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Public Health Foundations & Practice - HEA00065M

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  • Department: Health Sciences
  • Module co-ordinator: Dr. Masuma Mishu
  • Credit value: 20 credits
  • Credit level: M
  • Academic year of delivery: 2021-22
    • See module specification for other years: 2022-23

Module will run

Occurrence Teaching period
A Autumn Term 2021-22 to Spring Term 2021-22

Module aims

  • To introduce students to the scientific, ethical and historical foundations of public health.
  • To encourage students to develop skills in the critical evaluation of the evidence required for effective public health interventions.
  • To introduce students to current models of public health practice.
  • To encourage students to think both locally and globally around the key challenges to public health.

Module learning outcomes

At the end of the module students should be able to:

  1. Critically discuss the main scientific underpinnings to public health.
  2. Critically evaluate public health systems at national and international levels.
  3. Provide a broad overview of contemporary public health practice and evaluate measures of success.
  4. Clearly present their knowledge and critical thinking about public health in posters, presentations and written work.

Module content

The module will be structured around the following taught sessions

Autumn term (Foundations and Practice)

  1. Understanding health, public health and their determinants
  2. The history of public health
  3. Prevention of disease (1o , 2o , 3o)
  4. Health care and public health
  5. Measuring life and health
  6. Health Intelligence in practice
  7. Strategies in Dental Public Health
  8. Communicable disease control

Spring term (Foundations and Practice)

  1. Health needs
  2. Multiple-agency work in public health
  3. Population health and public health
  4. Future of the public health system and influencing national health policy
  5. Assessing evidence of effectiveness and cost- effectiveness in public health
  6. Basics of health psychology and behaviour change
  7. Health improvement
  8. Leadership and management for public health

Assessment

Task Length % of module mark
Essay/coursework
Oral presentation and supporting written extended abstract		 N/A 100

Special assessment rules

None

Reassessment

Task Length % of module mark
Essay/coursework
Oral presentation and supporting written extended abstract		 N/A 100

Module feedback

  • Feedback for formative assessment will be both oral and via structured assessment sheets.
  • Written feedback for summative assessment is provided on the standard proforma, within the timescale specified in the programme handbook.

Indicative reading

  • Donaldson, L.J. and Scally, G. (2009). Donaldson's Essential Public Health. 3rd edn. Radcliffe Publishing Ltd. ISBN-10: 1846192099. ISBN-13: 978-1846192098
  • Pencheon, D. Guest, C., Melzer, D. and Muir Gray, J.A. (Eds.). (2006). Oxford Handbook of Public Health Practice. 2nd edn. OUP Oxford. ISBN-10: 0198566557. ISBN-13: 978-0198566557
  • Lewis, G., Sheringham, J., Kalim, K. and Crayford, T. (2008). Mastering Public Health: A Guide to Examinations and Revalidation. 1st edn. Royal Society of Medicine Press Ltd. ISBN-10: 1853157813. ISBN-13: 978-1853157813.


The information on this page is indicative of the module that is currently on offer. The University is constantly exploring ways to enhance and improve its degree programmes and therefore reserves the right to make variations to the content and method of delivery of modules, and to discontinue modules, if such action is reasonably considered to be necessary by the University. Where appropriate, the University will notify and consult with affected students in advance about any changes that are required in line with the University's policy on the Approval of Modifications to Existing Taught Programmes of Study.