Admission Criteria

Candidates must be able to satisfy the general admission requirements of the University of the West of Scotland as specified in Chapter 2 of the University Regulatory Framework together with the following programme requirements:

Appropriate Undergraduate Qualification

Other Required Qualifications/Experience

i) Recognised Prior Learning equivalent to PG Dip level could allow direct entry into Masters Programme.
ii) CPD can be offered for any module.

Further desirable skills pre-application

In the case of a candidate whose native language is other than English, a Qualification Minimum Requirement applies. Details are available on UWS web site: www.uws.ac.uk.
Information on other English language test scores is available from Admissions.

General Overview

The importance and focus of Public Health is ever increasing. In the UK there is the financial burden of an unhealthy population on the NHS and local authorities; globally, there is a divide between wealthy and poorer nations and in war-stricken countries. Together with that, the exponential increase in travel to tropical locations, where certain infectious diseases are endemic, and the threat of the emergence of antimicrobial resistance have put the subject of Public Health into the spotlight. The programme will adhere closely to the Faculty of Public Health in the UK as well as its devolved health protection departments.

This programme offers a flexible, reflective and resourceful environment for both established and aspiring Public Health Professionals. For the established Professional, it provides a focus point to specialise in a subject area within the public health remit that is ever-growing, and offers excellent perspectives for bespoke demand, such as training in a specific subject, if a particular position of employment demands it. Whereas, for the aspiring Public Health Professional, it offers a holistic approach to a broad subject with the opportunity to focus into research areas of interest. This programme will be attractive to International students with a bespoke module on infectious disease control, including tropical parasitic infections and training on the emergence of antimicrobial resistance. This programme will seek accreditation (or equivalent) from relevant professional bodies: Agency for Public Health Education Accreditation (APHEA) http://aphea.net/Pages/A4.INSTITUTIONS/Accredited_Institutions.html ; The Faculty of Public Health (FPH)  https://www.fph.org.uk/ ; The Royal Society for Public Health http://www.rsph.org.uk .

This Masters programme is an excellent opportunity for both Public Health professionals and UWS students to engage in training and development in our academic environment. This programme also fits perfectly into the ethos and learning environment of the new School of Health and Life Sciences as it blends expertise from all parts of the School (Health, Biology, Exercise Health), including the BSc in Environmental Health, accredited by the Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland (REHIS) https://www.rehis.com/.  Additionally, the EU-wide Field Epidemiology Training offers support for the training of future public health experts in the UK (FETP) https://www.gov.uk/guidance/field-epidemiology-training-programme-fetp. While competitors may offer a Masters degree in Public Health, the programme at UWS is more adapted to flexible learning, which will suit students already in employment.

An optional work based learning module, Professional Practice, will be available to students who wish to undertake this element. The module is 60 credits and will extend the total credit value of the Master of Public Health degree to 240. To allow for flexibility in start dates this option can be undertaken at different points in the programme. Placements will be operated within the context of the University Code of Practice for staff and students. Note: This module is offered subject to a selection process and availability of appropriate placement opportunities which cannot be guaranteed.

UWS has an excellent portfolio in health-related research across several different areas from biomedical science (parasitology, microbiology, cardiovascular disease, autoimmunity, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary disease (COPD), haematology, maternal-foetal health) to care in the community (Home-Life care, Alzheimer’s care, infection control) to physiology, health and wellbeing (benefits of physical activity on particular populations). This provides a rich platform for students to engage with a wide variety of Public Health issues with expert knowledge at hand. Students will benefit from a comprehensive breadth of expertise and state of the art learning environments at the UWS Lanarkshire campus.

This programme at UWS offers a unique perspective to students as it differs from other more social science-focused Masters in Public Health degrees as it combines the bioscience, health and social science perspectives.

Graduate Attributes, Employability & Personal Development Planning

This Master of Public Health programme is designed specifically to enhance employability of graduates in the fields of Public Health and Allied Health Professions and to facilitate students to progress their studies to a PhD programme if desired. Students will be exposed to multiple teaching sessions delivered by potential employers from industry, research active staff who are currently supervising doctoral students, and PhD candidates.

Typical job destinations are in several fields:

• Global health: Tropical Disease Specialist, Reproductive Health Specialist, HIV/AIDS Educator, Refugee Coordinator, Geographer.
• Health education and research: Epidemiologists, Management Policy Advisor, Health Education Specialist, NGO Director, Health Commissioner. Lecturer and associate researcher posts
• Maternal and child health: Childbirth Health Educator, Child Health Specialist, Nutrition Specialist.
• Social and behavioural: Community Activist, Correctional Medicine Physician, Homeless Services Educator, and Community Counsellor.
• Health policy: Health Services Manager, Government Policy Analyst.
• Environmental health: Environmental Scientist.

In current vacancies, many employers do not specifically ask for a Masters degree but expect an Honours degree and the titles of the jobs indicated a good underpinning knowledge is required. Most employers in this field look for degrees in a ‘relevant field’. This includes the typical employers: health agencies and charities, local and global. A Master of Public Health degree is attractive as it ensures the employer that a candidate has specialist knowledge of the subject and this degree offers the opportunity to develop skills in multiple disciplines.

At UWS, we recognise the diversity of our student body in their varying educational experiences, cultures and backgrounds. Our aim is to provide students at UWS with the opportunity to develop academically, professionally and personally; to broaden their ambitions, extend their attitudes, and challenge their assumptions, unlocking their potential to succeed in their studies and futures beyond.

The ‘I AM UWS’ graduate attributes have been developed to reflect that vision where UWS graduates are work-ready and able to successfully contribute both locally and globally (universal). As part of the programme design and development, the graduate attributes are aligned with all aspects of module and programme delivery.

Work Based Learning/Placement Details

An optional work based learning module, Professional Practice, may be available to students who wish to undertake this element. The module is 60 credits and would extend the total credit value of the Master of Public Health degree to 240. To allow for flexibility in start dates this option might be undertaken at different points in the programme. Placements would be operated within the context of the University Code of Practice for staff and students. This module is offered subject to a selection process and availability of appropriate placement opportunities which cannot be guaranteed.

Engagement

In line with the Academic Engagement Procedure, Students are defined as academically engaged if they are regularly engaged with timetabled teaching sessions, course-related learning resources including those in the Library and on the relevant learning platform, and complete assessments and submit these on time.

Equality and Diversity

The University's Equality, Diversity and Human Rights Procedure can be accessed at the following link: UWS Equality and Diversity Policy

In order for the student to complete this degree an element of library research, class work and independent research is involved. Flexibility of meeting times, submission dates and deadlines will be allowed with appropriate disability disclosure to enable all students to achieve the learning outcomes with suitable support. Additional support from the disability team and education guidance advisors will provide the degree and module teaching team with resources to further support the students.

Knowledge and Understanding

Practice - Applied Knowledge and Understanding

Communication, ICT and Numeracy Skills

Generic Cognitive Skills - Problem Solving, Analysis, Evaluation

Autonomy, Accountability and Working With Others

Knowledge and Understanding

Practice - Applied Knowledge and Understanding

Communication, ICT and Numeracy Skills

Generic Cognitive Skills - Problem Solving, Analysis, Evaluation

Autonomy, Accountability and Working With Others

Knowledge and Understanding

Practice - Applied Knowledge and Understanding

Communication, ICT and Numeracy Skills

Generic Cognitive Skills - Problem Solving, Analysis, Evaluation

Autonomy, Accountability and Working With Others

Regulations of Assessment

Candidates will be bound by the general assessment regulations of the University as specified in the University Regulatory Framework.

An overview of the assessment details is provided in the Student Handbook and the assessment criteria for each module is provided in the module descriptor which forms part of the module pack issued to students. For further details on assessment please refer to Chapter 3 of the Regulatory Framework.

To qualify for an award of the University, students must complete all the programme requirements and must meet the credit minima detailed in Chapter 1 of the Regulatory Framework.

Combined Studies

There may be instances where a student has been unsuccessful in meeting the award criteria for the named award and for other more generic named awards existing within the School. Provided that they have met the credit requirements in line with the SCQF credit minima (please see Regulation 1.21), they will be eligible for an exit award of PgCert/ PgDip in Combined Studies.