Triangle

Course overview

With a strong focus on research methodologies relevant to public health, our new MPH Public Health (Health Research) provides you with a thorough grounding in basic and advanced public health concepts and theories. You'll gain the skills required for public health practice, including the skills to manage, initiate, implement and assess changes, and vital transferable research skills including quantitative and qualitative methodologies. 

You'll be taught by a wide range of globally renowned public health experts who are at the forefront of public health in their specialisms. Our collaborative approach to learning means that our academics' networks are shared with you, so you’ll benefit from relationships and connections with a range of external partners worldwide, including WHO.

An advanced degree from Nottingham will see you graduate with an excellent foundation to progress onto further studies, such as a PhD, as well as the knowledge needed to start your career in improving the health of global populations.

Why choose this course?

Institutional members

of ASPHER (The Association of Schools of Public Health in the European Region), dedicated to improving education and training of public health professionals for both practice and research.

Over 25 years

experience in public health education

Award-winning team

Lord Dearing Award 2019 winners for excellence in learning and teaching.

Strong alumni network

Benefit from regular visits and careers talks from our alumni

Active student reps

Student representatives have helped make fundamental changes to our Public Health course.

Covid-19 response

You'll learn from academics like Professor Jonathan Van-Tam who was part of the Covid-19 response. 

Course content

You'll study across a number of compulsory modules designed to give you a broad overview of all aspects of global public health training with a focus on research. Such as epidemiology and medical statistics as well as how to perform research.

You'll also have a selection of optional modules to help you tailor your studies to your specific interests and work balance. These will introduce you to various specialities in public health including global health, health behaviour, nutrition and health economics.

If you choose the full MPH route, you'll take all of the compulsory modules and choose 50 credits worth of optional modules for a total of 180 credits.

If you choose the Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) route, you'll study the same core modules as MPH without the Dissertation module and 50 credits worth of optional modules for a total of 120 credits.

Modules

Compulsory modules

Data Organisation and Management in Epidemiology 10 credits

The module will provide students with knowledge of the use of statistical analysis software for organising and manipulating data. This will include an understanding of the importance of adequate data management prior to the commencement of statistical analysis and how to use advanced functionality to ensure that data management is carried out efficiently and with the potential for errors minimised.

Epidemiology 10 credits

This module considers the basic concepts of epidemiology and will give you the knowledge and skills to access, describe and interpret epidemiological data, including:

  • the main research designs used in epidemiology
  • the strengths and weaknesses of the different types of study and how the evidence obtained contributes to the assessment of causality.
  • how to carry out critical appraisal of published papers
  • other important epidemiological concepts including bias, confounding, basic infection rate and demography
Fundamentals of Public Health 10 credits

An introduction to all of the fundamental and central concepts within public health including:

  • Health Inequalities
  • Determinants of Health
  • Health Economics
  • Health Promotion
  • Health Protection
  • Sociology of Health
  • Global Public Health
  • Health Systems UK and non-UK
  • Public Health Policy
  • Public Health Practical Skills
Further Medical Statistics 10 credits

This module introduces students to a higher level of statistical methods, building on the content of the Medical Statistics module (EPID4030) and including statistical regression modelling techniques.

For example, students will learn to interpret and apply the techniques of multiple linear regression, logistic regression, rates and survival analysis in a statistical software package

Medical Statistics 10 credits

Learn the basic concepts of medical statistics and develop the knowledge and skills to analyse univariate data. Explore the basic principles and application of medical statistics in epidemiology.

Planning and Evaluating Public Health Interventions 10 credits

This module will see you plan and evaluate interventions including public health programmes, services and policies. You'll cover the full intervention cycle, from assessing needs and priorities (including health needs assessment, health equity audit and health impact assessment, to intervention planning (including programme theory and choosing interventions), and monitoring and evaluation (including quasi-experimental study designs for assessing outcomes). 

Population Health Improvement 10 credits

This module provides you with an overview of the concept of health improvement. You'll explore the different approaches to health improvement, including building healthy public policy, individual versus population approaches and ethical implications.

Qualitative Methodology and Analysis 10 credits

This module introduces the language and concepts in this field, and how these converge with and diverge from quantitative approaches. Contemporary debates and developments in qualitative research will be examined, drawing on examples of research pertinent to public health.

The module will introduce the spectrum of methods and analytical approaches, and provide opportunities to learn and read about, and to undertake practical exercises relating to commonly used and emergent qualitative methods relevant to public health.

The module will include information on, and practical exercises in appraisal of written qualitative research. Structured participatory activities will be used to enable students to apply the concepts and knowledge areas covered.

Research Methods for Applied Health 10 credits

Gain the skills to develop and deliver a research proposal from beginning to end, including:

  • refining a research topic/idea into a manageable research project
  • writing and refining a research question, aims and objectives
  • sources of data, including new technologies and searching
  • study design for feasibility and practicality
  • qualitative data collection (interviews, focus groups, other data sources)
  • quantitative data collection (eg survey design)
  • qualitative data analysis
  • ethics and research governance (GCP online task)
  • basic theory around mixed methods
  • introduction to patient and public involvement (PPI)
  • dissemination/writing/presenting research
  • introduction to project management including financing
  • CASP for critical appraisal
Systematic Reviews 10 credits

This module promotes an understanding of the process of conducting a comprehensive systematic review of evidence in order to inform the conduct of health or health care practice. The module will enable you to:

  • critically discuss the role of systematic review within evidence-based healthcare and understand the use of systematic reviews to explore issues relating to the appropriateness
  • meaningfulness
  • feasibility and effectiveness of health care interventions
  • frame an appropriate review question and develop a review protocol relevant to their own area of health or healthcare practice
  • develop approaches to design and implement an appropriate search strategy to critically explore processes related to the assessment of methodological quality
  • data extraction and data synthesis for a range of health-related research
  • critically discuss the available frameworks for the systematic review of quantitative and qualitative research and the process of meta-analysis and meta-synthesis
Dissertation 60 credits

The final dissertation provides the opportunity to carry out an extended piece of research to address a real public health problem, integrating the skills gained throughout the course and well-supported by experienced researchers.

You will gain skills that are highly valued by a range of national and global employers, including national health services, governmental and non-governmental organisations, academic institutions and industry.

Students from overseas are encouraged bring with them ideas and material suitable for their project, and may discuss these in advance with staff.

Previous projects include:

Optional modules

Communicable Disease Control and Health Protection 10 credits

This module focuses on the aspects of communicable disease control and health protection including the dangers of infection, chemicals and radiation hazards in the UK and globally. You'll learn about surveillance, the principles of outbreak management of communicable (infectious) diseases, immunisation, vaccination, and a range of communicable (infectious) diseases (e.g. respiratory, gastrointestinal, blood-borne, sexually transmitted, vaccine-preventable, healthcare-associated). Along with the theory of chemical hazards and radiation hazards and their impact on human health, and the principles of chemical and radiation incident management.

Developing and Leading Global Healthcare Systems 10 credits

What is a healthcare system? What is the relationship between the state and a healthcare system? What does a healthcare system do? This module will answer these questions and more. You'll be introduced to health and healthcare systems, their structure, components and organisations. Compare health care systems to assess their strength and weaknesses, and learn key frameworks for health systems strengthening.

Global Health 20 credits

Study a wide overview of global public health issues, in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals and other global health policies. You will gain insight into ethical and economic issues within which health care is delivered in resource rich and resource poor settings.

Health and Society 10 credits

This module will introduce you to the sociological and anthropological perspectives on health, illness and healthcare. You'll analyse the ways patterns of health, illness and disease vary in relation to gender and other aspects of social groups. 

Health Economics 10 credits

The module will:

  • Introduce students to a sociological perspective on health, illness and healthcare
  • Consider the ways in which patterns of health and illness vary across different social groups
  • Consider the ways in which our society responds to illness
  • Critically explore the role of medicine in society.
Public Health Nutrition 20 credits

This module will provide an integrated programme of epidemiology, basic nutrition and molecular science and public health nutrition and policy to examine the relationship between nutritional status and major human disease. The emphasis of the module will be upon understanding population-wide approaches to evaluation of disease risk factors and development and implementation of preventive strategies.

Public Health Sustainability, Climate and Environment 10 credits

This module provides an introduction to issues relating to sustainability, climate, and the environment in the context of public health worldwide. It aims to address key emerging issues relating to social and economic factors impacting sustainability, the health and health systems implications of a changing climate, and the relevance of environmental factors for individual and public health. 

Promotion of Workplace Health and Wellbeing 20 credits

The module aims to provide students with knowledge about the interface between health, attitudes and behaviour change with particular emphasis on work-related issues.

Understanding, Predicting and Changing Health Behaviour 20 credits

Explore the cognitions and cognitive determinants of health-related behaviours in detail, through the study of a range of key models. You will also develop an understanding of changes in these behaviours and the intention-behaviour gap.

Other topics include:

  • the role of information in health-related motivation and action
  • how social influence techniques can maximize the impact of health promotion
  • how the manner in which messages are processed determines their impact on attitude change
  • the role of self-efficacy in motivation, health behaviour and health
  • elicitation research, intervention design and evaluation
  • behaviour change techniques and their relationship to psychological theories
The above is a sample of the typical modules we offer but is not intended to be construed and/or relied upon as a definitive list of the modules that will be available in any given year. Modules (including methods of assessment) may change or be updated, or modules may be cancelled, over the duration of the course due to a number of reasons such as curriculum developments or staffing changes. Please refer to the module catalogue for information on available modules. This content was last updated on Monday 12 December 2022.

Compulsory modules

Data Organisation and Management in Epidemiology 10 credits

The module will provide students with knowledge of the use of statistical analysis software for organising and manipulating data. This will include an understanding of the importance of adequate data management prior to the commencement of statistical analysis and how to use advanced functionality to ensure that data management is carried out efficiently and with the potential for errors minimised.

Epidemiology 10 credits

This module considers the basic concepts of epidemiology and will give you the knowledge and skills to access, describe and interpret epidemiological data, including:

  • the main research designs used in epidemiology
  • the strengths and weaknesses of the different types of study and how the evidence obtained contributes to the assessment of causality.
  • how to carry out critical appraisal of published papers
  • other important epidemiological concepts including bias, confounding, basic infection rate and demography
Fundamentals of Public Health 10 credits

An introduction to all of the fundamental and central concepts within public health including:

  • Health Inequalities
  • Determinants of Health
  • Health Economics
  • Health Promotion
  • Health Protection
  • Sociology of Health
  • Global Public Health
  • Health Systems UK and non-UK
  • Public Health Policy
  • Public Health Practical Skills
Further Medical Statistics 10 credits

This module introduces students to a higher level of statistical methods, building on the content of the Medical Statistics module (EPID4030) and including statistical regression modelling techniques.

For example, students will learn to interpret and apply the techniques of multiple linear regression, logistic regression, rates and survival analysis in a statistical software package

Medical Statistics 10 credits

Learn the basic concepts of medical statistics and develop the knowledge and skills to analyse univariate data. Explore the basic principles and application of medical statistics in epidemiology.

Planning and Evaluating Public Health Interventions 10 credits

This module will see you plan and evaluate interventions including public health programmes, services and policies. You'll cover the full intervention cycle, from assessing needs and priorities (including health needs assessment, health equity audit and health impact assessment, to intervention planning (including programme theory and choosing interventions), and monitoring and evaluation (including quasi-experimental study designs for assessing outcomes). 

Population Health Improvement 10 credits

This module provides you with an overview of the concept of health improvement. You'll explore the different approaches to health improvement, including building healthy public policy, individual versus population approaches and ethical implications.

Qualitative Methodology and Analysis 10 credits

This module introduces the language and concepts in this field, and how these converge with and diverge from quantitative approaches. Contemporary debates and developments in qualitative research will be examined, drawing on examples of research pertinent to public health.

The module will introduce the spectrum of methods and analytical approaches, and provide opportunities to learn and read about, and to undertake practical exercises relating to commonly used and emergent qualitative methods relevant to public health.

The module will include information on, and practical exercises in appraisal of written qualitative research. Structured participatory activities will be used to enable students to apply the concepts and knowledge areas covered.

Research Methods for Applied Health 10 credits

Gain the skills to develop and deliver a research proposal from beginning to end, including:

  • refining a research topic/idea into a manageable research project
  • writing and refining a research question, aims and objectives
  • sources of data, including new technologies and searching
  • study design for feasibility and practicality
  • qualitative data collection (interviews, focus groups, other data sources)
  • quantitative data collection (eg survey design)
  • qualitative data analysis
  • ethics and research governance (GCP online task)
  • basic theory around mixed methods
  • introduction to patient and public involvement (PPI)
  • dissemination/writing/presenting research
  • introduction to project management including financing
  • CASP for critical appraisal
Systematic Reviews 10 credits

This module promotes an understanding of the process of conducting a comprehensive systematic review of evidence in order to inform the conduct of health or health care practice. The module will enable you to:

  • critically discuss the role of systematic review within evidence-based healthcare and understand the use of systematic reviews to explore issues relating to the appropriateness
  • meaningfulness
  • feasibility and effectiveness of health care interventions
  • frame an appropriate review question and develop a review protocol relevant to their own area of health or healthcare practice
  • develop approaches to design and implement an appropriate search strategy to critically explore processes related to the assessment of methodological quality
  • data extraction and data synthesis for a range of health-related research
  • critically discuss the available frameworks for the systematic review of quantitative and qualitative research and the process of meta-analysis and meta-synthesis

Optional modules

Communicable Disease Control and Health Protection 10 credits

This module focuses on the aspects of communicable disease control and health protection including the dangers of infection, chemicals and radiation hazards in the UK and globally. You'll learn about surveillance, the principles of outbreak management of communicable (infectious) diseases, immunisation, vaccination, and a range of communicable (infectious) diseases (e.g. respiratory, gastrointestinal, blood-borne, sexually transmitted, vaccine-preventable, healthcare-associated). Along with the theory of chemical hazards and radiation hazards and their impact on human health, and the principles of chemical and radiation incident management.

Developing and Leading Global Healthcare Systems 10 credits

What is a healthcare system? What is the relationship between the state and a healthcare system? What does a healthcare system do? This module will answer these questions and more. You'll be introduced to health and healthcare systems, their structure, components and organisations. Compare health care systems to assess their strength and weaknesses, and learn key frameworks for health systems strengthening.

Global Health 20 credits

Study a wide overview of global public health issues, in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals and other global health policies. You will gain insight into ethical and economic issues within which health care is delivered in resource rich and resource poor settings.

Health and Society 10 credits

This module will introduce you to the sociological and anthropological perspectives on health, illness and healthcare. You'll analyse the ways patterns of health, illness and disease vary in relation to gender and other aspects of social groups. 

Health Economics 10 credits

The module will:

  • Introduce students to a sociological perspective on health, illness and healthcare
  • Consider the ways in which patterns of health and illness vary across different social groups
  • Consider the ways in which our society responds to illness
  • Critically explore the role of medicine in society.
Promotion of Workplace Health and Wellbeing 20 credits

The module aims to provide students with knowledge about the interface between health, attitudes and behaviour change with particular emphasis on work-related issues.

Public Health Nutrition 20 credits

This module will provide an integrated programme of epidemiology, basic nutrition and molecular science and public health nutrition and policy to examine the relationship between nutritional status and major human disease. The emphasis of the module will be upon understanding population-wide approaches to evaluation of disease risk factors and development and implementation of preventive strategies.

Public Health Sustainability, Climate and Environment 10 credits

This module provides an introduction to issues relating to sustainability, climate, and the environment in the context of public health worldwide. It aims to address key emerging issues relating to social and economic factors impacting sustainability, the health and health systems implications of a changing climate, and the relevance of environmental factors for individual and public health. 

Understanding, Predicting and Changing Health Behaviour 20 credits

Explore the cognitions and cognitive determinants of health-related behaviours in detail, through the study of a range of key models. You will also develop an understanding of changes in these behaviours and the intention-behaviour gap.

Other topics include:

  • the role of information in health-related motivation and action
  • how social influence techniques can maximize the impact of health promotion
  • how the manner in which messages are processed determines their impact on attitude change
  • the role of self-efficacy in motivation, health behaviour and health
  • elicitation research, intervention design and evaluation
  • behaviour change techniques and their relationship to psychological theories
The above is a sample of the typical modules we offer but is not intended to be construed and/or relied upon as a definitive list of the modules that will be available in any given year. Modules (including methods of assessment) may change or be updated, or modules may be cancelled, over the duration of the course due to a number of reasons such as curriculum developments or staffing changes. Please refer to the module catalogue for information on available modules. This content was last updated on Monday 12 December 2022.

Learning and assessment

How you will learn

  • Lectures
  • Seminars
  • Computer-based exercises
  • Guided reading
  • Small group learning
  • Workshops
  • Presentations
  • Tutorials

How you will be assessed

  • Computer-based exercises
  • Exams
  • Written work
  • Presentations
  • Dissertation

Your work will be assessed during or at the end of each module through a variety of means.

To complete a module and gain its credits you'll need to make sure you attend your timetabled sessions and get over the 50% pass mark.

To achieve the MPH, you'll need a total of 180 credits.

To achieve the PGDip, you'll need a total of 120 credits.

Contact time and study hours

We encourage our students to think of the course like they would a full-time job and spend around 37 hours on it per week including teaching time. Part-time students should consider it similar to a part-time job.

You're expected to work roughly 10 hours for each credit on the course including teaching and independent study, so a 20-credit module should take around 200 hours to complete or around a total of 25 eight-hour days.

Full-time

Full-time students learn over two semesters and a summer period totalling 12 months.

During the autumn semester, you'll typically be taught core modules on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Optional modules are delivered in the spring semester and are usually taught on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays or Fridays.

You'll have an average of 14 to 18 hours of contact time each week. However, the time and days of teaching will depend on your modules.

Non-teaching days are intended for private study and research.

Part-time

Part-time will learn the same course content over a period of 24 months.

During the autumn semester, you'll typically be taught the core modules on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Optional modules are delivered in the spring semester and are usually taught on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays or Fridays. However, this is dependent on what optional modules you choose. 

You'll typically attend teaching one to two days a week or about 10 hours per week.

We try wherever possible to be flexible to help you manage your timetable.

You're expected to devote around two to three days per week to the course including attending teaching, private study, and research.

Entry requirements

All candidates are considered on an individual basis and we accept a broad range of qualifications. The entrance requirements below apply to 2023 entry.

Undergraduate degree2:1

Applying

If you have any courses-specific questions you can contact the course director, Dr Emma Wilson.

Our step-by-step guide covers everything you need to know about applying.

How to apply
Nottingham City Hospital

Where you will learn

Nottingham City Hospital

Nottingham City Hospital is a large hospital based in the city of Nottingham, around four miles from University Park Campus.

Most teaching takes place in our purpose-built Clinical Sciences Building. This includes a human performance laboratory for physiotherapy and sport rehabilitation students.

Queen’s Medical Centre – the city’s other large hospital – is 20 minutes away by public bus. This hospital is connected by footbridge to University Park Campus.

Fees

UK fees are set in line with the national UKRI maximum fee limit. We expect fees for 2023 entry to be confirmed in August 2022.

Additional information for international students

If you are a student from the EU, EEA or Switzerland, you may be asked to complete a fee status questionnaire and your answers will be assessed using guidance issued by the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) .

These fees are for full-time study. If you are studying part-time, you will be charged a proportion of this fee each year (subject to inflation).

Additional costs

All students will need at least one device to approve security access requests via Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA). We also recommend students have a suitable laptop to work both on and off-campus. For more information, please check the equipment advice.

As a student on this course, you should factor some additional costs into your budget, alongside your tuition fees and living expenses such as travel and accommodation.

You should be able to access the books and resources you need for the course through our libraries, however you may wish to purchase your own copies or get specific books which may cost up to £80 each.

Funding

There are many ways to fund your postgraduate course, from scholarships to government loans.

We also offer a range of international masters scholarships for high-achieving international scholars who can put their Nottingham degree to great use in their careers.

Check our guide to find out more about funding your postgraduate degree.

Postgraduate funding

Careers

We offer individual careers support for all postgraduate students.

Expert staff can help you research career options and job vacancies, build your CV or résumé, develop your interview skills and meet employers.

Each year 1,100 employers advertise graduate jobs and internships through our online vacancy service. We host regular careers fairs, including specialist fairs for different sectors.

International students who complete an eligible degree programme in the UK on a student visa can apply to stay and work in the UK after their course under the Graduate immigration route. Eligible courses at the University of Nottingham include bachelors, masters and research degrees, and PGCE courses.

Graduate destinations

Our graduates go on to a wider range of careers. Example careers you could go into include:

  • health services, such as the NHS
  • local or national government, for example, councils, Public Health England, Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Ministries of Health
  • multilateral organisations (World Health Organisation) and non-governmental organisations (Christian Aid, International Medical Corp, World Wildlife Fund)
  • research/academia
  • journalism
  • politics
  • sciences

Career progression

78.4% of postgraduates from the School of Medicine secured graduate level employment or further study within 15 months of graduation. The average annual salary for these graduates was £28,505.*

*HESA Graduate Outcomes 2019/20 data published in 2022. The Graduate Outcomes % is derived using The Guardian University Guide methodology. The average annual salary is based on graduates working full-time, postgraduate, home graduates within the UK.

Two masters graduates proudly holding their certificates
" We genuinely want to see everybody make the best of their time with us and we’ll do whatever we can to make their experience as valuable and as enriched as possible. We go above and beyond for our students and we value their individuality. We want you to focus on what you're personally interested in. When you’ve got good academic track record and add into that a good student experience, you can’t really beat that. "
Dr Emma Wilson, Course Director

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This content was last updated on Monday 12 December 2022. Every effort has been made to ensure that this information is accurate, but changes are likely to occur given the interval between the date of publishing and course start date. It is therefore very important to check this website for any updates before you apply.