Master of Public Health (Online)

Our curriculum is validated by Agency for Public Health Education Accreditation (APHEA) recognising our commitment to excellence. As a Stirling student, you will benefit from a curriculum that prepares you for real-world challenges, equipping you with the knowledge and skills to make a difference in public health.

Course objectives

This course aims to produce highly skilled public health practitioners and leaders. It will allow you to develop your own specialisms and areas of interest, while reflecting on the role of public health in improving the lives of communities and populations. Through your studies, you’ll learn how to:

• analyse and apply public health theory and approaches to a range of key areas;
• gain first-hand insight into the skills and methods used by researchers, practitioners and policymakers;
• develop practical and transferable skills, including communication, research methods, critical appraisal, and the development of recommendations for policy and practice.

A distinctive MPH Masters course

This multidisciplinary course is founded on the belief that improving population health and reducing health inequalities is vital to creating a better society. It combines theoretical knowledge and practical skills, working in collaboration with global experts and third sector partners, to develop your expertise and understanding of public health practice, research and policy.

Our course has a strong focus on the social impact of public health policy: investigating how society can tackle health inequalities, exploring the role of public health advocacy in driving change, and considering the relationship between grassroots experiences and the policies that shape interventions. There is also a strong focus on public health practice, helping you develop the discipline specific skills and boundary-spanning competencies that are most relevant to current and future careers in public health, through individual study and collaborations with other students and staff. Our curriculum is aligned with both the UK Public Health Skills and Knowledge Framework and the European Agency for Public Health Education Accreditation.

Research

The MPH course is delivered with close support from Stirling University’s Institute of Social Marketing and Health (ISMH). For over 40 years, the ISMH has provided world-leading research on public health policy with a particular focus on the role of commercial drivers in shaping public health outcomes. You will benefit from being taught by researchers working closely with this highly regarded and influential research unit.

Public health roles differ in the work they focus on and in their specific job titles. Some examples of the types of roles you’ll be qualified for include:

• community health worker,
• public health or health improvement practitioner,
• health promotion specialist,
• health policy analyst or advocate,
• senior public health officer (for example, for mental wellbeing),
• behavioural insights lead,
• public health researcher or academic,
• public health intelligence analyst.