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 To obtain the MSc, you will also complete: •Research Project (60 credits, year 2 of the full-time route, year 3 of the part-time route) – design, plan, undertake and present research relevant to public health and professional practice. Students begin planning their projects on completion of Applied Research Methods and Design (February of year 1 for full-time students, February of year 2 for part-time students)
Assessment method
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. Whilst individual assessments occur within modules, we also use assessments that enable you to demonstrate and integrate knowledge and skills from across the programme. •Some assessment tasks build on activities undertaken earlier in the programme. For example, in Public Health Principles students review the potential health impacts of a particular policy decision or public health intervention. In Advocacy and Partnership for Wellbeing, students then continue to explore the same issue and consider the opportunities for advocacy, community development and partnership working to maximise potential health benefits and mitigate negative impacts. •In Health Protection, students undertake an observed scenario assessment, working in teams to respond to a developing health protection incident. This enables us to assess your understanding of key theories and principles whilst bringing in some of the tensions and realities that you will potentially face in public health practice. The subsequent reflection piece enables students to consider how they reacted under pressure and provides them with space to contemplate how they would react in a real incident. •The programme contains an integrating 'viva voce' oral assessment at the conclusion of the taught modules. This Public Health Skills Assessment is located in the Health Equity Interventions module, and provides a holistic assessment of public health knowledge and skills. Students will attend 4 different 'stations' at which they will undertake tasks that enable them to demonstrate the knowledge and skills acquired over the course of the programme. 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, briefing papers, oral presentations, interviews, observed practice scenarios, research papers and posters.
Entry requirements
You'll normally be expected to hold an initial degree in a discipline relating to health or the determinants of health. This covers a wide range of subjects such as health professions (e.g. medicine, nursing, allied health professions, environmental health), social sciences (e.g. sociology, psychology, geography) and other professional backgrounds such as education, sport development, social work, housing, planning, etc. (not an exclusive list). However, you can also be eligible if you have other qualifications of an appropriate level, particularly if they 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're applying directly following completion of a Bachelor degree, we'll generally expect you to hold at least a 2:1 classification – to ensure that you are equipped for the step up to study at Masters level. However, we consider each application on its own merits depending on the undergraduate subject of study and other factors such as relevant experience (paid or voluntary). If your 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 overall, with no sub score lower than 5.5.
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