BSc Public Health (on campus)

This course unit is designed to introduce students to the core domains of public health, and the scope and function of public health as a discipline.  Throughout the unit, students will explore the social, political, philosophical and economical dimensions of public health practice.  Students will apply this learning to the other Year 1 units: ‘Health Improvement’, ‘Health Protection’, ‘Healthcare Public Health’. ‘Global Health’ and ‘Evidence-Based Practice’. 

The unit will run in Semester 1, Year 1 of the BSc Public Health programme.  Students will reflect upon their learning throughout the unit through case studies, group discussion and workshop exercises.  The course unit will be delivered over a period of 10 weeks and will include a blend of synchronous and asynchronous teaching and learning activity.

The unit aims to introduce students to the foundational principles of public health.  It will explore key concepts, theories and approaches that underpin public health practice at local, national and global levels. Students will examine historical and contemporary public health issues, governance structures, evidence-based practice and intervention strategies.  The unit will also highlight the importance of addressing health inequalities, ethical considerations and multi-sectoral collaboration in improving population health. 

Students will be able to: 

Unit topics include (but are not limited to):

1. History and evolution of public health
2. Key concepts: prevention, population health, health inequalities, sustainability, social determinants of health
3. Theoretical approaches: sociological, ecological and philosophical perspectives on health
4. Core domains of public health
5. Public health structures and governance
6. Developing and implementing public health interventions  
7. Using evidence to inform public health practice and identify public health needs
8. Prioritising public health needs and commissioning of services
9. Ethical considerations in public health interventions
10. The role of advocacy in shaping public health policy 

Learning and teaching processes will include 10 x 2-hour on-campus seminar sessions. These sessions will combine taught content with interactive workshop exercises and case discussions. Students will be encouraged to work both independently and as part of a group, and there will be opportunities for students to share ideas, resources and questions on the unit online discussion area. Additional e-learning materials will be provided to facilitate independent study. Students can choose to complete formative ‘self-test’ quizzes to assess their knowledge and understanding at the end of each block of learning. Students will be able to submit one 500-word draft of their assignment and will receive written formative feedback on this draft. 

• Describe the factors which influence health
• Outline the key principles, history and evolution of public health.
• Explain the main domains of public health, including health improvement, health protection, healthcare public health and global health.
• Discuss the impact of social, economic and environmental determinants of health on the health and wellbeing of populations.
• Demonstrate an understanding of ethical, political ecological and sociological considerations in public health decision-making

• Discuss contemporary public health challenges at local, national, and global levels, considering health inequalities, governance structures and policy frameworks.
• Identify and contrast different public health interventions, including their implementation, effectiveness and underpinning theoretical framework
• Describe and explain the role of fundamental public health research methods, including quantitative and qualitative approaches, in assessing population health needs and evaluating interventions.
• Discuss the relationship between deprivation and ill health

• Apply digital literacy skills to search for evidence relevant to public health practice.
• Communicate public health messages effectively, using appropriate methods for different audiences. 

• Apply digital literacy skills to search for evidence relevant to public health practice.
• Communicate public health messages effectively, using appropriate methods for different audiences.
• Collaborate with peers to explore different approaches to contemporary real-world public health challenges.
• Reflect on personal development and learning, with reference to pre-understanding, biases and new knowledge and perspectives.  

Written feedback will be provided on the submission area of the University Virtual Learning Environment (Turnitin facility within BlackBoard or Canvas). Written feedback will be provided for both the formative and summative assessments 

• Levy, B.S. (2019) ‘Social injustice and public health’, 3rd edition, New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
• Marmot, M. (2016) ‘The Health Gap: The Challenge of an Unequal World’, 2nd edition, London, Bloomsbury.
• Mastroianni, A,C. et al. (eds) (2019) ‘The Oxford handbook of public health ethics’, New York: Oxford University Press.
• Robinson, S. (ed) (2023) ‘Principles and practice of health promotion and public health’, 3rd edition, Abingdon, Oxon; Routledge.
• Somerville, M. et al. (eds) (2016) ‘Public Health and Epidemiology at a Glance’, 2nd edition, New York: John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated.
• Venkatapuram, S., & Broadbent, A. (eds) (2023) ‘The Routledge Handbook of Philosophy of Public Health’, Abingdon, Oxon; Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.