
Master of Health Economics
Overview
Acquire the specialist skills and knowledge you need to find innovative solutions to complex global health issues and make real differences to people’s lives.
A joint initiative of the School of Economics and School of Public Health, the Master of Health Economics delivers cutting-edge teaching from world-class academics and expert health economists from the Centre of the Business and Economics of Health.
You’ll graduate with the tools to create change and lead solutions in health policy and healthcare, so you can contribute to the long-term sustainability of healthcare systems in Australia or overseas.
Study can be tailored to suit your desired career path, with an array of electives offered in health financing, public economics, health systems and cost effectiveness to refine your expertise. For those interested in pursuing higher degree study, you'll also have the option to complete an original research thesis.
Designed for recent graduates or healthcare professionals without an economics undergraduate degree, the 2-year program provides a strong foundation in core economic and public health principles.
Program highlights
- Learn from expert academics and industry leaders how to tackle some of the major issues facing health organisations around the world.
- Redefine your career by gaining comprehensive training in a speciality field with ever-increasing demand in Australia and overseas.
- Immerse yourself in a rewarding program that offers a diverse range of subjects and access to the latest health economics research.
- Gain practical experience with a range of in-depth learning activities that cover current industry challenges, including economic evaluations, case studies, and research projects.
How you'll learn
Your learning experiences are designed to best suit the learning outcomes of the courses you choose.
- Lectures
- Tutorials
- Online study
- Research experience
- Peer-assisted study sessions
- Workshops
What you'll study
At UQ, degrees are called 'programs' and subjects are called 'courses'. Here's a sample of the courses you could study in this program:
- Health Economics and Policy
- Economic Evaluation and Health
- Introduction to Epidemiology
- Consumer and Firm Behaviour
Career possibilities
Postgraduate study can take you anywhere. Here are some of the careers you could be on your way to:
- Health policy analyst
- Health costing consultant
- Economic evaluation adviser
- Quality assurance consultant
- Health services administration officer
- Clinical trials project officer
Professional memberships
When you graduate, you may be eligible for memberships with the following professional organisations. Contact the organisation to find out how to become a member.
- Australian Health Economics Society
- Economic Society of Australia
- International Health Economics Association
Events
See all events
2 June
UQ Ramsay Undergraduate Scholarship Information Webinar
Stories
See all stories
Careers
Predicting the unpredictable: 6 key behavioural economics concepts

UQ people
Meet Rajbir, a Public Health student from Singapore

Careers
Business management majors: diversify your career opportunities
Stories
See all stories
UQ people
5 irresistible reasons to choose Communications at UQ

Careers
Predicting the unpredictable: 6 key behavioural economics concepts

UQ people
Meet Rajbir, a Public Health student from Singapore
Entry requirements
Entry requirements
It's possible to complete this degree in 2 years or 1.5 years depending on your qualifications and experience.
You can apply for any duration as long as you meet the entry requirements. You may also be eligible to apply for credit or exemptions to shorten your degree further. You'll graduate with the same qualification no matter how long you take to complete the degree.
2-year degree (32 units of study)
To be eligible to complete the degree in 2 years full-time (or part-time equivalent)full-time (only available as full-time study), you'll need:
- a bachelor's degree (or equivalent) in any discipline, or
- a Graduate Certificate in Economic Studies from UQ, or
- a Graduate Diploma in Economics from UQ.
You must have a grade point average (GPA) of 4.5 on a 7-point scale in your previous qualification.
1.5-year degree (24 units of study)
If you have relevant prior learning or experience, you can reduce the number of courses you need to complete and graduate in less time.
To be eligible to complete the degree in 1.5 years full-time (or part-time equivalent)full-time (only available as full-time study), you'll need:
- a bachelor's degree (or equivalent) in a relevant discipline (see below), or
- a Graduate Certificate in Economics from UQ.
You must have a grade point average (GPA) of 4.5 on a 7-point scale in your previous qualification.
Relevant disciplines for previous qualifications
Relevant disciplines include:
- a bachelor degree in economics, business or commerce, or
- a bachelor degree containing at least 4 courses in any of the following 3 areas:
- microeconomics
- macroeconomics
- statistics
- mathematics
Related programs
Depending on your previous qualifications and current goals, you might want to consider
one of these related programs:
English language requirements
IELTS overall 6.5; reading 6; writing 6; speaking 6; listening 6. For other English Language Proficiency Tests and Scores approved for UQ
TOEFL IBT - Overall 87, listening 19, reading 19, writing 21 and speaking 19.
TOEFL PB - Overall 570, listening 54, reading 54, writing 59/5.
Pearsons - Overall Score of 64 and 60 in all sub bands.
BE - A minimum overall grade of 4 plus a minimum grade of C in all macro skills.
CES - Overall 176 and 169 in all sub bands.
OET is not accepted.
There are other ways to meet the English language requirements. For some programs, additional conditions apply.
Student visas
International students who are accepted into full-time study in the Master of Health Economics are eligible to apply for an Australian student visa (subclass 500).
There are a number of requirements you must satisfy before a visa is granted, including the genuine temporary entrant (GTE) requirement.
Fees and Scholarships
Indicative annual fee
Approximate yearly cost of tuition (16 units). Your fees will vary according to your selected courses and study load. Fees are reviewed each year and may increase.
$37,920
2023
$37,920
2023
Approximate yearly cost of full-time tuition (16 units). Your fees will vary according to your selected courses and study load. Fees are reviewed each year and may increase.
AUD $44,144
2023
AUD $44,144
2023
Government assistance
Financial aid
As an international student, you might be eligible for financial aid – either from your home country, or from the Australian Government.
FEE-HELP
Domestic students who are accepted into the Master of Health Economics pay tuition fees.
FEE-HELP is an Australian Government loan scheme to assist eligible students with the cost of their tuition fees.
Centrelink support
The Australian Government offers a number of income-support payments to eligible Australian university students.
Scholarships
You may be eligible for more than 100 scholarships, including:
How to apply
Applying online
All international applications should be submitted to UQ. If you prefer, you can use an approved UQ agent in your country.
The program code for the Master of Health Economics is 5589.
This program is available in multiple durations. You can apply for any duration as long as you meet the entry requirements.
When you apply, select your preferred duration. If you don't meet the requirements for your first preference, we'll automatically consider you for entry into a longer duration.
Find out more about applying for postgraduate coursework study
Applying online
All domestic applications should be submitted to UQ.
The program code for the Master of Health Economics is 5589.
This program is available in multiple durations. You can apply for any duration as long as you meet the entry requirements.
When you apply, select your preferred duration. You can also ask us to consider you for a longer duration if you don't meet the entry requirements for your first preference.
Find out more about applying for postgraduate coursework study
Important dates
The closing date for this program is:
- To commence study in semester 2 - May 31 of the year of commencement.
- To commence study in semester 1 - November 30 of the previous year.
To learn more about UQ dates, including semester start dates, view the Academic Calendar.
Important dates
The closing date for this program is:
- To commence study in Semester 1 - January 31 of the year of commencement.
- To commence study in Semester 2 - June 30 of the year of commencement.
To learn more about UQ dates, including semester start dates, view the Academic Calendar.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants
For support with applying - or if you have any questions about Uni - get in touch with our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies Unit.
Explore other programs
Express yourself. And your interest.
They say choosing a degree is hard, which is why we've made it easy. Register your interest and we'll send you everything you need to know about applying to UQ.