Master of Public Health MPH

This module introduces the historical and conceptual foundations of public health systems and policy. 

• You will review different health systems and public health models to 
• understand their functions, grounding theories, and concepts about:
• service delivery
• health workforce
• health information systems
• access to essential medicines
• financing
• leadership
• collective actions of society to enhance population health. 

The module uses local, national, and global perspectives to consider the political dimensions of public health and the strategic use of resources such as housing, economic globalisation and income distribution, and community empowerment on influencing lifestyle choices and improving population health. 

This module introduces key challenges facing global public health systems and practitioners. It prepares you to critique and understand public health concepts in the context of complex socio-political developments globally. It emphasises the importance of developing a critical analysis to understand how globalisation process and its drivers influence public health systems’ ability to mitigate the emergence and spread of risk factors and diseases that impact population health. 

You will be able to critically analyse global health systems, and how alliances and partnerships come together to develop and manage strong public health systems.

This module enables you to appreciate how epidemiology contributes to the identification of public health issues at a population level locally, nationally and globally. It complements the Research Methods for Public Health module by giving you the opportunity to gain an understanding of how to locate and use health data sources, and the relative strengths and weaknesses of the different epidemiological study designs.

You will develop skills for critically appraising published research and interpreting basic epidemiologic and demographic, descriptive and inferential data and statistical approaches to analysing health outcomes.

This module aims to develop your knowledge, skills, and ability to undertake research. You will develop key competencies for initiating (and independently carrying out) high-quality evidence-based research that generates solutions to problems that impact population health. 

You will be introduced to research philosophies, paradigms and ethics and a range of methodological elements and techniques for carrying out primary research including the implementation of quantitative and qualitative research. This module complements all other MPH modules.

Knowledge and skills in leadership and management are a core requirements for improving population health. This module focuses on helping you to understand the theory and practice of effective leadership and management of public health services, programmes and projects. It examines and unpicks concepts and issues in leadership and management practices and strategies used within public health systems to improve service delivery, and implement change that achieves sustainable service quality in the context of addressing population health needs. 

The module uses real-life scenarios and recorded narrations by practitioners to analyse classic leadership themes and interpret the characteristics of effective leaders; helping students as future leaders and managers to identify and adopt different leadership approaches for handling the challenges facing public health professionals in influencing societies and populations for health improvement. 

The module will challenge you to think of innovative ideas to adopt when leading within complex and dynamic public health settings. 

The aim of this module is to develop your skills in designing, implementing and evaluating health policy interventions.

The module will help you to become a critical thinker who is able to analyse the effectiveness of the health policy process including translation of evidence-informed policy into practice.

The module aims to provide you with the opportunity to independently develop a business case for a public health improvement initiative through secondary research. You will have the opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills acquired from the different course modules to develop a business case for improving the effectiveness, efficiency, or quality of specific public health, healthcare or social care project, programme, or service.

The dissertation prepares you for translating research-informed recommendations into feasible public health actions that contribute to improving the health of an affected group or population at the local or national levels.

This module focuses on your understanding of the role of food and nutrition and related socio-economic and political factors in influencing population health improvement.

You will explore the different aspects of nutrition in public health including nutrition across the life course, evaluating population food behaviours, the psychology of food, prevention of food poisoning, and analysis of the global nutritional disorders, undernutrition (such as kwashiorkor and marasmus), and overnutrition (such as obesity, diabetes, and food-related cancers).

This module builds on your knowledge and understanding of gender, as an important consideration for health and development. Through the application of theoretical perspectives, the module guides you in analysing and critiquing how social norms, cultural values and power structures impact the health, lives, and opportunities available to individuals from an increasingly diverse range of genders in contemporary society.

It examines feminist, masculinity and queer theories and emphasises the importance of recognising the impact of gender relations on individual and collective global public health. You will be able to explore the historical developments of the movements that vocalise and campaign for gender equity, while at the same time also examining how gender-related systemic norms, discrimination, and violence create barriers to equity in health, development, and human rights.

The aim of the module is to enable you to develop an understanding of the role health economics plays within public health practice. It introduces you to the key concepts and principles in health economics and their application in public health practice.

You will explore the role of markets and their influence on consumer demand and provider supply of health care and services. You will also develop skills for using economic evaluation techniques in assessing the usefulness of different interventions in public health contexts.

The module provides you with an understanding of how population ageing is a growing global public health issue. It considers how demographic changes in populations, whether in high, middle, or low-income countries influence the determinants of health. Youwill explore the public health implications of ageing on housing, transport, the economy, the environment, culture, and the differing response to the needs of an ageing population in different country contexts.

This module introduces you to how the environment (ecological systems), human activities (cultural, social, and economic) and human health (physical and mental) interact with each other in a multidimensional way.

It focuses on your understanding of the importance of regular and systemic risk assessment, management, and communication in negotiating and dealing with environmental hazards as they, directly and indirectly, affect population health.

This module will give you an overview of the assessment tools and treatment interventions used in substance misuse. You will have the opportunity to meet professionals who work in the field and to listen to the experience of people who successfully recovered from addition.

This module aims to develop your knowledge and understanding in the area of dual diagnosis of mental health and substance use. The aim is to equip you with the necessary knowledge, understanding and skills to deal with clients with complex needs.

Sessions will include:

• risk assessment
• risk management
• care planning
• record keeping.

A range of professionals working in the field and service users will contribute to the module.