Master of Culture, Health and Medicine

The new Master of Culture, Health and Medicine (CHAM) is a joint initiative of the College of Arts and Social Sciences and the College of Medicine, Biology and Environment. CHAM is an interdisciplinary program with a focus on Medical Anthropology and Health Sciences. CHAM is composed of a general postgraduate coursework program and five specialisations (Global Health and Development, Health Policy and Ethics, Health and Gender, Health and Environment, and Health and Indigenous Australia). The general program and the five specialisations are all offered on campus. In addition, the specialisation in Global Health and Development is also offered by distance learning.

CHAM aims to provide interdisciplinary and specialist training to equip students with the critical tools to engage in complex global health issues. CHAM will provide a nuanced understanding of the nature of health, sickness, and healing in a local and global context. Medical systems and specific sets of health care practices arise and evolve in historical, socio-cultural, and political-economic contexts. The wider study of health and medicine thus properly involves a number of disciplines, whose perspectives can complement and deepen the understandings derived from scientific knowledge and training in clinical skills that take primacy in medical training. Particular emphasis will be placed on the problems of combining anthropological perspectives and medical practices with other forms of technical expertise in health related research and practice.

What can I gain through the Master of Culture, Health and Medicine?

CHAM students will develop conceptual knowledge and methodological skills to:

• Understand trends and changes in medical anthropological theory and practice as they apply to global health;
• Conduct interdisciplinary analysis of contemporary problems in the field of medicine and public health;
• Engage in broader debates of contemporary global health practices;
• Apply critical social inquiry and participatory processes to policy and program design, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation in the fields of local and global health.

On completion of the program, CHAM graduates will be better able to understand the different dimensions influencing global and local health practice and apply skills through research and practice.

Why should I enrol in the CHAM program?

The CHAM program is designed for those who have developed an interest in the application of critical interdisciplinary concepts and methods to social, cultural, political, and economic issues in health. Potential students include:

• Recent graduates in social sciences and medicine who desire to extend their understanding of the social and cultural bases of medical and health practice;
• Health professionals who desire further training in the social and cultural bases of medical and health practice;
• Professionals from government and non-government organisations who deliver health care and medical aid to communities within and beyond Australia, and whose work depends critically on a contextual understanding of the cultural and social location of medicine;
• International and Australian students who wish to use flexible, online and blended modes of course design to access quality ANU offerings enabled by multimedia technology.

Degree Structure

CHAMis currently available on-campus as either a full-time program (normally one year), or a part time program (normally two years). Students can commence CHAM in the first or second semester of any year. The specialisation Global Health and Development is offered as a distance-education delivery option. Any of the courses offered can be taken as part of Graduate Studies Select and as Non Award Courses for the purposes of professional development. Additional short-course, modular and further distance education delivery options are in development and will be available dependent on resources.

CHAM consists of 48 units of coursework composed of required and elective courses. The general Master of Culture, Health and Medicine is composed of two required courses of 6 units each and 36 units of courses chosen from a range of electives in consultation with the course convener.

The five specialisations are composed of four required courses that define the specialisation and make up 24 units in total. In addition, 24 units of elective courses are chosen from a range of electives.

Fees

For further information on fees refer to the website:
http://www.anu.edu.au/sas/fees/index.php

What do I need to enter the program?

Applications are open now for Semester 1, 2009. The minimum entrance requirement is a high pass undergraduate degree in health or medical sciences, or the humanities or social sciences. Students who have a combination of education and relevant experience in the health sector or related area will also be considered. Candidates who do not fully meet these criteria may nevertheless be considered. Students whose first language is not English must have IELTS of at least 6.5 or TOEFL or equivalent.

If you are interested, or want to know more about eligibility or course details, please contact:

Doreen Montag (Convener)
Master of Culture, Health and Medicine
School of Archaeology and Anthropology
Room 13A, A.D. Hope Building
Australian National University
Canberra ACT 0200 Australia
Tel.: +61-2-6125-3558
Email: Doreen.Montag@anu.edu.au
Website: http://cass.anu.edu.au/culture_health_medicine/index.php