HSC1300 Human health and disease
Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences
HSC1300 Human health and disease is a level 1, 6-credit-point, undergraduate unit from the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, offered in 2026 in Semester 2 at Caulfield. It has no prerequisites.
- Credit points
- 6
- Offered in 2026
- Semester 2
- Caulfield
- Assessment
- Exam 35%
- and 3 other tasks
This is the 2026 handbook entry. See the 2027 entry.
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Requisites
Before HSC1300
No prerequisites or corequisites besides the enrolment rules below.
After HSC1300
No unit lists HSC1300 as a prerequisite in the 2026 handbook.
Enrolment rules
Overview
You will be introduced to the course of disease for common health conditions, and their impact on individuals and populations. You will learn about different types of disease, and explore common diseases from pathophysiological, psychosocial, and epidemiological perspectives. The course of disease, and contributing and risk factors at the individual and social levels are explored, as well as the consequences for individuals, health systems, and society. You will consider various conditions including diseases across the communicable, non-communicable, acute, chronic and degenerative conditions.
Offerings in 2026
| Teaching period | Campus | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| Second semester | Caulfield | On campus |
Assessment
- Case study (5 x 360 words; total 1,800 words)Written30%
- Group oral presentation on communicable disease scenario ( 8 mins presentation and 2 mins Q&A)Presentation10%
- Group written project proposal on on-communicable disease (2,200 words)Written25%
- Final exam (2 hours and 10 mins)Examination35%
Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.
Learning outcomes
When you finish this unit, you should be able to:
- 1
Explain the biological basis of selected human health and disease.
- 2
Describe the pathophysiology and course of disease for selected human diseases.
- 3
Identify the social and individual factors contributing to selected human disease.
- 4
Explain the consequences of selected human diseases for health systems, society and epidemiology.
- 5
Research a current topic in human health and disease using relevant high quality evidence
- 6
Develop organisational and communication skills in a small team environment.
Workload and teaching
- Tutorials24 hours
- Lectures12 hours
1 hour lecture, 2 hour tutorial, 3 hours of directed online student learning activities, plus 6 hours of self-directed study per week.
Learning resources
Required resources
Bortz, W. M. (2005). Biological basis of determinants of health. American Journal of Public Health, 95 (3): 389-392
See Moodle for details about required resources.
Contacts
- Unit Coordinators
- Associate Professor Nazmul Karim
- Chief Examiners
- Ms Kelly Allen
Common questions
What are the prerequisites for HSC1300?
HSC1300 has no prerequisites, but enrolment rules apply.
When is HSC1300 offered?
In 2026, HSC1300 runs in Semester 2 at Caulfield.
Does HSC1300 have an exam?
Yes. The exam is worth 35% of the final mark, alongside 3 other tasks.