Depending on the specific modules taken, students may receive one of the following named awards:
These specialisms are only available at Masters level, and not for PGDip or PGCert.
Your eligibility for the particular award will be confirmed by the final Assessment Progression and Awarding Committee (APAC) on the basis of the modules that have been completed. In order to graduate with a particular named award in parentheses, you will need to select the appropriate specified option modules detailed below, and notify the programme support team accordingly. Otherwise the award name will be Master of Public Health.
Master of Public Health (Global Health)
Specialising in Global Health gives you the opportunity to focus on the environment and human health topics affecting the world today. You can tailor your programme according to your personal interests or career goals by selecting one of our optional ‘Masterclass’ modules: Global Public Health and Environmental Change (HPDM033) or Contemporary Environment and Human Health (HPDM027).
Global Public Health and Environmental Change introduces the concept of global health and explores worldwide health improvement/inequality reduction. This highly relevant module utilises real world examples to explore a range of global public health issues from a variety of perspectives, within the context of environmental change and its predicted health impacts at both a global and a local, place-specific, level.
The environment in which we live is inextricably linked, both positively and negatively, to human health. Contemporary Environment and Human Health focuses on the theoretical principles and concepts that are at the forefront of academic thinking and practices in environment and human health. You will also explore the potential impacts of environmental change on human health.
Your Capstone project, which will focus on a relevant topic in global health, provides you with an opportunity to consolidate your learning and transfer your new analytical and critical thinking skills to the design and execution of a research project which reflects your professional interests.
Master of Public Health (Pandemics)
Specialising in Pandemics will give you the opportunity to focus on related public health topics. The ‘Masterclass’ optional module Principles of Health Protection (HPDM124) explores the ways in which this often needs to be dynamic and responsive to the evolving health needs of the population. This versatile field of study brings together specialist knowledge and skills from a broad range of specialities including PHE; environmental health departments; hospital microbiologists and infection and prevention control teams; GPs; community specialists and educational institutions. You will be introduced to a wide range of topics which may include outbreak management, global health, data collection and timely actions and epidemiology of infectious diseases.
You can tailor your programme according to your personal interests or career goals by selecting one of our optional modules. Planetary Health (HPDM122) will introduce you to medical sociology, environment and human health, social epidemiology and global health. You will learn how health in its widest sense and health and environmental inequalities are created, and the potential strategies for addressing them more effectively. Pandemics: Drivers, Preparedness and Response (HPDM141) will get you critically engaging with pandemics from the perspectives of science and technology studies (STS), health systems policy and delivery and social and behavioural sciences.
Your Capstone project, which will focus on a relevant topic in pandemics, provides you with an opportunity to consolidate your learning and transfer your new analytical and critical thinking skills to the design and execution of a research project which reflects your professional interests.
Master of Public Health (Public Mental Health)
This specialism provides the opportunity to receive a focused introduction to public mental health, taking a population-based approach to the understanding of mental health, including prevention of mental ill-health, promotion of good mental health and treatment of mental health disorders.
To follow the Public Mental Health specialism, you must study the Public Mental Health (HPDM174) and Child and Adolescent Mental Health (HPDM173) modules. In the Public Mental Health module (HPDM174), you will explore key areas relevant to global public mental health, including what causes and maintains mental health problems, things that put individuals at risk for mental ill-health, specific mental health challenges or disorders relevant to public health, and approaches to prevention, promotion, intervention and treatment.
The Child and Adolescent Mental Health module (HPDM173) outlines key concepts and evidence relating to child and adolescent mental health, with particular focus on the approaches relevant to public health. You will gain an understanding of a range of mental health challenges in childhood and adolescence, including population trends over time and the impacts of both good and poor mental health during development on life course trajectories.
Your Capstone project, which will focus on a relevant topic in public mental health, provides you with an opportunity to consolidate your learning and transfer your new analytical and critical thinking skills to the design and execution of a research project which reflects your professional interests.
