Why Study / Key Benefits

• Four-year professional undergraduate degree combining academic health-science study with substantial industry experience.
• Students choose a health-science major aligned with their interests and career goals.
• Includes a built-in 12-month paid professional work placement opportunity.
• The professional placement carries academic credit and provides practical workplace experience.
• Swinburne highlights access to industry-relevant technology and campus health facilities.
• Students develop skills in health-science application, communication, technology, research, professional and ethical behaviour, and personal/professional development.
• The university states that its Hawthorn campus is the only Australian university site with both MRI and MEG laboratories.
• Swinburne also states that all its bachelor degrees include a guaranteed Work Integrated Learning opportunity; for this Professional degree, the designated opportunity is the 12-month professional placement.

Programme Structure and Subjects / Topics

The current detailed handbook specifies four main components.

Core units – 100 credit points:

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

For students in the Psychology and Psychophysiology Major or Psychology and Forensic Science Major, the relevant psychology research-methods/project alternatives are used where specified.

Professional Placement – 100 credit points:

• WEI20001 Work Experience in Industry A – 25 credit points
• HEA20003 Integrated Professional Placement A – Health – 25 credit points
• WEI20002 Work Experience in Industry B – 25 credit points
• HEA20004 Integrated Professional Placement B – Health – 25 credit points

Disciplines / Specialisations

The current Professional degree offers six majors:

1. Artificial Intelligence and Digital Health

This major combines healthcare, data science and emerging technologies. Topics include:

• Artificial Intelligence for Industry 4.0
• Data Science Principles
• Communicating with AI
• Artificial Intelligence Transformation of Health
• Health Data and Information Management
• Ethics and Legal Implications of Artificial Intelligence
• Health Informatics
• Applied Artificial Intelligence in Health

2. Biomedical Science

The Biomedical Science major covers areas such as:

• Chemistry
• Musculoskeletal anatomy
• Biochemistry
• Physiology
• Infections and immunology
• Genes and genomics
• Body function and structure
• Pathophysiology

The major also uses technology such as bioinformatics software and virtual/digital approaches to understanding the human body.

3. Clinical Technologies

This major focuses on anatomy, physiology and clinical technologies, using medical technology in practical learning. Swinburne states that the Clinical Technologies major is endorsed by the Australian Neurophysiological Scientists of Australia (ANSA).

4. Neuroscience

The Neuroscience major focuses on understanding the brain and nervous system and interpreting data generated through technologies including MRI and MEG.

5. Nutrition

The Nutrition major examines the relationship between food, nutrition and health and includes hands-on laboratory-based learning.

6. Public Health and Health Promotion

This major focuses on improving population health, health promotion and disease prevention, with digital technology incorporated into contemporary health-promotion practice.

Programme Highlights

• Four-year professional Health Science bachelor's degree.
• Six current health-science majors.
• 12-month paid professional work placement.
• Between 1,672 and 1,976 professional placement hours.
• 100 credit points allocated to the professional placement component.
• Health-science laboratories and technology-focused learning.
• Access to MRI and MEG facilities at Swinburne's Hawthorn campus.
• Clinical Technologies major endorsed by ANSA.
• Strong emphasis on health-science research, communication and professional development.
• WIL and industry experience integrated into the degree.

Career Outcomes

Swinburne lists potential career opportunities including:

• Biomedical technician
• Cardiac technologist
• Hospital scientist
• Public health worker
• Medical researcher
• Policy developer
• Community worker
• Health policy developer
• Clinical technologist
• Laboratory technician
• Healthcare consultant
• Fitness specialist
• Health communication officer
• Nutritionist

Latest Updates / Special Requirements

• Current course code: BA-HSCPROF.
• Current CRICOS code: 095885E.
• Current duration: 4 years full-time.
• Current campus: Hawthorn.
• Current 2027 intakes: 1 March and 2 August 2027.
• Current 2027 application deadlines: 24 February and 28 July 2027.
• Six current majors are listed by Swinburne.
• The Professional degree includes a 12-month paid professional work placement.
• The placement is subject to the course's professional-placement requirements and between 1,672 and 1,976 placement hours.

International Student Visa Requirements

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

For this course, important requirements and conditions include:

• Students must be enrolled in an eligible CRICOS-registered course.
• A Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) is required.
• International students studying in Australia on a Student visa must comply with Swinburne's full-time and on-campus study requirement.
• Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) is required unless an applicable exemption exists.
• Applicants must satisfy the Genuine Student requirement.
• Health and character requirements apply.
• Financial-capacity evidence may be required depending on the applicant's country/provider evidence level and individual document checklist.
• Applicants should use the Department of Home Affairs Document Checklist Tool immediately before lodging the application because evidence requirements can vary.

Work rights:

• Student visa holders can generally work up to 48 hours per fortnight while their course is in session.
• Students can generally work unlimited hours when the course is not in session.
• The unlimited-work exception for students studying a master's by research or doctorate does not apply to this bachelor's degree.
• Mandatory registered work experience that forms part of the CRICOS-registered course can receive different treatment under the work limitation rules.

Financial capacity:

The Department of Home Affairs currently states that financial evidence, where required, must cover relevant expenses including:

• Travel costs
• 12 months of living costs
• Tuition fees
• School costs for accompanying school-aged dependants