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Core modules:

Dissertation

The module provides students an understanding of the processes and the skills required to undertake a supervised research project in their chosen study area. Having successfully completed the module, a student will be able to: demonstrate researcher skills commensurate with the achievement of a Master's degree; demonstrate independence of inquiry; produce a cogently argued piece of writing that demonstrates researcher competence and the ability to operate independently; address issues of research design, methodology, ethics and theoretical arguments, and locate their own research in relation to these issues.

45 credits

Epidemiology

Epidemiology is the discipline underpinning both effective public health practice and research into the causes, control and prevention of disease. Knowledge and understanding of epidemiological concepts and methods is a basic requirement for effective public health practice.

This module will provide an introduction to epidemiology covering key epidemiological concepts; measures of disease; association and causation; confounding and bias. It will also introduce research designs including cross-sectional, ecological, cohort, case-control and intervention studies and introduce population health measures such as screening.

15 credits

Health Needs Assessment, Planning and Evaluation

Assessing health needs and tackling health inequalities are key aspects of public health work at the local, national and international level. This module will provide students with an understanding of the main approaches to, and methodologies for, conducting Health Needs Assessments and will equip them with an understanding of programme planning, and the monitoring and evaluation of programmes.

15 credits

Introduction to Research Methods

This module is offered across several programmes. Learning activities for the module are tailored to your individual specialist areas to provide learning that is relevant and specific to your chosen degree programme.



This module provides students with an introduction to quantitative and qualitative research methods; it covers all stages of the research process from planning and design and research ethics and public and patient involvement, through to data collection and analysis and dissemination stages. It is specifically designed for students who do not have prior research experience and would be suitable for students from a range of backgrounds, but is particularly relevant to those interested in applied health related research. The course also provides a foundation for further learning in specific research methods.

15 credits

Introduction to Statistics and Critical Appraisal

The unit introduces students to basic concepts and techniques such as hypothesis testing and confidence interval estimation in statistics. Students will learn some simple statistical methods and the principles behind some advanced methods such as regression. It will equip students with the knowledge and skills necessary to understand and critically appraise statistics in research literature.The course is not aimed at 'doers' of statistics, that is, students who are going to design their own studies to collect and analyse their own data. It will not teach you how to analyse, present and report your own data.

15 credits

Critical Reflections in Global Health

Global health has been described as the art and science of preventing disease, prolonging life, and promoting health through the organised efforts of society, with the goal being the attainment of biological, physical, and mental well-being of all members of society. In this module we take an inter-disciplinary approach to explore these themes.

Aligned with the themes of our key reader (7th edition of the Oxford Textbook of Global Public Health) we will consider some of the key concepts of global health, explore some of the determinants of health, and consider some of the key function / methods applied to address global health issues. We will then reflect on these themes in relation to the practice of global health through the lens of specific health challenges. Throughout the module themes such as inequalities in health, complexities in our response, and the political, social, and economic context within which we work will be repeatedly raised and discussed. 

In delivering this module we are excited to have secured the expertise of regional, national, and international leaders and experts who will share their learnings on a diverse range of subjects that include socioeconomic and health inequalities, health intelligence, and sexual and reproductive health. In relation to the sharing of experiences and expertise, and in stimulating engaged discussion, throughout the module you will be encouraged to develop and use a reflective learning approach to consider shifts in your perception and understanding of the issues raised.

15 credits

Optional modules

Disaster and Emergency Management

Disasters and emergencies can strike any community. It is not a question of whether a disaster will occur but when. However, the likelihood, scale and impact of a disaster can be minimized through appropriate emergency planning, preparation and response by the community, governmental and non-governmental organisations. This module will cover the key concepts of disaster and emergency management, explore some of the contemporary issues and develop students' knowledge and skills in this field.

15 credits

Communicable Disease Control

Health protection is one of the cornerstones of public health. The control of communicable diseases is one of the major functions of health protection. This module will cover the principles of surveillance, outbreak management, immunisation programmes, and prevention and control of infectious diseases. It will also present a broad range of common infectious disease topics including HIV, tuberculosis, meningitis, diarrhoeal illnesses and hospital acquired infections. This module would provide the essential foundations for students intending to undertake the Faculty of Public Health Part A/Diploma examination.

15 credits

Further Statistics for Health Science Researchers

The unit covers fundamental statistical concepts, and both simple statistical methods and the more widely used advanced methods of multiple regression, survival analysis and generalised linear models. It will be a practical module, including the teaching of the statistical software SPSS, equipping students with the knowledge and skills necessary to design and analyse a study to answer specific research questions; to understand and critically appraise the literature; and to present research findings in a suitable fashion.

15 credits

Economic Evaluation and Healthcare Financing

This module introduces the basic principles of economic evaluation as applied to healthcare interventions and health care financing. The core part of the course focuses on economic evaluation and covers the different types of evaluations that are available and the various stages and techniques that need to be applied to generate results. As alternative techniques are described, the strength and weakness of each will be highlighted, with the students being encouraged to critically appraise their appropriateness to different contexts. The course also introduces the concepts of markets and market failure, models of health care financing and objectives of health care systems. These topics draw on economic theory and use it to identify possible solutions to health system problems. Health system performance measurement will also be covered, linking the economic and health system content to empirical studies.

15 credits

Health Promotion

Health Promotion enables people to take control over and improve their own health.  It builds on knowledge from behavioural science that individual behaviour and health are determined by the social, physical and economic environment.  This module will consider the nature of health promotion from a global perspective, the associated ideological dilemmas, current understanding of individual and group behaviours, methods of promoting health and the evaluation of health promotion.  The module will use the 5 key principles within the Ottawa Charter applied to health promotion as a framework.  Case studies will be used to give students practical examples of health promotion in different countries.

15 credits

Public Health Informatics

Public Health Informatics is a module designed to look at how informatics and information technology can be used to help address some of the major issues in public health. Public health informatics was traditionally defined as the systematic application of information and computer science and technology to public health practice, research, and learning (Yasnoff, 2000). In this module, we examine this rapidly changing field, using a combination of lectures, individual and group exercises and self directed learning. Key issues around the local, national and international contributions that technology can make to public health are critically examined and students are given a theoretical and practical grounding in this increasingly important discipline.

15 credits

Systematic Reviews and Critical Appraisal Techniques

To familiarise students with principles of systematic reviews and critical appraisal and the acquisition of skills necessary to undertake such work. The unit includes an introduction to information systems; principles of systematic literature reviews and critical appraisal; search strategies; computer-assisted search methods; practicalities of writing up the results of a systematic review; introduction to Meta- analysis; and dissemination of findings.

15 credits

Qualitative Research Design and Analysis

On completing the module students will be expected to be able to: understand a range of qualitative research approaches, data collection methods and forms of analysis; plan and undertake a simple analysis of student-generated qualitative data; critically appraise the methods and results of qualitative research.

15 credits

Foundations in Health Policy, Leadership and Management

This campus-based module, integrates the principles of health policy with the foundations in leadership and associated management of health care teams, services and systems, in the context of rapid changes and advances locally, nationally and internationally. There will be a particular focus on public health and health system issues throughout the module.

A number of different cases will be used to illustrate the complexity of developing (or not) health policy and how related health and public health services are then managed and evaluated. Students will be supported in developing critical thinking about the relative effectiveness of different approaches to policy development and analysis. They will learn key approaches to leadership and management of health teams, services and systems, as well as gain an understanding of the complex interplay of the different actors in the health systems. They will acquire an appreciation of some of the key challenges and issues encountered in contemporary health service and health system management. Through exploration of these topics and critical analysis, students will develop know how to systematically assess,  as well as management and improvement by analysing several health care services within the broader cultural, commercial and political contexts. Over the course of the module students will work in small groups  to gain practical understanding of how to apply management and leadership theories and styles in different health care contexts, from health care teams to public health and health systems. 

15 credits

Psychological and sociological approaches to health

There is increasing awareness amongst health professionals of the need to focus on social and psychosocial aspects of illness, as well as biomedical. This module provides an introduction to contemporary research in the field of health psychology covering both traditional mainstream approaches and newly emerging critical studies. It combines this with a sociological approach, studying how society is structured by looking at the patterns of relationships that have an existence over and above individuals and how this influences health and illness.  In this respect it looks at how health is distributed as a consequence of how people are related to each other in a number of ways.  This involves looking at how, for example, social class and gender relations result in varying patterns and experiences of health.

Topics covered include: approaches within health psychology, for example understanding and changing health behaviour, the role of psychology in health and illness, and the application and relevance of contemporary work in global and cultural context.  The approach to sociology involves understanding how people share and shape understandings of what it means to be healthy or ill. We will explore how the meaning of health can shape encounters with various health professionals and how concepts of health and illness can shape and control the behaviour of different populations.

15 credits