Master of Public Health

This module in contemporary topics and ethics in public health provides a critical examination of current and emerging issues in public health, alongside a critical exploration of ethical principles and dilemmas relevant to the field. Students will engage with contemporary topics such as health inequities and social justice, public health policies, global health challenges, environmental health, and the impact of technology on public health practices. The module looks at the application of ethical considerations to real-world public health scenarios, fostering the development of critical thinking and ethical decision-making skills. Through a combination of lectures, seminars, case studies, presentations and group discussions, students will gain knowledge and skills necessary to critically discuss contemporary topics in public health and navigate associated complex ethical issues. Assessment will include written case study analysis, and oral presentation, enabling students to demonstrate their understanding and critical skills to public health and ethics.

Competences

At the end of the module/unit the learner will have acquired the responsibility and autonomy to:

a) Be responsible for the ability to Critically analyse and evaluate contemporary public health issues and implications for policy and practice.

b) Appreciate and interpret public health research and evidence to inform decision-making.

c) Recognise and critically appreciate global health issues and their local implications.

d) Recognise the impact of social determinants of public health and related inequities.

e) Appreciate the role of information technology in public health and related ethical, legal, and practical considerations.

Knowledge

At the end of the module/unit the learner will have been exposed to the following:

a) Contemporary public health issues, for example, infectious and non-communicable diseases, environmental health, health inequities.

b) Identification of social determinants of health including social, economic, and environmental factors.

c) Critical evaluation of public health policies, their implementation, as well as strategies for public health management.

d) Ethical principles in public health and critical appreciation of ethical issues in public health practice, health research and policy.

e) Major global health challenges and the role of international organisations as well as cross-cultural considerations.

f) Strategies for health promotion and disease prevention and how to design and evaluate health interventions.

Skills

At the end of the module/unit the learner will have acquired the following skills:

a) Demonstrate critical understanding of public health research and apply findings to practice.

b) Apply skills in analysing and evaluating public health policies and their implementation.

c) Demonstrate a critical appreciation of ethical frameworks and their application to public health issues and decision-making.

d) Demonstrate abilities and skills in applying critical thinking to practical solutions to complex public health issues.

e) Proficiency in writing clear analysis of policies and critical evaluation of case studies related to public health.

Module-Specific Learner Skills

At the end of the module/unit the learner will be able to

a) Demonstrate high level and effective verbal, non-verbal, presentational, and written communication skills.

b) Show critical thinking skills through evaluation of arguments, concepts and theories, information, and published evidence in public health.

c) Access, critically evaluate and apply evidence and information from a variety of sources, including published sources, to understand contemporary topics and ethics in public health.

Module-Specific Digital Skills and Competences

At the end of the module/unit, the learner will be able to

a) Demonstrate high level information literacy and information technology skills, including the effective use of artificial intelligence (AI).

b) Work collaboratively and in teams with peers of group discussions, group tasks, etc. related to contemporary topics and ethics in public health.

c) Demonstrate and practice self-reflection and self-directed learning, and good time management skills.

d) Apply digital skills to make effective use of the internet and how to find and access resources and information related to contemporary topics and ethics in public health.

Formative assessment

Formative assessments will help students to understand the summative assessment requirement and to improve their confidence in different types of summative assessment. Students will be given clear assessment criteria as part of the assignment brief and will be required to submit substantive formative assessments prior to summative assessments. The formative opportunities are scheduled in such a way as to allow students to reflect on any tutor feedback and feed forward prior to the summative event. The formative feedforward given by the tutor will relate specifically to how students have gone about the learning process, how they have acquired knowledge, skills and their understanding of how to apply their knowledge.

Summative assessment

Summative assessment is the final marked work that will be required to be submitted to a set deadline. This type of assessment is a graded piece of work. Students will receive an assignment brief at the beginning of the module that will clearly state the requirements of the assessment task and the assessment criteria used to mark their work. In preparing for an assessment for submission students must read the brief and the assessment criteria carefully to make sure that it is fully understood. The assessment criteria rubric will illustrate how the final mark has been awarded. Summative assessment will consist of two components. First, 3,000 word case study of global issue in public health and evaluation of policy intervention (75%). Second, poster presentation of ethical issues in public health research. (25%)

This module on health research and research methods provides an understanding and critical appreciation of published health research and health research principles and methodologies. Students will learn to critically evaluated published public health research, identifying strengths, limitations and applications. Students will also learn about the design, conduct, and evaluation of health research, applying both qualitative and quantitative methods. This module covers research ethics, critical appraisal of published literature, and effective communication of research findings. Through lectures, seminars, workshops, and independent study, students will develop the skills necessary to undertake their own rigorous public health research and contribute to evidence-based practice in public health.

Competences

At the end of the module/unit the learner will have acquired the responsibility and autonomy to:

a) Conduct independent research taking into account different research methodologies.

b) Appreciate the strengths and weaknesses, including issues of validity and reliability, in published research.

c) Uphold high ethical standards when designing health research and understanding ethical approval processes and procedures.

d) Exhibit analytical competence enabling a thorough examination and interpretation of research data.

e) Appreciate the need to be able to adapt research designs and data collection in response to unforeseen challenges and new information.

Knowledge

At the end of the module/unit the learner will have been exposed to the following:

a) Concepts and principles of health research.

b) Searching for published literature in defined areas of public health and how to conduct a critical and evaluative literature review.

c) Critical review of a published research article identifying strengths and weaknesses in relation to validity and reliability. d) Designing and developing a research proposal including research questions, hypotheses, and methodologies.

e) Collecting and analysing qualitative and quantitative data.

f) Ethical principles to take into consideration when designing a research study in public health. g) Effective communication of research findings through written and oral presentations.

Skills

At the end of the module/unit the learner will have acquired the following skills:

a) Demonstrate skills in research design and research planning including ability to formulate clear, specific and achievable research questions or hypotheses.

b) Demonstrate skills in conducting a literature review and providing a critical evaluation of published research in specified areas of public health.

c) Demonstrate proficiency in the use of qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods in health research.

d) Apply ethical principles in health research to designing and developing a research proposal.

e) Apply effective communication skills to written and other means of presenting and disseminating research in public health.

Module-Specific Learner Skills

At the end of the module/unit the learner will be able to

a) Demonstrate high level and effective verbal, non-verbal, presentational, and written communication skills.

b) Show critical thinking skills through appreciation and evaluation of published research in public health.

c) Access, critically evaluate and apply evidence and information from a variety of sources, including published sources, to understand the application of research in public health.

Module-Specific Digital Skills and Competences

At the end of the module/unit, the learner will be able to

a) Demonstrate high level information literacy and information technology skills, including the effective use of artificial intelligence (AI).

b) Work collaboratively and in teams with peers of group discussions, group tasks, etc. related to health research and research methods.

c) Demonstrate and practice self-reflection related to own knowledge and understanding of health research and research methods used in public health research.

d) Apply digital skills to make effective use of the internet and how to find and access literature, resources and information related to health research and health research methods in public health.

Formative assessment

Formative assessments will help students to understand the summative assessment requirement and to improve their confidence in different types of summative assessment. Students will be given clear assessment criteria as part of the assignment brief and will be required to submit substantive formative assessments prior to summative assessments. The formative opportunities are scheduled in such a way as to allow students to reflect on any tutor feedback and feed forward prior to the summative event. The formative feedforward given by the tutor will relate specifically to how students have gone about the learning process, how they have acquired knowledge, skills and their understanding of how to apply their knowledge.

Summative assessment

Summative assessment is the final marked work that will be required to be submitted to a set deadline. This type of assessment is a graded piece of work. Students will receive an assignment brief at the beginning of the module that will clearly state the requirements of the assessment task and the assessment criteria used to mark their work. In preparing for an assessment for submission students must read the brief and the assessment criteria carefully to make sure that it is fully understood. The assessment criteria rubric will illustrate how the final mark has been awarded. Summative assessment will consist of two components. First, 3,000 word case study of global issue in public health and evaluation of policy intervention (75%). Second, poster presentation of ethical issues in public health research. (25%)

This module on epidemiology provides a solid foundation to the principles and methods of epidemiology. Students will learn to measure disease frequency and association, understand how to design epidemiological studies, and analyse data using a variety of statistical methods. The module covers key topics such as study design, data interpretation, outbreak investigation, and applications of epidemiology in public health practice. Through lectures, seminars, workshops, and case studies, students will develop the skills necessary to evaluate and interpret published epidemiological research, with an emphasis on practical application to public health issues.

Competences

At the end of the module/unit the learner will have acquired the responsibility and autonomy to:

a) Design epidemiological studies to investigate public health.

b) Recognise the importance of ensuring data quality and addressing issues such as bias and confounding variables when analysing epidemiological data.

c) Critically appraise causal inference from research findings and particularly correlational studies.

d) Identify and address ethical issues in epidemiological research and applying ethical principles.

e) Appreciate the translation of epidemiological findings to public health policy and practice.

f) Show competence in writing clear and concise reports and communicate to diverse audiences.

Knowledge

At the end of the module/unit the learner will have been exposed to the following:

a) Key epidemiological concepts including incidence, prevalence, morbidity and mortality.

b) Measures of disease frequency such as relative risk, odds ratio and attributable risk.

c) Different epidemiological study designs and their strengths and weaknesses.

d) Statistical methods used in the analysis of epidemiological data and primary and secondary data sources.

e) Knowledge of the criteria for causal inference in epidemiology and different models of theories of causation.

f) The steps involved in investigating a disease outbreak and methods used to identify, control, and prevent disease outbreaks.

Skills

At the end of the module/unit the learner will have acquired the following skills:

a) Proficiency in conducting literature reviews and critical appraisals of epidemiological studies.

b) Demonstrate an understanding of designing epidemiological studies, implementation and data collection management.

c) Applying statistical tests to data and interpreting results.

d) Ability to communicate epidemiological concepts and findings from studies clearly and concisely.

e) Identifying and addressing methodological challenges in epidemiological research.

Module-Specific Learner Skills

At the end of the module/unit the learner will be able to

a) Demonstrate high level and effective verbal, non-verbal, presentational, and written communication skills.

b) Show critical thinking skills through evaluation of concepts and principles of epidemiology as related to public health.

c) Access, understand, evaluate, and apply evidence and information from a variety of sources, including published sources, to concepts and principles of epidemiology as applied to public health.

Module-Specific Digital Skills and Competences

At the end of the module/unit, the learner will be able to

a) Demonstrate high level information literacy and information technology skills, including the effective use of artificial intelligence (AI).

b) Work collaboratively and in teams with peers of group discussions, group tasks, etc. related to health research and research methods.

c) Demonstrate and practice self-reflection related to own knowledge and understanding of health research and research methods used in public health research.

d) Apply digital skills to make effective use of the internet and how to find and access literature, resources and information related to health research and health research methods in public health.

Formative assessment

Formative assessments will help students to understand the summative assessment requirement and to improve their confidence in different types of summative assessment. Students will be given clear assessment criteria as part of the assignment brief and will be required to submit substantive formative assessments prior to summative assessments. The formative opportunities are scheduled in such a way as to allow students to reflect on any tutor feedback and feed forward prior to the summative event. The formative feedforward given by the tutor will relate specifically to how students have gone about the learning process, how they have acquired knowledge, skills and their understanding of how to apply their knowledge.

Summative assessment

Summative assessment is the final marked work that will be required to be submitted to a set deadline. This type of assessment is a graded piece of work. Students will receive an assignment brief at the beginning of the module that will clearly state the requirements of the assessment task and the assessment criteria used to mark their work. In preparing for an assessment for submission students must read the brief and the assessment criteria carefully to make sure that it is fully understood. The assessment criteria rubric will illustrate how the final mark has been awarded. Summative assessment will consist of two components. First, 3,000 word case study of global issue in public health and evaluation of policy intervention (75%). Second, poster presentation of ethical issues in public health research. (25%)

This module provides students with an in-depth understanding of quantitative research methods and statistical techniques in health sciences. This module covers study design, data collection, descriptive and inferential statistical analysis, and interpretation. The module also covers hypothesis testing and confidence intervals, common statistical tests (t-tests, chi square, ANOVA, regression and equips students with the skills needed to conduct and evaluate quantitative health research. Students will gain hands-on experience using statistical software (e.g., SPSS, R, or Stata) to analyse health data and will learn how to critically appraise statistical findings and their interpretations in published health research.

Competences

At the end of the module/unit the learner will have acquired the responsibility and autonomy to:

a) Design quantitative studies such as randomised controlled trails, longituinal cohort studies and quasi-expereimental designs and perform statistical analyses with use of statistical software.

b) Develop and validate health-related measurement instruments such as surveys, questionnaires or scales.

c) Use descriptive and inferential statistics to analyse, interpret and draw conclusions from quantitative health data.

d) Use software, such as SPSS, R or Strata, to analyse, interpret and draw conclusions from quantiative health data.

e) Critically evaluate published research in public health using quantitative research methods.

f) Critically appraise strengths and weaknesses of the use of quantitative research methods and statistics in public health research.

Knowledge

At the end of the module/unit the learner will have been exposed to the following:

a) How to design quantitative research including longitudinal studies, cluster randomised trials and quasi-experiments.

b) Application of descriptive and inferential statistical methods to analyse data including multi-variate analysis, time-series analysis.

c) Know how to analyse and handle large health data sets using software packages such as SPSS, R or Strata.

d) How to critically appraise published quantitative studies including understanding p-values and effect sizes, assessing study power and sample size considerations.

e) Critical understanding of ethical and legal considerations in designing and conducting quantitative research in health.

f) Critical appreciation of mixed methods research designs using both quantitative and qualitative methods.

Skills

At the end of the module/unit the learner will have acquired the following skills:

a) Be able to design quantitative health research projects using, for example, randomised controlled trials, longitudinal cohort studies and quasi-experimental designs.

b) Have the ability to use and apply descriptive and inferential statistics to quantitative health data to draw conclusions

c) Be able to use, as appropriate, statistical software packages such SPSS, R or Strata and draw conclusions from resulting analyses.

d) Demonstrate critical thinking skills in the analysis of published quantitative research in public health.

e) Demonstrate critical understanding of ethical and legal issues when designing resaerch using quantitative methods.

f) How to present and communicate summary quantitative data and interpretations to specialist and non-specialist audiences.

Module-Specific Learner Skills

At the end of the module/unit the learner will be able to

a) Demonstrate high level and effective verbal, non-verbal, presentational, and written communication skills.

b) Show critical thinking skills through evaluation of concepts and principles of epidemiology as related to public health.

c) Access, understand, evaluate, and apply evidence and information from a variety of sources, including published sources, to concepts and principles of epidemiology as applied to public health.

Module-Specific Digital Skills and Competences

At the end of the module/unit, the learner will be able to

a) Demonstrate high level information literacy and information technology skills, including the effective use of artificial intelligence (AI).

b) Work collaboratively and in teams with peers of group discussions, group tasks, etc. related to health research and research methods.

c) Demonstrate and practice self-reflection related to own knowledge and understanding of health research and research methods used in public health research.

d) Apply digital skills to make effective use of the internet and how to find and access literature, resources and information related to health research and health research methods in public health.

Formative assessment

Formative assessments will help students to understand the summative assessment requirement and to improve their confidence in different types of summative assessment. Students will be given clear assessment criteria as part of the assignment brief and will be required to submit substantive formative assessments prior to summative assessments. The formative opportunities are scheduled in such a way as to allow students to reflect on any tutor feedback and feed forward prior to the summative event. The formative feedforward given by the tutor will relate specifically to how students have gone about the learning process, how they have acquired knowledge, skills and their understanding of how to apply their knowledge.

Summative assessment

Summative assessment is the final marked work that will be required to be submitted to a set deadline. This type of assessment is a graded piece of work. Students will receive an assignment brief at the beginning of the module that will clearly state the requirements of the assessment task and the assessment criteria used to mark their work. In preparing for an assessment for submission students must read the brief and the assessment criteria carefully to make sure that it is fully understood. The assessment criteria rubric will illustrate how the final mark has been awarded. Summative assessment will consist of two components. First, 3,000 word case study of global issue in public health and evaluation of policy intervention (75%). Second, poster presentation of ethical issues in public health research. (25%)

Following the successful completion of the taught module assessments and the taught phase of the Master of Public Health programme, students will commence work on a dissertation/project which will be written up and submitted to a set deadline. This project/dissertation 30 ECTS module involves students undertaking a substantial independent research project on a topic related to their studies from the Master of Public Health taught modules. Students will develop a research proposal, conduct a literature review, design, and implement their research, analyse data, and present their findings in a written dissertation. The module aims to develop advanced research skills, critical thinking, and the ability to make a contribution to knowledge in the specific area of public health chosen. Through supervision, workshops, and independent study, students will enhance their academic writing, critical cognitive skills, communication skills and research dissemination capabilities.

Competences

At the end of the module/unit the learner will have acquired the responsibility and autonomy to:

a) Devise, develop and manage own research project with supervisory support.

b) Apply knowledge and critical understanding in a range of areas of public health to inform project questions and hypotheses.

c) Ensure methodological rigour in research design, data collection and analysis, adhering the best practices and standards in public health.

d) Ensure ethical integrity and standards are met and securing ethical approval for the project, where required.

e) Translate research findings into actionable recommendations for public health policy and practice, demonstrating practical implications and applications of the research.

Knowledge

At the end of the module/unit the learner will have been exposed to the following:

a) Identification and formulation of clear and feasible research questions and hypotheses in a specific area of public health.

b) Conducting a comprehensive literature review in chosen topic area and identify gaps in existing knowledge.

c) Design and execution of a research plan using appropriate research methodologies and data collection techniques.

d) Collection, analysis and interpretation of research findings.

e) Critical evaluation of research findings, conlcusions, implications and suggestions for further research.

f) How to present research findings in a clear, logical and coherent manner.

Skills

At the end of the module/unit the learner will have acquired the following skills:

a) Be able to design quantitative health research projects using, for example, randomised controlled trials, longitudinal cohort studies and quasi-experimental designs.

b) Have the ability to use and apply descriptive and inferential statistics to quantitative health data to draw conclusions

c) Be able to use, as appropriate, statistical software packages such SPSS, R or Strata and draw conclusions from resulting analyses.

d) Demonstrate critical thinking skills in the analysis of published quantitative research in public health.

e) Demonstrate critical understanding of ethical and legal issues when designing resaerch using quantitative methods.

f) How to present and communicate summary quantitative data and interpretations to specialist and non-specialist audiences.

Module-Specific Learner Skills

At the end of the module/unit the learner will be able to

a) Demonstrate high level and effective verbal, non-verbal, presentational, and written communication skills.

b) Show critical thinking skills through evaluation of concepts and principles of epidemiology as related to public health.

c) Access, understand, evaluate, and apply evidence and information from a variety of sources, including published sources, to concepts and principles of epidemiology as applied to public health.

Module-Specific Digital Skills and Competences

At the end of the module/unit, the learner will be able to

a) Demonstrate high level information literacy and information technology skills, including the effective use of artificial intelligence (AI).

b) Work collaboratively and in teams with peers of group discussions, group tasks, etc. related to health research and research methods.

c) Demonstrate and practice self-reflection related to own knowledge and understanding of health research and research methods used in public health research.

d) Apply digital skills to make effective use of the internet and how to find and access literature, resources and information related to health research and health research methods in public health.

Formative assessment

Formative assessments will help students to understand the summative assessment requirement and to improve their confidence in different types of summative assessment. Students will be given clear assessment criteria as part of the assignment brief and will be required to submit substantive formative assessments prior to summative assessments. The formative opportunities are scheduled in such a way as to allow students to reflect on any tutor feedback and feed forward prior to the summative event. The formative feedforward given by the tutor will relate specifically to how students have gone about the learning process, how they have acquired knowledge, skills and their understanding of how to apply their knowledge.

Summative assessment

Summative assessment is the final marked work that will be required to be submitted to a set deadline. This type of assessment is a graded piece of work. Students will receive an assignment brief at the beginning of the module that will clearly state the requirements of the assessment task and the assessment criteria used to mark their work. In preparing for an assessment for submission students must read the brief and the assessment criteria carefully to make sure that it is fully understood. The assessment criteria rubric will illustrate how the final mark has been awarded. Summative assessment will consist of three components. First, a 750-word research proposal (10%). Second, a 10,000-word project dissertation report (75%). Third a poster presentation of the project and its findings (15%)