Course director: Dr
Reinhard Huss
Start date: Annually in September
Duration: 3 months
Fees: £1,950 (UK,EU); £3,950 (overseas)
Also available: Masters, Diploma
Why study this course?
Entry requirements 
Objectives
Course structure
More information
Why study this course?
Picture the scene - a health worker sits in a health centre consultation room, facing a long queue of people who have come to be treated. The health worker is committed to their job, but has so little time to talk to and treat each person. Why are so many people visiting the health centre, often late in their illness? Many cases of disease could have been prevented completely; for example, by immunisation or improved sanitation. What of the sick people locally who do not come to the health facilities for help?
Home-based care team, Swaziland
A 'public health' approach to health care looks at this wider picture. Public health professionals aim to understand the health needs and intervene to improve the health of their communities. This includes the whole population, not just the most visible members (for example, those who come to the health facilities). All people who are involved in developing programmes and services tackling the causes of the most common disease need to have a public health perspective.
First offered here in 1984, the Certificate of Public Health (International) allows you to gain the public health knowledge and skills needed to develop improved health programmes and services in low-middle income countries. It is suitable for district and provincial controllers, and other reproductive and child health programme officers, as well as those intending to teach public health.
The Nuffield Centre has been teaching this course for over 20 years, and has established a large alumni network of health managers and planners holding senior positions around the world.
Entry requirements
Candidates will either be medical graduates or health professionals with a good honours degree or equivalent in a relevant subject. They will normally have at least two years of international public health experience. Extensive experience in relevant public health work may exceptionally constitute an alternative basis for admission.
If your first language is not English you will be asked to provide evidence that you have a suitable ability in the various skills of English by providing details of a University recognised English language qualification.
Objectives
The programme will:
- Provide an international learning environment, with staff and students drawn from many countries, within which students drawn from a variety of professional backgrounds around the world benefit and learn from their collective professional and cultural experiences
- Offer opportunities to develop the ability to think analytically; a capacity for independent learning; the capability to complete a challenging, extended piece of independent study and an awareness of the importance of and opportunities for continuing professional development
- Offer flexibility, enabling students to attain high levels of professional skill whilst also pursuing individual study interests in a learning environment where research informs teaching.
And also:
- ntroduce the essential learning skills for postgraduate level study within a structured framework with particular emphasis on the challenges facing those returning to study
- Present health and health systems in an international policy context and provide a clear appreciation of the conceptual framework within which public health policy and management is located
- Teach the essential skills required to improve existing and build new health services, programmes and related management systems to improve the public health of the communities amongst whom the participants work with emphasis on epidemiology and statistics and evidence-based public health interventions
- Build upon the core skills and knowledge acquired early in the programme by choosing areas of study from the list of optional modules in specialist fields of public health, planning and management
- Introduce the concept of the Learning Portfolio which strongly encourages a reflective approach to learning and can form the basis of career-long independent learning
- Develop a capacity for independent learning and an awareness of the importance of continued professional development.
More detail on the learning outcomes, key skills, assessment and learning context
Student profile
Dr Ernest Nwaigbo, MPH (International) student,
2006-07
"So far, my eight months encounter with the University has been a pleasant one. I realised, to my utmost happiness that the University of Leeds working in collaboration with the World Health Organization, is about the best centre for Public Health studies in the whole world. "
"Nuffield lecturers are very profound in their respective fields and are highly respected. You will be amazed at the level of humility they exhibit. They address the students as colleagues and mean every bit of it."
"My department has been organizing social events from time to time apart from the ones organized by the international students’ office. It has been a forum for us to unwind and interact with students from other parts of the world and appreciate our cultural differences among other things."
Read the full profile from Dr Nwaigbo
More comments and a photo archive of MPH (International) students.
Course structure
Opthamologist at work, Grenada
The course extends for three months, commencing in September. It is arranged in modules with a total of 60 credits:
Foundations of International Health
Providing a foundation for all subsequent learning, this module introduces international health and health systems. You gain a clear appreciation of the conceptual framework within which public health policy and management is located. 30 credits. (more details)
Principles of Public Health (International)
In this module you will study the definition of health needs using epidemiological and statistical methods, and how to meet needs through public health interventions and strategies. These include health promotion, vaccination, screening, vector control and environmental health measures. 30 credits. (more details)
Reinhard Huss
More information
If you have any questions on how this course meets your study needs, please contact the Course Director, Reinhard Huss.
If you are interested in applying, more information is available through our how to apply page, and frequently asked questions.