Overview
- Study your MPH online. Delivery takes place via taught sessions, bespoke tutorials, and practical exercises, supported by online resources. Carefully selected tutors and guest lecturers will join you throughout the programme offering up-to-the minute insight, shared reflections and practical support for the duration.
- You will look at how public health decision-makers think through the kinds of challenging problems they encounter in their work
- We work closely with healthcare collaborators in the region, and across the globe, to ensure we are meeting the complex needs of a changing healthcare sector
- This course combines the expertise of our world-renowned public health experts with specialists in leadership and management in our outstanding Business School
- You will be equipped to work in interdisciplinary healthcare teams to tackle the exciting opportunities and challenges in public health across a wide range of careers
Our Public Health research is 11th in UK for Research Power
Learn from world-renowned public health experts
Developed in association with University of Exeter Business School
Entry requirements
We welcome applicants from a diverse range of backgrounds. You will have, or be predicted, at least a 2:2 degree in a relevant subject such as Life, Health or Medical Science degrees, or intercalating medical students, with relevant public health work experience.
We will also welcome applications from people who can demonstrate evidence of significant Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) experience.
Entry requirements for international students
English language requirements
• IELTS: Overall score 6.5. No less than 6.0 in any section.
• TOEFL: Overall score 90 with minimum scores of 21 for writing, 21 for listening, 22 for reading and 23 for speaking.
Please visit our entry requirements section for equivalencies from your country and further information on English language requirements.
Please visit our international equivalency pages to enable you to see if your existing academic qualifications meet our entry requirements.
International students are normally subject to visa regulations which prevent part-time study. It is recommended that international students apply for the level of the final award you intend to complete i.e. PGCert, PGDip or Masters, due to the associated cost and requirements for a Tier 4 student Visa.
Accreditation of prior learning for Masters courses in Healthcare and Medicine
Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL) is a process whereby students, who have already gained relevant skills and knowledge prior to the start of their course, may be granted a partial credit exemption from their programme instead of unnecessarily repeating work. Find out more about APL
Entry requirements for international students
Please visit our entry requirements section for equivalencies from your country and further information on English language requirements.
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Entry requirements for international students
English language requirements
Please visit our entry requirements section for equivalencies from your country and further information on English language requirements.
Course content
Our Master of Public Health (MPH) will help you to become a compassionate and inclusive leader ready to address the biggest health challenges faced in our local and global communities. This course combines the expertise of our world-renowned public health experts with specialists in leadership and management in our outstanding Business School.
- Designed to develop public health leaders of the future, with learning centred around complexity, leadership and decision-making
- Unifying the best and most relevant elements of our local expertise and global networks in environment and health, global health, complexity in healthcare, systems approaches to leadership and partnership working, and collaborative decision-making
- Designed so that students would have the knowledge needed to undertake Part A examinations of the Faculty of Public Health
- Developed against leading international standard for public health teaching and learning
Specialism
Depending on the specific modules taken, students may receive the following named award:
• Master of Public Health (Pandemics)
This specialism is only available at Masters level, and not for PGDip or PGCert.
Your eligibility for the particular award will be confirmed by the final Assessment Progression and Awarding Committee (APAC) on the basis of the modules that have been completed. In order to graduate with a particular named award in parentheses, you will need to select the appropriate specified option modules detailed below, and notify the programme support team accordingly. Otherwise the award name will be Master of Public Health. More information about Specialisms
Programme structure
The Master of Public Health (MPH) is a part time programme of study, as appropriate. It is delivered at National Qualification Framework (NQF) level 7.
The programme is divided into units of study called modules which are assigned a number of 'credits'. The credit rating of a module is proportional to the total workload, with 1 credit being nominally equivalent to 10 hours of work, a 15 credit module being equivalent to 150 hours of work and a full Masters degree being equivalent to approximately 1,800 hours of work. Therefore, for applicants who are working full time (or close to full-time), we recommend applying to complete the Masters degree over 2 or 3 years rather than 1 year.
See the MPH online schematic to see the programme structure.
Modules
The modules we outline here provide examples of what you can expect to learn on this degree course based on recent academic teaching. The precise modules available to you in future years may vary depending on staff availability and research interests, new topics of study, timetabling and student demand.
The MPH comprises 180 credits in total: taught compulsory modules worth 135 credits in total, one optional module (Masterclass) of 15 credits, and a Capstone Project worth 30 credits.
It is also possible to exit with a PGCert after completing 60 credits of taught modules or a PGDip after completing 120 credits of taught modules. The list of modules below shows which are compulsory.
The programme is delivered online via taught sessions, bespoke tutorials, and practical exercises, supported by online resources. Carefully selected tutors and guest lecturers will join you throughout the programme offering up-to-the minute insight, shared reflections and practical support for the duration.
Master of Public Health, 180 Credits; over 2 years
PGDip in Public Health (Online) Modules: 120 Credits, Over 2 years.
PGCert in Public Health (Online) Modules: 60 Credits - over 1 year.
Master of Public Health (Pandemics):
This specialism requires that you select either:
- HPDM122 Planetary Health (15 credits) OR HPDM141 Pandemics: Drivers, Preparedness and Response (15 credits)
- HPDM124 Principles of Health Protection (15 credits) should be selected as the ‘Masterclass’ option.
Your Capstone Project (HPDM127) must also be focused on a relevant topic related to pandemics, as agreed with HPDM127 module leads. This specialism provides the opportunity to focus on public health topics related to pandemics.
Specialisms
Master of Public Health (Pandemics)
Specialising in Pandemics will give you the opportunity to focus on related public health topics. The ‘Masterclass’ optional module Principles of Health Protection (HPDM124) explores the ways in which this often needs to be dynamic and responsive to the evolving health needs of the population. This versatile field of study brings together specialist knowledge and skills from a broad range of specialities including PHE; environmental health departments; hospital microbiologists and infection and prevention control teams; GPs; community specialists and educational institutions. You will be introduced to a wide range of topics which may include outbreak management, global health, data collection and timely actions and epidemiology of infectious diseases.
You can tailor your programme according to your personal interests or career goals by selecting one of our optional modules. Planetary Health (HPDM122) will introduce you to medical sociology, environment and human health, social epidemiology and global health. You will learn how health in its widest sense and health and environmental inequalities are created, and the potential strategies for addressing them more effectively. Pandemics: Drivers, Preparedness and Response (HPDM141) will get you critically engaging with pandemics from the perspectives of science and technology studies (STS), health systems policy and delivery and social and behavioural sciences.
Your Capstone project, which will focus on a relevant topic in pandemics, provides you with an opportunity to consolidate your learning and transfer your new analytical and critical thinking skills to the design and execution of a research project which reflects your professional interests.
Fees
January 2023 entry
UK fees per year:
- MPH £5,250pa part-time 2 years
- PGCert £3,500 part-time 1 year
- PGDip £3,500 part-time 2 years
Standalone module fees: UK: £950 per 15-credit module
International fees per year:
- MPH £11,500pa part-time 2 years
- PGCert £7,700 part-time 1 year
- PGDip £7,700 part-time 2 years
Standalone module fees: International: £2100 per 15-credit module
Find out more about tuition fees and funding
Fee information
Fees can normally be paid by two termly instalments and may be paid online. You will also be required to pay a tuition fee deposit to secure your offer of a place, unless you qualify for exemption. For further information about paying fees see our Student Fees pages.
Scholarships
We invest heavily in scholarships for talented prospective Masters students and have over £2.5 million in scholarships available, including our Global Excellence Scholarships* and Green Futures Scholarships* for international fee paying students.
For information on how you can fund your postgraduate degree at the University of Exeter, please visit our dedicated funding page.
*Selected programmes only. Please see the Terms and Conditions for each scheme for further details.
Teaching and research
Our purpose is to deliver transformative education that will help tackle health challenges of national and global importance.
Teaching
Modules include immersive learning at the start and end of the taught components of the programme.
The programme is delivered online via taught sessions, bespoke tutorials, and practical exercises, supported by on-line resources. Carefully selected tutors and guest lecturers will join you throughout the programme offering up-to-the minute insight, shared reflections and practical support for the duration.
Content for the programme will be made available online via our dedicated Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) to allow maximum flexibility in when you study to fit around your other commitments. We will provide a range of rich online materials, a variety of learning activities and encourage you to participate in learning communities. Each module will set out the key expectations and requirements at the start of teaching and you will receive timely feedback on your progress throughout the duration.
Learning
The approach to teaching includes synchronous and asynchronous online sessions, self-directed online learning, peer supported learning groups, facilitated chat rooms, and personal learning logs.
Teaching methods on the Masters course include:
• case-based discussion
• simulation and problem-based learning
• seminars
• group discussions
• reflection sessions
• buzz groups
• chat backs
• interactive workshops
You will be allocated an academic tutor who will remain with you throughout the programme. Academic tutors are able to provide guidance and feedback on assessment performance, guidance in generic academic skills and pastoral support. They are also able to refer you to more specialist support services, both within the College and elsewhere across the University.
Support
You will be allocated an academic tutor who will remain with you throughout the programme. Academic tutors are able to provide guidance and feedback on assessment performance, guidance in generic academic skills and pastoral support. They are also able to refer you to more specialist support services, both within the College and elsewhere across the University.
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Professor G J Melendez-Torres
Programme Director
Dr Jenny Lloyd
Senior Lecturer
Dr. Gary Abel
Dr. Kristin Liabo
Professor Richard Smith
Professor Sarah Dean
Professor G J Melendez-Torres
Programme Director
G J is the Programme Lead for the MPH and teaches on a number of modules.
He arrived at the University of Exeter in March 2019 to take up a personal chair in clinical and social epidemiology. As part of this, he leads the Peninsula Technology Assessment Group (PenTAG), one of nine research units in the UK providing expert advice on the clinical and cost effectiveness of new drugs to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. His interest in health technology assessment stems from an enjoyment of the kinds of knotty methodological problems, both statistical and conceptual, that this area can present.
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Dr Jenny Lloyd
Senior Lecturer
Jenny is an exercise and health psychologist, specialising in the development and evaluation of complex behavioural interventions to address obesity, wellbeing and the social and emotional development of children. She works with a range of charities and organisations (e.g. Action for Children, The Education Endowment Foundation, Obesity UK) to co-create interventions taking account of both psycho-social factors and systems theory.
She teaches across a range of undergraduate and postgraduate modules, convening the undergraduate Clinical Trials and postgraduate Public Health Behaviour Change Modules. Jenny is interested in further exploring and developing new ways of conceptualising and responding to so called ‘wicked’ public health problems of the 21st century, namely obesity, loss of wellbeing and health inequality, by working with multi-disciplinary teams across health and social care, education and the humanities.
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Dr. Gary Abel
Senior Lecturer
Gary is a statistician working within Primary Care at the University of Exeter Medical School and co-lead for the module called Analytics and Evidence based Public Health. He has a strong interest in routine data, both derived from primary care and other healthcare settings. This interest spans two approaches, which are: 1) using routine data to explore a variety of health research questions and 2) understanding the limitations of, and the interpretation of, routine data used to inform health service delivery.
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Dr. Kristin Liabo
Senior Research Fellow
Kristin is part of the Patient and Public Involvement Team in the Third Gap team at the Medical School, and within PenCLAHRC. The team supports researchers to involve patients and members of the public in their research.
Kristin co-leads the module called Planetary Health. She has worked collaboratively with service users, patients and members of the public since she started out in research with Barnardo's, the children's charity.
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Professor Richard Smith
Deputy Pro Vice Chancellor and Professor of Health Economics
Richard is inaugural Deputy Pro-Vice Chancellor for the University of Exeter Medical School, and Professor of Health Economics. He was previously at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, where he served as Head of the Department of Global Health & Development from 2008-2011, and as Dean of the Faculty of Public Health & Policy from 2011-2018.
Richard has experience with a wide range of economic methods, including micro-, macro-, behavioural-, and political-economic techniques, applied to various areas, from health outcome assessment to antibiotic resistance. In the last decade he has especially pioneered the macro-economic modelling of communicable and non-communicable diseases, and the economic analysis of the impact of trade and trade agreements on health and health care across a range of areas.
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Professor Sarah Dean
Professor in Psychology Applied to Rehabilitation and Health
Sarah has extensive experience of working in interdisciplinary environments for both teaching and research at the Universities of Southampton, Otago (New Zealand) and including her current role within the South West Peninsula Applied Research Collaboration (PenARC) and at the University of Exeter Medical School.
She has a dual professional background as a Chartered Physiotherapist and a Chartered Psychologist with two higher degrees in Health Psychology. She worked clinically in both the NHS and private sector, specialising in musculoskeletal rehabilitation, particularly exercise therapy for sports injuries and cardiac rehabilitation. She co-leads the module: Behaviour Change.
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Careers
Careers
You will be equipped to work in interdisciplinary healthcare teams to tackle the exciting opportunities and challenges in public health across a wide range of careers. Careers include working in the health and pharmaceutical industry, supporting local commissioning, local authority public health, and work at the frontlines of health policy.
Careers support
All University of Exeter students have access to Career Zone, which gives access to a wealth of business contacts, support and training as well as the opportunity to meet potential employers at our regular Careers Fairs.
