Entry requirementsThe course is ideal if you work or want to work at operational, managerial or strategic levels in public health. It improves the knowledge, skills, and practice of primary healthcare team members, community health workers and health activists.
Academic titleMA/PgDip/PgCert Public Health
Course descriptionPublic health is relevant to all sections of society and is a key feature of health and social policy.
You address key questions including
• how is the health of individuals, groups and populations determined?
• how can health be promoted?
• what skills are required for health promotion and the development of the public health agenda?
• what are the implications of the new agendas?
The course builds on the growing importance of health promotion, public health, and health and community development on national and international levels.
Successful management of public health requires development of critical approaches to theory, practice, and outcome measurement. We give you the knowledge and skills to be more effective in your role.
You develop knowledge in the 10 key public health competencies and standards. These include
• strategic leadership for health
• working with and for communities
• developing health programmes and services, and reducing inequalities
• collaborative working for health
• surveillance and assessment of the population’s health and wellbeing
These competencies are needed to join the UK Voluntary Register for Public Health specialists, and to work at a senior level in public health.
Work experience
We work closely with local health organisations to provide work experience for students who are new to this area of work.
Associated careers
Some graduates have gained promotion, or entered jobs in public health departments of primary care trusts. These include • teenage pregnancy coordinator • health promotion specialist • five a day co-ordinator.
Others have joined local authorities, the voluntary sector such as Agewell, and become Sure Start managers.
A number of graduates have remained in their roles as health visitors, public health nurses or midwives, working more strategically and in more depth.
Overseas students have used the qualification to work successfully in their own countries. Some people have taken the course to work towards becoming a nurse consultant.
The course also provides an excellent foundation for further academic study including PhDs.
Course content
Each of the modules is an independent module of study and can be taken alone. The core modules do, however, have a number of themes developed across them. These include
• tackling inequalities in health
• preventing ill health
• local, national and international perspectives in health
Each module is worth 15 masters (M level) credit points. These modules can be taken as stand-alone modules as well as part of the diploma. To gain the diploma you must complete eight modules to gain 120 M level credit points. To gain the MA, you must also complete a dissertation worth 60 credit points.
Core modules
• contemporary approaches to promoting health • health and the global age • implementing change in public health • researching public health • social determinants of health • the public health policy process • dissertation
Options
Two from • food, diet and the new public health agenda • perspectives on sexuality • public health intelligence and epidemiology