Course Catalogue

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This course will demonstrate the main evaluation designs to rigorously evaluate health and social interventions/programmes. Students will develop an in-depth critical understanding of the usefulness and limitations of different evaluative designs (e.g. randomised controlled trial, natural experiment, before-and-after, process and economic evaluations) and the use of different research methods (e.g. quantitative, qualitative) in providing evidence of effectiveness and cost effectiveness.

10 weekly two hour seminars

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Summative assessment will be through coursework which will include; a) a student and tutor-marked in-course presentation (10-15 minutes) - 30%; and b) a proposal to evaluate an intervention (3-4,000 words) - 70%.

This course aims to develop students' critical understandings of the key questions in the evaluation of health and social interventions/programmes and the usefulness and limitations of different evaluation designs and methods that could be used to answer them.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

1. Describe the role of programme theory and apply it within evaluation design

2. Critically evaluate and contrast the utility and role of different evaluation designs and methods in programme evaluation;

3. Describe how to design and conduct robust evaluations to assess the impact of interventions/programmes on social and public health outcomes

4. Structure ideas effectively both orally and in written forms, work effectively independently and in groups, and develop effective time management skills

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.