Master of Public Health | OnlineMaster of Public Health | OnlineMaster of Public Health | Online

The University of Birmingham seeks applicants with an unrelenting drive and a sense of purpose to transform public health and population-level healthcare in our communities. Our research-led online MPH programme covers the concepts, principles, and practices that public health specialists need to effectively inform and influence policy change.  

To meet the entry requirements, applicants must have (or, if still completing their studies, expect to achieve) a minimum of a Upper Second Class Honours (2:1) UK undergraduate degree in a clinical or life sciences program, or related subject matter. Admission may also be considered if you have an unrelated degree paired with extensive senior-level work experience.

Go beyond data and put the principles of public health practice into action at the University of Birmingham. Designed for working professionals, the 30-month online Master of Public Health programme combines independent research with essential relationship-building and presentation work that senior public health specialists need to inform and influence policy change. 

Our comprehensive curriculum covers critical aspects of public health, including principles of public health practice, data analysis, epidemiology, social determinants of health, and more. As a student on the program, you’ll gain a strong foundation in data analysis and research interpretation to confidently synthesize critical, complex data sets in an accessible, actionable way. Emerge understanding the long-standing challenges around inequalities and barriers to healthcare, and learn how to craft and influence interventions and policy that can make quality healthcare more accessible to all.

The online MPH programme covers the following modules:

• Key Concepts in Public Health

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  This module provides an introduction to the essential concepts and approaches to learning needed throughout the programme. This will include an introduction to key public health principles; an outline of the concepts of health, illness and health inequalities; the importance of data, research ethics and rigorous epidemiological methods; and an introduction to the key domains of public health practice (health improvement, health protection, and healthcare/public health).

• Introduction to Epidemiology & Applied Health Research Methods

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  This module provides an introduction to the fundamentals of epidemiology and the main epidemiological methods used to identify and quantify disease and associated risks. Students will develop the skills to both design their own studies and critically appraise those of others. 

  Specific epidemiological approaches covered will normally include: ecological studies, cross-sectional studies, case control studies, cohort studies, intervention studies, the principles of screening, and questionnaires and qualitative research methods.

• Introduction to Biostatistics

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  This module provides an introduction to the fundamentals of statistical methods and their application in public health and epidemiological research. Students will develop the skills to choose appropriate data analysis methods, perform data analysis and critically appraise the analysis of others, as well as being introduced to various formats for data presentation.

  The range of statistical methods covered will normally include: descriptive statistics, confidence intervals, distribution theory, including normal distribution and its properties, chi-squared and t-tests, correlation and regression, sampling theory, inferential statistics, analysis of categorical and continuous data, and non-parametric tests.

• Health Information & Health Informatics

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  This module introduces students to population-level health information and to the principles of health informatics. It provides students with a fundamental understanding of the importance of health information; how to identify valid sources of health information; the governance and structure behind health information; the role of computerised decision support systems; and emerging information-related technologies in delivering healthcare.  

  The module will also provide a detailed examination of health information systems in the UK and how they are integrated, and introduce students to healthcare systems in other countries, primarily focusing on low and middle-income countries.

• Social Determinants of Health & Health Inequalities

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  This module introduces students to the fundamental concepts of sociology as applied to health and medicine. This will normally include health inequalities, medicalisation, health and place, critiques of medicine, power relations, and class/race/gender-based health experiences.

  The module will also enable students to develop an understanding of the potential and real impact of social policy on health, and to critically analyse competing explanations for health inequalities.

• Introduction to Global Health

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  This module introduces students to key global health issues, concepts and trends, with a focus on low and middle-income countries, normally including: major environmental determinants of health; the epidemiology of communicable and non-communicable diseases; and the impact of natural and human-made disasters.

  The module will also provide an overview of health systems (including financing) in different global contexts, and explore the role of power and politics (including the role of Governmental and non-Governmental agencies) in global health.

• Further Epidemiology & Statistics

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  This module builds on the knowledge and skills developed in previous modules (Introduction to Epidemiology and Introduction to Biostatistics) to reinforce and extend students’ understanding of key research methodologies in epidemiology. It will focus on the critical and practical application of these methods to novel situations.  

  This module will provide a more in-depth consideration of case-control studies, cross-sectional studies, cohort studies, and Randomised Controlled Trials, and extend students’ knowledge of statistical methods through introducing important approaches to modelling data.

• Health Improvement

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  This module builds on the introductory material in the Key Concepts in Public Health module to broaden and extend students’ understanding of the core theories and practices which underpin health improvement and health promotion activities and policies at local, regional, and national level. Content will normally include themes such as diet and nutrition, mental health and drugs/alcohol, and broader determinants of health such as air pollution, and screening policies.

  The module will also introduce students to methods of public health communication, and offer the opportunity to analyse and design public health interventions.

• Health Protection

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  This module broadens and extends students’ understanding of the core theories and practices which underpin health protection activities, surveillance, and related policies within the UK. Content will normally include: outbreak management; infection control; immunisation; environmental hazards; risk assessment and management; and inequalities relating to the exposure to, and outcomes from, health protection hazards. This module will also allow students to critically analyse and communicate research findings and/or policy implementation.

• Healthcare Public Health

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  This module will introduce students to the three key areas of planning, procuring, and monitoring healthcare services. It will cover the planning commissioning cycle, Health Needs Assessment and economic appraisal in health settings. This module will also allow students to develop the skills to critically appraise evidence relating to the topics of the module.

• Systematic Reviews & Evidence Synthesis

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  This module broadens and extends students’ understanding of the key principles and steps involved in undertaking systematic reviews, as well as synthesising and analysing various forms of evidence.

  This will include formulating research questions; searching for literature; critically appraising and assessing the risk of bias in different types of studies; and synthesising data by meta-analysis. The module will also introduce students to appropriate software used in the conduct of systematic reviews.

• Introduction to Qualitative Methods

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  This module introduces students to the fundamental principles of qualitative research, its role and purpose in healthcare research, and its limitations. It will cover the key stages of qualitative research practice including designing projects, data collection and analysis, as well as discussing appropriate research questions. 

  The module will also provide students with the understanding and skills required to design their own qualitative study and to critically appraise qualitative research papers, including applying criteria for quality and rigour in such research.

• MPH Dissertation (DL)

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  The MPH (Distance Learning) dissertation module offers students the opportunity to conduct a research project of their own on a topic relating to public health. They will develop hands-on skills relating to project and research question design, method choice and justification, data identification and analysis, and the writing and presentation of research projects for various audiences. Students will also develop a practical understanding of the processes of ethical review for research projects.

Transform evidence into sound public health practices

Take charge of your future – and the health of our communities – with the soft and hard skills to effect change and reimagine public health for the 21st century.

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Find new perspectives and connect with fellow peers and faculty on the University of Birmingham MPH online programme. At Birmingham you will feel engaged, motivated, and challenged as part of our diverse global community. We will support your health, wellbeing, and personal development, and our careers services will help you take the next step in your career. 

The online learning platform is a place to learn and engage with a local and global cohort of students, and University staff. Modules are designed to encourage participation and connectivity through the use of video lectures, case studies, interactive assignments, digital resources, and peer-to-peer social interaction. Careers and employability support and advice is available after you graduate from the programme – as well as a global alumni network with events in various countries, including China and India.

University-provided services that are available to online students include:

As an online student, you will learn from University of Birmingham faculty who are renowned experts in their fields. They bring decades of experience across all facets of public health into the classroom, bringing academic theory to life through real-world examples and case studies. 

Our faculty members collaborate closely with one another – and with students throughout the programme. You’ll learn and study alongside faculty, sharing career experiences and challenging one another to activate ideas that can positively impact public health by closing gaps in services to deliver more equitable, accessible care. Together, let’s rewrite the approach to public health in the 21st century. 

Public health is a team sport. Lead teams to better health with your online MPH. Work across industries, including local, regional, and national government; hospitals and health centres; universities, and research institutes; pharmaceutical and medical device companies; and nonprofits. Our interdisciplinary curriculum covers epidemiology, biostatistics, global health, and more, providing senior-level public health specialists with the expertise and flexibility to pursue a career that aligns with their personal and professional interests. 

Some careers you may pursue after completing the programme include:

1. QS World University Rankings 2025: Top Global Universities. (2025). QS Top Universities. Retrieved 13 February 2025. 
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