100% online Master of Public Health (MPH)

Study a flexible MPH entirely online and excel in the exciting field of public health

Apply by:

18 April 2023

To start:

2 May 2023

180 credits •
14 months full-time •
24 months part-time •
£7,200 total fees

Choose Wolverhampton

Complete your 100% online MPH within 24 months
Commendation from the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education
Course content mapped against the Public Health Skills and Knowledge Framework (PHSKF) and the UK Public Health Register (UKPHR) specialist register standards
Benefit from cohesive links with public health departments, and international public health bodies and membership organisations
One of only two universities to be formally partnered with the Royal Society of Public Health - students benefit from close links with employers and discounted membership
Option to pay per module
Alumni discount available

Develop the skills needed to excel in public health

An online MPH taught by experts

Designed for individuals who have studied or are working in a health-related field, the University of Wolverhampton’s Master of Public Health (MPH) will expand your skills and knowledge on public health, and prepare you for progression in this exciting and important sector.

Drawing on UK government policy directives in public health and mapped against the UK Public Health Register (UKPHR) specialist register standards, this degree adopts a strong focus on addressing health inequalities, empowering individuals and communities, and will build the skills needed for a proactive public health workforce.

We have developed cohesive links with local public health departments as well as international public health bodies and membership organisations, such as the Royal Society of Public Health (RSPH) and the Association of Schools of Public Health in the European Region (ASPHER). When you study with us, you will benefit from these links and will have the opportunity to engage with public health professionals who are often invited as guest speakers.

With an established reputation for excellence in course quality and innovative approaches to teaching and learning, our MPH develops highly sought-after graduates. Many University of Wolverhampton MPH students are now working at government public health agencies, such as the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the United Nations (UN) where they are making differences to population health with the skills they acquired from this course.

Flexible study that fits around you

This Master’s degree is taught within an innovative online learning environment which has been tailor-made to encourage collaboration and interaction between MPH students. This will allow you to draw on knowledge and experiences from fellow professionals, and will enable you to build a global network of peers as you study.

This course is offered part-time, and you can graduate within 24 months whilst continuing to work as you fit your learning around your current commitments.

You can access course material on a smartphone, a tablet, or a laptop, at a time that suits you, making it a flexible degree that can be studied from anywhere and at any time.

What you will learn

By following the Public Health Skills and Knowledge Framework, when you study this MPH you will be equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills for success in public health practice. Taught by experienced staff, many of whom have first-hand knowledge of working in public health practice and/or research, you will learn how to integrate and apply what you learn to achieve your career goals.

Skills and knowledge you’ll learn include:

Politics and philosophy of public health practice
Public health protection and improvement
Public health epidemiology and statistics
Psychological approaches applied to public health
Addressing the wider determinants of health and inequalities
Planning and evaluating public health interventions
Strategic management and leadership
Appraising policies in public health
Communicating and disseminating public health messages

Designed with your future in mind

This degree will enable you to gain an understanding of interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approaches to public health, and relates to the three domains of public health practice: health protection, health improvement, and service quality.

To aid your career progression the course has been informed by the core competency areas defined by the Public Health Skills and Knowledge framework. This includes:

Surveillance and assessment of health
Assessing the evidence for health
Policy and strategy
Leadership and collaborative working
Health improvement and protection
Public health intelligence
Academic public health
Health and social care quality

Entry requirements for home and international students

You should have one or more of the following:

An Honours degree of 2:1 or above, or equivalent, in a health-related area: public health, health and social care, public health nursing, nutrition, pharmacology, health psychology, dentistry, or any other degree deemed appropriate by the admissions tutor.
Qualification in medicine, with a focus on public health medicine or community medicine.
A 2:2 degree in a health-related topic (see criteria above) with additional public health experience may be considered.
Any ‘non-standard’ qualification judged by the award team to be equivalent to the above (e.g. a relevant professional qualification or public health-related experience).
In exceptional circumstances, we would accept a minimum of three years’ experience at a senior level in a public health or related field.

English language requirements

If English isn’t your first language, you will need to provide evidence of English language ability.

We accept:

IELTS (Academic) at 6.5 overall with no individual component below 5.5
Pearson PTE (Academic) overall minimum 50
Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English (CCAE & CPE) with minimum scores of 162 in listening, reading, writing and speaking
TOEFL iBT overall minimum 60
Trinity Integrated Skills in English (ISE) II: Merit or Distinction
Duolingo minimum overall score of 90
IGCSE – English as a second language
IGCSE – English language
Degree – Taught and assessed in English and completed within the last three years
O-Level English Language or GCSE English Language Grade C or above (UK Exam Board)
Malaysian SPM 1119 Grade 6 or above

Fees

Total fees: £7,200

Per 15-credit module fee: £600

If you are based in the UK, you may be eligible for a government postgraduate loan to cover the full costs of the course.

University of Wolverhampton alumni discount: If you have successfully completed an undergraduate degree at the University of Wolverhampton, you are eligible for a 10% tuition fees reduction.

Modules

Politics and Philosophy of Public Health Practice

This module will explore the origins, scope, and development of public health practice and policy across the globe. Through the examination of case studies and examples within the key domains of public health (health improvement, health protection, health service quality and health intelligence), you will explore public health policies including Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as well as key concepts in health economics, change management, sustainability and climate change. You will also examine the increasing importance of humanitarian crises and their impact on population health – examining issues such as disaster and crisis management, migration, and human rights. The module will also introduce you to the Public Health Skills and Knowledge Framework, and key competency frameworks for professional public health practice, for example, UKPHR, FPH, EUPHA and WHO competency frameworks.

Public Health Protection and Improvement

Public health is defined as “the art and science of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts of society” (Acheson, 1988; WHO). With the creation of the new UK Health Security Agency, health protection has gained a new impetus. This is an introductory module to health protection in the overall function of public health. You will have insights into some of the key communicable diseases, environmental hazards, outbreaks, surveillance systems and the inter-relationship between the protection of public health and the improvement of public health through various strategies. The principles and role of surveillance, outbreak management, immunisation programmes, and prevention and control of infectious diseases such as HIV, tuberculosis, meningitis, hospital-acquired infections and Covid-19 are analysed.

Public Health Epidemiology and Statistics

In this module, a wide range of statistical and epidemiological methods and techniques will be used to develop your knowledge and skills through the application of these methods to public health issues. You will learn about basic statistical concepts such as types of data, populations, and samples before moving on to more advanced subjects and statistical techniques such as regression, power, and effect size. You will learn about basic epidemiological concepts such as bias and measuring disease frequency and association before progressing to the main types of epidemiological study including randomised controlled trials. Examples used feature real data and public health scenarios to deepen your understanding on the practical applications of this subject. Contemporary public health and epidemiological priorities will be explored from a global and life course perspective. Teaching on this module interfaces with and complements the research methods and dissertation modules, preparing you for work in a range of public health arenas.

Psychological Approaches Applied to in Public Health

This module introduces you to the key concepts, theories and models in the discipline of health psychology, which is concerned with the study of psychological processes in health, illness, and healthcare. You will be introduced to four main areas of health psychology: the prevention and management of illness; the identification of psychological factors contributing to health-related behaviour; the promotion and maintenance of health; and the use of health psychology research to inform interventions (at individual, community, and population levels). On successful completion of the module, you will be able to explain and evaluate how health psychology theory and research has aided our understanding of the influences on health-related behaviour, how psychological and physiological processes are associated with ill health, and how public health interventions can use evidence-based psychological approaches to inform interventions.

Health Promotion: Addressing the Wider Determinants of Health and Inequalities

Health promotion enables people to increase control over, and to improve, their health. The concept is rooted in the process of creating the conditions for people to improve their wellbeing. This module emphasises the critical examination of the determinants of health and their role in health inequalities, and employing this knowledge for health promotion. You will examine up-to-date theories, models, and best practices in health promotion to improve health, and what actions are required to address the determinants of health and to achieve reductions in health inequalities. Focusing on various strategies to prevent non-communicable diseases, you will explore exciting, innovative, and creative techniques and processes that public health practitioners employ to improve wellbeing at an individual level and group level.

Research Methods and Skills in Public Health

The ability to develop and design a robust research project and to critique and appraise the quality of evidence requires fundamental understanding of the principles or core concepts of research. You will gain in-depth knowledge and understanding of: the three core principles in the research, namely validity, reliability and generalisation; the application of core principles to design a robust qualitative or quantitative study; how to create quality assessment tools for planning and designing research studies; and critical appraisal skills.

Planning and Evaluating Public Health Interventions

The practice of evidence-based public health involves three major programme planning activities: conducting a needs assessment; developing and implementing a programme; and evaluating the programme’s effectiveness. This module critically assesses and evaluates ways in which public health interventions are planned, implemented and evaluated. It will consider the theory and practice of health needs assessment as the first step towards developing an evidence-based public health intervention, followed by a critical examination of theoretical, conceptual, and practical issues in planning, implementing, and evaluating public health interventions. You will learn how to use and apply health behavioural change theories and logic models such as the behavioural change wheel, intervention mapping, and the PRECEDE-PROCEED model to plan and design a coherent, practical intervention to address a public health issue, and learn theory-driven evaluation approaches.

Strategic Management and Leadership

The diverse and rapidly changing political, technological, economic, and socio-cultural shifts over the last two decades and the outbreaks of infectious diseases have placed a tremendous impact on healthcare delivery systems and public health. What is the role of leadership in addressing the gaps and mitigating these changes and challenges across healthcare and public health settings? What aspects of leadership theory and models might apply to help us effectively lead and manage the healthcare delivery system change and reform? What lessons can we learn to improve the delivery of healthcare and public health in a complex and diverse setting? This module introduces you to the principles, recent theories and approaches required to be an effective leader and manager within public health, and health and social care environments.

Appraising Policies in Public Health

Policymaking and implementation are central to achieving desired public health outcomes. This module will develop the evaluative skills necessary to critically understand sociological perspectives on health and to interrogate policies addressing public health issues which have complex social determinants. Through an examination of key concepts in the social determinants of health and rigorous application of models of policy making, you will critically analyse (using a range of policy evaluation frameworks) how policy can help to tackle health inequalities, critically examining how policy drivers such as ethics, economics, and ideology impact on the policy-making process.

Communicating and Disseminating Public Health Messages

Communicating public health messages is a crucial aspect of implementing public health strategies, interventions, and improving population health. It requires a combination of evidence-based, theoretically driven creative approaches and careful consideration of the target audience. The advances in technology and communication had provided new prospects in health communication, which brought huge potentials and risks. This module examines the different approaches and methods to the communication and the dissemination of public health messages. Drawing on theories from the disciplines of social psychology and education, the module will also examine types of messages and the use of technology, such as social media, to deliver public health messages. This will include examining examples of public health messages, the target audience, and the critical evaluation of how these impact health outcomes and health inequalities.

Dissertation

In this module you will design, conduct and evaluate an original research study within the field of public health. You will carry out a research investigation on a topic area of your choosing, and you will demonstrate an in-depth understanding of relevant theoretical frameworks, research methodologies and applications for your chosen area of public health. This module is the independent study element of your Master’s degree, giving you the autonomy to develop your own original research question that is informed by existing knowledge. You will receive academic support in guiding you through the process of designing, conducting, and writing a research project. In completing this module you will demonstrate a strong knowledge, understanding and application of core research skills and principles.