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LOCATION
Stratford Campus
Location Fees and Funding
Here's the fees and funding information for each year of this course
Overview
The MSc Public Health degree will develop your management competencies and research techniques, equipping you to develop your career as a health professional.
Whether you are a podiatrist, a speech therapist or a nurse - if you work in any kind of clinical setting you will reach a point at which you cannot progress without some kind of additional training and demonstrable management competency.
The skills you will develop on this course will put you in a good position to progress in your career and take on leadership roles. The course will focus on hot topics within health and cover core modules on epidemiology, health promotion and global health. Our health students often organise local health campaigns within the community, so there are plenty of opportunities to get involved and make a difference.
Whatever sector you are working in - the NHS, private health or social care services, community health organisations or a related commercial sector - you will benefit from studying in a superbly resourced environment which is producing research internationally recognised as being of the highest quality.
What makes this course different
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN
This course is designed to give you a systematic understanding of your specialist field of public health, taking in the most up-to-the-minute research. You will gain a comprehensive range of techniques applicable to your own research.
You will also gain a practical understanding of how established techniques of research and enquiry are used to create and interpret knowledge, developing a range of transferable skills essential to a career in public health.
The course as a whole is based on the principles of the multi-dimensional nature of health.
You will complete a dissertation, and four core modules - Research and Epidemiology for Health Professionals; Public Health: Theory and Practice; Public Health: Policy and Strategy and Health Promotion: Theory and Practice.
Your dissertation is a self-directed, semi-taught, core module of independent research and is undertaken with the guidance of a supervisor and supported by group sessions with the module leader.
We consistently review and develop our courses and modules to ensure they are up-to-date with sector and industry graduate skills demands. Course structure, modules and options are subject to change.
DOWNLOAD COURSE SPECIFICATIONS
COURSE SPECIFICATION - MSc Public Health
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MODULES
- Core Modules
Public Health Theory and Policy ClosePublic Health Theory and Policy
Public Health, as a subject, is both broad and deep. It applies locally, nationally and globally in terms of purpose, function and service delivery.
This module seeks to provide a robust platform from which you can advance your knowledge and understanding of the principles and concepts that underpin Public Health, which will also be of benefit to, and provide a foundation to, the remainder of the programme.
You will learn not only about the policy process, but also how to critically examine public health policies and programmes within a quality framework, taking into account their impact on the wider determinants of health. Furthermore, you will assess and analyse the contexts in which public health policies are developed, decisions made and resources allocated.
Principles and Methods of Epidemiology ClosePrinciples and Methods of Epidemiology
This module will introduce you to the basic concepts in the design, analysis and interpretation of epidemiological studies as well as the methods applied to public health.
Main topics of study include:
- Measures of disease frequency and measures of effect
- Population impact
- Study design: cross-sectional, intervention, cohort, case-control, ecological
- Interpretation of epidemiological studies: chance, bias, confounding, causality, effect modification
- Screening
- Preventive strategies: measures of public health impact and uses of routine data
Research Methods in Public Health CloseResearch Methods in Public Health
This module will enable you to synthesize diverse information by critically evaluating journal publications to gain an understanding of how research studies are implemented and evaluated with a view to designing your own research proposal.
Main topics of study include:
- Evaluating scientific literature
- Database searching
- Qualitative and Quantitative methodologies
- Research governance
- Systematic literature reviews with meta-analysis and meta-synthesis
- Data interpretation
Behaviour Change and Health Promotion CloseBehaviour Change and Health Promotion
This module aims for you to critically explore health promotion, behaviour change, and critical theory and their relevance to health promotion strategies. By taking a life course approach, you will examine the role of prevention and management strategies from an individual professional, patient and public perspective, as well as a health system and societal perspective. Examination of evidence from communicable and non-communicable conditions and from healthy start to healthy ageing will provide you with the breadth of learning for critical analysis of what works and can work. Examples from the UK as well as internationally will be used.
Global Health CloseGlobal Health
This module aims to enhance your understanding of global health challenges and public health responses with an ability to critically evaluate these issues from political, social, and epidemiological perspectives. Students will gain in-depth understanding of health protection and public health improvement in the context of economic development, governance, and human rights. The module will provide a comparative view across low, middle- and high-income settings, along with depth case studies for a within-setting historical view, to highlight key determinants, approaches to analysis, possible interventions and metrics for evaluation. By the end of this module you will be able to draw upon success and failure in addressing communicable and non-communicable public health issues from the global North and South.
Health Economics CloseHealth Economics
This module aims to enhance your understanding of concepts in economics and how they apply to a range of public health issues and the associated resource allocation challenges and options. You will gain in-depth understanding of the fundamental principles of public health finance and health care finance and their impact on efficient and fair financial flows. Additionally, you will be introduced to the range of economic evaluation methods to measure effectiveness of public health programmes.
Leadership in Public Health (Mental Wealth) CloseLeadership in Public Health (Mental Wealth)
This module will offer you the opportunity to explore the theories and concepts of leadership and to develop your ability to lead both yourself and others in a dynamic and challenging environment. Emotional intelligence, reflection, collaboration and communication will be critical requirements to support your personal and professional development at a personal, team and organisational level.
We therefore aim to promote the knowledge, skills and behaviour you will need to lead effectively within areas of public health practice, to support change and to contribute towards professional excellence.
You will plan your future development taking account of your needs, identified based on critical self-reflection and key professional requirements, preparing you for a positive and fulfilling future career.
Public Health Ethics and Law ClosePublic Health Ethics and Law
In this module, you will explore key ethical concepts related to Public Health and the relationship between ethics for Public Health, in Public Health and current UK legislation. As part of your assessment, you will reflect on your own practice in light of Public Health ethics.
Public Health Project ClosePublic Health Project
The module requires you to build on and improve previously acquired research knowledge and skills and use these to conduct a research project in a public health area of your choosing. You will work independently with minimal academic supervision to develop critical awareness of current public health issues within your area of interest. To complete your project, you will choose appropriate methodological approaches to address your chosen research question. You will disseminate your findings by delivering a succinct piece of substantial academic writing.
HOW YOU'LL LEARN
The modules offer strong underlying knowledge and skills development. This emphasis supports you to relate theory to practice in a classroom setting, in all module components and in the dissertation.
We consider employability to be a crucial element in the knowledge gained and skills assessed in each module. The course will enable you to deal with complex issues within your workplace and display sound judgment, personal responsibility and initiative.
You might be working with nurses, or podiatrists, or speech therapists. They might be from the UK or elsewhere. The interdisciplinary nature of the course gives you the opportunity to work and learn with peers from different cultural and professional backgrounds.
Recently, UEL MSc students carried out a 'Small c' campaign, running a cancer awareness programme at a nearby shopping mall in Stratford. Such 'learning by doing' initiatives engage with local people and provide valuable work experience for students to include in their CVs.
You may also have the opportunity to work on one of our research programmes.
HOW YOU'LL BE ASSESSED
We use a variety of assessment procedures, including unseen exams, essays and presentations as well as peer and self-assessment. Each taught module will be assessed and the various forms of assessment are outlined in the module guide. The assignments are also designed so that you can pursue your interests and specialist areas of practice.
CAMPUS and FACILITIES

Stratford Campus, Water Lane, Stratford
WHO TEACHES THIS COURSE
The teaching team includes qualified academics, practitioners and industry experts as guest speakers. Full details of the academics will be provided in the student handbook and module guides.
Related Courses
WHAT WE'RE RESEARCHING
Our internationally-renowned institutes, regularly carry out research across the UK and overseas. Our Reach Pregnancy programme works with Barts Health NHS Trust to improve access to antenatal care for pregnant women living in areas with high levels of poverty and high ethnic diversity.
YOUR FUTURE CAREER
This unusual and carefully tailored course will help you progress your career - by developing your research skills and by enhancing your managerial abilities. It will also encourage you to think broadly.
For example, while you are treating someone with an obvious ailment such as a broken arm, you might consider whether there are underlying mental health issues which brought about the injury.
This aligns with the growing emphasis in the health care sector on the integration health care services to meet complex health needs.
The MSc Public Health course offers you enhanced employability prospects within the public health sector. This may involve working as a public health specialist or as a practitioner within the directorates of public health in NHS Foundation Trusts or Clinical Commissioning Groups.
Our graduates have returned to careers within NHS or other healthcare sectors with the skills required to take up new levels of responsibility. After completing this course you will be well placed to advance to senior roles, such as director of public health.
"We've got an NHS at the moment that's going through enormous changes," says Dr Matthew Almond, Field Leader in Health Studies.
"What people need is a workforce that understands the need to be resilient, that understands service design and transformation and understands there are processes involved in transforming a service like the NHS - and that until the process is mature, there are going to be problems."
Explore the different career options you can pursue with this degree and see the median salaries of the sector on our Career Coach portal.