Public Health BSc (Hons)
Study level: Undergraduate
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.
Course option
Year of entry
2024-25
Location
Coventry University (Coventry)
Study mode
Full-time
Duration
3 years full-time
UCAS codes
L431
Start date
September 2024
Course overview
The course 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.
- Develop an understanding of health disparities and health inequalities at local, national and international level as well as the knowledge to be able to improve health outcomes through the effective planning, execution and evaluation of health interventions to change behaviour.
- It offers the opportunity to develop knowledge around differing health needs, influences on health, and how to prevent ill health and promote health and wellbeing.
- The course aims to equip you to work in a range of roles within public health where you can make a real difference to people’s health and wellbeing.

Joint Top Modern University for Career Prospects
Guardian University Guide 2021 and 2022
5 QS Stars for Teaching and Facilities
QS Stars University Ratings
Top 5 UK Student City (Coventry)
QS Best Student Cities Index 2023Why you should study this course
- The learning is interactive and creative with hands-on learning sessions related to real-life situations.
- Taught by current Public Health experts from a range of practice, research, academic and leadership backgrounds (staff may be subject to change).
- The assessments use the same competencies, knowledge and skills that you will use in many public health job roles.
- You will also have inter-professional learning opportunities allowing students from health-related courses the opportunity to share, learn and work together.
- You may 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 opportunities2.
Coventry University ranked 8th for Health Professions
Guardian University Guide 2023
Having spent many years working in public health roles and seeing the positive impact it can have in supporting people to lead healthier and happier lives, it’s exciting to be part of a dynamic and passionate team developing future public health practitioners who can go on to have equally enjoyable, fulfilling and impactful careers. One of the elements I particularly like about this course is the focus on practical learning which is directly applicable to job roles in public health and making a positive difference to people’s health.
Jane Wright, Assistant Professor in Public Health, 2022

What you'll study
We regularly review our course content, to make it relevant and current for the benefit of our students. For these reasons, course modules may be updated.
This course is helping me to develop essential skills such as critical thinking, teamwork, analysing and communication through different activities such as group work, discussions, scenario analysis and debates. The modules are thought-provoking, and the lecturers are experts with a lot of professional experience in their field, allowing them to share real-life examples with us, which is an excellent way to understand any topic. Having guest speakers has allowed me to get insight into specific topics and relevant events that are currently happening.
Simran Kaur, Public Health BSc (Hons) current student, quoted in 2022

How you'll learn
You will be taught using a mixture of lectures and seminars, ‘hands-on’ skills workshops, student-led discussions and interactive simulation.
These interactive, creative and hands-on learning sessions aim to support you to explore important health issues theoretically as well as practically. You will also have inter-professional learning opportunities allowing students from a diverse range of health-related courses the opportunity to share, learn and work together.
You will have the opportunity to:
- 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 learning such as videos and podcasts.
- Participate in a simulation exercise which mimics real-world challenges and cross-profession working (subject to availability).
- Attend a public health-related field visit (e.g. water treatment plant) or event (e.g. Public Health film festival)2.
These strategies should help you to connect concepts covered in the course with real-life experience and are designed to enhance your career options following graduation.
Teaching contact hours
You will receive around 10 hours teaching contact time per week. This is made up of lectures, seminars and tutorials. Additionally, you will be expected to undertake significant self-directed study of approximately 17 hours each week, depending on the demands of individual modules.
As an innovative and enterprising institution, the university may seek to utilise emerging technologies within the student experience. For all courses (whether on-campus, blended, or distance learning), the university may deliver certain contact hours and assessments via online technologies and methods.
Since COVID-19, we have delivered our courses in a variety of forms, in line with public authority guidance, decisions, or orders and we will continue to adapt our delivery as appropriate. Whether on campus or online, our key priority is staff and student safety.
Assessment
This course will be assessed using a variety of methods which will vary depending upon the module.
Assessment methods may include:
- Essays
- Poster presentations
- Coursework
- Exams
- Research project
The Coventry University Group assessment strategy ensures that our courses are fairly assessed and allows us to monitor student progression towards achieving the intended learning outcomes.
Now is an exciting time to be part of the future of public health. The importance and positive impact public health is having on people's lives is growing. I feel all of my previous public health roles and experience has led me to this point. We have a diverse team of international lecturers; ready and waiting to help you reach your full potential and start your career in public health, making a positive difference to people's health.
Natasha Dawson, Module Leader and Lecturer in Public Health, 2022

Entry requirements
Typical offer for 2024/25 entry.
Not got the required grades? We offer this degree with an integrated foundation year.
Fees and funding
2024/25 tuition fees.
Student | Full-time | Part-time |
---|---|---|
UK, Ireland*, Channel Islands or Isle of Man | £9,250 per year | Not available |
EU | £9,250 per year with EU support bursary** £16,800 per year without EU support bursary** |
Not available |
International | £16,800 per year | Not available |
If you choose to do a work placement2, you should consider travel and living costs to cover this. There is also a tuition fee3 of £1,250 that will cover your academic support throughout your placement year.
For advice and guidance on tuition fees and student loans visit our Undergraduate Finance page and see The University’s Tuition Fee and Refund Terms and Conditions.
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, stationery, printing and re-assessments should you need them. Find out what's included in your tuition costs.
The following are additional costs not included in the tuition fees:
- Any optional overseas field trips or visits: £400+ per trip.
- Any costs associated with securing, attending or completing a placement (whether in the UK or abroad).
-
How do you know if you need to pay UK or international tuition fees?
We carry out an initial fee status assessment based on the information you provide in your application. Your fee status determines your tuition fees, and what financial support and scholarships may be available to you. The rules about who pays UK (home) or international (overseas) fees for higher education courses in England are set by the government's Department for Education. The regulations identify all the different categories of student who can insist on paying the home rate. The regulations can be difficult to understand, so the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) has provided fee status guidance to help you identify whether you are eligible to pay the home or overseas rate.
If you meet all the criteria required by any one category, including any residence requirements, your institution must charge you the home rate. You only need to find one category that you fit into.
Facilities
Students will benefit from studying on our well-equipped, modern campus4.
- The Simulation Centre allows you to participate in simulation exercises which mimic real-world challenges and cross-profession working, e.g. managing a disease outbreak at Coventry University.
- The Computer Lab at Coventry University main campus allows you to participate on challenges to resolve public health issues within a given health-related scenario.
Alison Gingell Building
You'll have the opportunity to study in our multi-million-pound Alison Gingell Building with facilities including a mock ambulance, hospital wards and full-size community houses as well as study spaces, classrooms and more.

Careers and opportunities
On successful completion of the course, you will have the knowledge to enable you to:
- Demonstrate knowledge of the underlying principles of public health - prevention, promotion, protection.
- Measure and interpret qualitative and quantitative data to make evidence informed decisions.
- Evaluate population health needs in order to initiate health interventions for preventing disease and improving health.
- 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 all levels.
- Effectively communicate public health messages 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 improve quality for public health.
- Appraise health systems differences in adopting foundational public health concepts, principles and methods of enquiry.
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 populations and health outcomes in a range of roles and organisations. The course aims to 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 co-ordinator, 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 a wide range of organisations, including local authorities, NHS, not-for-profit organisations and charities, and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
Further study
Graduates from this course may consider progression to master’s level courses in areas such as:
- Public health
- Global public health
- Global health management
- Public health nutrition
- Public health and health promotion
- Reproductive and sexual health research
- Health economics and policy
- Health data science
How to apply
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UK students
Full-time students applying to start in September 2024 can apply for this course through UCAS. Read our application pages to find out your next steps to apply.
Part-time students should apply directly to the university.
If you'd like further support or more information about your course get in touch with us today.
Chat with our admissions team
Complete our contact form
-
International students
International codes:
How to apply
HLSU267For further support for international applicants applying for an undergraduate degree view our International hub.
You can also download our International guide which contains lots of useful information about our courses, accommodation and tips for travel.
Get in touch with us today for further advice and guidance.
Chat with our admissions team
Complete our contact form
-
Disclaimers
Coventry University together with Coventry University London Campus, CU Coventry, CU London, CU Scarborough and Coventry University Online come together to form part of the Coventry University Group (the “University”) with all degrees awarded by Coventry University.
1Accreditations
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.
2UK and international opportunities
Please note that we are unable to guarantee any UK or International opportunities (whether required or optional) such as internships, work experience, field trips, conferences, placements or study abroad opportunities and that all such opportunities may be subject to additional costs (which could include, but is not limited to, equipment, materials, bench fees, studio or facilities hire, travel, accommodation and visas), competitive application, availability and/or meeting any applicable travel COVID and visa requirements. To ensure that you fully understand the visa requirements, please contact the International Office.
3Tuition fees
The University will charge the tuition fees that are stated in the above table for the first Academic Year of study. The University will review tuition fees each year. For UK (home) students, if Parliament permit an increase in tuition fees, the University 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.
For International Students, we may increase fees each year but such increases will be no more than 5% above inflation. If you defer your course start date or have to extend your studies beyond the normal duration of the course (e.g. to repeat a year or resit examinations) the University reserves the right to charge you fees at a higher rate and/or in accordance with any legislative changes during the additional period of study.
4Facilities
Facilities are subject to availability. Since COVID-19, we have delivered our courses in a variety of forms, in line with public authority guidance, decisions, or orders and we will continue to adapt our delivery as appropriate. Whether on campus or online, our key priority is staff and student safety.
Student Contract
By accepting your offer of a place and enrolling with us, a Student Contract will be formed between you and the university. The 2024/25 Contract is currently being updated so please revisit this page before submitting your application. 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.
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