MSc Public Health
- MSc
Overview
This programme will develop your interest, knowledge and understanding of the three domains of public health: health improvement, health protection and healthcare services.
Your learning will be informed by the highest quality research and be focused on, and reflective of, the public health challenges in the UK and internationally. You will experience and contribute to a wide range of face to face and lectures, workshops, practicals and guest talks as well as asynchronous lectures and activities.
The programme will provide you with a firm theoretical grounding in the principles and practice across the topic areas of public health, health improvement, epidemiology and statistics, research methods and evaluation, health protection, health economics, ethics, and healthcare services.
Through the units you will develop essential knowledge, understanding and critical awareness of the current approaches to public health practice and research. Through the course you will develop your perceptive, critical, and reflective skills. We encourage you to be curious about the discipline, develop your ability to frame questions, work effectively with others and listen and to contribute to informed discussions.
By completing tasks and assessments you will develop a range of skills directly relevant to working in the real world of public health, including undertaking statistical analysis, writing protocols, short reports, blog posts and short answer questions.
For your dissertation you will undertake a research project, chosen by you, and write this as a journal article, which you may then choose to publish as a peer-reviewed publication. You will graduate with an expansive set of skills that will have directly prepared you for careers in public health or a further higher degree in this field.
The programme covers many parts of the Faculty of Public Health's Diplomate Exam.
Beyond this programme you will have the opportunity to meet and study with (through shared units) students from other MSc programmes within the school, including Epidemiology, Health Economics and Health Policy Analysis and Medical Statistics and Health Data Science, enhancing your skills of transdisciplinary thinking.
The Department of Population Health Sciences has international excellence in research methods, health protection research, and developing and evaluating public health interventions. The Centre for Public Health is a member of the National Institute of Health Research's School for Public Health and Health Protection Research Unit in Behavioural Science and Evaluation.
Programme structure
Teaching methods include lectures, practicals, group work, workshops and seminars. Teaching will take place on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays for full-time students.
For part-time students studying over two years, teaching will take place on Mondays and Tuesdays in year one and on Thursdays in year two.
All taught units are compulsory, as is the dissertation, which is undertaken in the final term and over the summer.
Visit our programme catalogue for full details of the structure and unit content for our MSc in Public Health.
Entry requirements
You will typically need an upper second-class honours degree or an international equivalent in Medicine, Veterinary Science, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Biomedical and Biological Sciences, Statistics, Geography, Psychology and Social Sciences. This programme is also open to those successfully appointed to the Public Health training scheme in the UK, evidence to support your appointment should be included in your application.
You will also need a quantitative unit/module at a minimum of 55% or an international equivalent such as Epidemiology or Statistics. Or A-Level Mathematics Grade C or above. Or AS-level Mathematics grade B or above. Or GCSE Mathematics Grade B or above.
If you are currently completing a degree, we understand that your final grade may be higher than the interim grades or module/unit grades you have achieved during your studies to date.
We will consider your application if your interim grades are currently slightly lower than the programme's entry requirements and may make you an aspirational offer. This offer would be at the standard level, so you would need to achieve the standard entry requirements by the end of your degree. Specific module requirements would still apply.
We will also consider your application if your final overall achieved grade is slightly lower than the programme's entry requirement. If you have at least one of the following, please include your CV (curriculum vitae / résumé) when you apply, showing details of your relevant qualifications:
- evidence of significant (minimum of one year in a paid role), relevant work experience as an information or data analyst, environmental health officer, public health practitioner, public health principal, public health specialist, public health scientist, research associate or research assistant.;
- a relevant postgraduate qualification in Medicine, Veterinary Science, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Biomedical and Biological Sciences, Statistics, Geography, Psychology or Social Sciences.
Specific module requirements would still apply.
See international equivalent qualifications on the International Office website.
Read the programme admissions statement for important information on entry requirements, the application process and supporting documents required.
Go to admissions statementIf English is not your first language, you will need to reach the requirements outlined in our profile level B.
Further information about English language requirements and profile levels.
Fees and funding
- Home: full-time
- £15,900 per year
- Home: part-time (two years)
- £7,950 per year
- Overseas: full-time
- £32,500 per year
Fees are subject to an annual review. For programmes that last longer than one year, please budget for up to an 8% increase in fees each year.
More about tuition fees, living costs and financial support.
Alumni discount
University of Bristol students and graduates can benefit from a 25% reduction in tuition fees for postgraduate study. Check your eligibility for an alumni discount.
Funding and scholarships
International scholars from Chevening, Commonwealth, Fulbright and Marshall are welcome to apply for this MSc.
Further information on funding for prospective UK and international postgraduate students.
Career prospects
Graduates from our MSc are working for UK Health Security Agency, local government, charities and universities in a range of public health roles including health improvement, health protection, systematic reviews, cohort studies and data analysis.
The MSc prepares students to move into careers which, with further work experience and training, would enable them to work in roles such as consultant in public health, director of public health, strategic director of health charities, public health government policy advisers, and lecturers, senior lecturers and professors of public health.
The University of Bristol has a dedicated careers service that is able to support you throughout your time with us to explore your career options. Students can talk to staff at the careers service through live chat or face to face on campus and graduates can access free, professional, and unbiased support for up to three years after leaving University.
Contact us
- Contact
- Enquiries Team
- Phone
- +44 (0) 117 394 1649
- choosebristol-pg@bristol.ac.uk
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