Course description
Programme description
- We make extensive use of visiting lecturers from local PCTs and central government agencies such as the Health Protection Agency and the Department of Health.
- The programme is taught in a primarily UK context and has more emphasis on prevention.
- We welcome students from a broad range of backgrounds, including medical and non-medical.
The Master of Public Heath was introduced at King’s in 2003 to satisfy the need for a modern generic public health masters programme aimed at assisting public health professionals to prepare for management and leadership roles. The curriculum was originally based on that of the Faculty of Public Health but it has a stronger emphasis on prevention and the broader determinants of health.
Since its introduction, optional modules have been developed in Toxicology and Environmental Epidemiology to better meet the needs of those working in health protection and environmental health, but most students take the mainstream public health modules.
The orientation is towards the developed world and most subjects are taught in a UK context, though we take many students from overseas.
Pathways
Specialist pathways are being developed in Health Protection and Environmental Health.
Programme format and assessment
Specialist lectures; interactive seminars and workshops; project work; computer-based and problem solving exercises; individual and group oral presentations; case-study group work. A wide variety of assessment methods, including: conventional unseen examinations; short answer examinations; case studies; presentations, and conventional essays and mini-projects.
Programme modules for MPH, MSc Public Health
Basic Epidemiology & Statistics for Public Health (Core Module)
This 15 credit module aims to develop essential skills in statistics and epidemiology. At the end of the module the student will be able to: Identify and use health information sources; Produce summaries of data held on computer; Distinguish and evaluate different types of study design; Analyse and interpret the results of basic statistical analyses and define key terms used in them. Assessment is by written exam and coursework.
Prevention & Control of Disease (Core Module)
This 15 credit module aims to provide an understanding of the causation, control and prevention of communicable and non-communicable diseases.At the end of the module the student will be able to: Understand the aetiology, current epidemiology and surveillance of a range of diseases prevalent in the UK; Be aware of genetic and environmental factors; Have a sound knowledge of public health agencies and interventions; Be able to plan an investigation of an outbreak; Understand the principles of ethical screening and be able to evaluate screening policy. Assessment is by written exam and coursework.
Public Health Research Project (Core Module)
This 45 credit module aims to develop the capacity to work independently and develop skills in project planning, problem solving, time and resource management and communication, as well as in research, the interpretation of knowledge and critical analysis. At the end of the module the student will be able to design an ethical research project; undertake and present a critical literature review; solve problems, collect, analyse and present data; critically discuss data and draw valid conclusions; communicate in writing the conduct and findings of research. Assessment is by dissertation.
Environmental Epidemiology for Health Protection
This 15 credit module aims to give students a comprehensive understanding of the essentials of environmental epidemiology to enable them to plan, undertake and reflect upon epidemiological investigations within a multi-agency context. On completion of this module students will be able to: Systematically understand the key concepts in environmental epidemiology and in exposure assessment and cluster investigation; Assess the scope and uses of environmental epidemiology in local agency response of public health and health protection issues; Appraise the advantages and difficulties of multi-disciplinary and multi agency working in environmental epidemiology; Be able to plan and undertake an environmental epidemiological study, including an appreciation of the influence of finance, politics and time constraints; Be able to develop strategies for communicating risks concerning investigation of environmental hazards. Assessment is by written exam and coursework.
Environmental Health
The aim of this 15 credit module is to give students a thorough understanding of the scope and key contribution of environmental health to public health and develop some essential environmental health skills. On completion of this module students will: Have an understanding of the roles of UK public and private sector agencies involved in environmental health and the legal and administrative systems within which they operate; Understand some contemporary environmental health issues and problems and the concept of sustainable development; Be able to analyse a nominated environmental health topic and evaluate the evidence base for policy interventions; Be able to critically discuss the methods available for assessing risk, the problems associated with risk assessment and the difficulties in managing and communicating risk; Be able to analyse and evaluate industry and government approaches to environmental health issues; Demonstrate the ability to work as a member of a team. Assessment is by coursework and an as sessed group presentation.
Essentials of Toxicology for Public Health Protection
This 15 credit module aims to develop toxicological competencies necessary for a career in public health and examine the scope and uses of toxicology in local agency response to public health and health protection issues, and the limitations due to a lack of data for many chemicals, chemical cocktails and interactions. It will be based upon practical health protection examples of toxicological incidents leading to adverse health effects. Assessment is by written exam and coursework.
Further Epidemiology & Statistics for Public Health
This 15 credit module aims to further develop and integrate public health students knowledge of statistics and epidemiology.On completion of this module students will be able to design, analyse, interpret and present their own epidemiological studies and critically evaluate and interpret published reports of epidemiological data. Assessment is by written examination and coursework.
Health Economics & Health Policy
This 15 credit module aims to give students quantitative skills in the area of health care management and policy, taking a comparative approach to the development and financing of health systems emphasizing present and future policy options and problems. At the end of the module students will have developed quantitative skills in economic evaluation applied to health care management and policy analysis. They will be able to collect, collate, analyse and interpret information on costs of care and health outcomes. Students will also have an understanding of the theoretical foundations of health policy and the practice and application of health policy. They will be able to evaluate the choices available and make international comparisons. Assessment is by written exam and coursework.
Management in Organisations
This 15 credit module aims to provide an overview of key issues in the management of organisations; develop a capacity for the critical analysis and understanding of management and behaviour in organisations; relate the general analysis of management and organisational behaviour to the specific context of public health. At the end of the module the student will be able to: Identify the dimensions with which to analyse organisations and organisation structures; Describe the key nature and demands of managerial work; Describe ways in which workers attitudes, behaviour and organisation can help or hinder management; Outline and evaluate the various interventions designed to improve behaviour in organisations and organisational performance; Present a set of diagnostic criteria when considering the need for organisational change; outline different strategies of change and list criteria for selecting among them; Present ways of evaluating organisational changes and link these to different criteria of organisational effectiveness. Assessment is by written examination and coursework.
Public Health Electives 15
The overall aim of the modules is to develop core competencies in public health postgraduates to equip them for a career in public health agencies and as a foundation for more advanced scholarship. Students will take two of four 7.5 credit modules, each with their own discreet educational aims and learning objectives listed below. Therefore, the educational aims will vary according to the 7.5 credit modules taken. The educational aims of each 7.5 credit module are as follows: Critical Appraisal and Research Methods -to draw upon, complement and supplement, elements of Basic and Further Epidemiology and Statistics, Sociology of Health and Illness, the Dissertation and other modules, which consider quantitative and qualitative forms of enquiry, in order to prepare students for their dissertation and for their future professional role in public health practice and research; Integrative Studies - to enable the student to integrate their knowledge and skills drawn from across the whole of the public health programmes, and their application to typical public health issues at both the strategic and operational levels; Nutrition (for Public Health) - to give students an in depth understanding of nutrition as a key component in the aetiology of many major multifactorial diseases of concern to public health professionals. Nutrition-related policies are increasingly being seen as ways of preventing disease and promoting good health; Principles & Practice of Health Promotion - to provide public health students with a comprehensive understanding of the principles and practice of health promotion. Assessment is by coursework.
Public Health Electives 30
The overall aim of the modules is to develop core competencies in public health postgraduates to equip them for a career in public health agencies and as a foundation for more advanced scholarship. Students will take four 7.5 credit modules, each with their own discreet educational aims and learning objectives listed below. The educational aims of each 7.5 credit module are as follows: Critical Appraisal and Research Methods -to draw upon, complement and supplement, elements of Basic and Further Epidemiology and Statistics, Sociology of Health and Illness, the Dissertation and other modules, which consider quantitative and qualitative forms of enquiry, in order to prepare students for their dissertation and for their future professional role in public health practice and research; Integrative Studies - to enable the student to integrate their knowledge and skills drawn from across the whole of the public health programmes, and their application to typical public health issues at both the strategic and operational levels; Nutrition (for Public Health) - to give students an in depth understanding of nutrition as a key component in the aetiology of many major multifactorial diseases of concern to public health professionals. Nutrition-related policies are increasingly being seen as ways of preventing disease and promoting good health; Principles & Practice of Health Promotion - to provide public health students with a comprehensive understanding of the principles and practice of health promotion. Assessment is by coursework.
Sociology of Health & Illness
This 15 credit module aims to provide training in the social and behavioural dimensions of public health and enable the analysis and evaluation of public health policy and practice from a sociological perspective. On completion of this module students will gain an understanding of the social patterning of ill health and the social meanings and responses to disease; Be able to apply this to the analysis and evaluation of public health policy and practice; Be aware of the ways in which wider social forces influence roles and relationships within the health sector and their implications for service delivery. Assessment is by written exam and coursework.
Duration
One year FT, two years (one day per week) PT, September to September. Part-time students attend every Thursday during the first year and every Monday during the second.
