PGDip: PGB91E
PGCert: PG911C
2 years part-time
Part-time
£14,000 (INT) *
We’re planning to teach through a flexible combination of online and face to face learning as we start the new academic year. If you’re thinking about starting in autumn 2020, there’s more detail on how we’ll deliver your course below.
Overview
Public health is a crucial issue in every society and the worldwide public health crisis caused by COVID-19 only further reinforces the need for world class trained Public Health professionals. If you are passionate about improving the quality of people's lives, then a career in public health is an opportunity for you to make a real difference to the health and wellbeing of human beings.
Why study MSc/PGDip/PGCert Public Health at Middlesex University?
Our course qualifies you to work as a public health practitioner, and is designed to give you a solid body of both theoretical and practical knowledge and skills, which will help you make a seamless transition into the workplace.
Our staff have a wide range of specialisms, including mental health, ageing, water and sanitation and public health regulation. The university has a strong research profile and is the ideal place for you to embark on your own ground-breaking research.
If you do not wish to study the full MSc, you can apply to the PGDip where you will not complete the Research Methods and Dissertation module.
Course highlights
- The course is aligned with the UK Public Health Skills and Knowledge Framework (PHSKF)
- This is an international programme, drawing students from all over the world
- Many students will already have relevant experience and this is an opportunity for students of different nationalities to add a unique depth to their public health studies
- As a student of this course you'll receive a free electronic textbook for every module.
Find out more
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Course content
What will you study on the MSc/PGDip/PGCert Public Health?
The course provides an excellent, wide-breadth training in public health as both an academic and professional discipline. Its curriculum is clearly nested in the most orthodox understanding of what modern public health does providing a solid foundation for both students who want to drive their careers towards public health and those who want to utilise their training in the current professions.
You will learn how people's health can be affected by their cultural, social and economic circumstances, lifestyle, and environment, as well as covering methods of controlling disease and promoting health. You will also explore the economic, legal and ethical aspects of public health.
It will also explore health inequalities and global public health, including the role of governments, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and their response to emergencies.
What will you gain?
On completion of this programme you will be able to:
- Critically analyse and appraise good practice in the management of public health and health improvement
- Select appropriate approaches to investigate public health needs and interventions in complex situations.
- Reflect on own practice and select from a range of options best mechanism to influence others to achieve best practice
- Critical appraise national, community and individual public health concerns and influences.
- Identify, reflect and critically analyse ethical challenges in public health and public health practice.
- Consider and evaluate the role of partnership within and external to an organisation to effect public health improvement
- Critically evaluate the results of an academic investigation and be able to extract and analyse data using a range of techniques appropriate to their chosen fields.
- Appropriately plan, undertake and synthesise research in public health and disseminate findings to benefit the population
Modules
We’ve made sure that the skills and knowledge that you’ll gain on your course will not change during the coronavirus outbreak. If you’re applying to start this course or progressing into year one, two or three this autumn, your module information is below.
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MSc Modules
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Applied Public Health (15 Credits) - Compulsory
This module provides a firm foundation of epidemiology, its reasoning, methods and applications. During this module, you will explore the role of research epidemiology in monitoring the epidemiology of both communicable and non-communicable diseases over time and region, and the natural, social, economic and policy determinants that influence this distribution in a local, regional and global context.
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Challenges in Global Public Health (30 Credits) - Compulsory
This module focuses on the evaluation of the main drivers of the global burden of diseases and issues of inequity surrounding these. More specifically, the past, current, and future challenges in the global public health agenda. It will explore some of the societal, political, economic, behavioural and environmental barriers required to succeed in reducing health inequalities and empower stakeholders, communities and individuals. Both the global and local context will be considered.
Time will be spent on responses to emergencies including those derived from natural, economic and political events and examine the necessary short term solutions and the longer term impacts including psychological impacts of those that survive, the potential for disputes, roles of NGOs and their management, and returning the displaced to their homes. Interpretation of levels and trends in global data, spatial analysis, models used for global estimates and the role of data visualisation in global health will be discussed.
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Health Protection (15 Credits) - Compulsory
The aim of this module is to provide you with a strong foundation, critical knowledge and technical skills used in health protection as a subset of public health and which core is the protection of individuals, groups and populations through the effective collaboration of experts in identifying, preventing and mitigating the impacts of infectious diseases and of environmental, chemical and radiological threats.
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Health Economics (15 Credits) - Compulsory
To provide you with the knowledge, techniques and tools to understand and apply economic approaches in public health practice to decision making. The module examines demand and supply side economics, micro and macroeconomic issues in health care and the use of economic evidence to inform resource allocation, choice of interventions, priority setting and other decisions in health care.
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Health Promotion and Health Development (15 Credits) - Compulsory
The module aims to increase your awareness and critical understanding of role and methods utilised in health promotion and health development across a range of local and national settings. Health promotion and social marketing principles will be explored and applied to practice in policy setting, prevention, and interventions. Different stakeholder perspectives will be used to deepen the understanding of the processes at work.
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Policy and Public Health Strategy (30 Credits) - Compulsory
The aim of this module is to take a strategic view of public health and to apply relevant policy and strategy to a range of settings. This module provides the means for you to link academic work with a practice situation in order to conceptualise the meaning of theory in the wider world context. This facilitates the embedding of transferable and graduate skills necessary for future career paths and employment. It will provide you with knowledge, skills and abilities to practice and develop strategies to implement health gain or improvement. This situated learning module will use a variety of case studies, simulations, structured visits and practice learning to embed the theoretical aspects of environmental and public health into a real life setting. It also seeks to provide you with an understanding of where your practice fits into strategic agendas and how your practice adds value to public health improvement.
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Research Methodology and Dissertation (60 Credits) - Compulsory
To provide you with the organisational and management skills to administer an MSc research project. Management skills are supported by knowledge of experimental design, quantitative and qualitative analytical techniques, presentation skills and interactive computing skills. These skills will be applied in the completion of a practitioner based research including the developing of original and independent investigations aimed at integrating theoretical knowledge and technical expertise to solve a practical problem at a relevant postgraduate level.
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PGDip Modules
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Applied Public Health (15 Credits) - Compulsory
This module provides a firm foundation of epidemiology, its reasoning, methods and applications. During this module, you will explore the role of research epidemiology in monitoring the epidemiology of both communicable and non-communicable diseases over time and region, and the natural, social, economic and policy determinants that influence this distribution in a local, regional and global context.
-
Challenges in Global Public Health (30 Credits) - Compulsory
This module focuses on the evaluation of the main drivers of the global burden of diseases and issues of inequity surrounding these. More specifically, the past, current, and future challenges in the global public health agenda. It will explore some of the societal, political, economic, behavioural and environmental barriers required to succeed in reducing health inequalities and empower stakeholders, communities and individuals. Both the global and local context will be considered.
Time will be spent on responses to emergencies including those derived from natural, economic and political events and examine the necessary short term solutions and the longer term impacts including psychological impacts of those that survive, the potential for disputes, roles of NGOs and their management, and returning the displaced to their homes. Interpretation of levels and trends in global data, spatial analysis, models used for global estimates and the role of data visualisation in global health will be discussed.
-
Health Protection (15 Credits) - Compulsory
The aim of this module is to provide you with a strong foundation, critical knowledge and technical skills used in health protection as a subset of public health and which core is the protection of individuals, groups and populations through the effective collaboration of experts in identifying, preventing and mitigating the impacts of infectious diseases and of environmental, chemical and radiological threats.
-
Health Economics (15 Credits) - Compulsory
To provide you with the knowledge, techniques and tools to understand and apply economic approaches in public health practice to decision making. The module examines demand and supply side economics, micro and macroeconomic issues in health care and the use of economic evidence to inform resource allocation, choice of interventions, priority setting and other decisions in health care.
-
Health Promotion and Health Development (15 Credits) - Compulsory
The module aims to increase your awareness and critical understanding of role and methods utilised in health promotion and health development across a range of local and national settings. Health promotion and social marketing principles will be explored and applied to practice in policy setting, prevention, and interventions. Different stakeholder perspectives will be used to deepen the understanding of the processes at work.
-
Policy and Public Health Strategy (30 Credits) - Compulsory
The aim of this module is to take a strategic view of public health and to apply relevant policy and strategy to a range of settings. This module provides the means for you to link academic work with a practice situation in order to conceptualise the meaning of theory in the wider world context. This facilitates the embedding of transferable and graduate skills necessary for future career paths and employment. It will provide you with knowledge, skills and abilities to practice and develop strategies to implement health gain or improvement. This situated learning module will use a variety of case studies, simulations, structured visits and practice learning to embed the theoretical aspects of environmental and public health into a real life setting. It also seeks to provide you with an understanding of where your practice fits into strategic agendas and how your practice adds value to public health improvement.
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More information about this course
See the course specification for more information:
Optional modules are usually available at levels 5 and 6, although optional modules are not offered on every course. Where optional modules are available, you will be asked to make your choice during the previous academic year. If we have insufficient numbers of students interested in an optional module, or there are staffing changes which affect the teaching, it may not be offered. If an optional module will not run, we will advise you after the module selection period when numbers are confirmed, or at the earliest time that the programme team make the decision not to run the module, and help you choose an alternative module.
Teaching
How is the MSc/PGDip/PGCert Public Health taught?
You will gain knowledge and understanding through attending online lectures and seminars, and through a variety of directed and self-directed learning activities (e.g. group projects, case study analysis). The use of e-learning strategies is also integrated into the teaching and learning strategies and is used to encourage independent study and formative assessment through the use of interactive exercises, pre-recorded lectures and lecture notes available to the student for downloading.
Assessment
We’re planning to deliver our assessment in a similar way to previous years. We will review this regularly, and let you know in advance of your assessment if we need to make any changes.
Your knowledge, understanding and skills are assessed by a combination of coursework, online case studies, fieldwork based technical reports, online presentations and online exam papers. We have some very exciting assignments for you, such as the design, implementation and evaluation of a health promotion campaign and a mock press conference. Your MSc dissertation will represent the pinnacle of your course, where all conceptual and analytical skills will come together in the production of an original research project.
Teaching and learning
Changes for students in 2020
If you’re starting university in 2020, we’ll be teaching you in different ways to make sure you get the best learning experience possible. You’ll learn through live sessions with teaching staff and have the chance to study independently too, with access to all the online resources you need through our globally available student portal.
We’re planning different scenarios for teaching so that we can be flexible. While we’re social distancing, we’re aiming to teach you through some small group sessions on campus, with larger lectures delivered online and available to you on-demand. If you’re unable to make it to campus at first, or we need to limit access to campus in the future, your course can be delivered fully online.
The table below shows current plans for your learning across a typical week, including scheduled live online teaching and an indication of what we hope to teach face to face, where you can make it to campus. While some weeks might look different to this, due to how we schedule classes, the table gives you an idea of what to expect based on the overall number of teaching hours on your course.
You’ll receive final arrangements for your teaching and a full course timetable before you start.
Scenario 1: course delivered fully online | |||
1. | Live learning | Contact time per week, per level: | 9 hours |
2. | Self-paced learning time | Average hours per week, per level: | 36 hours |
3. | On demand resources | Average hours per week, per level: | 6 hours |
Scenario 2: course delivered with a mix of online and face to face learning with social distancing in place | |||
1. | Live learning | Contact time per week, per level: | 9 hours |
2. | Self-paced learning time | Average hours per week, per level: | 36 hours |
3. | On demand resources | Average hours per week, per level: | 6 hours |
4. | Face-to-face sessions | Contact time per level: | 15 days on campus for classroom and computer workshops |
Read more about our scenarios for returning to campus and what they might mean for your teaching and learning experience, and how you’ll be able to access student support.
Future plans for teaching
We’re developing our timetable for face to face teaching with current government advice on social distancing to keep you safe. If social distancing requirements are lifted, we’ll start to safely move back towards our usual teaching arrangements with more opportunities for face to face learning. Some learning and support might stay online in this scenario. If more restrictions are put in place, or there is another lockdown, we’ll be prepared to deliver your learning and support fully online, with alternative arrangements made for any required placements. We’ll always give you notice of any changes that we make.
Definitions of terms
- Live learning – Live learning will cover everything you’ll do with teaching staff like lectures, seminars, workshops and other classes, and we’ll schedule all of this for you. This might include some study outside your regular timetable, like taking part in discussion forums or online blogs where you’re supported by academic staff.
- Independent learning – Independent learning is all the studying you’ll do outside your live learning sessions with teaching staff. This self-paced study will give you the chance to learn, prepare, revise and reflect in your own time as you need to, and you’ll have access to on-demand resources and materials to help you do your best.
- Self-paced study – Self-paced study will give you the chance to learn wherever and whenever you want to and at your own pace, outside your live learning sessions. This independent learning could include reading and reflection, preparation for classes, revision or homework along with access to other online activities such as quizzes.
- On-demand resources – You'll have access to on-demand resources like pre-recorded video lectures and workshops as part of your independent study. You’ll be able to review and revisit whenever you need to at your own pace.
- Face to face sessions – Wherever it’s possible to do so, and we can make the necessary arrangements to ensure your safety, you’ll be able to attend scheduled sessions, workshops or appointments on campus as part of your live learning. The number of hours given in this scenario provides an indication of the number of hours of face to face learning you could expect, and a full timetable will be provided to you before the start of your course.
Support
You’ll have a strong support network available to you to make sure you develop all the necessary academic skills you need to do well on your course.
Our support services will mainly be delivered online and you’ll have access to a range of different resources so you can get the help you need, whether you’re studying at home or have the opportunity to come to campus.
You’ll have access to one to one and group sessions for personal learning and academic support from our library and IT teams, and our network of learning experts. Our teams will also be here to offer financial advice, and personal wellbeing, mental health and disability support.
More on teaching for your subject in 2020/21
Read our guide to what’s been happening in your subject area recently and more about what to expect this autumn.
Entry requirements
Fees and funding
Careers
How can the MSc/PGDip/PGCert Public Health support your career?
Our typical MSc Applied Public Health cohort is formed by a 50% of health professionals (medical doctors, nurses, midwifes and dentists) with the other 50% populated by a varied array of professionals (bio-scientists and biomedical scientists, psychologists, sociologists, graduates in public health and so on).
Our graduates with a health care/medical background tend to use the program for internal promotion. Other graduates access to public health positions in Local Health Authorities, National and International NGOs and their home-countries Departments of Health (and related structures) in different roles of public health intelligence.
Staff profiles
Carmen Aceijas
Senior Lecturer in Public Health
Dr Aceijas is a fellow of the Royal Society of Public Health. Her main body of research expertise is in HIV and Addiction but she has also worked in a variety of other public health topics (e.g.: Tuberculosis health literacy, nursing practices, mental health in the workplace, health and lifestyles. Her book "Assessing Evidence to improve Population Health and Wellbeing" is a basic tool for those interested in pursuing a public health career.
Patrick Tobi
Senior Lecturer in Public Health
Dr Tobi’s background is in medicine, public health and health management. He has many years of experience in public health practice, research, education and knowledge exchange in the UK, Europe and Africa. His research interests are in health systems analysis, the evaluation of complex interventions, and the use of innovations such as asset-based approaches to improve community health and wellbeing.
Chiara Di Cesare
Senior Lecturer in Public Health
Dr Di Cesare is Senior Lecturer in Public Health at Middlesex University and Honorary Research Fellow at Imperial College London. Her work focuses on the epidemiology and public health of malnutrition, metabolic risk factors and cardiovascular mortality. Chiara is currently working on the dynamics of social inequalities in malnutrition and on access to treatment for stroke supported by the Academy of Medical Sciences Springboard award and the World Heart Federation.
Contact us
We’ll carefully manage any future changes to courses, or the support and other services available to you, if these are necessary because of things like changes to government health and safety advice, or any changes to the law.
Any decisions will be taken in line with both external advice and the University’s Regulations which include information on this.
Our priority will always be to maintain academic standards and quality so that your learning outcomes are not affected by any adjustments that we may have to make.
At all times we’ll aim to keep you well informed of how we may need to respond to changing circumstances, and about support that we’ll provide to you.
Other courses
Environmental Health MSc
Start: January 2021, October 2021, September 2021 (EU/INT induction)
Duration: 1 year full-time, 2 years part-time
Code: PGB919
Occupational Health and Safety and Environmental Management MSc/PGDip
Start: January 2021, October 2021, September 2021 (EU/INT induction)
Duration: 1 year full-time, 2 years part-time
Code: PGB92A
Sustainability and Environmental Management MSc
Start: October 2020, EU/INT induction: September 2020
Duration: 1 year full-time, 2 years part-time
Code: PGD110
