Careers in Public and Environmental Health
Career options for graduates are exciting and diverse. Graduates can find themselves working in all levels of government, in multi-disciplinary areas of Environmental Health. Their roles may involve investigating food poisoning outbreaks through to implementing immunisation campaigns or resolving environmental issues. Graduates can also work with overseas aid agencies in places such as Rwanda, Somalia, Vietnam and Iraq.
Increasingly, opportunities are available for graduates to work in research, private industry or as consultants in areas such as quality assurance, food hygiene education or waste management.
Graduates also take on disaster or emergency management positions with aid agencies in Australia and overseas, and are very sought after in the public and environmental health field, with many quickly taking on lead roles. When it comes to tracking down a food poisoning outbreak, monitoring swimming pool standards, air or noise pollution, or resolving public health issues after a natural disaster, there is one person who can be relied upon to help - an Environmental Health Officer.
Employment rates for graduates are consistently very high.
Read what our students say:
Leah
Special Project Officer
Public and Environmental Health Legislation
Northern Territory
Since commencing my career in Public and Environmental Health I have never looked back. I have been lucky enough to have worked in a variety of fantastic locations, including the rough and rugged Queensland outback, the picturesque Brisbane Valley, and currently I am living and working in Darwin, surrounded by mother nature in all her glory.
During this time I have professionally grown and developed through the undertaking of many different functions and roles. These have included conducting 1080 dingo baiting days, running mass immunisation campaigns, conducting aerial declared pest surveys, participating in mosquito surveys, investigating public health nuisance complaints and working with food and other registered businesses.
Since arriving in the Northern Territory as an operational EHO I have undertaken various positions, which have enhanced my management and policy development skills. I have also acted in the capacity of Complaints Manager for the Health Professions Licensing Authority, where I formally investigated complaints regarding the professional conduct, behaviour and competency of public health professionals, such as medical officers, Pharmacists and Nurses.
I am more than happy with the career that my Public and Environmental Health degree has afforded me so far and am excited by the prospect of seeing where it will take me next.
Warren
Second year student
"Prior to enrolling in this course I completed a 6 month Peace keeping tour of East Timor as a Environmental Health Technician. My deployment was a hair raising task. It involved water testing, vector control, outbreak investigation and food and kitchen inspections".
"The course at Swinburne has been interesting and challenging. It has given me the opportunity to understand all areas of environmental health".
Nectaria
Fourth year student
"Working with local government has been a fantastic experience. It has given me valuable insight into the public health sector of local government, the vital role it plays in the community."
"I developed my skills as an environmental health officer in regards to food safety, communicable disease and public health. I have managed to build strong relationships with council officers, shop owners and residents".
Nicholas
Environmental Health Officer at City of Kingston
"Whilst completing my Bachelor of Health Science (Environmental Health Management) at Swinburne University I worked for the City of Kingston during my IBL year. After I completed my studies I continued to work for the City of Kingston as an Environmental Health Officer".
"The growing need for EHOs comes at a time when food poisoning outbreaks are on the rise and there is an increasing emphasis on public and environmental health".
"EHOs are also in demand by the Red Cross and other relief agencies for work overseas in natural disaster areas".
Thanh
Regional Water and Sanitation Delegate for The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in Bangkok, Thailand
“My role involves providing technical support and organisational development to Red Cross people in East and South East Asia to provide safe drinking water, sanitary facilities and hygiene education to communities during disasters, post disaster recovery and rehabilitation”.
“I like the work as it brings out the most basic function required in Environmental / Public Health, yet it is challenging as you have to apply it to local context where it comes down to the health and well being of the people, not determined by legislations or regulations, but local conditions”.
Michelle
Department of Human Services in the northern region as a Regional Health Promotion Coordinator
"I commenced my career in environmental health in Local Government and over the ensuing years developed a passion for health promotion. This passion saw me move gradually into a health promotion role."
"My duties of my current position include supporting regional health promotion planning, allocation of funding, providing leadership and facilitating partnerships."
"I found that having completed the Public and Environmental Health course at Swinburne gave me a great insight of the impacts on public health. The course gave me a real taste of all facets of Public and Environmental Health that are of use in many situations."
Gabrielle
Pacific Skills Link (VSO & Just World Partners) as an Environmental Health Educator for the Maldives Water and Sanitation Authority and the Ministry of Health
“Environmental Health has enabled me to work overseas, both in developing countries and in the UK for the past six years in addition to working as an Environmental Health Officer in Melbourne following my graduation. Currently I am part of a project team working on a Capacity Building Project in the Pacific. The project’s goal is to alleviate poverty and improved the livelihoods of disadvantaged communities in Kiribati, Tuvalu and Vanuatu through strengthening the capacity of Non Government Organisations and civil society.”
“For the past two years I have been working with local counterparts in remote island communities of the Maldives which is a small island developing country in the Indian Ocean. I was employed through VSO/UNICEF as the Environmental Health Educator for the Maldives Water and Sanitation Authority and the Ministry of Health.”
“Working with Environmental Health is a developing context is a rewarding, valuable and challenging experience and one that has direct benefits for the health workers and communities you work in.”
Jessica
Policy/Enforcement Officer - Alcohol, Tobacco and Koori Drug Unit
“I currently assist with the implementation of a number of amendments to the Tobacco Act 1987 including developing policies in relation to tobacco and having input into a number of tobacco related projects such as promoting the smoking restrictions in licensed Premises in Restaurants, Shopping Centres, Gaming Venues, and enforcing cigarette sales to minors”
“My work is rewarding, as I am able to see the effects that the changes in legislation have had on the health of Victorians. As a result of the changes to the laws the general public have protection from passive smoke and the smoking rates in adolescents have started to decrease.”
Xavier
Director, Environmental Health, Northern Territory
"Environmental health unlocks a number of career doors. It provides many options for graduates that are only limited by your imagination and application.
In the twenty years since graduation, I have been involved in the many facets of environmental health practice, including environmental health operations, statutory surveillance, health promotion, policy development, administration and management.
My current position presents many challenges and problems but equally provides many valuable and rewarding experiences and knowledge, particularly in Indigenous Environmental Health.
The Swinburne Public and Environmental Health Course provided that initial key to start my career".
Shelley
Manager, Health Services.
Just over 9 years ago I was recruited by Boroondara Council when I was completing my fourth and final year of my Bachelor of Environmental Science Degree at Swinburne University.
The previous year I had spent in paid industry based learning with Ansett Airlines. This was a wonderful experince which involved alot of travel and many opportunities to refine my skills and develop industry contacts whom I skill network with today.
At the time of graduating I had already secured a permeant position with Boroondara Council as an Environmental Health Officer, this was great launch for my career. My qualifications and training have provided me with the skills and confidence to work in a number of roles including food safety, crime prevention, training, drug & alchol policy development, immunisation and now I'm managing a team of 20 people.
Gary
Program Manager - Systems & Capacity Building
'I commenced my career in local government working as an Environmental Health Officer on the islands off the Queensland Coast improving my surfing technique before going onto the extremely challenging but personally rewarding work in Aboriginal Public Health in the Northern Territory. I spent over 5 years in Arnhem Land and 2 years in Darwin.
It was through gaining this challenging experience and because of my current role in management with the Victorian Department of Human Services that I have also had the reward of conducting short term consultancies for the World Health Organisation in Vietnam, The Philippines, Palau and Kirabati.
I am grateful that through completing the Public and Environmental Health course at Swinburne that I was able to have an interesting and varied career to date.'