MPH Public Health

The educational aims of this course have been informed by the core competency areas defined by the Public Health Skills and Knowledge framework:

• surveillance and assessment of health,
• assessing the evidence for health,
• policy and strategy,
• leadership and collaborative working,
• health improvement and protection,
• public health intelligence,
• academic public health, and
• health and social care quality

These relate to the three domains of public health practice:

• health protection,
• health improvement and
• service quality.

Through these core themes that run throughout the award, the course will enable you to gain an understanding of the inter-disciplinary and multi-disciplinary approaches to Public Health. As a Public Health student, you will develop the skills necessary for the assimilation and understanding of the complex and diverse nature of the subject, as well as more general skills which will be widely transferable, enabling you to effectively prepare for and to establish a career in a wide range of health and public health related areas. These include the knowledge and ability to:

• Conduct a surveillance and assessment of population health and well-being within an international context
• Assess best evidence in health care interventions
• Review policy and strategic developments and implementation
• Develop strategic leadership and collaborative working
• Develop public health intelligence within a national and international context
• Facilitate health improvement and health protection strategies to ensure Public health and social care quality.

This, along with close associations with the RSPH and ASPHER, and our mapping of the course to the UKPHR specialist register standards and the PHSKF, gives the University of Wolverhampton MPH course a sound foundation for employability and enables you to use the award to fulfil part of the requirements for registration as a specialist practitioner in the future. 

Public health deals with the well-being of populations, entire communities, or groups of people rather than health issues at an individual clinical level. It is a common mistake made by people who are embedded in biomedical notions of health, either because of their previous studies or because they do not understand the remit of public health, that the study of public health, or practitioners in this field, need an understanding of anatomy and physiology and/or an understanding of the science behind the onset of disease.  As public health is not about disease in the individual, but about how social and environmental factors lead to diseases and affect populations, and how a reduction in inequalities in health, as well as how health-related data can be used to identify a specific population that health services may then prioritise to improve health overall, prior knowledge of these areas is not required. However, where necessary you may briefly explore health issues at the individual level within some of the modules, but you do not need any prior knowledge of biology or other sciences, other than what you will have learnt at school or college level, to effectively participate and succeed in this programme.

Whilst the course does not include a work-based placement, we have good relationships with local public health organisations and other employers and will support you if you would like to explore work experience opportunities.

You can demonstrate your English language ability by studying with us on our online Pre-sessional English and Academic Skills courses which will allow you to gain entry to most undergraduate or postgraduate degree courses. You can do our online Pre-sessional course from your own home - you do not need to be on our campus in order to study but you will need access to a PC or laptop and a good quality internet connection in order to fully participate.  Our new online Pre-sessional courses will help you to improve and develop your English language and academic skills and will prepare you for your degree programme at the University of Wolverhampton. 

Other ways of demonstrating your English language abilities are:

• With a qualification (eg a high school certificate) from your country that has been approved by the University of Wolverhampton as meeting the minimum English language entry competency. See your country for details.
• By demonstrating that you completed your secondary or university education at a secondary (high) school or university in a country approved by the University as teaching in the medium of English.
• If you are a national of one of the following countries you do not have to prove your level of English; Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, The Bahamas, Barbados Belize, Canada, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, New Zealand, St Kitts and Nevis St Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago, United States of America
• By presenting one of the international qualifications listed below.  It should have been completed no more than two years before of the start date of your degree course.

1. First of all, decide which course is right for you.
2. Check the entry requirements, including the minimum English requirements for your chosen course.
3. Check the visa requirements.
4. Make your application - via our on-line course directory or directly to the University via Admissions or the International Office, find out how to do it below.