University of New South Wales
Master of Health Leadership and Management and Master of Public Health
- Delivery: Online
- Study Level: Postgraduate
- Duration: 20 months
Combine public health expertise with health leadership and management through online study, building the evidence-informed, strategic and organisational capabilities to address population health challenges and improve health services and systems.
Course overview
Designed for professionals seeking to connect population health expertise with effective health-system leadership, this UNSW double master’s degree builds the capabilities required to improve services, influence policy and support better health outcomes across diverse communities.
You will examine how epidemiology, biostatistics, health promotion and the social determinants of health inform public health decisions. Alongside these foundations, you will develop capabilities in strategic planning, healthcare economics, governance, quality and safety, workforce leadership and organisational change, enabling you to approach complex health challenges from both population and service-delivery perspectives.
The flexible structure allows you to pursue a broad program or focus your public health studies through a specialisation in Aboriginal Health and Wellbeing, Epidemiology, Health Economic Evaluation or Public Security. Eligible students may also apply to incorporate an internship, independent study or project, while separate extension pathways provide opportunities to strengthen research capabilities and prepare for possible doctoral study.
Delivered online over approximately 1.7 years full-time or three years part-time, the program supports connected learning with peers and teaching staff. Graduates may pursue leadership, management, policy, research and advisory opportunities across government, health services, NGOs and community organisations. The degree is accredited by the Australasian College of Health Service Management.
"The lessons I’ve learnt from UNSW have already added immense value to work I’ve done at all levels of the health sector, including working with federal and state governments. This has not only fostered my professional development but has helped fuel my passion for improving the health of all Australians by making change at a systematic level.”
Dr Lesh Satchithananda, Senior Consultant, KPMG
“When I finished my undergraduate studies in medicine, I decided that I wanted to transition from a more patient-focused role into a more challenging role involving population health, leadership, and management. That was my reason for applying to the Dual Master's Program in Public Health and Health Management. I enjoy participating in the many extracurricular activities and programs that are offered at UNSW, which has allowed me to expand my network and community and provided me with opportunities to contribute to UNSW as a student leader.”
Madhav Raman, Student Ambassador, UNSW Health Promotion Unit
CSP Subsidised Fees Available
This program has a limited quota of Commonwealth Supported Places (CSP). The indicative CSP price is calculated based on first year fees for EFT. The actual fee may vary if there are choices in electives or majors.
Key facts
From $1,208 (CSP)
8th February, 2027
24th May, 2027
6th September, 2027
What you will study
To earn the Master of Health Leadership and Management/Master of Public Health, you must successfully complete units totalling 72 credit points, as detailed below. Unless otherwise noted, each course is worth 6 credit points.
- Health Promotion and Social Perspectives of Health
- Foundations in Public Health and Health Care Systems
- Health Organisations, Strategy and Change
- Healthcare Economics and Financial Management
- Health Leadership and Workforce Management
- Healthcare Governance, Safety and Quality
- Foundations of Epidemiology
- Foundations of Biostatistics
Entry requirements
Academic requirements
There are two pathways for entry and a third exceptional pathway. These include:
Pathway 1
Applicants must have both:
- A three-year undergraduate degree in any field of study. See the list of relevant fields of study below.
- Two years of full-time professional or volunteer experience in a relevant field. The professional experience may include experience in health or public health services acquired as part of a degree of four or more years, e.g. MBBS, MD. Refer to the list of professional or volunteer experience below.
Pathway 2
Applicants must have at least one of the following:
- An undergraduate degree plus an honours in a relevant field of study. See the list of relevant fields of study below.
- A postgraduate degree in a relevant field of study. Refer to the list of relevant fields of study below.
Pathway 3
In exceptional circumstances, applications will be considered for entry when they have extensive professional or public health experience but do not have a relevant degree qualification. A minimum of five years of relevant professional experience is required, and an interview with the School of Population Health may be conducted.
Relevant fields of study
Accepted areas of study include:
- Medicine
- Nursing
- Allied health
- Health sciences
- Biomedical sciences
- Dentistry
- Social sciences
- Social work
- Psychology
- Paramedicine
- Environmental health
- Health administration
- Policy studies
- Development studies
- Professional or volunteer experience
Relevant professional experience includes:
- Roles in health (including allied health, medicine, nursing, oral health, public health, environmental health and psychology)
- Health service provision or health management roles in human services (e.g., social work, community development, service navigation, case management)
- Roles involve working on health-related activities or portfolios, such as health-focused positions in emergency services, management, research, engineering, law, science, mathematics and statistics, economics, journalism or policy.
English language requirements
You may need to provide evidence of your English language proficiency to study at UNSW, depending on your educational background and citizenship. UNSW requires a minimum level of English language competency for enrolment. English language skills are essential for webinar comprehension and the completion of coursework, assignments and examinations.
If English is not your first language, you will need to provide proof of your English proficiency before you will be given an offer to study at UNSW. You can do this by providing evidence that you meet one or more of the following criteria:
- English language tests and university English courses.
- Prior study in the medium of English.
- Other qualifications.
Contact the university or visit its website for more information.
Recognition of Prior Learning
You may be eligible for recognition of prior learning if you have previously studied or have relevant work experience. This will help reduce the number of units you need to study to finish your course. Contact the university for more information.
Outcomes
Career outcomes
The Master of Health Leadership and Management / Master of Public Health at UNSW prepares you for leadership and management roles within diverse healthcare settings.
Potential careers:
- Clinical adviser
- Clinical manager
- Clinical team leader
- Health adviser
- Health and safety adviser
- Health and safety manager
- Health economist
- Health manager
- Health officer
- Health policy adviser
- Health team leader
- Health information manager
- Population health manager
- Public health manager
- Research and policy officer
Fees and CSP
Indicative annual fee in 2026: $9,500 (Commonwealth Supported Place).
Indicative annual fee in 2026: $39,000 (Full-fee paying place)
Indicative annual fees are based on your first year of study.
A student’s annual fee may vary by:
- The number of units studied.
- Choice of units.
- Credit from previous study or work experience.
- Eligibility for government-funded loans.
Student fees shown are subject to change. Contact the university directly to confirm.
Commonwealth Supported Places
The Australian Government allocates a certain number of CSPs to the universities each year, which are then distributed to students based on merit.
If you're a Commonwealth Supported Student (CSS), you'll only need to pay a portion of your tuition fees. This is known as the student contribution amount – the balance once the government subsidy is applied. This means your costs are much lower.
Limited CSP spaces are offered to students enrolled in selected postgraduate courses.
Your student contribution amount is:
- Calculated per the course you're enrolled in.
- Dependent on the study areas they relate to.
- Reviewed and adjusted each year.
Student fees shown are subject to change. Contact the university directly to confirm.
HECS-HELP loans are available to CSP students to pay the student contribution amount.
FEE-HELP loans are available to assist eligible full-fee-paying domestic students with the cost of a university course.
