Public Health MPH/PgDip/PgCert
Public health is the science and art of protecting and improving the health of people and their communities. A Masters in Public Health (MPH) from the University of Glasgow allows you to develop the knowledge and skills needed to make a difference.
- Academic contact: mvls-publichealth@glasgow.ac.uk
- Teaching start: September
- Glasgow: Gilmorehill campus
- MPH: 12 months full-time; 24, 36 or 48 months part‑time
Why this programme
- The MPH is taught using a variety of interactive approaches by academics and practitioners with expertise in epidemiology, statistics, global health, and public health research.
- The programme is multidisciplinary - our staff and students come from a range of backgrounds including medicine, nursing, mathematics, computer science, psychology, sociology, and social policy.
- Public health plays a central role in guiding health care practice, influencing health policy, protecting the public, and improving population health.
- Recognised in most countries as an essential qualification for a career in public health.
- Option to graduate with Masters in Public Health with or without specialism. The specialisms are Data Science, Epidemiology, Health Economics and Health Promotion.
- Over 95% of the research submitted by the College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences was deemed ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally-excellent’ by the Research Excellence Framework in 2021.
- We are ranked 50th in the world for Life Sciences & Medicine by the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024.
- Through our research, the University of Glasgow has been at the forefront of major public health interventions such as Scotland's smoking ban and alcohol misuse strategy.
- Watch our recent Ask your Academic webinar on YouTube and BiliBili.
Main Campus Location
This programme is undertaken at the Gilmorehill Campus, in the West End of Glasgow. Easy to travel to by bus, subway, train or car.
Programme structure
Public Health students at the University of Glasgow benefit from learning within a research-intense environment, with staff working in various areas linked to Public Health. Students will engage with interactive lectures, small group tutorials and seminars, computer labs and practical sessions, self-directed learning, online learning, and supervision. Students undertake a variety of assessments, including essays, reports, practical skills coursework, and presentations.
The MPH degree may be obtained with or without a specialism. Specialisms require an additional core course, and the dissertation must be on a suitable topic. Those interested in a specialism should apply for the general MPH programme and a specialism can be chosen during the induction week.
Core courses
- Introduction to Epidemiology and Statistics
- Master of Public Health Research Project
- Principles of Public Health
- Research Methods
Additional core courses for specific specialisms:
- MPH with Data Science: Real-world data in health care decision making
- MPH with Epidemiology: Advanced Epidemiology
- MPH with Health Economics: Health Economics for HTA online
- MPH with Health Promotion: Health Promotion: Principles and Practice
Optional courses (three courses chosen)
Students undertaking the MPH will take three optional courses. Students on a specialism will take an additional two courses.
- Advanced Epidemiology
- Advanced Statistics
- Communicable Diseases
- Geography of Health and Health Inequalities
- Globalisation And Public Health
- Health Economics for HTA online
- Health Promotion: Principles and Practice
- Managing Healthcare Organisations
- Oral Health
- Planetary Health
- Qualitative Research Methods
- Sexual Health and Wellbeing
- Social Determinants of Health
Postgraduate Diploma and Postgraduate Certificate
Learners may decide to undertake a shorter qualification in Public Health.
- The Postgraduate Diploma in Public Health can be taken with any of our specialisms. Students must take 120 credits in total in total – all three core courses for the degree plus three optional ones.
- The Postgraduate Certificate in Public Health cannot be taken with any of our specialisms. Students take two core courses (Introduction to Epidemiology and Statistics, and Principles of Public Health) plus one additional 20 credit course. Students must take 60 credits in total.
Programme alteration or discontinuation
The University of Glasgow endeavours
to run all programmes as advertised. In exceptional circumstances, however, the University may withdraw
or alter a programme. More information: Student contract.
Career prospects
An MPH degree can help you make a difference in a variety of public health settings. Our graduates have gone on to work for the NHS, local authorities, government bodies, third sector organisations, academia, and international organisations. Career paths include public health researcher, health promotion specialist, epidemiologist, health information manager, data scientist, health policy analyst, community health worker, disease prevention specialist, and health educator. Some graduates have also gone on to do a PhD.
Fees & funding
Tuition fees for 2027-28
MPH
Home & RUK
- Full-time fee: £11,481
- Part-time fee: £1,276 per 20 credits
International & EU
- Full-time fee: £33,708
Fee status
Deposits
International and EU applicants are required to pay a deposit of £2000 to secure a place on this programme.
Deposits: terms & conditions
The following guidelines will apply in determining whether a deposit will be refunded. Where the deposit is refunded, a 25% administration fee will be deducted unless otherwise stated.
a: Deposits WILL be refunded to applicants under the following circumstances:
- Where the University is unable to offer you a place on the programme as specified on the offer. A full refund will be issued in this case.
- Death of a close family member (parent/guardian, grandparent, sibling, spouse, child/dependent). Official evidence (signed and stamped) must be provided.
- SERIOUS ill health of the applicant or a close family member (parent/guardian, grandparent, sibling, spouse, child/dependent). Official evidence (signed and stamped) must be provided.
- Applicant does not meet conditions of offer. This may be academic or language test requirements. Satisfactory evidence must be uploaded to the student’s applicant self-service to prove that they have not met the conditions of their offer (note that applicants who do not meet the language condition of their offer must show reasonable attempt to meet this, i.e. they must provide at least two language tests which were taken after the date the deposit was paid).
- Visa / ATAS refusal: we will only consider a refund if the visa / ATAS refusal was based on matters outside of the applicant’s control.
- If a refund request is received within 14 days of the deposit being received a full refund will be issued under the Consumer Protection Regulations.
b: Deposits WILL NOT be refunded to applicants under the following circumstances:
- An applicant decides not to attend the University for any reason not outlined above.
- Personal financial constraints / unsuccessful scholarship application.
- Applicant has decided to defer – in this situation the University will retain the deposit and hold it against the applicant’s account to secure their place for the following year of entry. You may defer twice. After the second deferral standard conditions will apply.
- There is still time to meet the English language test requirement before the final upload date. Please see section a) 4.
- Visa / ATAS was applied for too late. Please see section a) 5.
- Any documents used for admission are proven to be fraudulent. We work in partnership with Qualification Check to check academic qualifications. English language qualifications are verified with the provider.
- The refund request is received more than 30 days after the official course start date as outlined in your offer email.
Timeframe for requesting a refund
Refund requests must be received no later than 30 days after the official course start date as outlined in your offer email. As per section b)7 above the request will be denied.
Receiving a refund
- To comply with Money Laundering Regulations, the University will pay all refunds to the original payer using the source payment details. This is known as a “return to source” payment.
- All appropriate documentation and evidence relating to the original payment must be provided, when requested.
- All payments and refunds are in GBP currency - the University is not responsible for any exchange rate fluctuations or beneficiary bank charges associated with the refund.
- Where University approved payment methods have not been used, this may cause significant delays or prevent payment altogether.
- We will aim to issue the deposit refund within 8 weeks of receipt of information per point 2 above. At peak times this may be longer.
How to request a deposit refund
Please go to our enquiry form and select 'Fees and Deposit' as the enquiry reason and then 'Can I have a deposit refund?'.
Please upload all supporting documentation to your applicant self-service portal before submitting the above request.
Additional fees
- Fee for re-assessment of a dissertation (PGT programme): £370
- Submission of thesis after deadline lapsed: £350
- Registration/exam only fee: £170
Funding opportunities
The scholarships shown are relevant to this programme. For more funding opportunities search the scholarships database
Entry requirements
2.2 Hons (or non-UK equivalent) in any degree with a social science, science, or biomedical focus, including Medicine, Nursing, Health Science, Social and Public Policy, Data Science, or Statistics.
We may also accept applicants with significant relevant work experience and lower qualifications.
English language requirements
For further information about English language requirements, please contact the Recruitment and International Office using our enquiry form
International students
We are proud of our diverse University community that includes students and staff from more than 140 different countries.
How to apply
To apply for a postgraduate taught degree you must apply online. We cannot accept applications any other way.
Please check you meet the Entry requirements for this programme before you begin your application.
Documents
As part of your online application, you also need to submit the following supporting documents:
- A copy (or copies) of your official degree certificate(s) (if you have already completed your degree)
- A copy (or copies) of your official academic transcript(s), showing full details of subjects studied and grades/marks obtained
- Official English translations of the certificate(s) and transcript(s)
- Evidence of your English language ability (if your first language is not English)
- Any additional documents required for this programme (see Entry requirements for this programme)
- A copy of the photo page of your passport
You have 42 days to submit your application once you begin the process.
You may save and return to your application as many times as you wish to update information, complete sections or upload supporting documents such as your final transcript or your language test.
For more information about submitting documents or other topics related to applying to a postgraduate taught programme, see how to apply for a postgraduate taught degree
Guidance notes for using the online application
These notes are intended to help you complete the online application form accurately; they are also available within the help section of the online application form.
If you experience any difficulties accessing the online application, see Application System Help.
- Name and Date of birth: must appear exactly as they do on your passport. Please take time to check the spelling and lay-out.
- Contact Details: Correspondence address. All contact relevant to your application will be sent to this address including the offer letter(s). If your address changes, please contact us as soon as possible.
- Choice of course: Please select carefully the course you want to study. As your application will be sent to the admissions committee for each course you select it is important to consider at this stage why you are interested in the course and that it is reflected in your application.
- Proposed date of entry: Please state your preferred start date including the month and the year. Taught masters degrees tend to begin in September. Research degrees may start in any month.
- Education and Qualifications: Please complete this section as fully as possible indicating any relevant Higher Education qualifications starting with the most recent. Complete the name of the Institution (s) as it appears on the degree certificate or transcript.
- English Language Proficiency: Please state the date of any English language test taken (or to be taken) and the award date (or expected award date if known).
- Employment and Experience: Please complete this section as fully as possible with all employments relevant to your course. Additional details may be attached in your personal statement/proposal where appropriate.
For information on our online Public Health programme, please see: Public Health (Online)
Postgraduate events