Take your clinical skills further with Otago’s travel medicine programmes.
Why study Travel Medicine?
In a world where people are on the move more than ever, the need for skilled practitioners in travel medicine is growing. At Otago you’ll dive into the dynamic field of advising and managing health risks for all travellers, including special populations with specific needs, like people travelling with children, the immunosuppressed, aid workers, and people visiting friends and relatives.
Our programmes are designed for practising health professionals, so you’ll connect theory with real-world relevance. While most travel medicine is delivered in primary care and related settings, the content is also relevant to many health professionals outside primary care.
You’ll explore foundational and advanced topics including risk assessment in pre-travel consultations and the changing global environment that drives new health threats. Pre-travel risk assessment can begin with fitness-to-fly issues. You will learn how to reduce the risk of travel-related health threats including safety and security issues, water and insect-borne illnesses and vaccine-preventable diseases, as well as advise on activity-related risks like exposure to environmental extremes and going on expeditions.
With our flexible, distance-taught programmes, you can evolve your practice while working and stay connected to a diverse network of professionals.
Career opportunities
With a Travel Medicine qualification from Otago, you’ll be equipped to provide comprehensive, evidence-based advice for travelers before and after their journeys.
- Advising travellers in primary care, travel clinics or occupational health settings
- Working for public health agencies or NGOs in travel-health risk assessment and education
- Contributing to workplace health and safety for those who travel for work
What it’s like to study at this level
Postgraduate study in Travel Medicine at Otago is designed to work around your professional life. Our fully distance-taught papers consist of self-directed online modules on an easy-to-use e‑learning platform. You’ll explore real-world travel health scenarios, build practical knowledge, and connect ideas to your own clinical experience.
Your online learning is supported by videoconference sessions, block courses, and discussion forums. These are a chance to meet classmates, share insights, and discuss current issues in travel health.
Assessments include a mix of essays, online discussions (and submission of associated tasks), and short quizzes that let you apply what you learn in meaningful ways. All papers are designed to be taken part-time while you continue to work, and you can complete your qualification over several years at a pace that suits you.
This is for you if ...
Ideal applicants will be registered health professionals with a minimum of a bachelor’s degree or equivalent qualification (three years’ tertiary study or more). Our interprofessionally taught papers welcome doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, pharmacists and paramedics. Some clinical experience in primary health or related settings would be useful but is not essential.
A strong interest in global health, infectious diseases, and travel-associated risk management is also advantageous.
Travel Health in a changing world
Discover how Otago’s flexible postgraduate Travel Medicine qualifications prepare health professionals to navigate global health risks, from climate-driven diseases to post-COVID travel realities.
Read transcript
Dr Jenny Visser:
I’m Dr Jenny Visser and I convene the postgraduate qualifications in Travel Medicine here at University of Otago, Wellington. We offer two qualifications: a Postgraduate Certificate in Travel Medicine and a Postgraduate Diploma in Travel Medicine.
In 2019, 3.1 million trips were made by New Zealanders overseas, and much of that travel was to low-income countries where the travellers will be at risk of diseases of poverty, of poor sanitation, but also to tropical destinations.
The world that has emerged post-COVID is a bit different. Vaccination programmes were put on hold during COVID — we’re starting to see increased risk of certain infectious diseases. The effects of climate change and global warming will also have an effect, particularly on infectious diseases.
We’re seeing new outbreaks of old diseases — malaria returning to parts of the world where it hasn’t been seen, dengue fever increasing even in Europe. We’re seeing the spread of European tick-borne encephalitis.
Dr Caroline Armstrong:
We have a travel clinic here at the practice where I work at, and I had a couple of my colleagues recommend this paper.
Dr Jenny Visser:
The Travel Medicine qualifications are aimed at health professionals who are delivering Travel Medicine services within their practices — doctors, General Practitioners, nurses, Nurse Practitioners, and pharmacists.
So it’s a distance-taught paper, so the material is all presented online, but there are also discussion boards that take place during the semester, and there’s a two-day block course.
One of the key objectives of the papers is that we arm the students to know where to go to find information, whether that be security threats or the latest infectious diseases outbreak.
Dr Caroline Armstrong:
A lot of it is self-directed, that you can fit it around family life. So you can fit it around a busy general practice job, you can fit it around young families, sort of other life commitments, and Jenny and the team are really flexible in helping to make it work for you.
Dr Jenny Visser:
This is an area that changes constantly. Many short courses are great for updates, but you need to put in the hours, get the experience and the skills that you need to be able to provide a really comprehensive and in-depth pre-travel consultation.
Dr Caroline Armstrong:
Do it, would be my advice if you’re interested in travel. It’s a great way to get that confidence, knowing the good resources to go to, to get some of those questions, to be able to have that conversation with your patients.
Choose a study option
Whether you are advancing your career with our specialised graduate qualifications or pursuing in-depth research and expertise through our postgraduate programmes, Otago is here to support your aspirations.
Postgraduate qualifications
Honours, masters’, PhDs, and other advanced degrees for graduates. Just one additional year of study will earn you a valuable postgraduate degree. Or perhaps you want the depth of a full year of research-only time during a master’s or to step up to a PhD.
Postgraduate Certificate in Travel Medicine (PGCertTravMed)
A one-semester (at full time), distance-taught, coursework programme, consisting of two compulsory papers
Postgraduate Diploma in Travel Medicine (PGDipTravMed)
A one-year full-time (or longer part-time) advanced qualification for health professionals who practise in the field of travel medicine
Master of Travel Medicine (MTravMed)
A two-year part-time (or one-year full-time) degree consisting of a thesis, a research portfolio, or a combination of research portfolio and approved papers
Ready to apply?
Take your expertise to the next level with advanced study.
Flexible learning for a changing world of travel health
Otago is a globally recognised institution with a strong reputation in health sciences and postgraduate education. Our travel medicine qualifications are delivered by the Department of Primary Health Care in Wellington, using flexible distance learning designed for working professionals.
The interdisciplinary nature of the programme means you’ll learn alongside doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, pharmacists and other health professionals, enriching your perspective and network.
With a curriculum that adapts to changing global health threats – from emerging tropical infections to climate-driven disease patterns – you’ll be equipped to make a real impact in practice.
Programme details
Compare programmes for this subject.
Schedule of papers (not exclusive)
Core papers
- GENA 713 Travel Medicine 1: Introductory Concepts (30 points)
- GENA 714 Travel Medicine 2: Applied Concepts (30 points)
- GENA 719 Tropical Infectious Disease (30 points)
Elective papers
- GENA 720 Refugee and Migrant Health (30 points)
- HASC 419 Fundamental Research Methods in Health Sciences (30 points)
- PRHC 702 Wilderness and Expedition Medicine (30 points)
- Appropriate Primary Health Care, Aviation Medicine and Public Health papers (subject to individual application to the Board of Studies in Primary Health Care).
Intending students should make early contact with the Department of Primary Health Care & General Practice (University of Otago, Wellington) regarding study plans.
Contacts
Postgraduate Co-ordinator
Department of Primary Health Care
University of Otago, Wellington
Tel +64 4 918 5626
Email travel.medicine@otago.ac.nz
Web otago.ac.nz/travelmedicine
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