Public Health Intelligence (MSc)

Learn how to identify and manage public health issues by gathering, analysing and interpreting data. This specialist MSc Public Health Intelligence degree focuses on both academic and real-world learning. You’ll work in multi-disciplinary teams to gain the experience you need to take up health intelligence jobs in information management, data management and public health research.

This master's in public health intelligence will give you the skills for a career that makes a difference. Graduates of this course have gone on to work for the government and public bodies in both the UK and abroad, including the UK Health Security Agency, local government, ministries of health, and universities.

The specialist public health intelligence areas you can explore include:

• using geographical information systems in health analysis and health management
• health economics for public health
• advanced statistics

You can personalise this course to your interests through optional modules and your dissertation. In previous years students have looked at the spatial and temporal distribution of antenatal care services in Bangladesh and altitude and stroke in Ecuador.

You’ll be taught by specialists from our Population Health and Wellbeing research group. This group developed the census output and workplace zones for the 2011 UK Census and they co-direct the Economic and Social Research Council’s Administrative Data Research Centre for England.

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 Public Health Geography and Social Science.

We also offer 4 other pathways on our MSc Public Health Master's. If you decide that you’d like to change to a different public health specialism within the first 2 weeks of the semester you’ll be able to change your degree.

Your Public Health MSc pathway options are:

• Public Health - Discover our Public Health master's degree at the University of Southampton. Boost your career skills in global disease prevention & management.
• Public Health Global Health - Discover our Public Health Global Health master's degree at the University of Southampton. Learn the links between health, climate change, urbanisation and conflict.
• Public Health Management - Discover our Public Health Management master's degree at the University of Southampton. Learn to apply systems thinking to global and local health issues.

This course is also available 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.

Flexible study

If you prefer, you can apply to study this course as:

• a part-time master's - study the same course content over 2 or more years
• a Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) - you'll usually study for around 30 weeks and will not need to write a dissertation

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.

Course lead

The leader of this course is Dianna Smith. Her interests are in quantitative health geography, using GIS to visualise data collected or collated to address key social and spatial inequalities. She works across the disciplines of geography and public health with links to local government.

View Dianna’s staff profile for more information.

To apply for a master's in Health Intelligence you'll need at least a 2:1 degree in one of the following subjects: Biomedical Sciences, Biochemistry, Physiology, Psychology, Demography, Human/Health Geography, Pharmacy, Medicine and Dentistry.

You must be able to demonstrate your competence in Statistics, Epidemiology, Research Methods through previous study at undergraduate level.

We are unfortunately unable to accept degrees in the following subjects: Nursing, Physiotherapy, Radiography, Occupational Health and Phlebotomy.

This course is also available as an intercalation degree for undergraduate medical students.

You must submit all supporting documents, including evidence that you can satisfy our English language requirement, when you submit your application.

Find the equivalent international qualifications for your country.

We do not accept Pre-sessional Language programmes as evidence of meeting the English Language requirement for this course.

Careers