Public Health BSc (Hons)

Undergraduate

Doctor administering a vaccine to a male patient

From developing strategies to tackle health inequalities and rising levels of obesity to promoting mental, physical and environmental health, this course prepares you for a wide range of roles and opportunities in the field.

Course option

Degree with foundation year

Year of entry

2024-25 2025-26

Location

Coventry University (Coventry)

Study mode

Full-time

Duration

3 years full-time

UCAS codes

HU13

Start date

September 2025

How to apply

Book an Open Day

Download a prospectus

Course overview

The course explores practical strategies for tackling disease and preventing ill health, including health promotion programmes and approaches to health protection in response to emerging challenges. We aim to give you a real-world taste of the tasks and challenges you may face as a practitioner, preparing you through practical activities and workshops applicable to your future career.

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.
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.

Rated Gold Overall

Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) 2023

5 QS Stars for Teaching and Facilities

QS Stars University Ratings

Top 5 Student City in England (Coventry)

QS Best Student Cities Index 2025

Why you should study this course

Learning is interactive and creative with hands-on 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 health².

5th

Coventry University ranked 5th for Health Professions

Guardian University Guide 2024

Drawing from diverse experiences, commitment and passion for public health from a dedicated team, this course offers our students a catalyst for change, weaving together knowledge, empathy, and action to build healthier communities and foster equity for all. One key element of this course is the link of all our modules to the graduate attributes to empower our students with skills needed to succeed as future public health practitioners.
Dr Lawrence Bismarck Ndupu, Assistant Course Director for the Public Health BSc (Hons), 2024

What you'll study

In the first year, the curriculum allows you to gain a broad grounding in the discipline where you will develop knowledge to do with the foundations of public health, communication, health systems and health interventions, among others.

Modules

Foundations of Public Health – 20 credits

This module explores the key elements of the field of public health which will provide you with a firm foundation for the course which you will build on and develop in further depth through future modules. In particular you will examine: concepts and definitions of health and public health; the three pillars of public health – disease prevention, health protection and health promotion; the social determinants of health and how these link to health inequalities; and the impacts of political, economic and democratic processes on health.

Compulsory

Personal and Professional Development Skills – 20 credits

The overall aim of this module is to develop your ability to study at a degree level, which includes a development of your personal and professional skills. You will learn how to practice self-awareness, self-monitoring and critical reflection on good academic practice. You will learn skills on how to demonstrate awareness of your own strengths and weaknesses in order to optimise your knowledge and skills throughout the course.

Compulsory

Introduction to Research Methods – 20 credits

This module introduces you to the foundational elements of health research. It outlines the purpose and methods for generating evidence in order to understand situations influencing health outcomes and inequalities. The module will introduce you to research terminology, types of study designs and it will begin to explore the range of application for these methods. In addition to the above, digital technologies for searching and appraising a range of data sources will be explored.

Compulsory

Health Systems – 20 credits

This module aims to introduce you to the diversity of organisations and systems involved in activities for improving healthcare and population health. You will learn about the influence of different organisational objectives, motives and governance on population health outcomes and health inequalities.

Compulsory

21st Century Communication in Public Health – 20 credits

This module aims to introduce, describe and explore communication strategies used in public health. You will seek to learn how to communicate health messages to different audiences and appreciate the challenges, advantages and disadvantages of communication in public health at local, national and international levels.

Compulsory

Foundations of Health Interventions and Evaluations – 20 credits

This module introduces you to the foundational principles and theories which underpin health interventions and their evaluations. You will look to learn about the rights and values that drive ethically sound interventions for improving health. The module will explore how to plan and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of health interventions in a range of contexts.

Compulsory

In year two, you will develop more advanced knowledge and skills to do with epidemiology, health research, health promotion, health protection and public health policy, among others.

Modules

Introduction to Epidemiology – 20 credits

This module aims to provide you with the basic analytical and statistical knowledge and skills required for effective public health practice and research. It enables you to understand the basic concepts of study design, data analysis, and interpretation of epidemiological research and their use in decision-making for public health improvement and reduction of health inequalities.

Compulsory

Understanding and Using Health Research – 20 credits

This module aims to enable you to identify suitable methods to investigate local, national or international public health issues and challenges drawing on appropriate sources of evidence. The module is designed to help you develop your ability to write research proposals for addressing health inequalities and improving health and health services delivery.

Compulsory

Health Promotion – 20 credits

The aim of the module is to enable you to understand health disparities and develop skills for using evidence as the basis for promoting individual and population health. It prepares you to work in diverse spheres such as governmental organisations, advocacy groups, voluntary organisations and community-based primary care settings at all levels.

Compulsory

Health Protection – 20 credits

The module introduces you to the basic principles of controlling infections and environmental hazards within the community and workplace. It provides and reinforces understanding of key threats to population health and the role of healthcare partnerships and legislations in protecting population health.

Compulsory

Public Health Policy and Management – 20 credits

This module enables you to apply economic and political analyses to the design, implementation and management of public health policies. It explores the context of public and private healthcare organisations and NGO activities at local, national and international levels. You will acquire skills in interpreting and evaluating access to services, healthcare quality and policy analysis.

Compulsory

Employability in Public Health – 20 credits

The module aims to introduce you to, and prepare you for, the range of careers and employment options related to public health. You will seek to develop the skills, knowledge and behaviours which health employers expect graduates to demonstrate in order to maximise employability in a public health field.

Compulsory

Your final year aims to bring you to the level to enter the world of work by consolidating your knowledge and skills from year one and two. You could also work on a dissertation in an area of your interest, with the support of a mentor.

Modules

Leadership and Management for Health Care Professionals – 20 credits

This module aims to prepare you for leadership and management careers in the unique environment of public health. It is designed to provide you with practical management skills such as leading and managing people and programmes, service quality improvement and taking actions to improve organisational performance using the skills and strategies for collaborating with a range of stakeholders in public health. You will critically examine leadership and “followership” models and the concept of empowerment and distributed leadership, to gain understanding of ethical leadership, culture and values within the delivery of care. You will aim to be equipped with a range of practical leadership and management skills underpinned by a critical appreciation of leadership and management theory.

You will explore the concepts of service improvement and gain experience of leading and participating in projects, using relevant management tools and techniques. You will reflect on your observed experience of public health leadership behaviours and management skills throughout the course, to further develop a personal development plan to guide your ongoing leadership development as a public health professional.

Compulsory

Contemporary Issues in Public Health – 20 credits

The module aims to prepare you for roles in public health as analysts and managers. It focuses on developing your methodological and analytical skills to examine prevalence, causes and consequences of current and future public health challenges at all levels. It explores the development of appropriate action to address current and future public health challenges within the context of contemporary public health theory and practice.

Compulsory

Globalisation and Sustainable Health Financing – 20 credits

In this module, you will explore the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and how globalisation affects the social determinants of health, the main drivers of globalisation including the spread and control of communicable and non-communicable diseases. Furthermore, it aims to develop your skills for evaluating health financing tools, policies and trends so that you understand the health consequences, and explores the main challenges facing global health agents and the efforts to improve population health outcomes and reduce health inequalities.

Compulsory

Implementing Health Service Interventions and Evaluation – 20 credits

This is a competency-based module designed to provide you with knowledge and skills for prioritising implementation of a range of public health interventions. Building on the foundational knowledge and skills previously studied, it emphasises generating and using evidence about effectiveness and efficiency in deciding which interventions to adopt, implementation cycle, and Total Quality Management in relation to desired health outcomes.

Compulsory

Dissertation – 40 credits

The main aim of the dissertation is for you to demonstrate your analytical skills for identifying the implications of interventions, practices and policies in public health. It’s designed to prepare you for practical responsibilities and leadership roles in evaluating and improving key aspects of public health delivery.

Compulsory

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) student, quoted in 2022

Close up of a lab specimen dish being held up toward the camera.

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. Assessments encourage the development of skills required for successful careers in Public Health. This includes being familiar with Microsoft software packages (Word, PowerPoint, Excel etc).

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. public health bus tour of Coventry)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

As a full-time undergraduate student, you will study modules totalling 120 credits each academic year. A typical 20 credit module requires a total of 200 hours study. This is made up of teaching contact hours, guided and independent study.

Teaching hours:

Teaching hours vary each semester, year of study and due to module selection. During your first year you can expect 15-18 teaching hours each week. You will also have the option to attend optional sessions including time with a progress coach or to meet with staff for advice and feedback. As you progress through your studies, teaching hours may reduce.

Guided and independent study:

Throughout your studies, you will be expected to spend time in guided and independent study to make up the required study hours per module. You’ll be digging deeper into topics, review what you’ve learned and complete assignments. This can be completed around your personal commitments. As you progress through your studies, you’ll spend more time in independent study.

Online learning:

As an innovative university, we use different teaching methods including online tools and emerging technologies. So, some of your teaching hours and assessments may be delivered online.

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

Shot of Coventry University's Alison Gingell building framed with blue sky behind.

Entry requirements

Typical entry requirements:

Requirement	What we're looking for
UCAS points	112
A level	BBC (excludes General Studies)
BTEC	DMM
GCSE	5 GCSEs at grade 4 / C or above to include English, Mathematics and science or specified equivalent
IB Diploma	29 points to include 14 points at Higher level
Access to HE Diploma	To include 30 Level 3 credits at Merit. Plus GCSE English and Mathematics at grade 4 / C or above

Other qualifications and experience

Our students come from a variety of backgrounds, each with a unique story. We recognise a breadth of qualifications. If your qualifications differ from the above, contact our Admissions Team who will be happy to discuss your qualifications and routes into your chosen course.

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Contextual offers and Fair Access Scheme

If you meet the criteria for our Fair Access Scheme, you could automatically receive a contextual offer that may be up to 24 UCAS points lower than our standard entry requirements. View the criteria for our Fair Access Scheme.

Select your region to find detailed information about entry requirements:

Russia and Central Asia

You can view our full list of country specific entry requirements on our Entry requirements page.

If you do not have the typical entry requirements, you may want to consider studying this course with an international foundation year. Upon successful completion our International Foundation Year - Public Health will provide you with the knowledge and skills you need to progress onto this undergraduate degree.

Alternatively, visit our International hub for further advice and guidance on finding in-country agents and representatives, joining our in-country events and how to apply.

English language requirements

Applicants must possess a minimum IELTS of 6.0 overall (with no component part lower than 5.5).

If you don't meet the English language requirements, you can achieve the level you need by successfully completing a pre-sessional English programme before you start your course.

For more information on our approved English language tests visit our English language requirements page.

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Not got the required grades? We offer this degree with an integrated foundation year.

Fees and funding

Student	Full-time	Part-time
UK, Ireland*, Channel Islands or Isle of Man	2025/26 fees TBC 2024/25 fees - £9,250 per year	Not available
EU	2025/26 fees TBC 2024/25 fees - £9,250 per year with EU Support Bursary 2025/26 fees TBC 2024/25 fees - £16,800 per year without EU Support Bursary	Not available
International	2025/26 fees TBC 2024/25 fees - £16,800 per year	Not available

If you choose to study this course with a professional placement² or study abroad year, you will need to pay a tuition fee³ of £1,250 to 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.

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 permits 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.

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.

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).

Find out what's included in your tuition costs.

*Irish student fees

The rights of Irish residents to study in the UK are preserved under the Common Travel Area arrangement. If you are an Irish student and meet the residency criteria, you can study in England, pay the same level of tuition fees as English students and utilise the Tuition Fee Loan.

**EU Support Bursary

Following the UK's exit from the European Union, we are offering financial support to all eligible EU students who wish to study an undergraduate or a postgraduate degree with us full-time. This bursary will be used to offset the cost of your tuition fees to bring them in line with that of UK students. Students studying a degree with a foundation year with us are not eligible for the bursary.

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 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 in challenges to resolve public health issues within a given health-related scenario⁴.

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.

Inside of a big building with hanging lights and big staircase

Facilities are subject to availability. Access to some facilities (including some teaching and learning spaces) may vary from those advertised and/or may have reduced availability or restrictions where the university is following public authority guidance, decisions or orders.

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 competencies 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 or 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.

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How to apply

BSc (Hons) with foundation year

Apply via UCAS

C85

Institution code

View our courses on UCAS

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UK students

Full-time students applying to start in September 2025 can apply for this course through UCAS. Read our application pages to find out your next steps to apply.

How to apply

Apply via UCAS

If you'd like further support or more information about your course get in touch with us today.

+44 (0)24 7765 2222

ukadmissions@coventry.ac.uk

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Complete our contact form

International students

International codes:
SHCU013

How to apply

For further support for international applicants applying for an undergraduate degree view our International hub.

You can also download our International mini guide for an overview of study options and why you should study with us.

Get in touch with us today for further advice and guidance.

+44 (0)24 7765 2152

ioadmissions@coventry.ac.uk

Chat with our admissions team

Complete our contact form

Disclaimers

Coventry University together with Coventry University London, Coventry University Wrocław, 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 unpaid and/or 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, public authority guidance, decisions or orders and visa requirements. To ensure that you fully understand any 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.

⁴Facilities

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 current 2024/2025 contract is available on the website for information purposes however the 2025/2026 contract will apply for the 2025/2026 intake. 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.