Don IversonWelcome by 
Professor Don Iverson
Pro Vice-Chancellor (Health)

The Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences includes three schools:

Each of these schools offers a range of undergraduate and postgraduate programs designed to meet the needs of a diverse student population. The schools regularly review their programs and course offerings to ensure they are current with scientific advances and satisfy the accrediting requirements of the relevant professional organizations. Thus, students in the Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences should be confident that their educational experiences at the University of Wollongong will help them attain the knowledge, skills and personal qualities required to be successful in their chosen careers.

The academic staff of the three departments are responsible for ensuring that students have challenging and relevant learning experiences. Thus, at the undergraduate level the most important responsibility of our academic staff is teaching. The Faculty's academic staff are committed to designing educational experiences that engage students in the teaching/learning process. They do this by appropriately using technology in classroom and laboratory settings, by creating classroom and laboratory activities that require active student involvement, by designing class assignments that contribute to the acquisition of essential knowledge and skills, and by using assessment methods that accurately measure the student's acquisition of required knowledge and skills. The Faculty's commitment to teaching is reflected in the implementation of a comprehensive quality assurance program.

Our students have numerous opportunities to develop research skills. Many academic staff in the three departments have active, successful research programs that have brought national and international recognition to the University of Wollongong. Thus, students who are interested in research have a range of opportunities to develop their research skills, to participate as a member of an established research team, and to develop their own research programs. The organized research programs within the Faculty include the Metabolic Research Centre, the Exercise Science and Rehabilitation Centre, the Brain and Behaviour Research Institute, and the Key Centre for Smart Foods. It is the intent of the Faculty to ensure that students who graduate with research-focused degrees have the ability to function as independent researchers.

The faculty offers a range of postgraduate coursework programs, many accredited by professional bodies such as the Australian Psychological Society or the Dietitians Association of Australia (DAA). These include Psychology and Clinical Psychology, Exercise Rehabilitation, Health Service Management, Nutrition and Dietetics, Nursing and Midwifery, Occupational Health and Safety and others. The faculty maintains strong links with industry bodies, such as the Area Health Services and WorkCover to ensure our programs are relevant to the latest industry developments. Some programs are offered by distance education or in the afternoon/evening to allow those in the workforce or at distant locations to undertake study in their won time.

The Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences is committed to its students. The Office of the Sub-Dean provides guidance to undergraduate students to ensure their programs meet their individual needs and to facilitate completion of their programs in a timely manner. At the postgraduate level supervisors work with their students on a frequent basis and, in many instances, actually work alongside them in the conduct of research.

This website contains detailed information about the undergraduate and graduate programs offered within the Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences. In addition, it contains profiles of the faculty of each of the schools. We hope you find the information helpful. If you have any questions after reading this material, please call the Faculty Office at (02) 4221 3492 or visit us on the University of Wollongong campus.

I look forward to meeting you and welcoming you to the Faculty.

Donald C. Iverson
PVC (Health)

Last reviewed: 31 August, 2009