MSc Public Health

Learn how to prevent and manage communicable and non-communicable diseases around the world. This broad and practical Public Health Master’s focuses on vocational learning, to prepare you for work in real-world scenarios. You’ll be able to tailor this degree to your interests.

This master's will give you the skills for a career that makes a difference. Graduates have gone onto to public health careers for government and public bodies in the UK and abroad, including the Medical Research Council, UK Health Security Agency, local government, ministries of health, universities and charities.

Through this course you’ll learn how to:

You can personalise this course to your interests through optional modules and your dissertation. In previous years students have worked closely with real-world partners on dissertation projects, including the Ministry of Defence, Age UK and city councils.

Public health is an interdisciplinary profession, and this is reflected in your learning. Your lecturers are academics who are actively involved in research or are working in the sector. They’re experts from across the University, in Medicine, Health Geography, Demography, Social Science and Management.

We offer 4 pathways on our MSc Public Health degree. If you’re not sure which area of public health you want to specialise in this general pathway gives you the chance to explore a number of different areas, from advanced statistics to communicable disease control to food systems.

Your other Public Health MSc pathway options are:

This global health degree is available to take as an intercalation degree for undergraduate medical students. Intercalation means that you'll take a year out of your undergraduate medicine degree to gain this extra award.

a part-time master's - study the same course content over 2 to 5 years

a Postgraduate Certificate (PGCert) - study full-time over 1 year or part-time over 2 years

a Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) - study the same course content as the master’s degree but with no dissertation, full-time over 1 year, or part time over 2 to 4 years

You can also take a single module as part of continuing professional development (CPD). Explore modules that are available as CPD

Your modules and fees may vary if you choose a different study option.

The leader of this course is Dr Emma Plugge. Emma is a public health trained doctor who works in the UK and overseas. She is a researcher in PPM at the University and also works for the UK Health Security Agency. Her research focuses on the health marginalised populations. View Emma's staff profile for more information.