Public Health MPH



Understand what shapes health - and what public health can do

Course overview

Public health challenges increasingly cross geographical, professional and organisational boundaries. Pandemics, antimicrobial resistance, climate change, health inequalities, migration and changing patterns of disease are global phenomena, but their causes and consequences are experienced differently within particular communities and health systems.

Edinburgh Napier's Master of Public Health (MPH) takes an applied, global-to-local approach to these challenges. The programme explores the foundations and changing ideas of public health; the determinants of health and inequality; health improvement and disease prevention; globalisation; leadership; epidemiology; statistics; and research methods. You will learn to connect theory with practice, consider how public health action works in different contexts, and use evidence and data with confidence when communicating with practitioners, managers and decision-makers.

Learning is grounded in contemporary public health practice. Assessments are designed around the kinds of activities undertaken by public health professionals and leaders, including analysing policy, considering or planning interventions, critically appraising evidence, preparing briefing documents, evaluating practice, presenting ideas and developing research.

The programme is relevant to graduates seeking to enter public health, established practitioners and NHS managers seeking career development, and international professionals who want to apply public health evidence within their own settings.

This programme has a start date in September and January every year.

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Mode of Study:

Online learning (available Full-time on-campus)

Duration:

2 years

Start date:

SepJan

Course details

This MPH is delivered fully online over two years, part-time, as part of our Global Online suite of programmes. That structure gives you the flexibility to study for a career-defining qualification without stepping back from your job or relocating to Edinburgh. Modules are taken in a set sequence to allow you to complete within two years; if you need to pause or defer, your overall length of study will extend accordingly.

Subjects include:

September Start

Year 1 Tri 1: Statistics for Public Health (20 credits)

Year 1 Tri 2: Epidemiology for Public Health (20 credits) and Principles and Theory of Public Health for Health Improvement (20 credits)

Year 1 Tri 3: Globalisation and Public Health (20 credits) and Leadership and collaborative working in Public Health (20 credits)

Year 2 Tri 1: Research Methods (20 credits)

Year 2 Tri 2 and Tri 3: Dissertation (60 credits over 2 Trimesters) 

January Start

Year 1 Tri 2: Epidemiology for Public Health (20 credits) and Principles and Theory of Public Health for Health Improvement (20 credits)

Year 1 Tri 3: Globalisation and Public Health (20 credits) and Leadership and collaborative working in Public Health (20 credits)

Year 1 Tri 1: Statistics for Public Health (20 credits)

Year 2 Tri 2: Research Methods (20 credits)

Year 2 Tri 3 and Tri 1: Dissertation (60 credits over 2 Trimesters) 

Lead academics:

You will be taught and supervised by academics with expertise spanning public health theory and practice, health inequalities, epidemiology, health improvement, global health, cancer and mental health, research methods, maternal and population health, complex interventions and leadership. Team members maintain professional links with public health organisations and bodies in Scotland and across the UK, alongside active international research and doctoral supervision. You will also learn from the following members of the wider programme team:

Dr Martin Sharp is a Programme Lead for the online MPH. Martin is an experienced academic, lecturing in endocrinology, public health and epidemiology, with research interests spanning endocrine reactivity to social defeat, female reproductive health, and reproductive and maternal epidemiology. He has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals, reviews for high-impact endocrine and public health journals, and supervises Epidemiology PhD students globally as a Fellow of the Royal Society for Public Health and Royal Statistical Society.

Dr Isabel Nyangu is a Programme Lead for the MPH taught route, with over 14 years’ experience as a public health leader, researcher and consultant. She has provided technical expertise in programme monitoring and evaluation, disease surveillance, and health systems strengthening across diverse global settings, with work spanning infectious diseases, digital health, and sexual and reproductive health and rights. She is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

Professor Iain Atherton is a Professor of Nursing and Data Science. He is internationally recognised for using nationally representative surveys, administrative records and linked data to investigate population health and health-service questions. His work includes health inequalities, end-of-life care, safe nurse staffing and the use of evidence to inform service planning and policy.

Dr Janyne Afseth brings expertise in healthcare leadership, health policy, public involvement, clinical governance, quality improvement and change management. Her teaching emphasises how leaders work with evidence, teams and partners to improve services within changing health systems.

Dr Karen Campbell is an Associate Professor and an internationally recognised clinical academic in cancer care. Her work encompasses person-centred cancer care, evaluation of service transformation, patient-reported outcomes, workforce safety and knowledge exchange. Through strong links with NHS Lothian and Macmillan Cancer Support, she brings applied experience of translating research into service and policy improvement.

Professor Thanos Karatzias is a Professor of Mental Health and an internationally recognised expert in psychological trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder and complex PTSD. His work combines global research collaboration with clinical practice and has contributed to the classification, measurement and treatment of complex PTSD.

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    How you’ll be taught

    Each module follows a flipped classroom approach built on problem-based learning. You will work through readings, videos, quizzes and activities on Moodle, the University's online learning platform, in your own time. Live online seminars run alongside this, giving you the opportunity to check your understanding against real public health problems and discuss the material with tutors and fellow students in real time. Attendance isn't compulsory, but students get real value from testing their thinking against others and hearing how the same material lands differently across such a diverse cohort.

    Teaching combines exploration of public health concepts and debates with structured learning, discussion, case studies, critical appraisal and problem-solving. You will test ideas against contemporary examples and consider how theory helps explain patterns of health, policy choices, and the success or failure of interventions.

    The programme is designed to help you connect theory with your own professional interests and setting. The diversity of the cohort creates opportunities to compare how public health problems, values and possible responses are understood across different communities and health systems.
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    Assessments

    Assessment is designed to develop capabilities relevant to public health practitioners and leaders. Depending on the module, you may analyse policy, critique or plan an intervention, produce an editorial or briefing, review evidence, prepare a poster or presentation, or develop a research protocol. Formative activities and feedback help you develop your work before final assessment.

    Rather than relying on a single type of academic assignment, the programme asks you to communicate evidence in forms appropriate to different professional audiences and purposes.
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    Facilities

     This course is taught in person at our Sighthill campus.

Disclaimer

Study modules mentioned above are indicative only. Some changes may occur between now and the time that you study.

Full information is available in our disclaimer.

Entry requirements

What are the entry requirements for Public Health?

To apply you will need a Bachelor (Honours) Degree at 2:2 or above in a Health or Health Sciences related subject. 

Other qualifications/experience which demonstrate through our recognition of prior learning process that you have appropriate knowledge and skills may be considered on an individual basis.

To succeed on our Global Online degrees you must have access via computer or laptop to view and download written and video content. You will also need basic IT skills that enable you to write and edit document, send and receive email, find your way around our online learning environment and search for and access online learning resources, download files and use online forums.

Can I get admission into Public Health based on my working experience in this sector?

This course has academic entry requirements which are assessed alongside relevant work experience. Full details of any relevant work experience, including references should be submitted with your application and may be considered for entry where the minimum academic entry requirements are below those required.

Usually, unrelated work experience is not considered sufficient for entry without meeting the minimum academic entry requirements. Please contact us with your specific circumstances by submitting an enquiry form above and we will be happy to discuss your options.

Can I make an appointment with an advisor to discuss further about the admission process?

If you want to get more information on the admission process, please get in touch with the Global Online admissions team by submitting an enquiry form above.

If your first language isn't English, you'll normally need to undertake an approved English language test.  The English Language requirements for this programme are IELTS (Academic) with an overall score of 6.5 with no individual component score of less than 6.0.  For guidance on the acceptability of other English Language tests please contact goadmissions@napier.ac.uk

This may not apply if you have completed all your school qualifications in English, or your undergraduate degree was taught and examined in English (within two years of starting your postgraduate course). Check our country pages to find out if this applies to you.

We welcome applications from students studying a wide range of international qualifications.
Entry requirements by country

Please note that international students are unable to enrol onto the following courses:
  • BM Midwifery/MM Midwifery
  • MSc Nursing courses
  • All Graduate Apprenticeship courses

See who can apply for more information on Graduate Apprenticeship courses.

We’re committed to admitting students who have the potential to succeed and benefit from our programmes of study. 

Our admissions policies will help you understand our admissions procedures, and how we use the information you provide us in your application to inform the decisions we make.

Undergraduate admissions policies
Postgraduate admissions policies

Fees & funding

The course fees you'll pay and the funding available to you will depend on a number of factors including your nationality, location, personal circumstances and the course you are studying. We also have a number of bursaries and scholarships available to our students.

Tuition fees
2026/27 2027/28
UK Students (per 20 credits) £985 tba
Overseas Students (per 20 credits) £1,005 tba

Modules for your course can be purchased through our online store and must be paid in full at the time of enrolment. You will purchase modules in advance of each trimester of study.

The fee listed above applies to 20 credits. Please note that the full course comprises 120 credits in total for BA/BSc top-up programmes and 180 credits in total for MSc programmes.

Please note that you will pay the module fee according to the academic year in which you study each module. This means that the total cost of your course will vary depending on the year in which modules are undertaken.

If you are paying a fixed programme fee through one of our global partners, the cost will be no higher than if you were purchasing modules directly from our online store.

Tuition fees are subject to an annual review and may increase from one year to the next. For more information on this and other tuition fee matters, please see our Fees and Funding links above.


Please note:

The discount for Edinburgh Napier alumni can only be applied to year one of a full-time Postgraduate degree, any additional years are exempt from the discount.

For part time Postgraduate degrees the discount will apply to years one, two and three only and any additional years will be exempt from the discount.

Please read our full T&C here

Careers & employability

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What can you do with a public health degree?

An MPH opens multiple paths into public health: entry into the field for career changers, progression within an existing health or management role, or a move towards research and doctoral study. The applied skills you build throughout the programme, from interpreting evidence to leading across professional boundaries, translate directly into roles such as public health intelligence analyst, health improvement practitioner, policy adviser and epidemiologist. These roles span the NHS, national and local government, the third sector and international public health organisations. The precise opportunities available to you will depend on your previous qualifications, professional experience and location.

Relevant areas of work may include:

  • Public health practice and programme management

  • Health improvement and community health

  • Public health intelligence, evidence and analytical roles

  • Policy development, monitoring and evaluation

  • Health service planning and improvement

  • Research and research support

  • Governmental, third-sector and international public health organisations

  • Doctoral study in public health or a related field
graduating female is throwing her graduation hat in the air outside Usher Hall