About the School of Psychology and Public Health
The School of Psychology and Public Health delivers contemporary education and research that positively impacts students and society in Australia and internationally.
Comprising two departments – the Department of Psychology, Counselling and Therapy, and the Department of Public Health – our goal is to transform health and wellbeing education, research and practice.
The student experience is at the heart of all we do.
We are proudly training the next generation of psychologists, counsellors, therapists, and public health experts in a variety of disciplines including public health, occupational health and safety, digital health and health information managers, and health services management.
We offer accessible undergraduate and postgraduate courses to students of all backgrounds. We serve regional communities across Victoria and graduate students that fill critical workforce gaps in health. And, we work closely with inter-sectorial stakeholders to ensure our graduates make a difference, and impact, in their careers and the communities they serve.
We believe in work-readiness, and our students benefit from outstanding placement opportunities that expose them to a range of health environments.
Some of these opportunities are also embedded within the School itself. Our Psychology Clinic, for example, provides postgraduate Clinical Psychology students with work experience under the supervision of registered psychologists, in an integrated practice-research environment.
We also offer short courses across a range of psychology and public health areas, where professionals can upskill, reskill, advance into leadership roles or pursue research as part of our lifelong learning community.
Through our research, education and community engagement efforts, we strive to improve knowledge and contribute to positive change, guided by our vision of a healthier, more equitable future for all.
A health workforce pipeline
We offer undergraduate and postgraduate courses across the broad areas of health and counselling.
Our core undergraduate courses – La Trobe’s Bachelor of Health Sciences, Bachelor of Psychological Science and Bachelor of Health Information Management – lead directly to career opportunities in the health workforce or allow students to articulate into advanced postgraduate studies and, later, professional careers.
Our postgraduate courses, accredited by the relevant disciplinary bodies, allow students to gain the training and skills that employers seek in clinical and professional psychology, art therapy, rehabilitation counselling, public health, digital health, health administration, health information management, and occupational health and safety.
We are committed to embedding cultural understanding and responsiveness into our courses, working with First Nations people and other cultures that make up the fabric of our student body and Australian society.
Our Learning and Teaching team is led by the Associate Dean (Learning and Teaching) and supported by Departmental Learning and Teaching Coordinators, who oversee day-to-day operations and support staff to enhance their teaching activities.
Leaders in health and wellbeing
We have a strong reputation in translational research spanning the disciplines of psychological sciences, digital health and public health.
Our cross-disciplinary and collaborative research impact promotes the health and wellbeing of all communities, and better outcomes for neurodiverse individuals and underserved populations.
Our School is one of the few globally to develop public health-oriented policies for the reduction of alcohol-related harms to individuals and families.
We have strong collaborative research partnerships using evidence-based approaches to build and empower healthier communities. Examples include the delivery of our Rainbow Health program for LGBTIQA+ and our family therapy programs delivered nationally.
Our strong partnerships with the Baker Institute, La Trobe’s Care Economy Research Institute and La Trobe’s Academic and Research Collaborative in Health ensures that our research is translational, and impactful, in improving the quality of people centred care.
Meet our executive
La Trobe's School of Psychology and Public Health is led by an executive team that understands the importance of an industry-focused education and transformative research outcomes. Read more about their careers and find out about their most recent publications.
Research centres
The School of Psychology and Public Health is home to four research centres.
The Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society conducts research and education on the social dimensions of sexuality, gender, health and human relationships. The Centre works collaboratively with other researchers, communities, community-based organisations, government and professionals to advance knowledge and promote positive change in policy, practice and people’s lives.
The Centre for Alcohol Policy Research is at the forefront of alcohol research. The Centre’s discoveries are used to promote and inform the development of evidence-based, effective alcohol policy in Australia and internationally.
The Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre work with autistic people and their families to produce high-quality research to facilitate positive developmental outcomes in the lives of autistic people, from infancy through to early childhood and beyond; enable autistic people to realise their full potential throughout their life course; and support families as their young autistic children grow and develop.
The Bouverie Centre is an integrated practice-research organisation that draws on our history of bringing family therapy to Australia to promote healthy relationships in families, organisations and communities.
Academic And Research Collaborative in Health
Several of our academic staff are also members of La Trobe’s Academic and Research Collaborative in Health, which brings together academics, clinicians, consumers, healthcare professionals, health and social care agencies and policy makers skilled in the translation of interdisciplinary research.
The Academic and Research Collaborative in Health aims to improve the patient experience, patient outcomes, healthcare quality and safety, and to achieve best practice in service provision. Partners include Alfred Health, Austin Health, Eastern Health, Healthscope, Mercy Health, Northern Health, the Royal Melbourne Hospital and the Women’s.
SCHOOL STRATEGY
Discover our strategic goals. Learn more about our commitment to health and wellbeing, innovation and collaboration in La Trobe's School of Psychology and Public Health.