Why Study / Key Benefits

• Combines health science with artificial intelligence, data analytics and digital-health technologies.
• Focuses on practical applications of AI in healthcare rather than AI as a standalone computing discipline.
• Students learn how AI can be applied to medical diagnostics, medical image analysis, patient monitoring, personalised healthcare and drug discovery.
• The major develops AI applications in healthcare, human-centred design and co-creation, ethical and legal understanding of AI and digital health, and interdisciplinary collaboration.
• No prior programming experience is stated as necessary for the related Health Science AI and Digital Health study description.
• Students gain health-science knowledge alongside data and technology capabilities.
• The Professional degree includes a 12-month paid professional work placement opportunity, providing full-time workplace experience and academic credit.
• Swinburne states that its Hawthorn campus has both MRI and MEG laboratories at a single site.

Programme Structure and Subjects / Topics

The course consists of Health Science core units, the Artificial Intelligence and Digital Health major, professional placement units and approved elective/minor study. The handbook specifies 375 credit points in total.

Health Science core units – 100 credit points:

• Anatomy and Physiology – BIO10004
• Introduction to Health Sciences – HEA10001
• Digital Health Foundations – HEA10004
• Foundations of Statistics – STA10003
• Brain and Behaviour – PSY10007
• Health and Disease Across the Life Course – BIO20004
• Research Methods for Health Science – HEA20007
• Health Sciences Project – HEA30001

The current indicative study sequence places these units across the four-year programme.

Artificial Intelligence and Digital Health major – 100 credit points:

• Artificial Intelligence for Industry 4.0 – EAT10024
• Data Science Principles – COS10022
• Communicating with AI – MDA20030
• Artificial Intelligence Transformation of Health – HEA20014
• Health Data and Information Management – HEA20015
• Ethics and Legal Implications of Artificial Intelligence – HEA30011
• Health Informatics – HEA30013
• Applied Artificial Intelligence in Health – HEA30012.

The handbook currently lists Ethics and Legal Implications of Artificial Intelligence as 12.0 credit points, while the other listed major units are 12.5 credit points.

Professional placement – 100 credit points:

• Work Experience in Industry A – WEI20001
• Integrated Professional Placement A – Health – HEA20003
• Work Experience in Industry B – WEI20002
• Integrated Professional Placement B – Health – HEA20004. 

Disciplines / Specialisations

The requested specialisation is:

Artificial Intelligence and Digital Health

The major sits at the intersection of:

• Health sciences
• Artificial intelligence
• Data science
• Digital health
• Health informatics
• Healthcare analytics
• Medical technology
• AI ethics and regulation

The other majors available within the Bachelor of Health Science (Professional) are:

• Biomedical Science
• Clinical Technologies
• Neuroscience
• Nutrition
• Public Health and Health Promotion

Programme Highlights

• Four-year professional bachelor's degree.
• 375 credit points.
• Artificial Intelligence and Digital Health major.
• 100 credit points dedicated to the major.
• 100-credit-point professional-placement component.
• Built-in 12-month paid professional work placement opportunity.
• Between 1,672 and 1,976 professional placement hours.
• AI applied to healthcare rather than only general-purpose computing.
• Applications include medical diagnostics, image analysis, patient monitoring, personalised care and drug discovery.
• Study of AI ethics and legal implications.
• Health informatics and health-data management.
• Statistical and research-methods training.
• Human-centred and interdisciplinary approaches.
• Access to health-science technologies and laboratories at Hawthorn.
• Swinburne states that MRI and MEG facilities are available at the Hawthorn site.

Career Outcomes

Swinburne specifically identifies the following career opportunities for the Artificial Intelligence and Digital Health major:

• Digital health analyst
• Health data scientist
• AI health solution consultant
• Clinical informaticist
• Digital health program coordinator
• Health AI entrepreneur.

Latest Updates / Special Requirements

• Current course code: BA-HSCPROF.
• Current CRICOS code: 095885E.
• Current duration: 4 years full-time.
• Current campus: Hawthorn.
• Current 2027 starts: 1 March 2027 and 2 August 2027.
• Current 2027 application deadlines: 24 February 2027 and 28 July 2027.
• The current handbook specifies 375 credit points.
• The AI and Digital Health major consists of eight listed major units.
• The programme has a 12-month paid professional work-placement component.
• Students must satisfy the course's Informed Choices requirements covering sensory, mobility, legal/professional, learning/knowledge-creation and interpersonal capabilities.
• Professional placement requirements should be checked carefully by international applicants before enrolment.

International Student Visa Requirements

The relevant Australian visa is the Student visa, subclass 500.

Key requirements include:

• Enrolment in a CRICOS-registered course.
• A valid Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE).
• Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC), unless an applicable exemption applies.
• Satisfaction of the Genuine Student requirement.
• Health and character requirements.
• Financial-capacity evidence where required.
• Compliance with the conditions attached to the Student visa.

Study conditions:

• Swinburne states that international students in Australia holding Student visas must study full-time and on campus.
• This programme is therefore treated as a campus-based international course rather than an online course.

Work rights:

• Student visa holders can generally work up to 48 hours per fortnight while their course is in session.
• Students studying a master's by research or doctoral degree are subject to a specific unlimited-work exception; this undergraduate bachelor's degree does not fall within that exception.
• Mandatory course-related work experience can be subject to specific treatment under Australian immigration rules. Because this programme contains a substantial professional placement, international applicants should confirm the visa treatment of the placement before enrolment.