Public Health and Health Promotion (3 years, part-time) MSc Postgraduate Taught - September 2025/26* Entry

This course can also be studied full time over 1 year or part time over 2 years.

The course is intended for all those interested in promoting health and well-being.

Programme philosophy

Reflecting the diverse nature of public health and health promotion, this course has been designed to accommodate the learning needs of individuals from a wide range of occupational backgrounds. Course attendees focus on developing the knowledge and skills required for improving the health and well-being of culturally diverse individuals and populations, through: the promotion of health and prevention of diseases; the development of skills to lead and manage change; and, the assessment, planning and evaluation of policy and practice interventions. Course content focuses on the factors that underpin public health and health promotion, epidemiology, health economics, research, and the social and behavioural sciences.

Course Duration

Part-time 3 years MSc: Taught component completed over 2 years, dissertation completed in the 3rd year.

What will you study on this course?

Intended programme outcomes

The course provides opportunities for students to achieve and demonstrate the following learning outcomes.

Knowledge and understanding

Students will gain knowledge and understanding of:

• Social and behavioural sciences: the social, psychological, political and cultural influences affecting health promotion and public health policy and practice.
• Health economics: the key concepts of scarcity, choice and opportunity cost in health economics.
• Research: quantitative and qualitative research, their approaches to scientific inquiry, their methodologies and related methods.
• Epidemiology: epidemiological principles and research to inform public health and health promotion.
• Principles and practice of public health promotion: the theory and practice of health promotion within the new public health agenda.

Subject Specific Skills

Students will have opportunities to:

• Develop surveillance and assessment skills relating to the population’s health and well-being.
• Critically understand the skills needed for promoting and protecting the population’s health and well-being.
• Develop strategic qualities to improve health and well-being.
• Develop skills in working with, and for, communities to improve health and well-being.
• Promote people’s equality, diversity and rights.
• Ethically manage self, people and resources to improve health and well-being.
• Conduct and/or interpret health promotion and public health research. 

Cognitive (thinking) Skills

Students will have the ability to:

• Recognise, critically analyse, and apply theories, paradigms, concepts and principles of public health and health promotion.
• Critically understand research and development.
• Analyse, synthesise, and apply information logically and critically.
• Reflect and utilise reflection to enhance self-awareness, knowledge and skills. 

Key Skills

Students will be able to:

• Critically analyse knowledge from relevant sources to develop and present coherent arguments.
• Communicate clearly, concisely, and confidently in spoken and written formats.
• Plan, perform and report on public health and health promotion data with due regard to ethical issues.
• Use and interpret evidence critically.
• Develop the capacity for independent learning and effective utilisation of available resources.
• Use IT skills, effectively utilising computing and word processing facilities, electronic databases and Blackboard.

Modules for the current academic year

Module listings are for guide purposes only and are subject to change. Find out what our students are currently studying on the Public Health and Health Promotion (3 years, part-time) MSc Modules page.

Course content is for guidance purposes only and may be subject to change.

For entry on to this course a 2(ii) or higher undergraduate degree in a related subject; alternatively, possession of a suitable qualification and work experience will be considered.

For International students, we ask for an IELTS score of 6.0 (with no element less than 5.5), or equivalent. 

Part-time students: please state clearly on your application form if you wish to study this course over 2 year or over 3 years. (If two years, please see the 2-year part-time course.)

There are numerous career options for those who have a grounding in public health and health promotion. Former students have gained employment in fields such as community development, health economics, health education, health promotion, higher education, economic development, environmental health, health promotion/health improvement, leadership and planning, nutrition, public health, research, training, and youth engagement. These roles are in a variety of settings including non-governmental organisations, public and government services, and the voluntary sectors. Although the roles and settings are varied, all have a focus on the protection and improvement of the health of whole populations.

Research / Links with Industry

The academics involved with this MSc have extensive links with external bodies, companies and the 3^rd sector, which are fully utilised in ensuring that the modules are relevant to the modern work and research environment graduates will enter.