Public Health (Health Technology Assessment) MPH/PG Diploma/PG Certificate

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The MPH (HTA) is a strand of the Masters in Public Health (MPH) programme for those students who wish to specialise in public health with health technology assessment.  The MPH (HTA) is an exit qualification from the MPH programme.  Candidates access this strand by applying for the Masters in Public Health programme.

 

This multidisciplinary MPH provides firm grounding in the range of skills and disciplines essential to public health and health technology assessment. This programme will allow you to combine the benefits of completing an MPH degree with the specialism of health technology assessment and evidence-based healthcare. Health technology assessment is a new and rapidly expanding area, and employment prospects are good. 

Online Chat Opportunity -

Dr Annette Wood, Public Health programme lead, will be on hand to answer any questions you have about the programme. Just click on the link below, create a username and password and then login at the specified time to start chatting.

Wednesday 15th May, 13.00-15.00, Public Health Online Chat

Course fact file

Type of Course: Continuing professional development, taught

Study Options: Full time, part time

Duration: 1 year full-time, 2 years part-time, up to 5 years flexible

Start date: 26th September 2012. Induction date - 23rd September 2012

Details

This multidisciplinary MPH provides firm grounding in the range of skills and disciplines essential to public health and health technology assessment. This programme is for anyone who wishes to develop their career by acquiring skills in using health information and making evidence-based policy within the healthcare field. It is particularly suitable for professionals who wish to develop their skills in evidence-based healthcare and health technology assessment. This includes those working in public health, health services research (including medical statisticians, health economists and epidemiologists), or information departments in the health service, university, government or health care industry settings in the UK or abroad.

The programme will allow you to combine the benefits of completing an MPH degree with the specialism of health technology assessment and evidence-based healthcare. Health technology assessment is a new and rapidly expanding area, and employment prospects are good.

Why study this course

This programme equips professionals with a range of skills and abilities to be able to critically appraise and use healthcare evidence to improve health service policy. You will learn how to ask challenging questions, understand the nature of research and evaluate evidence in an informed and unbiased way.

Modules

 

For full details of all modules click on the module title below.

Core modules

Introduction to Public Health (not assessed)

Epidemiology Statistics and Research Methods (20 credits)

Practical Epidemiology and Statistics (10 credits)

Health Information and Health Informatics (10 credits)

Health Technology Assessment - Principles and Practices (10 credits)

Health Economics (10 credits)

Methodological Basis of Health Technology Assessment (20 credits)

Option Modules (Tier 2)

You will choose 40 credits from the from the modules below:

Public Health Management 1 (10 credits)

Health Care Evaluation and Commissioning (10 credits)

Health Protection 1 (10 credits)

Sociology and Social Policy (10 credits)

Health Promotion 10 (10 credits)

Option Modules (Tier 3)

Public Health Management 2 (10 credits)

Qualitative Research Methods (20 credits)

Clinical Trials (MPH) (20 credits)

Health Protection 2 (20 credits)

Advanced Statistical Methods (20 credits) - (ESRM and ESHI must be passed first)

International Health Protection (10 credits)

Advanced Applied Epidemiology (10 credits) - (ESRM, ESHI and ASM must be passed first)

Oral Health and Dental Services (20 credits)

You will carry out a systematic review for your dissertation (60 credits)

This is the module list for 2013-14, but the programme continues to evolve and you should check the website regularly for any changes for next year.

Fees and funding

2013/2014 course fees
UK/EU students 
MPH - £8400 / PGDip - £5600 

Non UK/EU
Full-time MSc £16770

Applicants will need to pay a £500 non-refundable deposit at the point of accepting an offer to study on a public health programme. The deposit is put towards payment of fees when students join the course.

Learn more about fees and funding

International students can often gain funding through overseas research scholarships, Commonwealth scholarships or their home government. Visit our website for information about scholarships for international students

For general scholarship enquiries email sfo@contacts.bham.ac.uk

Entry requirements

An upper second-class degree (or equivalent) in Medicine, a life science or another relevant subject; an interest in public health or epidemiology; experience of working in public health or a related field would be an advantage. Recent graduates with limited relevant experience may apply if they can demonstrate an interest in public health. Students seeking entry to the Certificate or Diploma programmes can also be considered if they have a relevant professional qualification, for example RGN, or experience of working in a health protection, public health or related field.

The University accepts Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL). For further details see www.marketing.bham.ac.uk/admissions/apl-introduction.htm

Learn more about entry requirements

International students:

Academic requirements

We accept a range of qualifications, our country pages show you what qualifications we accept from your country.

English language requirements

You can satisfy our English language requirements in two ways:

English to IELTS 7.0 (with a minimum of 6.5 in each component) or TOEFL Internet based 95 overall with no less than 22 in any band.

How to apply

Applications must be made through the general Masters in Public Health programme. 

Learning and teaching

As a Birmingham student, you will be joining the academic elite and will have the privilege of learning from world-leading experts, as well as your peers. From the outset you will be encouraged to become an independent and self-motivated learner. We want you to be challenged and will encourage you to think for yourself.

Teaching takes place in one-week blocks, and you will participate in a range of teaching styles such as lectures, small group tutorials, presentations, peer group learning, self-study etc.

You will have access to a comprehensive support system that will assist and encourage you, including personal tutors and welfare tutors who can help with both academic and welfare issues.

Assessment methods

Assessment is via a mixture of examination and assignment.

MPH Students complete their Master's degree by also undertaking a research project and writing a 10,000 word dissertation. This provides an opportunity to pursue a specific area of public health in depth, and to demonstrate the knowledge and skills acquired during the taught part of the course. It is therefore undertaken only once the taught part of the course has been successfully completed.

Employability

Information for employers

There are a number of potential benefits to employers:

  • Evidence-based healthcare is a new and rapidly growing area. It is likely that all employers in the health care sector will require their staff to be knowledgeable in this area in the coming years
  • This course equips students to understand the work of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) which is having a major impact on the NHS in the UK.
  • Similar health care decision-making bodies are being set up in numerous other countries around the world and the impact on purchasing decisions is considerable. Students will be equipped with the tools and abilities to be able to interact successfully with these decision-making bodies.
  • The course includes studying cost-effectiveness so it is likely that the students could apply their knowledge within the employment context
  • This is a well regarded course both with the HTA community and wider and is one of only a few such courses in the world.
  • Teachers of this course are actively involved in HTA nationally and internationally. Many undertake HTAs for leading organisations such as the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) and other national decision making bodies.