Public Health (Taught)

Internationally successful, offering networking opportunities with 150 global partners, this comprehensive MSc offers a deep dive into public health issues on a local, national, and global scale, fostering specialised skills for advancing public health and disease prevention worldwide. You develop critical research skills; gain insights into the global drivers behind health system reform; and build your understanding of policy development and implementation in across both developed and developing nations. You also learn to apply your knowledge through exploring real-life case studies from around the world.

Course accreditation
The course addresses the key competencies from the UK Faculty of Public Health (FPH) and, on completion, you are eligible to apply for fellow membership of the UK Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH).

Facilities and specialist equipment
Gain access to the Faculty’s range of simulation units, including the Moot Court and clinical skills and simulation suites within the three campuses at Luton, Bedford and Aylesbury, to provide instrumental learning opportunities, and prepare you to respond to and manage a range of scenarios you may encounter in real life.

Industry links
Strong links with internal and external development partners such as Luton Borough Council’s Public Health Department, Keech Hospice Care and University of Bedfordshire’s Institute for Health Research.

Your student experience

Gain expertise and insight on a course based on the principle that medical professionals should improve health and prevent disease not just provide treatment for those who are ill.

Build your experience exploring case studies from around the world.

Benefit from a research-active academic team involved in internationally excellent and world-leading research at our Institute of Applied Social Research (REF 2021).

Our research-informed teaching highlights the importance of public health and public health practice worldwide while building your practical, critical and theoretical skills.

Opportunities for work and research experience in public health areas, such as health inequalities, homelessness, addiction and substance abuse, public health policies and planning, and public health epidemiology and data analysis.

Our course attracts students from around the world, bringing a wide range of talents and experience to your learning as well as contributing to a lively, engaging learning environment.

There are opportunities to attend conferences and events, where you may be encouraged to present your dissertation research.

This course prepares you for postgraduate research study (MRes/MPhil/PhD) in public health.

Course modules

Epidemiology in public health – An introduction to the key concepts and principles of epidemiology with a focus on research analysis.

Public health protection – Explore the role public health plays in protecting the population from infectious diseases and the effects of environmental hazards.

Healthcare commissioning – An evidence-based approach to healthcare commissioning, exploring its importance, both in the UK and globally.

Health and social care inequalities – Examine the social categories used to understand inequalities and how they influence the way care is experienced by different groups.

Ethical and legal issues in healthcare – Build skills in recognising when ethical and legal issues arise in healthcare and how best to approach them.

Public health intelligence – Develop the skills to gather, analyse and integrate public health evidence and use it to support effective decision making.

Principles, policies and issues in public health – How principles, policies and research issues have influenced public health approaches in the UK and internationally.

Public health research methods – Learn to construct a rigorous research proposal that includes relevant research and an appreciation of its public health value.

Dissertation – Develop and conduct an individual research project using primary or secondary research methods.

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