can complete the course with one year's full-time study. However, you may wish to re-enrol on a part-time basis for at least part of a second year to complete your final project.
Enrolling students are required to complete all 7 units of study (6 units of coursework and a final project) by the end of the coursework program in order to satisfy GradDipIndigHlthProm degree regulations. The table below summarises the course requirements:
|
Unit of study code |
Unit of study name |
|---|---|
| Semester 1 | |
| INDH5211 | Community Profile and Setting Priorities for Promoting Health |
| INDH5212 | Health Promotion Program Planning |
| INDH5213 | Strategies for Health Promotion |
| Semester 2 | |
| INDH5221 | Communication: Tool for Promoting Health |
| INDH5223 | Advocacy and Social Action |
| INDH5224 | Research and Evaluation |
| INDH5226 | Final Project |
To be accepted into the course you must:
- have working experience in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, and experience in engaging communities in action to improve their health
- have prior learning that shows you can complete a course of study; the most obvious example is a degree or equivalent, but we give credit to all forms of tertiary education, in combination with a minimum of three years' relevant working experience
- have knowledge of, and sensitivity to, working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
- have demonstrated support for your candidature from your community and, where possible, your employer
- be an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.




