Master of Public Health at Northumbria

On this module you will appreciate the knowledge and skills needed to undertake research. You will learn about research philosophy, methodology and the different methods associated with a range of research traditions. You will explore the value of research evidence in informing public health and healthcare management practices and be able to apply the principles of research to critically appraise research quality. Specifically on this module you will learn about:
• Locating and organising literature
• Philosophical assumptions and foundations of enquiry
• Qualitative, quantitative and mixed methodological approaches
• Data collection, data analysis and interpretation
• Research governance and ethical issues
• Analysis and interpretation
By the end of the module you will be able to prepare a research proposal on a topic of interest to yourself and of value to public health / healthcare management.

This module will offer you the opportunity to demonstrate a systematic understanding of fundamental public health concepts and to begin the process of critically evaluating them at a deeper level. You will learn how to critically analyse a broad range of public health theories, concepts and frameworks that are fundamental to public health policy and practice. You will also evaluate the complex interconnecting links between political, social, economic, biological, technological and environmental determinants of public health and explore underpinning discourses. The module will focus on the three key areas of public health – health protection, health improvement and health care services and in particular the following:

• Social dimensions of public health
• Health inequalities
• Assessing and analysing population health needs
• Social capital
• Health promotion
• Health beliefs
• Self efficacy
• Social marketing
• Community development

You will also be encouraged to reflect on your communication skills when working with peers from a variety of ethnic and cultural contexts as well as your developing self-awareness of new knowledge gained from both national and global public health contexts.

This research rich module will enable you to bring together the knowledge, understanding and skills that you have accrued from other modules on your programme. Prior to the undertaking this module, you will have completed the appropriate level of study that prepares you for engagement with a Masters dissertation process. The module provides you with a vehicle for developing, refining and applying your research skills in an independent project.
You will identify a topic with which you are familiar, and which you believe has scope for development or change that will be the focus of your independent study. You can chose one of two methods to structure your dissertation.
- Systematic Review :A structured analysis of evidence
- Empirical research: Based on primary data analysis or secondary sources

In the module, you will revisit and deepen your understandings of a range of key topic areas linked to the research process within your chosen method. This may include discussion of worldviews and research paradigms, research design, working with literature and theory, developing ethical codes, collecting robust research evidence, ensuring quality assurance within your research work, and writing and disseminating the research dissertation work.
There will be a series of research seminars during the module and you will have access to a named supervisor for one to one supervision work. Both the seminars and supervision will enable you to critically examine how the research process will work best for your dissertation goals and design.

This is an essential module in public health that will aid your understanding of the ever changing health patterns of the population and threats to health through outbreaks and epidemics. The module will allow you the opportunity to explore the most up to date information and gathering techniques used in public health to inform policy response to contemporary local and global public health issues. Epidemiological theory is used to explore examples of public health at population levels. The module further aims to develop your abilities to conceptualise and critically appraise the relationships between public health issues and the political, economic, social, technical, legal and environmental dimensions that inform policy response. Specialist experts in epidemiology and public health contribute to this module and enhance both the research rich aspect and the grounded application which is essential to your learning experience.

The content of the module will cover topics such as:

Public health challenges for the 21st century.
Epidemiological investigations of public health.
Disease outbreaks, management and control
Information data identification and analysis.
Data sets at population levels to identify population health needs assessment for planning purposes and or commissioning of services. Identifying aspects of health inequalities at a local level
Exploring data such as deprivation indices.

You will develop your learning of public health along with a deepening appreciation of global health challenges and issues. There will be opportunities to explore with other group members awareness of various global health systems, health priorities and cultural issues.

Through studying this module you will learn about the theories and models of leadership and management relevant to public health and / or healthcare management.
You will explore models of partnership working and the importance of working collaboratively to improve the health of the public. You will explore the application of leadership and management within contexts responsible for the provision of public health and / or healthcare management. You will gain an increased understanding of the importance of working in collaboration with partners to maximise resources and lead on health activities that aim to improve the health of the public and develop health services. You will critically evaluate a range of core concepts, theories and frameworks which are fundamental to understanding leadership and management theories and models of partnership working. You will have the opportunity to reflect on your own skill base and identify developmental needs in becoming an effective leader who is responsive and adaptive to change. Your learning on this module will include some of the key tasks involved in leadership and management within public health and / or healthcare management.

Specific areas that you will study will include:-

• Leadership and management theories
• Performance management and resource allocation in public health and healthcare management services
• Collaborative leadership skills development.
• Effective partnership working
• Approaches to negotiation and influencing
• Using tools for service improvement
• Leading in different public health and / or healthcare management contexts.

In this module, you will learn what health improvement is and how to critically understand the role that health behaviours, practices, interventions and forms of health communication play in health improvement. You will explore the origins, content and organisation of health improvement practices in the UK and beyond (including cross-national comparisons and international policies and practices). The module will enable you to identify and critically reflect on the main theoretical principles underlying health improvement and critically apply these to improving health and in response to health inequalities and inequities. You will examine how various forms of intervention in health improvement (including community development, social marketing and critical health communication) can be (and have been) used to influence health and social change. You will learn how to effectively solve real-world problems and develop skills to enable you to plan, implement and evaluate appropriate health improvement interventions. You will also engage in peer-learning, drawing on the wide variety of practice experience possessed by our cohorts. Key topics you will study include:-
• Introduction to Health Improvement: Origins, Content and Organisation
• Theories of Behaviour Change and Health
• Health Communication: Theories, Approaches and Practice
• Cross-national Case-studies in Health Promotion: Developing Critical Understandings of Wellbeing
• Social Marketing and Health Improvement
• Health Improvement and Community Development (including Community Wealth Building, Asset based, Foundational Economy etc)
Health Informatics and ‘Learning Health Systems’
• Evaluation, Ethics and Public Participation in Health Improvement
• Health Improvement: Comparisons and Lessons

You will develop your understanding of academic conventions in UK higher education aligned to your level of study, including expectations around critical analysis, structure, argumentation, evidencing, and referencing. The module focuses on developing communication strategies that will help you express your ideas clearly and coherently in written assignments and spoken activities. You will also reflect on your current academic and language skills and develop strategies for development ahead of your assessments.