PBH2008 Health policy and politics
Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences
PBH2008 Health policy and politics is a level 2, 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 40%
- and 3 other tasks
This is the 2026 handbook entry. See the 2027 entry.
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Requisites
Before PBH2008
No prerequisites or corequisites besides the enrolment rules below.
After PBH2008
No unit lists PBH2008 as a prerequisite in the 2026 handbook.
Enrolment rules
Corequisite: Must be enrolled in an Undergraduate Degree
Prohibition: PHH3072
Overview
In this unit, you will examine the political foundations of health promotion and public health policies in Australia.
They will be introduced to health policy, policy development processes and theories that underpin them.
Interest groups and the challenges they pose to decision-making processes, will be discussed.
The social and political impacts of health policy will be introduced, as will the jurisdictional responsibilities held by different levels of government for health policies. Preliminary concepts of power, authority and influence will be discussed.
You will learn fundamentals of the critical skills for policy analysis in the context of case studies of effective advocacy that have influenced health policy development in Australia.
Offerings in 2026
| Teaching period | Campus | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| Second semester | Caulfield | On campus |
Assessment
- Group presentation (20 minutes)Presentation15%
- Critical analysis (900 words)Written15%
- Case study (1,800 words)Written30%
- Examination (2 hours and 10 minutes)ExaminationThreshold hurdle40%
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
Discuss health policy as a key dynamic element of the determinants of health, with effects on the health of populations and societies.
- 2
Distinguish the major structures, systems and institutions that contribute to the health policy environment with emphasis on health promotion and public health policy.
- 3
Examine how different processes can be engaged to inform public health policy.
- 4
Discuss types of health policy within the context of Australia's federal system.
- 5
Explain the role of government and their agencies, non-government organisations (NGOs) and the community in the development and implementation of health policy.
- 6
Distinguish between different types of stakeholder influence and involvement, and how these are used in policy development.
Workload and teaching
- Tutorials36 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
See Moodle for details about required resources.
Where it fits
PBH2008 is part of 2 areas of study in the 2026 handbook.
Contacts
- Chief Examiners
- Associate Professor Charles Livingstone
- Unit Coordinators
- Associate Professor Charles Livingstone
Common questions
What are the prerequisites for PBH2008?
PBH2008 has no prerequisites, but enrolment rules apply.
When is PBH2008 offered?
In 2026, PBH2008 runs in Semester 2 at Caulfield.
Does PBH2008 have an exam?
Yes. The exam is worth 40% of the final mark, alongside 3 other tasks.
Which majors and minors include PBH2008?
PBH2008 is part of Health humanities.