Develop your expertise by joining our well-established multidisciplinary course, designed to equip you with the theoretical and practical knowledge to excel in a public health role in a low or middle-income country. You’ll learn the fundamentals of population health and the practice of public health.
An exit qualification for those studying our Master of Public Health course, the Global Health pathway is aimed at professionals working in or aspiring to work in a healthcare setting. As well as learning the essentials of the subject, you’ll take two additional core modules that will contextualise the practice of public health in low- and middle-income countries.
I thoroughly enjoyed the MPH at Birmingham and found the course really fascinating. I would recommend it to anyone considering a highly rewarding career in public health.
The MPH course can be studied full-time, part-time, or for up to five years in a flexible learning pattern. International students can only study the MPH Global Health pathway full-time. Teaching takes place in one-week blocks. You’ll study compulsory modules, then choose from a wide range of optional modules. You’ll also attend a non-assessed introductory week at the beginning of the course which introduces key concepts in public health.
Term one begins with a non-assessed Introductory Week ensuring you have a firm grasp of key concepts in public and population health. Further modules will introduce you to important aspects of global health practice, as well as providing you with a detailed understanding of applied health research methods (including health economics), develop your quantitative skills, and apply these to health service planning and evaluation. You'll also decide on your global health focused dissertation project with support from supervisors and the programme team.
Covering all main domains of public health, as well as the theoretical underpinnings of current practice, this course will cover the subject in both breadth and depth. With the option to tailor the course to your specific learning outcomes, you’ll shape the course to gain the qualification and analytical and research skills you need to progress your career. The one-week blocks of intensive teaching will give you the benefit of both the expertise of our teaching staff as well as that of your peers who come from a wide range of backgrounds and workplaces.
Gain an internationally recognised qualification that will equip you with a broad range of skills that are invaluable for anyone working in or aspiring to work in the public health field.
The course also covers many of the areas necessary for sitting the Part A examination of the Faculty of Public Health.
The University of Birmingham is also ranked as the first choice for leading graduate employers in the UK.
Well-established programme that has been training public and global health specialists, practitioners and researchers for over 25 years.
in the world for Life Sciences and Medicine (QS World Rankings).
Learn from world-leading academics and researchers.
We are creating a new generation of innovative professionals ready to play their role in advancing modern cutting-edge healthcare.
You’ll learn from world-leading academics and researchers, as well as from your peers on the course. From the outset, you’ll be encouraged to become an independent and self-motivated learner. Our Public Health (Global Health) MPH course includes a wide variety of learning and teaching:
The course is taught in one-week blocks to fit around your other commitments.
You’ll have access to a comprehensive support system that will assist and encourage you, including personal tutors and welfare tutors who can help with both academic and welfare issues.
Masters students will complete seven core modules, totalling 120 credits and will undertake a 60 credit dissertation. Postgraduate Diploma students will take the 120 credits from the taught core modules as per the Masters programme, but will not complete the dissertation. Those seeking a Postgraduate Certificate will take 60 credits from the taught modules. You can transfer from the Certificate to Diploma and from Diploma to the Masters based on appropriate performance.
The modules listed below are an indication only and may be subject to change. Occasionally, it may be necessary to make changes to modules, for example, to ensure they remain current and relevant.
As a research-intensive University, our teaching is informed by the latest academic thinking and expertise of our staff. For more information on the circumstances in which the University may need to make changes to modules, please refer to the Terms and Conditions for applicants.
The following must be taken:
| Module Title | Credits | Semester |
|---|---|---|
| Health Information and Health Informatics | 10 | Semester 2 |
| Practical Epidemiology and Statistics | 20 | Semester 1 |
| Epidemiology, Statistics and Research Methods | 20 | Semester 1 |
| Further Global Health | 20 | Semester 2 |
| Global Health | 10 | Semester 1 |
In addition, students must take one of the following two modules:
| Module Title | Credits | Semester |
|---|---|---|
| Further Global Health | 20 | Semester 2 |
| Health System Policy, Planning and Programming in Global Health | 20 | Semester 2 |
Students must pass one of the core module options (see below) to be awarded the Masters.* If research proposal option chosen, then an addition 20 credits must be taken from the following optional modules that provide knowledge and skills training in specific areas of research methodology appropriate to applied health research. These are: Qualitative Research Methods, Clinical Trials, and Systematic Reviews and Evidence Synthesis.
| Module Title | Credits | Semester |
|---|---|---|
| Dissertation (Master of Public Health/Health Research Methods) | 60 | Full Term |
| Research Proposal Dissertation Module | 40 | Full Term |
Option List 1. Students choose at least 20 credits worth of modules. In addition to the modules listed below, students may choose to take the additional choice from the compulsory list above.
| Module Title | Credits | Semester |
|---|---|---|
| Health Economics | 10 | Semester 1 |
| Introduction to Leadership and Management for Health | 10 | Semester 2 |
| Building Foundations for Primary Care Team Effectiveness | 20 | Semester 1 |
| Health Improvement | 20 | Semester 2 |
| Health Protection (MPH) | 20 | Semester 2 |
| Healthcare Public Health | 10 | Semester 1 |
| Principles of the Delivery of Primary Health Care | 20 | Semester 1 |
| Principles of Health Technology Assessment | 10 | Semester 2 |
| Sociology and Social Policy | 10 | Semester 2 |
Option List 2. Students choose 20 credits worth of modules. Any module from list 1 not already taken can also be chosen.
| Module Title | Credits | Semester |
|---|---|---|
| Advanced Statistical Methods | 10 | Semester 2 |
| Clinical Trials | 20 | Semester 2 |
| Qualitative Research Methods | 20 | Semester 2 |
| Systematic Reviews and Evidence Synthesis | 20 | Semester 1 |
In addition students may also take 20 credits of modules offered by the Department of Applied Health Sciences, subject to availability, timetable constraints and approval of the module and programme leader.
To gain a place at Birmingham you will need to meet our general entry requirements, as well as those specific to your course. Your application will be reviewed by the course’s Admissions Tutor, who will decide whether your application should receive an offer.
in a subject relevant to public health, including most clinical, life sciences and other quantitative degrees relevant to the practice of public health. This also includes geography, sociology, economics, psychology, and many other relevant first degrees.
If you're unsure about your suitability for the course, please get in touch with us at mph@contacts.bham.ac.uk.
For the Postgraduate Diploma and Postgraduate certificate, applications are also considered from those without a relevant Bachelors degree but who hold a relevant professional qualification or have sufficient public health experience.
For international students, there is an English language requirement to have an IELTS score of 6.5 with no less than 6.0 in any band.
If you are made an offer of a place to study and you do not already meet the language requirement, you have the option to enrol on our English for Academic Purposes Presessional Course. If you successfully complete this, you’ll be able to fulfil the language requirement without needing to take a further qualification.
Full-time
Part-time
Please note: there is a £50 non-refundable application fee for the full time course.
Home applicants will need to pay a £500 non-refundable deposit at the point of accepting an offer to study on a public health programme. The deposit is deducted from the fee balance when students join the course.
To help with the cost of studies, this loan is available to all UK students. You can use this loan towards fees, maintenance or other costs at your own discretion. It’s available for all full-time, part-time and distance learning Masters programmes, as long as you don’t already have a Masters qualification (or equivalent).If you’re a student from Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, you can apply for Masters loans from your country’s government.
To help you afford your studies, we’ve put more than £33 million into student support and scholarships. We also offer a range of advice on searching for funding and managing your finances.
We want to welcome the brightest talent to our postgraduate community. That’s why our Birmingham Masters Scholarships award £3,000 to more than 300 students each year.
To apply for a postgraduate programme, you will need to submit your application and supporting documents online.
Select whether you are a UK student or an international student for relevant application deadlines.
Application deadline for UK and non-tier 4 applicants. We will close applications as soon as the programme is full. Early applications are encouraged.
Find out how to apply to our postgraduate taught programmes. Please read this information carefully before completing your application.
If you have a question about our admissions process, including how to apply, your offer and how to track your application, please visit our admissions portal.
We are creating a new generation of innovative professionals ready to be part of advancing modern cutting-edge healthcare. The course is suited to both practising and future public health professionals, leading to and furthering careers in planning and commissioning in health services and life sciences industries, where knowledge of population health and research methods is highly valued.
Get ready for tomorrow, with advice, guidance and opportunities at every step of your studies. From developing new skills to preparing for a PhD, our Careers Network can help you gain an advantage in the job market or advance in your field.
Whatever you plan to do after your degree, the Careers Network offers a range of events and support services including networking opportunities, career coaching, one-to-one guidance, careers fairs and links with leading graduate recruiters. We also offer subject-specific careers consultants and a dedicated careers website for international students.
Find out why we are the most targeted UK university by top graduate employers (High Fliers report, The Graduate Market 2024) by meeting some of our successful alumni.
