PG Diploma and MSc in Public Health

This course aims: to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to improve the global health of populations, communities and particular groups within them, through the promotion of health and prevention of diseases; the provision and evaluation of treatment and care; and the investigation and control of environmental threats to health. The emphasis is on the use, development and critical evaluation of conceptual models, evidence and methods of analysis; and on practical, effective interventions. Similar to the structure and contents of the London-based courses, this course provides a multidisciplinary perspective, drawing on a wide range of disciplines from health and social sciences. The course is highly interactive using activities and exercises which build on the personal experience of participants. The course covers public health in low, middle and high income countries and allows the student to either follow a wide-ranging curriculum, or to concentrate on a specialised area. Students will be asked to select one of the following four streams:

• Public Health (General)
• Public Health (Environment and Health)
• Public Health (Health Promotion)
• Public Health (Health Services Management)

Objectives

By the end of this course students should be able to demonstrate ability to apply knowledge of the core disciplines of public health, consisting of statistics; epidemiology; health economics; and social research, to real world health problems.

Programme specification (MSc) and Programme specification (PG Diploma) with a more detailed breakdown of how elements of the Course support and achieve learning objectives.

Core

In Part I all students complete four Compulsory modules: (i) Basic Statistics for Public Health & Policy; (ii) Basic Epidemiology; (iii) Introduction to Health Economics; and (iv) Principles of Social Research.

All students take two additional core modules, selected from: Issues in Public Health; Health Promotion Theory; Health Services; Environment, Health & Sustainable Development; and Health Policy, Process & Power.

For the three specialised streams, one of these modules is compulsory: Environment, Health & Sustainable Development (for the Environment and Health stream); Health Promotion Theory (for the Health Promotion stream); and Health Services (for the Health Services Management stream).

Advanced modules

In Part II students select nine of the following advanced modules: Health Care Evaluation; Economic Analysis for Management & Policy; Economic Evaluation; Analytical Models for Decision Making; Organisational Management; Managing Health Services; Financial Management; Health Promotion Practice; Communicable Disease Control; Environmental Epidemiology; Environmental Health Policy; Medical Anthropology in Public Health; Globalisation & Health; Bacterial Infections; Nutrition and Infection; Parasitology; Water and Sanitation; Epidemiology and Control of Infectious Diseases in Developing Countries; AIDS; Tuberculosis; Malaria; Hospital Infection.

For the three specialised streams, one of these modules is Compulsory: Environmental Health Policy (for the Environment and Health stream); Health Promotion Practice (for the Health Promotion stream); and Organisational Management (for the Health Services Management stream)

Recommendations for order of study of specific modules are covered in the respective course regulations booklet. Specific requirements may apply for some advanced study modules. Not all advanced modules will be available every year.

Project Report

All currently registered MSc students have the option to undertake an project, equivalent to 2 advanced modules, specific to their chosen stream

Course Duration

On successful completion of the core, students can exit the programme with a PG Diploma in Public Health or proceed to advanced modules and therefore MSc studies. MSc students have a minimum period of two years and a maximum of five in which to complete their degree. Diploma students have a minimum of one and a maximum of five years to complete their qualification.

Entrance Requirements

For the MSc: a Second-class honours degree or equivalent in a subject appropriate to the course from a university or other institution acceptable to the University of London and a minimum of one year's relevant work experience.

For the PG Diploma: a first degree in a subject appropriate to the course or in another discipline which has included a suitable preliminary training; or previous education and experience without a first degree, which satisfies the University that the applicant has obtained a level of academic proficiency equivalent to a first degree.

Computing Requirements

The list, right, gives the specifications for a computer capable of running the software supplied. A computer with the minimum rather than recommended specifications will be able to use the course but may be rather slow.
Computer: PC capable of running Windows and fulfilling the other requirements.
Please note that Mac`s are not supported for this course.
Processor: Pentium or better, 90MHz or higher (recommended).
Memory (RAM): 32MB or higher (recommended).
Hard disk space: 88MB, for Diploma only, 185MB for full MSc, 6MB is the minimum if the sessions are read from the CD.
CD-ROM drive: Double speed or faster recommended.
Operating System: Windows 95 (minimum); Windows 98 or higher (recommended).
Graphics: 256 colours (minimum), 65536 colours or higher (recommended). Resolution 640x480 or higher.
Internet connection: E-mail account (minimum); Web access (strongly recommended).
Printer: Either laser or Ink Jet (recommended).