Public Health and Health Promotion

Stage 1

You will be introduced to the underpinning principles and concepts of public health and health promotion in different settings, and examine the impact of health inequalities on population health, engage with the principles, methods and application of epidemiology and explore global health challenges.

Stage 2

You will apply the principles from Stage 1 and examine approaches to address population health (including working with communities) and critically explore theories of behaviour change. You will apply leadership, partnership working and change management theory to the public health context and your own practice and develop a critical understanding of project management in health and social care.

Stage 3

You will undertake a self-directed, supervised, research project relevant to public health and health promotion.

Our goal is to help you develop into a critical and reflective public health professional with strong problem solving skills and able to implement creative solutions.

There is a strong emphasis on student participation in all modules and a self-directed approach to learning is essential to achieve the aims of the course.

CPD Framework

If you can’t commit to the full time MSc course you can study individual modules of this course via our continuing professional development framework. Visit our framework page for more information.

Student stories

Hear from our students and graduates about their experiences studying this course:

Learning Methods

The team members bring extensive public health experience to their teaching, ensuring professional relevance and currency.  Invited guest speakers will enhance your learning experience.

All students will engage with our Virtual Learning Environment (Moodle). Regardless of mode, you will learn both individually and through group activities. If you choose to study modules online, you will take part in online tutorial sessions through the virtual classroom utilising innovative technologies to facilitate engagement and encourage discussion and debate.

We expect you to be an active and engaged learner; undertaking activities and discussions, offering your point of view, and sharing your experiences and knowledge to help you gain a deeper understanding of the issues and potential solutions.

Activity Summary

The activities listed represent full-time on campus mode only, the part-time online learning mode will differ.

• Tutorial - 88 hours per Stage 1
• Tutorial - 88 hours per Stage 2
• Tutorial - 19 hours per Stage 3
• Project Supervision - 16 hours per Stage 3
• Independent Study - 512 hours per Stage 1
• Independent Study - 512 hours per Stage 2
• Independent Study - 565 hours per Stage 3

How long is a Public Health and Health Promotion course?

The Public Health and Health Promotion MSc can be successfully completed in 13 months on campus. This is to include coursework preparation, independent study and other activities.

Independent Study

A significant portion of this course is underpinned by independent learning, and you will be expected to be responsible for managing your coursework, reading and other learning activities appropriately.

Staff Delivering on this Course

Our teaching team members are Associates or Fellows of the Higher Education Academy. This is a professional recognition of practice, impact and leadership of teaching and learning. Contributing to this course are visiting Lecturers who are experts in their field and bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the course. Staff are regularly featured in the annual Support and Teaching staff with Appreciation and Recognition (STAR) awards voted by the students and organised by RGU:Union.

Assessment

Typically students are assessed at each stage:

Stage 1

• 1 written assignment, including essay
• 1 oral assessment

Stage 2

• 3 written assignments, including essays
• 1 oral assessment

Stage 3

• 1 dissertation

Feedback

We aim to provide you with feedback within 20 working days of hand-in for all written exams, coursework and practical exams.

Academic Support

The Inclusion Centre advises and supports students who disclose a sensory or mobility impairment, chronic medical condition, mental health issue, dyslexia and other specific learning differences. Applicants are encouraged to arrange a pre-entry visit to discuss any concerns and to view the facilities.

Online Learning & Support

All undergraduate and postgraduate students, whether you are learning on campus or by online learning, benefit from using our collaborative virtual learning environment, CampusMoodle. You will be provided with 24/7 online access to your learning material and resources, along with the ability to interact with your class members and tutors for discussion and support.

Study Skills Support

The Study Support Team provides training and support to all students in:

• Academic writing
• Study skills (note taking, exam techniques, time management, presentation)
• Maths and statistics
• English language
• Information technology support

Library Support

The Library offers support for your course, including the books, eBooks, and journals you will need. We also offer online reading lists for many modules, workshops and drop-ins on searching skills and referencing, and much more.

Job Prospects

Students on the existing programme come from a wide range of disciplines including public health, physiotherapy, dietetics, third sector, nursing and midwifery, oncology and occupational health.

Is Public Health and Health Promotion a good career choice?

Opportunities have increased significantly with the global changes in health and the challenges that lifestyle related diseases are presenting. Employment opportunities include:

• clinical practice
• local authorities and commissioning boards
• occupational health
• education
• work based health programmes
• sports and leisure centres
• social care

Other related areas and opportunities include community development, non-government agencies, charitable and voluntary organisations. 

What is needed to study MSc Public Health and Health Promotion?

This course is suitable for those working in health and social care, public health, health improvement, health promotion, local authorities, government, education,  sports and leisure, private sector, occupational health, oral and dental health, non-governmental and voluntary organisations in the UK and internationally.

• Applicants normally hold a 2:2 undergraduate honours degree or its equivalent in any subject discipline.
• Applicants will be required to provide a Personal Statement in support of their application which demonstrates their understanding of the course and the relevance to their future plans.
• Applicants who do not meet the standard entry qualifications, but do have a professional qualification, combined with a minimum of two years relevant work experience, may be considered on a case by case basis. In such cases applicants will be called for an interview as part of the admission process.

Interviews

Interviews can take place either face to face, by telephone or online to suit the applicant's requirements. Interviews allow the Course Leader and the applicant to explore current academic qualifications (recognition of prior certificated learning) and professional experience (recognition of prior experiential learning) more fully, to determine if they are appropriate to be considered for entry to the course.

International Students

International students who do not meet our direct entry requirements for this course can gain additional entry points through our International College at Robert Gordon University.

English Language Requirements

Applicants whose first language is not English should have an IELTS of 6.5 overall, with no component lower than 5.5, or an equivalent.

We accept a variety of in-country and secure English language tests, find out more:

Please note, some courses may require a higher standard of English than stated in this page. Contact admissions@rgu.ac.uk for further information.