Public Health

Public Health England (PHE) professionals and scientists have played a critical role in international efforts to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, the worldwide prevalence of communicable (infectious) and non-communicable (including cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, chronic lung diseases and mental health) diseases - as well as the existence of health inequalities - highlight the need for health promotion and protection of population health.

Due to these challenges, there is an increased need for more qualified public health specialists in developed and developing societies, who will be responsible for improving public health.

This Public Health postgraduate degree is an interdisciplinary vocational course that aims to produce skilled graduates who are capable of addressing societal problems, empowering communities, nurturing their empathy for others and making a positive contribution to society.

Whether you’re a graduate of a medical or non-medical qualification, this innovative online degree will help you to develop skills that can be applied in various public health jobs and pursue a professional career in the fields of public and global health.

The MSc Public Health degree is suitable for anyone with a professional background who is looking to progress in their career. This includes clinical backgrounds such as medicine, dentistry, nursing, professions allied to medicine as well as non-clinical backgrounds with a first degree in a subject relevant to public health (usually a health science or environmental degree).

Why St Mary's?

We are proud to offer a distance learning Public Health Master’s degree with a strong focus on issues that impact population health and healthcare systems. We take a multidisciplinary approach that covers:

Environmental health
Disease prevention
Biostatistics
Psychology
Epidemiology
Health economics
Global health
Bioethics /medical ethics
Development and implementation of public health policies
Sociology
Human trafficking and violence
Leadership and management
By covering these subjects you’ll be equipped with all the skills needed to be highly employable in the global healthcare landscape.

The flexible format of being an online degree allows you to study when and where it suits you. This will help you to balance your studies with any existing work or personal commitments.

You’ll be learning from research-active academics who are involved in national and international research activities. This includes collaborations with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and key Public Health stakeholders such as NHS, Whitehall and Westminster and the Office of the National Statistics.

Staff are also heavily engaged with the voluntary sector through research, governance and campaigning work. They actively contribute to policy development and sit on a number of advisory groups.