Public Health - MPH

The Master’s in Public Health programme is multi-disciplinary and trans-professional in both its content and the students it generally attracts. The MPH has been run successfully in Cardiff since 1989 and has a national and international reputation.

Overview

The Master of Public Health (MPH) course aims to deliver high quality, integrated, multi-disciplinary learning for leadership and problem-solving across the broad field of public health. 

It is a required course for public health trainees in Wales preparing for the examination for membership of the Faculty of Public Health, for whom a supplementary course is available.

The course aims to provide students with the knowledge to:

• Quantitatively and qualitatively assess the population’s health and health needs, including the determinants and status of health and well-being and development of effective action.
• Critically assess the evidence relating to the effectiveness of health and healthcare interventions, programmes and services.
• Promote the health of populations by influencing lifestyle and socio-economic, physical and cultural environment through methods of health promotion, including health education.
• Protect the public’s health from communicable and environmental hazards.
• Collect, generate, synthesise, appraise, analyse, interpret and communicate intelligence that measures the health status, risks, needs and health outcomes of defined populations.

Full-time students take core and specialty modules concurrently. To gain the Master’s qualification, all students then undertake a dissertation on a suitable public health topic.

Distinctive features

• Multi-disciplinary and trans-professional in both its content and the students it attracts. 
• The programme is the product of a collaboration between academic partners and the NHS including the Schools of Medicine and Social Science at Cardiff University, Cardiff Metropolitan University, Swansea University, Public Health Wales NHS Trust, and Public Health England.
• The MPH has been run successfully in Cardiff since 1989 and has a national and international reputation. The course is designed to fit closely with the syllabus of the UK Faculty of Public Health and to take account of the changing nature of public health practice globally.
• Required course for public health trainees in Wales preparing for the examination for membership of the Faculty of Public Health, for whom a supplementary course is available.

Learning and assessment

Each module involves face-to-face sessions delivered as lead lectures followed by a small group teaching exercises or practical sessions and several are supported by online learning materials.

Statistical methodology is taught alongside Stata, a software package used to compute statistics. This enables participants to learn theoretical concepts and their application.

The communication of ideas and team work are an integral part of all modules, and form a part of the formative assessments in all modules. Promotion of basic IT skills is integrated into modules and learning technology support is available to those who need it.

Each module has its own learning outcomes. These outcomes are achieved through such means as recommended reading texts, self-directed learning and self-assessed tasks, formative and summative assignments and the final dissertation.

Feedback is provided throughout the modules via formative exercises and class interaction. Formative assessment is through practical exercises and class presentations and written feedback is provided. Feedback is also provided on summative assessments, and where appropriate through on-line discussion boards and simulation exercises.

Studies at MPH dissertation level will largely consist of guided independent study and research, making use of the extensive learning and research facilities available. A project supervisor will be allocated to support and advise you on researching and writing up your specific dissertation topic. A formative module on Research Methods will be delivered online via Cardiff University’s online learning platform, Learning Central™.

Career prospects

The course helps students in their preparation for the UK Faculty of Public Health Part A examinations, enabling graduates to pursue professional careers in public health as well as a wide range of other careers, including postgraduate research.

This Masters programme enables you to demonstrate you are taking the opportunity to develop your abilities in critical analysis, problem-solving, decision-making, finding and using evidence and in dealing with complex issues. The programme is not a substitute for a formal specialty training programme but studying at this level should help successful students demonstrate numerous academic skills that should be highly regarded in relation to their career development and progression. In particular, the programme offers opportunities to demonstrate the development of knowledge and skills in relation to the application of evidence-based medicine and the potential enhancement of services and governance frameworks. As such, it should provide evidence of commitment and potential that may assist you in relation to taking on greater responsibilities or perhaps seeking management, research, scholarship, or leadership roles.

Visit the Public Health - MPH page on the Cardiff University website for more details!