Course summary
The MSc Applied Public Health places a strong focus on health equity and social justice at local and global levels. Our aim is to develop reflective public health practitioners who apply a systematic and practical understanding of public health to improve and protect the health & well-being of the individuals, groups and communities that they work with. We will support you to develop and use a combination of leadership, innovation and technical skills to advocate for, influence and implement changes in policy and practice to reduce or eliminate unjust, preventable differences in health, and promote sustainable development. The programme is aimed at anyone with an interest in improving the full range of social, economic and environmental determinants of health: for example, people working in public health, education, health promotion, housing, transport, leisure, environmental health, community development, health & wellbeing partnerships, planning, social services, school nursing, and health visiting (not an exhaustive list!). We welcome applicants from all sectors: public, private and the voluntary & independent sector. The programme retains an international focus, addressing public health issues faced around the world, as well as in Wales and the UK. Features of the programme: Linked to professional standards: the programme is designed to meet UK and international public health competency frameworks, including UK Public Health Skills & Knowledge Framework and the UK Public Health Practitioner Standards. We use many international case studies in our teaching, as well as examples from the UK. We are currently applying for accreditation with two international public health organisations: the International Union of Health Promotion & Education, and the Agency for Public Health Education Accreditation. Real-world application: The programme is devised to enable students to apply their knowledge to real-world situations. Assessments are often designed to allow students to apply public health skills to the issues that they are currently facing, or most interested in investigating. We provide personalised academic and professional support, helping students to apply and develop their public health skills in their current and future practice. Assessment strategy focused on public health skills: our assessments are designed to address the main programme outcomes, enabling students to develop, integrate and demonstrate their public health skills across the programme. We use a wide range of assessment types, including reports, presentations, interviews and observed practice scenarios – there are no unseen written examinations. The programme contains an integrating 'Public Health Skills Assessment' at the end of the taught modules. Work-based learning opportunity: students can elect to complete the portfolio assessment of the Health Equity Interventions module by undertaking work-based learning. This may be through your existing employment or activities, or by arranging a specific experience with a relevant employer.
Modules
The course is designed as a Masters programme but it has exit points at both postgraduate certificate & diploma level. The programme is available on a full-time (20 months years) and part-time (3 years) basis; you can also apply to study individual modules on a CPD basis. Full-time students study all taught modules in year 1, then progress to the Research Project. Year of study for part-time students is indicated below: For the Postgraduate Certificate, you'll complete the following modules: •Public Health Principles (20 credits, taught Oct-Nov – year 1 of the part-time route) – understand the core concepts and principles of public health and sustainable development, interpret indicators of population health and well-being, and assess the impact of action to address inequities in health •Advocacy & Partnership for Well-being (20 credits, taught Dec-Feb – year 1 of the part-time route) – build and sustain partnerships, working in political, democratic and organisational systems to advocate for action to improve health, promote sustainable development and reduce inequities •Health Protection (20 credits, taught Nov-May – year 1 of the part-time route) – protect the public from environmental hazards and communicable disease, addressing inequities in risk exposure and outcomes For the Postgraduate Diploma, you'll undertake the above modules, plus the following modules: •Applied Research Methods and Design (20 credits, taught Oct-Jan – year 2 of the part-time route) – develop your research skills, apply principles of evidence-based practice and design robust research projects •Health Equity Interventions (40 credits, taught Oct-May – year 2 of the part-time route) – apply relevant intervention frameworks and models of change to design, plan and implement interventions to improve health, promote sustainable development and reduce inequities
Assessment method
To reflect the applied nature of study, the programme contains no unseen written examinations. Instead, teaching and assessment will focus on case studies, exercises & scenarios reflecting contemporary issues in public health practice, often located within your own professional experience and environment. Examples of assessment tasks include: reports, essays, briefings, oral presentations, group work, observed practice scenarios, online tests and posters. Throughout the programme, the assessment tasks we set will encourage you to select specific topics of study that are relevant to your interests and practice. For example, in the Assessing Health, Wellbeing and Inequity module, you will be asked to assess and evaluate the health and wellbeing of a specified population (in general or focussed on a specific issue/range of issues). You’ll be free to select a population and issue of professional and/or personal interest to you.
Entry requirements
You’ll normally be expected to hold an initial degree in a discipline relating to health or the broad range of determinants of health (which could be anything from planning to biomedical science, sociology to nutrition). However, other qualifications of an appropriate level can also be suitable for admission, particularly if you are able to demonstrate significant experience in a relevant setting. If you think this might apply to your situation, please contact the programme leader for an informal discussion. If you first language is not English, you must normally be able to demonstrate, on entry, English Language proficiency at or equivalent to an IELTS score of at least 6.0. Students entering directly following completion of a Bachelor degree are generally expected to hold at least a 2:1 classification – to ensure that they are equipped for the step up to Masters level study. However, we consider each situation on its own merits depending on the undergraduate subject of study and other factors such as relevant experience (paid or voluntary). Again, please contact the programme leader for an informal discussion. Selection Procedure: You will need to meet the admissions criteria as explained above. Selection is initially by way of an application form, personal statement and appropriate references, although you may be interviewed. We encourage potential applicants to contact the programme leader for an informal discussion about the programme, to help inform your application.
Fees and funding
Tuition fees
| Republic of Ireland | £10250 | Whole course |
| England | £10250 | Whole course |
| Northern Ireland | £10250 | Whole course |
| Scotland | £10250 | Whole course |
| Wales | £10250 | Whole course |
Additional fee information
No additional fees or cost information has been supplied for this course, please contact the provider directly.
Provider information
Cardiff Metropolitan University
Student Recruitment & Admissions
Western Avenue
Cardiff
CF5 2YB