Masters of Public Health (MPH)

Masters of Public Health (MPH)

小鸟酱专题’s MPH, in collaboration with the UN and its SDGs, offers hands-on global public health experience. Engage in real-world projects, optional international field placements, and a curriculum aligned with the Faculty of Public Health’s Diplomate exam, preparing you to sit this exam separately if you wish.

You deserve a positive teaching and learning experience, where you feel part of a supportive community. That鈥檚 why most of our postgraduate taught students will enjoy an innovative approach to learning using block teaching, where you will study one module at a time. You will benefit from more regular assessments and feedback, a better study-life balance, and a simplified timetable that provides more time for work, professional development, caring responsibilities, and everything else that's important to you. Our block-taught courses are informed by industry practice, often accredited by professional bodies, and are delivered by passionate and talented academics, who will help you develop the skills to achieve your goals.

Overview

Please note applications for September 2025 will be open by the 1st June. Check the course page for up-to-date information or register your interest with our enquiry team and we'll be in touch with you.

小鸟酱专题 is the only UK university to have been chosen by the United Nations (UN) as an Academic Impact hub for one of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): SDG 11, Sustainable Cities and Communities. This partnership provides our MPH students with exceptional opportunities with world-famous global organisations like the UN and World Health Organisation (WHO).

Instead of a traditional thesis students will participate in a practicum, an extended practical project which will give you experience of real public health work. Students will have the opportunity to work with public health institutions/organisations all around the world. This course is an excellent choice for those wishing to make a global impact.

The is divided in practitioners and specialists. This course uses the syllabus of the internationally-recognised Faculty of Public Health Diplomate exam as the basis for our curriculum. This will provide you with the skills and knowledge required to give you the flexibility to pursue a career as both a practitioner and a specialist. Please note that the DFPH exam is not part of the programme, and completing the MPH does not guarantee success. However, the course provides excellent preparation for those who wish to take the exam after graduation.

Key features

Global connections: Benefit from 小鸟酱专题’s close links with international organisations like the UN and WHO. This includes opportunities for practicums and hands-on projects that replace the traditional dissertation. All students will have the opportunity to visit the WHO’s headquarters in Geneva, where they can speak with and learn from the staff working there. Participation in this trip is optional.
International exposure: You will have the opportunity to work with international partners, gaining practical experience in local public heath systems and learning in a vibrant global context.
SDG informed teaching: The course aligns each sub-section to one of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. The SDGs act as a lens through which you will learn key public health concepts.
Excel in the public health workforce: Aligned with the Faculty of Public Health’s Diplomate exam, this course equips you with the skills and knowledge to excel as a public health practitioner and specialist.
Expert teaching: Learn from Academics, public health practitioners, specialists, and senior guest lecturers, bringing real-world insight to your learning.
Immersive and innovative learning experience: Engage in full-day sessions tackling real-world public health scenarios for practical, hands-on experience. Engage in our innovate teaching methods which bring exercise and art into the classroom.
In-demand skills: Not only do we cover the core public health knowledge and skills required for the Diplomate exam, we also focus on leadership, collaboration and management skills so our students can shine in the workplace. Please note that the DFPH exam is not included in the programme, and completion of the MPH does not guarantee success in the exam.
Local to global: Leicester’s diverse communities offer a unique opportunity to address health challenges and develop solutions in one of the UK’s most diverse cities.

Scholarships:

小鸟酱专题 offers a range of undergraduate and postgraduate scholarships and bursaries to help you realise your academic ambitions.

International Scholarships

Find out about available scholarships and country specific fee discounts for international students.

小鸟酱专题 has been shortlisted for the Postgraduate Award in the 2024 Whatuni Student Choice Awards (WUSCAs), as voted for by students.

UK
EU/International

Programme code: B91071

Duration: One year full-time

Start dates: September

Fees and funding:

2024/25 tuition fees for UK students: £13,500

Find out more about course fees and available funding.

How to apply: Please note applications for September 2025 will be open by the 1st June. Check the course page for up-to-date information or register your interest with our enquiry team and we'll be in touch with you.

Application guidance document

Submit a study-related enquiry

Programme code:

Duration: One year full-time

Start dates: TBC

Fees and funding:

2024/25 tuition fees for EU and international students: £25,000

Find out more about course fees and available funding.

How to apply

Application guidance document

Submit a study-related enquiry

Entry criteria

Entry criteria

A 2:1 honours degree or above, or equivalent in any subject.
Applications are welcomed from mature candidates and those with relevant work experience and evidence of prior learning who do not meet the minimum entry requirements. Each application will be judged on its merits.
Any applicant interested in certain practicum placements, may need to complete a declaration form and enhanced Disclosure and Barring Services (DBS) disclosure application form (if you are an overseas student, you may also need to submit a criminal records certificate from your home country).

English Language requirements

If English is not your first language an IELTS score of 7 or equivalent when you start the course is essential. English language tuition, delivered by our British Council accredited Centre for English Language Learning (CELL), is available as a support both before and during the course.

Please visit our international students page for more information.

Structure and assessment

Course modules

Public Health Research Methods
Health Protection and Health Promotion
Health Information
Medical Sociology, Social Policy, Economics, and Equity
Healthcare Public Health
Practicum

Note: All modules are indicative and based on the current academic session. Course information is correct at the time of publication and is subject to review. Exact modules may, therefore, vary for your intake in order to keep content current. If there are changes to your course we will, where reasonable, take steps to inform you as appropriate.

Teaching and assessment

Our course embraces the philosophy that face-to-face interaction is the most effective method of learning. We aim to build a vibrant, supportive community where you feel empowered to engage, challenge, and develop key public health skills. Recognising the proven benefits of community cohesion on physical and mental health, we emphasise this both in our teaching and course environment.

Topics are delivered through a dynamic mix of lectures, groupwork, workshops, and immersive practical sessions. These sessions simulate real-world public health problems, challenging you to devise solutions in real-time. Innovative methods combine exercise and creative pursuits with revision, leveraging the benefits of physical activity and diverse thinking for memory and mental well-being. Our teaching approach reflects a public health philosophy, fostering both academic and personal growth.

Assessment methods are varied both to provide practical public health experience and to recognise the diverse strengths of our students. In addition to mini-essays and exams, you will complete presentations, reports, podcasts, interviews and practicums. Importantly, this course does not include a traditional thesis, focusing instead on hands-on, real-world assessments to better prepare you for a career in public health. While we encourage a supportive community, all assessments will be individual rather than as part of a group.

The course will be led by Professor Ivan Browne, Director of Public Health at Leicester City Council during the COVID-19 pandemic and Associate Professor Alex Hammant, a specialty registrar in public health medicine.

Ivan Browne OBE - Professor in Public Health

Born in Leicester, Professor Browne is closely linked to this and other local communities. He has worked in public service for over 35 years and was the former Director of Public Health for the City of Leicester and was at the forefront of leading the city through the COVID 19 pandemic. He is currently a Professor in Public Health and the Social Determinants of Health at 小鸟酱专题 and a non-executive Director at University Hospitals Leicester

Ivan is a Fellow of the Faculty of Public Health, where he has been awarded with the President’s Medal for his contributions to Public Health. He is an honorary Doctor of Loughborough University and Leicester University, and is a Deputy Lieutenant for Leicester and Leicestershire. He has been previously named as one of the Rising Stars in the Health Service Journals 50 most influential Black, Asian and Ethnic people in health in both 2022 and 2023. He was awarded the National Impact Award, by the nation’s 4 Chief Medical Offices at the 2023. He was awarded an OBE for services to Public Health in the 2025 Honors’ List. He sits on a number of national NHS organisations and boards.

Associate Professor Alex Hammant MBiochem (Oxon) MBChB MPH MFPH PGDip(ClinEd) FHEA - Associate Professor in Public Health

Alex is an experienced lecturer of medicine and public health, undergraduate and postgraduate students. He enjoys using innovative methods in his teaching, including mixing exercise with revision and deliberately stretching students with novel material. Alex has worked as a doctor in the NHS for many years in a variety of different jobs: from psychiatry and GP to urology and geriatrics. He specialised in Public Health medicine and is finishing his specialty training in the East Midlands. Through this training he brings insight from a breadth of jobs: working at Leicester City council; the National Tuberculosis Unit; the UK Health Security Agency; and NHS England Vaccinations and Screening team.

Facilities and features

Learning in Leicester

The diversity of Leicester makes it a unique public health training location. Leicester had the lowest percentage of people from a white ethnic background of any United Kingdom (UK) city in the 2021 national census (44%), making those who are traditionally thought of as being from “minority” ethnic groups in the UK actually in the majority in Leicester. This represents a fantastic opportunity to use the example of Leicester to learn how to meet a range of public health challenges. These are challenges which, in the future, will also more commonly occur in other places as they begin to reflect the diversity of Leicester.

Library services

The Kimberlin Library offers study spaces, print and digital resources, and assistive technology. Access e-books, databases, and journals online from anywhere. We support learning technologies like Learning Zone, Collaborate Ultra, MS Teams, and Turnitin, plus LinkedIn Learning and Microsoft 365 through the Digital Student Skills Hub. Library staff provide help with academic writing, research, referencing, and assistive tech, with support available via Just Ask, LibChat, workshops, and drop-ins.

Health and Life Sciences facilities

Substantial investment in Health and Life Sciences has developed our teaching and learning facilities to help you develop your practical experience and theoretical knowledge beyond the classroom.

Opportunities, trips, and careers

Trips and international experiences

Students will have the opportunity to visit our partners at the WHO headquarters in Geneva. Students will be able to talk to, and learn from, WHO employees. This is a fabulous chance for students to network and learn more about the WHO.

Students could also choose to undertake their seven-week practicum in another country. 小鸟酱专题’s links in Cambodia provides you with an amazing chance to learn and work in a different public health system.

With growing campuses in the UK, Dubai, Kazakhstan, and Cambodia, 小鸟酱专题 has a truly global outlook and international reach. Over 10,000 students are studying for a 小鸟酱专题 qualification in places as far as Sri Lanka, Vietnam and China. Our global community of students from more than 140 countries reflects our commitment to offering students international learning experiences and global citizenship skills.

Graduate careers

With a focus on the knowledge and skills needed to sit the Faculty of Public Health’s Diplomate Examination after graduating, this course equips students to pursue careers as Public Health Consultants, Health Protection Consultants, Epidemiology Consultants or Directors of Public Health, representing 小鸟酱专题’s philosophy at the highest levels.

Our strong connections with the WHO provide an excellent foundation for careers within the UN, WHO, or leading Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs). The course emphasizes practical learning and employability. Practicums are designed to give students real-world experience and compelling examples of work to showcase at interviews, setting them up for success in the public health workforce.

小鸟酱专题 Global

This is our innovative international experience programme which aims to enrich your studies and expand your cultural horizons – helping you to become a global graduate, equipped to meet the needs of employers across the world.

Through we offer a wide range of opportunities, subsidised by the university, including on-campus and UK activities, overseas study, internships, faculty-led field trips, and volunteering.

Take your next steps

Postgraduate research students are nurtured and recognised by scholars and research leaders.

小鸟酱专题 graduates can benefit from a tuition fee discount, available on selected full-time and part-time postgraduate taught courses.

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