PMPUBHEA - MSc Public Health

The MSc Public Health provides opportunities for developing advanced knowledge and skills, taking a multi-disciplinary social science approach that enables graduates to take-up work in various aspects of public health, nationally and internationally. The MSc Public Health focuses on the social factors that shape population health outcomes, the causes, and strategies to tackle inequalities in health. Through its core and optional modules, this course seeks to enhance a broader understanding and analysis of the key contexts, policies and practices influencing developments in public health at local, regional, national and international levels.

The MSc Public Health curriculum is underpinned by the core values and principles of the School of Social Professions including multi-disciplinary learning, social justice, the right to health, equal opportunity, community involvement and empowerment, service user involvement, and social inclusiveness.

The course recognises the breadth of the public health discipline. As such, the core programme, combined with a range of optional (designate) modules covers a broad range of topics that fall within the three main domains of public health, being Health Improvement, Health Protection, and Healthcare Public Health. Students will have the opportunity to understand public health both globally, and within the UK, developing knowledge, skills and competences required to be effective public health professionals and leaders in a globalised world. The MSc Public Health programme has not only been developed to cover the three main domains of public health, but also the Public Health England (2016) Public health skills and knowledge framework.

Learning and teaching will be organised mainly as blended learning, with a mixture of contact and on-line activities such as lectures, group work and group assessments, interactive seminars and workshops, and independent study. Students will be required to engage critically with the course reading material provided. Learning resources will also include web-material from key public health organisations, videos, and DVDs.

The MSc Public Health course will use a multi-disciplinary social science approach to help students develop knowledge, a range of skills and competences in the areas of public health adequate at level 7. The course will help students to acquire attributes to become effective public health professionals and leaders in a globalising world; experts who are aware and sensitive to the contemporary and future global dimensions of public health. Therefore, the aim of this course is to develop effective and autonomous experts who are aware of global influences and can perform and lead on areas of public health locally, regionally, nationally or internationally. In addition, the course aims to provides opportunities to develop a knowledge, skills, and a critical understanding and approach of the following areas:

- The impacts of the wider-determinants of health
- The psycho-social aspects of health
- International health
- Environmental health
- Occupational health
- Communicable and non-communicable disease
- Management in healthcare and public health
- Healthcare systems and policy
- Evidence-based practice
- Epidemiology
- Ethics in public health

The following learning outcomes incorporate and depend on a systematic understanding of knowledge, and a critical awareness of current problems and/or new insights, much of which is at, or informed by, the forefront of the academic discipline, field of study or area of professional practice.

On successful completion of this course students will be able to:

1. Apply methods and techniques appropriate to their own research or advanced scholarship in Public Health
2. Apply knowledge with originality, based on a practical understanding of how established techniques of research and enquiry are used to create and interpret knowledge in Public Health
3. Evaluate critically current research and advanced scholarship in Public Health
4. Evaluate methodologies and develop critiques of them and, where appropriate, to propose new hypotheses
5. Deal with complex issues both systematically and creatively, make sound judgements in the absence of complete data, and communicate their conclusions clearly to specialist and non-specialist audiences
6. Exercise self-direction and originality in tackling and solving problems, and act autonomously in planning and implementing tasks at a professional or equivalent level
7. Advance their knowledge and understanding, and to develop new skills to a high level
8. Exercise initiative and personal responsibility, including decision-making in complex and unpredictable situations
9. Learn independently for the purposes of continuing professional development.

SH7008
SH7011
SH7005
SH7009
SH7P42
SH7010
SH7003
SH7012
SH7006
SH7007
GI7003
SH7061

Learning Outcomes cover LO1-9

This Course utilises a variety of learning and teaching and assessment styles and tools employed by its core and optional modules. Coursework essays, group and individual presentations, role play, multiple perspective analysis, tests, examination, reviews, reports and the dissertation proposal, and the dissertation are used as instruments for both formative and summative assessments. The learning outcomes, teaching and learning in the various core and optional modules provide cognitive and transferable skills, knowledge and understanding, plus employability skills expected of the course graduates.

Whilst there is currently no formally organised work experience or work-based learning, it is important to note that historically many students on this course are also in employment. These students can apply their learning to current problems and challenges they face at their work-place. The contribution of these students to class discussion and group work when looking at real-world workplace examples and problem-based learning is immense and important to the overall learning on this course.

PG Cert Postgraduate Certificate (PG Cert) in Public Health Students must complete successfully 3 core modules to the value of 60 M level credit points
PG Dip Postgraduate Diploma (PG Dip) in Public Health Students must complete all 4 core modules, and 2 option modules to the value of 120 M level credit points.
MSc Master of Science (MSc) in Public Health Students must complete all 4 cores modules, 2 option modules and a 60-credit dissertation to the value of 180 M level credit points.

During induction week, students are asked to complete a personal development plan, in which they offer an evaluation of their current academic / professional strengths and weaknesses, and identify the skills / capabilities they wish to develop in relation to the domains of public health, and their future careers. This is used as the basis for developing an action plan and a reflective account, which will be completed and self-monitored by the students throughout their study. There are also opportunities within each module for reflective practice and learning.

The MSc Public Health programme has been internally reviewed against: -

-The Public Health England 2016 public health skills and knowledge framework.
-The three key domains of public health, and the nine areas for public health practice as identified by the Faculty of Public Health

In addition, the core modules of the programme have been put forward for accreditation with the Royal Society for Public Health

This course provides a wide career pathway in public health to individuals whose employment opportunities span across geographical, organisational and professional boundaries to include local authorities; NHS organisations; community organisations; national and regional and local government authorities / agencies; health protection, health improvement and health promotion agencies; human rights agencies; local, national and international health NGOs; charity and advocacy organisations; international institutions such as the World Health Organisation; the business and voluntary sectors; academia; research and consultancy agencies; and policy-making. Some of our graduates have taken work as researchers, health improvement managers, sexual health screening leads, public health experts in government, drug and alcohol harm reduction managers, academics; whilst others have pursued PhD studies.

Completion of the course provides a wide career pathway in population health. Graduates have gone on to positions within the National Health Service (NHS organisations, community organisations, government agencies, local authorities, health promotion agencies, human rights agencies, health sectors abroad, international health institutions, academia, the business and voluntary sectors). Some graduates also undertake advanced research studies.

You will be required to have:

• at least an upper second class (2:2) honours degree in a relevant subject or related area (those with relevant professional or technical qualifications or extensive professional experience will also be considered)

All applicants must be able to demonstrate proficiency in the English language. Applicants who require a Tier 4 student visa may need to provide a Secure English Language Test (SELT) such as Academic IELTS. For more information about English qualifications please see our English language requirements.