Ning Chin

The University of Melbourne is well known in the public health space, and its strong reputation in this area is what put the uni on my radar.

During my search for masters programs, I found that a lot of public health masters offered by other universities required you to pick a formal specialisation from the get-go. However, I wanted a public health course that offered flexibility in its course structure. I knew I wanted to study public health, but I wasn’t sure which specialisation to pursue (e.g. epidemiology, health economics).

The Master of Public Health (MPH) at the University of Melbourne offers the flexibility to explore these options, and this is one of the strongest points of difference between it and other offerings (at least the uni courses I shortlisted when thinking of where to apply).

Additionally, the campus environment was an important factor in my decision to study here. The University of Melbourne’s Parkville campus has loads of green spaces and beautiful architecture. It’s also based in a very convenient location as it is close to the city centre!

I’ve enjoyed learning theoretical frameworks and technical skills as well as understanding how these feed into our healthcare structures and systems. It’s one thing to experience healthcare systems as an individual; it’s another to really dive into the determinants of health, all while consolidating all the things I’ve learned across the different public health subjects. I have started to build a bigger picture understanding of healthcare and appreciate the multidisciplinary nature of public health.

The Master of Public Health (MPH) cohort is incredibly diverse. I have met people from clinical backgrounds, who are practising healthcare practitioners, as well as those from social science backgrounds. Some of them hope to pivot their careers by studying the MPH.

I’ve really enjoyed all the different perspectives offered by my peers. Our interactive tutorials are always lively with discussion. It’s truly a different learning experience to traditional instruction-based learning.

I decided to complete a Master of Public Health (MPH) to upskill. The MPH is allowing me to learn more about what I enjoy and explore what I might want to do in the future. It helped me to identify areas within public health that I’d want to work in and contribute to because prior to starting the course, I only had a general idea of what public health entailed; I didn’t know which streams in public health were my ‘calling’. As I get through each subject and semester, I’m getting a better idea of what I’m seeking in my career goals.

Public health is multidisciplinary, and no matter what your previous background is or how much experience you’ve had, you’ll always have valuable insights to bring to table!