MSc Public Health

Core units 

• Context & Scope of Public Health: An introduction to the scope of the current public health agenda. You'll gain an understanding of national and international public health issues. The unit will build on your previous experience and knowledge of public health and can form a foundation for studying further units.
• Epidemiology & Infection: During this unit you'll develop conceptual orientation and knowledge of epidemiological techniques needed for delivering health services to populations. You'll identify what influences the health of population, to assess population health status and need. You'll also develop skills in assessing, planning and evaluating health services and technologies.
• Exploring & Evaluating Evidence: Learn about the nature of knowledge and the various approaches to research and knowledge production. You'll learn about different research methodologies and how to assess research carried out by others.
• Health Promotion & Partnership Working: This module will evaluate the role of partnership working in health promotion, considering the issues involved in health promotion and health promoting partnerships. You'll examine the evidence base for health promotion and partnership working in public health practice and explore issues such as the role and function of different agencies, needs assessment, planning, execution and evaluation.
• Public Health Management Strategies: This unit explores the ways public health strategy is executed. You'll evaluate international public health strategies and interventions. Through evaluation you'll begin to create strategies and solutions to public health issues.
• Dissertation Project: You'll draw on your previous learning and develop independent study and project management skills. The Dissertation Project will also help you develop specialist knowledge in an area related to your public health interests.

Option units 

• Policy-making for Public Health and Wellbeing: This unit aims to enable you to critically evaluate the processes that contribute to the formulation of policies related to public health and explore their subsequent implementation and impact. You’ll learn how to identify the means to deliver cross-sector and/or trans-national policy making and critically appraise policy-making in terms of effective implementation, potential enforcement and public compliance.
• Biodiversity and Ecosystems Services: This unit is delivered by the Faculty of Science & Technology and enables you to understand the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem services, or the benefits provided by ecosystems to people. Consider key ecosystem services such as provisioning services such as food and water; regulating services such as flood and disease control; cultural services such as spiritual, recreational, and cultural benefits; and supporting services such as nutrient cycling. You’ll develop a critical understanding of the role of biodiversity and ecosystems in supporting human livelihoods, and their contribution to sustainable development.
• Public Health Preparedness, Resilience and Response: The aim of the unit is to provide a systematic understanding of public health preparedness, resilience and response strategies, within the context of disaster management, and to assist you in a solid and critical awareness of current national and international best practice drawn from a unique combination of academic and professional practitioner approaches to Healthcare Resilience. 

Please note that option units require minimum numbers in order to run and may only be available on a semester-by-semester basis. They may also change from year to year.

This course runs from September to September, with your dissertation being submitted in mid-September. As such you would be eligible to attend the graduation ceremony the year after you’ve submitted your dissertation. Upon completion of the course you will receive your certificate in December.

You will experience a blended approach to learning, which will include lectures, seminars, presentations, reflection and e-learning, as well as self-guided study.

Assesment involves a range of methods including essays, reports and presentations.

We encourage you to access a range of source material from print-based texts and journals to electronic resources. Students therefore require a sufficient level of computer literacy which will also be utilised when writing assignments. If you aren't comfortable in using a computer with ease it may be worth brushing up on your computer skills before your course commences.

The MSc is available full-time or part-time.

You can also study individual CPD units rather than register for the whole course.

Programme specifications provide definitive records of the university’s taught degrees in line with Quality Assurance Agency requirements. Every taught course leading to a BU Award has a programme specification which describes its aims, structure, content and learning outcomes, plus the teaching, learning and assessment methods used.

Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the programme specification, the information is liable to change to take advantage of exciting new approaches to teaching and learning as well as developments in industry. If you have been unable to locate the programme specification for the course you are interested in, it will be available as soon as the latest version is ready. Alternatively please contact us for assistance.

As this course is multi-professional, progressive and reflects local, national and international agendas, it attracts students from a variety of professional and organisational backgrounds who are at different stages in their career and individual development.

Previous students have come from backgrounds such as doctors, teachers, nurses, midwives and community public health workers.

In your application, please clearly explain what has motivated you to apply to this course​.

Information which you could include:

• What personal insights have you had into public health and how have these led you to apply
• What interests you about working within the field of public health​
• How would gaining an MSc Public Health fit with your future career plans

We look for applicants that have undertaken relevant work experience through work, study or volunteering. Please outline in your application what experience you have had and provide some examples of how you have contributed to public health initiatives or outline the benefits of your activities to the health and wellbeing of the communities you have worked with.

If you have been unable to access work experience opportunities please explain how else you have discovered more about the role of a public health practitioner. Outline what you have done to find out more, such as whether you have accessed professional journals and read up on a particular topic of interest, or have you spoken to those with experience of delivering public health initiatives and what did you learn from them? 

We’ll be selecting the candidates for this course by looking at their applications – normally there are no interviews, however students with non-standard entry criteria may be asked for a telephone or face to face interview. Make sure your application really stands out from the crowd, and leave us in no doubt as to why you should be joining BU - take a look at the application tips in the above 'Background and experience' section. 

For more information, take a look at our post graduate how to apply pages. 

Please see our website for the application deadlines. You should apply as early as possible to be considered for your course of choice. If you require a student visa, apply for the visa as soon as you have an unconditional offer and receive your CAS. There may be delays in visa processing in your country and you need to be in Bournemouth ready to study for the start of term.

Click the green ‘Apply now’ button to submit your application free of charge online through myHub, our application portal. You will create your own myHub account so that you can track the progress of your application. Don’t forget to save your application as you go; you can return to it at as many times as you want before you submit it. For more information visit our How to apply section.

A Bachelors Honours degree with 2:2 in any subject or equivalent. 

If you lack the formal academic qualifications needed to enter a postgraduate or post-experience degree, there are several alternative routes to follow - some based on experience. Contact the Future Students Enquiry Team for more information.

You can find details of the international qualifications we accept, and what level of study they apply to, on our entry requirements for non-UK students' page.

Please see below some examples of the qualifications for entry:

• India: Bachelor’s degree (three years) from a recognised HE institution with a minimum overall result of 55%
• Nigeria:  Bachelor's degree from a recognised institution with a minimum classification of 2:4
• China: Chinese Bachelor's (Honours) degree from a recognised higher education institution with 65% or above
• Turkey: Bachelor’s degree (Lisans Diplomasi - four years) with a minimum overall GPA of 2.3/4.0
• Ghana: Bachelor's degrees from University of Ghana or Legon with a grade of 2.00 or above, or from Cape Coast with a grade 2.5 or above  
• USA: US Bachelor’s degree (four years), with a 2.5 GPA or above 
• Vietnam:  Bachelor's degree/Bang tot nghiep dai hoc with an average score of 6.5/10, or 2.25/4, or a Master’s degree/Thac si.

All applications will be subject to a minimum grade and your degree may need to be in a relevant subject area.

English language requirements 

If English is not your first language, you will need to provide evidence that you understand English to a satisfactory level. English language requirements for this course are normally:

IELTS (Academic) 6.5 with minimum 5.5 in each component, or equivalent.

View further information about our English language requirements.

Bournemouth University International College offers a number of pre-sessional English and preparatory programmes to prepare international students for postgraduate study at BU. Admission to the degree is guaranteed on successful completion of your course to the required level. 

Our students have gone on to work as:

• Research Assistant for UK Management Sciences for Health
• Researcher for the National Institute of Public Health
• Vaccine Safety Coordinator in Canada
• Set up the Dolphin Family Foundation, a non-governmental organisation in Nigeria

*Other students have gone on to work for the World Health Organisation, with charities such as Save the Children and have returned to roles in pharmacy and medicine as well as having had success working as researchers for universities.

*BU Institutional data

If you want to continue your studies after achieving your Master’s, you can look into our range of doctoral programmes.

What's included in your tuition fee?

Your tuition fee covers expenses associated with your course including tuition materials, access to facilities, mandatory field trips and the following:

• Materials for laboratory and field-based teaching activity.
• Support for finding placements (UK or abroad) and fieldwork, and non-financial support whilst on placement.
• A range of student services – advisors, help desks, counsellors, placement support and careers service.
• The Library – access to a wide range of electronic resources (databases, e-journals and e-books), print and multimedia collections, subject librarians and study spaces.
• Access to Brightspace, our virtual learning environment, which offers a responsive and personalised learning experience with powerful learning analytics capabilities, integrated social media and advanced video features.
• IT labs (some open 24/7), wireless network, AV equipment to borrow.
• Free software download to your personal device of Microsoft Office 365 ProPlus while you are studying, as well as access to applications provided on AppsAnywhere, subject to licensing and compatibility restrictions
• Disability and additional learning support.
• The BU Language Centre to help you develop/improve foreign or English language skills.
• 24 hours a day, 365 days a year security team.

Additional costs

We are committed to offering you value for money and ensuring there are no hidden costs while you are studying with us, therefore we have listed below any additional costs you may incur that are not covered by your tuition fee:

• Laptops, Tablets and mobile devices and any software used on personal devices. Access to a personal computer is strongly recommended for your study. If you are experiencing financial difficulty, visit our website for information regarding hardship funds.
• Text books, general stationery and other supplies. Our award-winning library is stocked with a large range of text books and online resources, free of charge. The Students’ Union shop stocks a wide range of stationery supplies.
• Accommodation and living costs. Please visit our website for more information.
• Travel costs for optional field trips, outdoor wear and footwear for mandatory and optional field trips (if applicable).
• Travel costs to and from the University campus. An annual bus pass can be purchased alongside your rent if you are living in halls of residence/Unilet accommodation or may be purchased separately.
• Travel costs to and from your placement (both in the UK and overseas). Information about funding your placement year can be found on our website.
• You will need to meet the cost of any Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check if required by your placement setting, including any Post Office or Digital ID verification charges.
• SportBU membership.

While all aspects of the programme, including required field trips, are included in the fee, additional, optional or extra curricula activities may be available for which a student contribution is required.

If you need to repeat one or more units during the course of your studies (with or without attendance) the pricing will be pro-rata of the full time fee.

We offer a range of scholarships and bursaries to eligible students who are beginning their studies at BU. Please visit www.bournemouth.ac.uk/funding for details on living costs, budgeting and paying your tuition fees.

International (not Rep. of Ireland) students need to pay a non-refundable deposit to secure their place on a postgraduate course. For September 2024 and January 2025 entry, a £5,000 deposit is required. You will need to pay your deposit by the date stated in your offer letter. The remainder of your fee will be payable on registration/enrolment. There are two exceptions to the non-refundable rule on the deposit:

• You fail to meet the academic or English requirements of your offer
• You are refused a visa to enter the UK, provided the reason for the refusal is not a fraudulent application.

Dr Holly Crossen-White is the course lead for MSc Public Health and a member of the Centre for Public Health. Prior to becoming a lecturer, she was a Research Fellow and has undertaken a wide range of qualitative research projects. Her research work has mainly focused upon public health issues. A large part of her research, although not exclusively, has been evaluations of new approaches to delivering health care. An example of this was the SAIL Project which was an EU research project which was funded under the Interreg 2 seas programme. The SAIL project used social innovation to review how services are delivered to older people to ensure they could more active lives. Another key research area for Holly is the value of nature and the use of greenspaces to improve health and wellbeing. As part of this research work Holly has undertaken several projects on nature-based initiatives in partnership with the Royal Society for the Protection for Birds.

Professor Ann Hemingway is Professor of Public Health and Wellbeing at BU, and lead for the Centre for Public Health. Ann`s research focuses on participatory methodologies, under-served groups and humans as part of nature. Ann's research projects include an EU funded project called SAIL Staying Active and Independent for Longer which developed and evaluated social innovation (co production) strategies with older people across four countries. Ann and Dr Holly-Crossen White ran the international feasibility project on this project. Evaluating ten projects across four countries. and producing logic models to inform successful social innovation strategies. 

In addition, Ann with Dr Liz Norton has led the evaluation of the Arts Link Fizz project focused on evaluating dance classes for individuals and their carers living with Parkinsons. In addition, this project focused on families needing support engaging with developing arts skills.

Ann was one of the Principal Investigators on the INNOVATEDIGNITY project (EU Commission Horizon 2020 funded) an Innovative Training Network across four countries focused on enabling older people to engage with the digital world and to develop dignified innovations in older people care and support. The project enabled 15 PhD/research projects on all aspects of the above from robotics to doing participatory research with older people to design new models of home care.

Another research project Professor Ann Hemingway's involved in is The Horse Course, which using horses to help young people with mental health and behavioural difficulties, or people with drug or alcohol misuse to build confidence and reduce behavioural problems. Ann's research is evaluating the program and exploring the health and wellbeing benefits of human and animal connections. while also considering whether a Virtual Reality version of The Horse Course could produce similar results. 

Professor Hemingway was also a Marie Curie Fellow until 2015 focused on health behaviour in older and young people across the UK and France.

Professor Edwin van Teijlingen is trained as a medical sociologist and has an interest in mixed-methods research, qualitative research and evaluation research. A large share of his academic work has been in the field of either Public Health or the Organisation of Maternity Care. He has substantial research experience in conducting large-scale comparative studies, often using mixed-methods approaches.

He has have been involved in evaluating large-scale community-based public-health interventions in Scotland funded by, for example, the Chief Scientist Office (Scottish Government, Edinburgh), the Wellcome Trust, and NHS Health Scotland.

He has also published on various aspects of research methods in a format easily accessible to a lay audience, including a paper on research ethics published in a midwifery journal.

His overseas research is largely based in Nepal. He is involved in the evaluation of a community-based project funded by Green Tara Trust (UK-based Buddhist charity) tries to improve the uptake of antenatal care.

A second one funded by The British Council was awarded in 2009 one of the DelPHE grants to a collaboration between Tribhuban University and the University of Aberdeen and Bournemouth University and a Nepalese NGO. This latest project: Improving Access to Research Literature for Higher Education Institutions in Nepal (PARI Initiative) addresses gaps in teaching, learning and research at Nepalese universities. The project aims to build on capacity of the higher education institutions in accessing and utilising research-based information in the medical, nursing and public health fields.

Ahmed Khattab is a Professor of medical research & clinical practice at theFaculty of Health & Social Sciences. He was educated and trained at Reading University, Royal Berkshire Hospital and St Mary’s Hospital Medical School in London. He also held an honorary position at the Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals. Ahmed is a physician by training with special interests in general medicine and medicine for the elderly. His research portfolio encompasses a broad range of health and clinical research programmes, including stroke, vascular disease, diabetes, respiratory, autonomic nervous system, neurodegenerative diseases, gastro-intestinal, haematology, environmental and public health as well as education research. In addition to leading and supporting a number of research programmes within the school, he also supervises a number of PhD, DProf, MSc and BSc students. His research group (i) engages in original and applied research in biomedical and clinical areas; (ii) works on the cellular and molecular basis of human disease; (iii) oversees the biomedical/clinical research programmes within the school; (iv) collaborates with local Hospitals and other Universities; (v) participates in the wider University multidisciplinary research programmes; and (vi) trains postgraduate research students.

Ahmed also leads and contributes to the teaching of a number of units at both under- and postgraduate levels. He has undertaken extensive collaborative research with NHS hospitals (at local and regional levels) as well as with national and international academic institutions. He also served on a number of Committees concerned with training and education. In addition to his membership of the UK General Medical Council, Ahmed is a chartered biologist and a Fellow of the Royal Institute of Public Health & Hygiene. He is also an active member of the Institute of Health Promotion & Education.

Dr Liz Norton is a member of BU’s Centre for Public Health. She is also a member of the Bournemouth University Health, Wellbeing and Society Research theme. Her teaching/learning facilitating responsibilities mainly relate to Public Health, Health and Research units and she is a PhD supervisor. Research activity is in the field of public health particularly in relation to the role of the Arts in health and wellbeing. She has a particular interest in participatory research and working with communities as well as qualitative methods, specifically Glaserian grounded theory.

Anne has spent much of her professional life working in the field of public health in the United Kingdom and several European countries. She currently works as a senior academic at Bournemouth University, where she is actively involved in lecturing in the field of health promotion to both undergraduates and post graduates.

Her research interests are concerned with understanding and addressing the lived experiences of health inequalities.

Dr Jaqui Hewitt-Taylor is a Principal Academic in public health. Her current work is mainly focused on nature and wellbeing, with particular interests in mindful photography and forest bathing. Previous work has included working with children who have long term and complex health needs. On the MSc Public Health she is unit leader for the Exploring and Evaluating Evidence unit and co-leads the Dissertation Unit.