Units / PBH3003
PBH3003 · Environmental determinants of health and disease
2026 Handbook6 credit pointsLevel 3School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine
Last checked: 23 Aug 2026 UTCOverview
This unit explores the role of environmental factors in human health, how environmental health hazards are identified and how the risks can be assessed and managed. This unit will cover chemical, biological and physical hazards and their potential health effects in a range of environmental contexts. This unit will encourage you to critically evaluate environmental health information and its application in realistic situations. In this unit you will explore practical examples of environmental health hazards to identify the human health risks present, ways to assess exposure and options and strategies for assessment and management of the health risks identified.
Areas of study: Health science Public health
Offerings
| Campus | Teaching period | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| Caulfield | First semester | Teaching activities are on-campus (ON-CAMPUS) |
Assessment
The Handbook does not list a final examination among the assessment items. That is not a guarantee there is none.
| # | Assessment | Type | Weight | Hurdle |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Online quizzes (2 x quizzes - 15 questions, MCQ and SAQ each) | Quiz / Test | 20% | — |
| 2 | Environmental health infographic (1,500 words) | Artefact | 35% | — |
| 3 | Environmental health report (2,000 words) | Written | 45% | — |
Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.
Requisites
The Handbook lists no prerequisite, corequisite or prohibition for this unit.
Learning outcomes
- Describe the environmental determinants of illness, health and wellbeing, in contemporary contexts.
- Apply knowledge of environmental factors on human health, disease and promotion in a range of contexts.
- Demonstrate awareness of the role of equity and cultural diversity in the environmental determinants of health and disease.
- Communicate effectively about environmental determinants of health and disease with diverse audiences and in a variety of formats.
- Critically evaluate environmental health research evidence and explain the limitations, relevance and application of the evidence to specific situations. Create recommendations to improve health or reduce risk of disease that appropriately consider environmental factors
Workload
2 hour lecture, 4 hours of directed online student learning activities, plus 6 hours of self-directed study per week.
| Activity | Duration |
|---|---|
| Tutorials | 24 hours |
Ask about PBH3003
Answered from the Handbook fields above — no AI, no guessing. Every answer links back to the source.
Community discussions about PBH3003
CommunityStudent experience, not official rules. Nothing here changes what the Handbook says.