Fundamentals of Major Diseases (PUBH7047)

Course overview

This course covers the major communicable and non-communicable health conditions affecting human populations that cause the most significant burden of disease. It covers the basic biology, pathology and course of major health conditions and will help students understand how to use information on risk factors to understand the distribution of these conditions. The course examines a wide range of diseases, including conditions that are not always thought of as a disease (e.g. obesity, alcohol use disorder), but have a major impact on quality of life and life expectancy. The course introduces systems thinking as a way to help students in their understanding of the interrelated and dynamic nature of risk factors, and the reality that many causes and solutions lie outside the health sector. Students will develop the capability to apply epidemiological principles to critically evaluate contemporary prevention and control strategies and identify opportunities for improvements that will reduce disease burden.

This course is designed to achieve two purposes. The first is to ensure that students acquire the core knowledge of the biological and epidemiological determinants of major health conditions that require public health interventions. ﾠThe second purpose is to equip students with knowledge of the principles and practices of systems thinking and to give them an opportunity to use these tools to explore the complexity associated with major health conditions. Systems thinking is a core competency required by the public health workforce because it enables more holistic approaches to understand and manage complex public health problems.ﾠ

Course contact

Course staff

Timetable

Additional timetable information

Changes to the schedule of learning activities may be necessary based on the availability of guest facilitators.

Aims and outcomes

The aim of this course is to provide students with an understanding of the causes of and risk factors for major communicable (e.g. COVID-19, HIV) and non-communicable health conditions (e.g. cancer, cardiovascular disease) that are priorities for public health, and how to use this information to understand the systems that they occur within, their distribution and control.

Learning outcomes

After successfully completing this course you should be able to:

Assessment

Assessment summary

A hurdle is an assessment requirement that must be satisfied in order to receive a specific grade for the course. Check the assessment details for more information about hurdle requirements.

Assessment details

Article Critique

Mode

Written

Category

Essay/ Critique

Weight

20%

Due date

13/04/2026 9:00 am

Learning outcomes

L01, L02, L03, L04

Task description

Submission guidelines

Submit using the Turnitin link found on the course Learn.UQ site.

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

The maximum extension allowed is 7 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.

A maximum extension of 7 days for each assessment item will be approved to ensure course progression and timely feedback. 

Please see 10. Policies & Guidelines

Late submission

Please see 10. Policies & Guidelines

Disease Brief Part A

Mode

Written

Category

Paper/ Report/ Annotation

Weight

30%

Due date

1/05/2026 2:00 pm

Learning outcomes

L01, L02, L03, L05

Task description

Submission guidelines

Submit using the relevant Turnitin link found on the course Learn.UQ site.

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

The maximum extension allowed is 7 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.

A maximum extension of 7 days for each assessment item will be approved to ensure course progression and timely feedback. 

Please see 10. Policies & Guidelines

Late submission

Please see 10. Policies & Guidelines

Group Presentation - Disease Brief Part B

• Identity Verified

Mode

Oral, Written

Category

Presentation

Weight

30%

Due date

25/05/2026 - 29/05/2026

This is a group presentation presented in the final week (#13) of the semester. 

Further details are provided on the course Learn.UQ site.

Learning outcomes

L01, L02, L03, L04, L05

Task description

Submission guidelines

Submission instructions are provided in the Assessment 3 Task sheet available on the course Learn.UQ site.

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

The maximum extension allowed is 7 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.

Available according to current UQ policies. This is a group task so all group members receive the same extension. .

A maximum extension of 7 days for each assessment item will be approved to ensure course progression and timely feedback. 

Please see 10. Policies & Guidelines

Late submission

Please see 10. Policies & Guidelines

Oral examination

• Hurdle
• Identity Verified
• Online

Mode

Oral

Category

Examination

Weight

20%

Due date

15/06/2026 - 19/06/2026

Students will choose an examination time using a Poll in a first-come-first-served basis.

Learning outcomes

L01, L03, L04, L05

Task description

Hurdle requirements

Exam details

Submission guidelines

No submission required

Deferral or extension

You may be able to defer this exam.

Late submission

Attendance at the oral examination (in-person or Zoom) is compulsory unless a student has an approved deferral.

Course grading

Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.

Supplementary assessment

Supplementary assessment is available for this course.

Learning resources

You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.

Library resources

Find the required and recommended resources for this course on the UQ Library website.

Learning activities

The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.

Additional learning activity information

Week 1 Course Introduction; En-ROADS Climate change and health game

Week 2 Understanding the burden and impact of major health conditions (Health Economics)

Week 3 Neoplasia (Cancer screening)

Week 4 Chronic respiratory Disease: Smoking part I

Week 5 Assessment Disease Brief: Planning, teamwork & modelling; Smoking part II

Week 6 Substance use/mental health (Stakeholder analysis)

Mid-semester break

Week 7 Cardiovascular Disease & Diabetes Part I

Week 8 Cardiovascular Disease & Diabetes Part II

Week 9 Infectious diseases and health security

Week 10 LABOUR DAY HOLIDAY (NO WORKSHOP)

Week 11 Assessment Task 2: Group model building

Week 12 Assessment Task 2: Group model building

Week 13 Assessment Task 2: Group presentations

Policies and procedures

University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:

• Student Code of Conduct Policy
• Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
• Assessment Procedure
• Examinations Procedure
• Reasonable Adjustments for Students Policy and Procedure
• AI for Assessment Guide

Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.

Course guidelines

School of Public Health (SPH) Guidelines for late submission of progressive assessment - Preamble

To apply for an extension to the due date for a piece of progressive assessment (eg assignments, oral presentations and computer-based assignments) students should complete the online request at  https://my.uq.edu.au/information-and-services/manage-my-program/exams-and-assessment/applying-assessment-extension?p=2#2  

Information regarding deferral of in-semester exams and end-of-semester exams is available from https://my.uq.edu.au/information-and-services/manage-my-program/exams-and-assessment/deferring-exam 

If requesting an extension on medical grounds, a medical certificate must be provided. The extension will be approved for the number of days included in the medical certificate that the student was not fit to study or work, eg if the medical certificate is for 3 days only, an extension will be approved for 3 days maximum regardless of the student's request for further days.  

If requesting an extension using a Student Access Plan (SAP) as evidence, a maximum of 7-day extension will be approved in the first instance. Updated medical documentation, as well as a copy of the SAP, is required if requesting an extension for more than 7 days. 

A student may have a maximum of three extension requests approved for a single assessment task.   

An extension for an assessment item due within the study period in which the course is offered, must not exceed four weeks in total.  

The following SPH guidelines are consistent with the UQ policy. However, the SPH Guidelines contain specific rules and interpretations for SPH courses, and requests for extension and penalties for late submissions will be judged according to the guidelines outlined in this document. You should read both the information in your my.UQ at the following link: https://my.uq.edu.au/information-and-services/manage-my-program/exams-and-assessment/applying-assessment-extension and the SPH guidelines (below) before submitting a request for an extension. The SPH Guidelines apply to all courses offered by the School of Public Health unless the Course Profile explicitly states otherwise.

SPH Guidelines for late submission of progressive assessment

Initial extension for an individual item of assessment – the SPH Student & Academic Administration Team and/or the Course Coordinator decides.

This could be for medical or compassionate reasons, or if, in the opinion of the Course Coordinator, there are exceptional circumstances.

Acceptable and unacceptable reasons for an extension are listed at the following link, along with the required evidence to be provided:  https://my.uq.edu.au/information-and-services/manage-my-program/exams-and-assessment/applying-assessment-extension?p=1#1

A request for an extension to an assessment due date must be submitted through my.UQ as soon as it becomes evident that an extension is needed, but no later than one calendar day after the assessment task submission due date and time. 

If applying for an extension after the due date and time of the assessment item, your request may not be approved. An explanation as to why your request was not submitted prior must be included.       

If approved, a new due date will be set. This would generally be no later than 7 days after the original due date, however this can be modified to account for the circumstances of the request and the time that would have been lost from studies.

If the new due date is past the date for submission of end-of-semester results, the student will receive an INC (incomplete) result.

Second and all subsequent extensions for an individual item of assessment – the SPH Student & Academic Administration Team and/or the Program Convenor together with the Course Coordinator decides.

This would only be approved for exceptional circumstance with supporting documentation.

• Online requests must be made at least 24 hours prior to the approved due date from the first extension.
• The SPH Student & Academic Administration Team and/or the Course Coordinator will consult with the Program Convenor, who will make the final decision.
• If approved, the new due date would generally be no later than 7 days after the first extension due date.
• The Program Convenor should consider if remedial or other support should be offered to the student.
• The Program Convenor should provide a report on these matters as needed at SPH Examiners’ Meetings.

A student may have a maximum of three extension requests approved for a single assessment task.   

An extension for an assessment item due within the study period in which the course is offered, must not exceed four weeks in total.  

Please Note: To support course progression, extensions that total more than 14 calendar days from the original due date of an assessment item will only be approved in very exceptional circumstances. These requests are assessed and approved or denied on a case-by-case basis. 

If you have been ill or unable to attend class for more than 4 weeks in a semester, we advise you to carefully consider whether you are capable of successfully completing your courses this semester. You might need to consider Removal of Course.

Penalty for late submission

Submission of assignments, practical reports, workbooks, and other types of written assessments after the due date specified in the Course Profile will receive a penalty.

The penalty will be a deduction of 10% RELATIVE PERCENTAGE per day (24 hour period or part thereof, including weekends and public holidays) or for work graded on a 1-7 scale, a deduction of one grade per day, e.g. If the original mark is 73%, then 10% relative percentage is 10% of this value, ie 7.3%, The final mark for this assessment item after applying the penalty for 1 day late submission would be 73 -7.3 = 65.7% The same outcome is achieved by multiplying the original score by .9; ie 73 x .9 = 65.7%

The penalty for multiple days late is the relative percentage multiplied by the number of days late. 

A submission that is not made within 10 days of the due date will receive a mark of 0% for that assessment item.

Where a student has sought more than one extension, the due date for calculating the penalty will be the due date for the most recently approved extension.

Submission of Medical Certificates

Students are responsible for ensuring that any medical documentation they submit is authentic and signed by a registered medical practitioner. Such practitioners can be identified via the AHPRA website. Also note that:

• Not all online medical services are staffed by registered practitioners
• If the registration status of the practitioner cannot be verified, then an alternative practitioner should be sought
• Students will be held fully responsible for all documentation they submit, even if done so in ignorance of the practitioner's registration status

Medical documentation may be subjected to an audit by the University.

SPH Assessment Guidelines

The School of Public Health assessment tasks have been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. While students may use AI technologies, successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance.

A failure to reference AI use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.

To pass this assessment, students will be required to demonstrate detailed comprehension of their written submission independent of AI tools.