The content of this course for September 2022 entry is still being updated. The information on these pages relates to September 2021 entry and is for guidance only. September 2022 entry content will be updated by autumn 2021. Please revisit this course page for updated information.
Overview
Public health is the science and art of detecting and preventing disease, enhancing people’s quality of life, and promoting physical, mental, and environmental health amongst populations so people can live healthier, for longer.
This course aims to provide you with the knowledge and skills on the vital role that Public Health plays in society across three pillars of public health – prevention, protection, and promotion.
The curriculum explores strategies for tackling disease and preventing ill-health, embracing multifaceted and collective actions for health promotion, and approaches to health protection to respond to emerging challenges facing public health practitioners.
You will be taught using a mixture of lectures and small-group seminars, ‘hands-on’ skills workshops, student-led discussions and interactive simulation. This combination of teaching aims to support you to explore important health issues theoretically as well as practically. We aim to create confident, knowledgeable Public Health graduates who are ready to make meaningful change in population health locally, nationally and internationally.
Upon successful completion of this course you will have developed an understanding of health disparities and health inequalities at local, national and international levels have the knowledge to improve health outcomes through the effective planning, execution and evaluation of health interventions to change behaviour.
Why Coventry University?
An award-winning university, we are committed to providing our students with the best possible experience. We continue to invest in both our facilities and our innovative approach to education. Our students benefit from industry-relevant teaching, and resources and support designed to help them succeed. These range from our modern library and computing facilities to dedicated careers advice and our impressive Students’ Union activities.
COVID-19
The University may deliver certain contact hours and assessments via emerging online technologies and methods across all courses. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are prepared for courses due to start in or after the 2020/2021 academic year to be delivered in a variety of forms. The form of delivery will be determined in accordance with Government and Public Health guidance. Whether on campus or online, our key priority is staff and student safety.
Due to the ongoing restrictions relating to COVID-19, some facilities (including some teaching and learning spaces) and some non-academic offerings (particularly in relation to international experiences), may vary from those advertised and may have reduced availability or restrictions on their use.
Global ready
An international outlook, with global opportunitiesEmployability
Career-ready graduates, with the skills to succeedTeaching Excellence
Taught by lecturers who are experts in their fieldCourse essentials
A degree which offers you more, at no extra costAccreditation & Professional Recognition
The course meets QAA benchmark standards on Knowledge, Understanding and Skills, and Learning, Teaching and Assessment requirements for Health Studies graduates to meet the Public Health Skills & Knowledge Framework Benchmark standards of Public Health England (PHE 2016). Successful completion of this course therefore gives you transferable skills to facilitate your future registration with relevant professional bodies such as the UK Public Health Register (UKPHR 2016) upon gaining relevant work experience.
This course is not yet approved or accredited by any professional body.
Course information
Public Health is based on three pillars: prevention, protection and promotion. The course aims to equip you with essential skills and knowledge in each of the three pillars. Through the teaching of the prevention pillar, and upon successful completion of this course, you will gain an understanding of the causes and consequences of diseases such as diabetes, cancer, and heart disease, and how to tackle the challenges facing disease prevention efforts.
Through the protection pillar, you will study communicable diseases such as influenza, tuberculosis, and HIV, their surveillance, and the reaction to and control of communicable disease outbreaks. Through the promotion pillar, the theories, techniques and tools used to promote health and wellbeing are examined, drawing on behavioural psychology and sociology, as well as actual health promotion policies in operation, for example from Public Health England and the World Health Organization.
Within the study of all the three pillars of public health there is an emphasis on helping you to develop your understanding of the scientific approaches to disease prevention, contributing to improved healthcare quality and delivery, empowering individuals to make sound health decisions, and influencing policy in public health.
You will have opportunities to attend out-of-classroom field trips related to aspects of public health, and you will also have access to a range of international experience opportunities (subject to availability and additional fees may apply).
This course has been designed following extensive consultation with health care organisations and professionals from various public health disciplines to ensure it reflects the latest thinking in public health and to prepare you for employment in the field.
Course Specification
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Modules
In more detail...
This course aims to convey concepts, theories and methods about a healthier population across the world. Its principles and guiding values consider public health as having the responsibility to protect and improve the health of all people, especially the elderly, children, the poor and the deprived.
Along with the broad perspective of public health, this course aims to teach you the knowledge and skills across the pillars of public health. The curriculum encourages you to explore your grasp of the strategies for disease prevention, embracing multifaceted and collective actions for health promotion and protection in response to emerging challenges facing public health practitioners.
- Interactive, creative, hands-on learning sessions
- Taught by current Public Health experts from a range of practice, research, academic and leadership backgrounds.
- Simulation-based learning opportunities
- Local field trips to see Public Health at work (subject to availability and additional costs)
- Mapped to the UK Public Health Skills and Knowledge Framework
- Optimises employability skills development through dedicated public health employability module
- Assessments which reflect real-world Public Health skills and knowledge
- Inter-professional learning opportunities allowing students from a diverse range of health related courses to share, learn and work together.
In year 1 you are introduced to the basic concepts, principles and methods on which public health practice is grounded. This includes key concepts such as the pillars of public health, health inequalities, and health service systems.
In year 2 you are asked to build on your previous study by being taught how to apply, appraise and evaluate public health concepts, principles and methods to improve population health. You will be encouraged to explore how to evaluate population health needs, understand and appraise relationships between health policy and wider systems, and use creative approaches when developing public health planning and activities.
Year 3 is designed with the aim to enable you to practice how to critique, interpret and implement public health activities, approaches and evidence in a variety of contexts. You will be asked to explore challenges and opportunities of public health at local, national and international levels. Leadership and management principles will be applied to activities for improving health outcomes and reducing health inequalities.
At all levels of your study, you will have the opportunity to:
- Explore topics through face-to-face delivery via lectures, seminars and tutorials.
- Work in smaller groups for seminars and tutorials
- Engage in student-led discussions (group presentations, case-studies and scenario analyses) to facilitate shared learning and practice experiences.
- Hear from professionals in practice drawn from a range of Public Health-related fields.(subject to availability)
- Utilise a virtual learning environment to access updates on the course and modules, and other relevant materials for supporting their learning such as videos, and podcasts.
- Participate in a simulation exercise which mimics real-world challenges and cross-profession working.
- Attend a public health related field visit (e.g. water treatment plant) or event (e.g. Public Health film festival) (subject to availability and additional costs)
The above strategies should help you to connect concepts covered in the course with real-life experience.
Your learning will be assessed in ways that reflects real-world public health practice such as: writing a funding bid, reflecting on a real-world simulation event, critically analysing real health events, creating and presenting posters, CV and covering letter writing; there are also traditional essays and exams. In year 3, you will undertake your own research project. Public Health problems often require creative solutions, and we have designed our assessments to reflect that notion.
On successful completion of the course, you will be able to:
- Demonstrate knowledge of the underlying principles of public health - prevention, promotion, protection.
- Measure and interpret qualitative and quantitative data originating from a range of disciplines to make evidence informed decisions.
- Evaluate population health needs in order to initiate health interventions for preventing disease and improving health at national and international levels.
- Critically review relationships between health policy, strategies, health systems and service users’ experiences that influence health outcomes and inequalities.
- Assess and recognise the impact of wider social determinants of health, health inequalities and health inequity at an individual, community, national and global level.
- Effectively communicate public health messages, evidence and actions to specialist and non-specialist audiences using a range of approaches and media.
- Understand effective strategies for working with community groups and organisations in designing, managing and delivering services.
- Demonstrate effective leadership and ethical approaches to innovating and improving quality within organisations and across public health teams.
- Appraise health systems differences in adopting foundational public health concepts, principles and methods of enquiry.
You will typically have around 9 hours of teaching contact time each week which consists of lectures, seminars and tutorials in three modules. In addition you will be expected to undertake further independent learning activities which consists of wider reading, group work, research and preparation for assignments for three modules.
This course encourages and supports international learning opportunities such as participation in Collaborative Online Internationalised Learning (COIL), field trips to attend international conferences or gain intercultural experiences outside teaching times. It also enables you to gain voluntary work and related placements abroad supported through the Employability Unit (EPU) and Centre for Global Engagement (CGE).
All international placement opportunities are subject to availability, application, meeting visa requirements and additional costs.
Global ready
Did you know that we help more students travel internationally than any other UK university according to data from the experts in higher education data and analysis, HESA?
In 2016/17, we were able to provide a total of 3,482 experiences abroad that lasted at least five days.
Much of this travel is made possible through our Global Leaders Programme, which enables students to prepare for the challenges of the global employment market, as well as strengthening and developing their broader personal and professional skills.
Explore our international experiences1st for
international experiences
Sending more students overseas than any other UK uni 2016/17
5,469
Student experiences
The number of student trips abroad for at least 5 days in 2018/19
12,000
and counting
The number of students we’ve helped travel internationally since 2016
12
global programmes
As well as trips, we offer other opportunities like language courses
Entry Requirements
2022/23 Tuition fees
For advice and guidance on tuition fees and student loans visit our Undergraduate Finance page.
We offer a range of International scholarships to students all over the world. For more information, visit our International Scholarships page.
Tuition fees cover the cost of your teaching, assessments, facilities and support services. There may be additional costs not covered by this fee such as accommodation and living costs, recommended reading books, stationary, printing and re-assessments should you need them. Find out what's included in your tuition costs.
Course essentials at no extra cost
We're committed to communicating study costs clearly to make sure you're not faced with having to make any unexpected payments.
This is why our ‘Flying Start’ package provides you with a few course essentials. Your full-time fee for an undergraduate degree will cover the following:
UK field trips
Any mandatory site visits and trips within the United Kingdom.Key material
This can include core textbooks, software and equipment.Laser prints
1,000 A4 sides of black and white laser printing credits per year.Optional year
Pay no tuition fees for optional work placements or study abroad trips.EU student fees
EU nationals starting in the 2020/21 academic year remain eligible for the same fees as home students and the same financial support. Financial support comes from Student Finance England, and covers undergraduate and postgraduate study for the duration of their course, providing they meet the residency requirement.
For tuition fee loans
EU nationals starting in the 2020/21 academic year must have resided in the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland for the three years prior to the start of their course. The purpose of that three year residency should not have been mainly for the purpose of receiving full time education.
For maintenance loans
EU nationals starting in the 2020/21 academic year must have resided in the UK and Islands for the five years prior to the start of their course. The purpose of that five year residency should not have been mainly for the purpose of receiving full time education.
Reduced course fees for EU students
The UK Government has confirmed that EU students who are starting their course in September 2021 and onwards will be classified as an international student. To support our EU community who are affected by this change, Coventry University are providing an EU Member State Transition Bursary.
Students ordinarily domiciled in an EU Member State who prior to the 2021/22 academic intake qualified for UK fees (home fee status), are eligible for the EU Member State Transition Bursary. This will bring fee levels for those students across the Group into line with those of UK students for courses starting in the 2021/22 academic year.
Review more details on our EU Member State Transition Award/Bursary page.
Career prospects
Graduate Immigration Route visa
Based on current information from the UK Government, international students whose study extends beyond summer 2021 may be eligible for a visa under the UK Government’s Graduate Immigration Route, which will enable students to stay and work, or look for work, in the UK at any skill level for up to two (2) years. Check the most up to date guidance available to check your eligibility and any updates from the UK Government before making an application or enrolment decision.
The course is designed to align your knowledge and skills with the requirements of employers in Public Health and for your skills to be able to make an immediate impact on population experiences and health outcomes.
By successfully completing the course, you should enhance your employability by offering the skills and competences that address employers' objectives and expectations from graduates wishing to pursue a career as a public health practitioner.
Graduates may be employed in such roles as public health practitioner, health protection practitioner, health improvement practitioner, health data analyst, healthy lifestyles coordinator, health and wellbeing coordinator, public health project manager, and many other types of analysts, managers or researcher roles within the diverse field of public health practice.
This course aims to equip you with the tools for developing necessary competences for employment within the NHS or global health systems. Job opportunities may be available in a wide range of organisations including private health providers, not for-profit and charity organisations and NGOs that offer many different roles and services within the field of Public Health.
Disclaimer
Student Contract
By accepting your offer of a place and enrolling with us, a Student Contract will be formed between you and the university. A copy of the 2021/22 Contract can be found here. The Contract details your rights and the obligations you will be bound by during your time as a student and contains the obligations that the university will owe to you. You should read the Contract before you accept an offer of a place and before you enrol at the university.
Tuition fees
The tuition fee for the course that is stated on the course webpage and in the prospectus for the first year of study will apply. We will review our tuition fees each year. For UK and EU students, if Parliament permit an increase in tuition fees, we may increase fees for each subsequent year of study in line with any such changes. Note that any increase is expected to be in line with inflation. Following the UK’s exit from the European Union, EU students should be aware that there may be a change to UK laws following the UK’s exit, this may change their student status, their eligibility to study part time, and/or their eligibility for student finance. We will act in accordance with the UK’s laws in force in relation to student tuition fees and finance from time to time.
For International students the tuition fee that is stated on the course webpage and in the prospectus for the first year of study will apply. We will review our tuition fees each year. For international students, we may increase fees for each subsequent year of study but such increases will be no more than 5% above inflation.
Accreditations
The majority of our courses have been formally recognised by professional bodies, which means the courses have been reviewed and tested to ensure they reach a set standard. In some instances, studying on an accredited course can give you additional benefits such as exemptions from professional exams (subject to availability, fees may apply). Accreditations, partnerships, exemptions and memberships shall be renewed in accordance with the relevant bodies’ standard review process and subject to the university maintaining the same high standards of course delivery.
Facilities
Facilities mentioned on this page may not be relevant for every course. Due to the ongoing restrictions relating to COVID-19, some facilities (including some teaching and learning spaces) and some non-academic offerings (particularly in relation to international experiences), may vary from those advertised and may have reduced availability or restrictions on their use.
Placements and study abroad opportunities
Please note that we are unable to guarantee any placement or study abroad opportunities and that all such opportunities may be subject to additional costs (e.g. travel, visas and accommodation etc.), competitive application, availability and/or meeting any applicable visa requirements. To ensure that you fully understand the requirements in this regard, please contact the International Office for further details if you are an EU or International student.
Additional costs
This course may incur additional costs associated with any field trips, placements or work experience, study abroad opportunities or any other opportunity (whether required or optional), which could include (but is not limited to), equipment, materials, bench fees, studio or facilities hire, travel, accommodation and visas).
