Master of Public Health (Palliative and End-of-Life-Care)
Part-Time | September Start
Option for Placement Year
Option for Study Abroad
International
Northumbria’s global footprint touches every continent across the world, through our global partnerships across 17 institutions in 10 countries, to our 277,000 strong alumni community and 150 recruitment partners – we prepare our students for the challenges of tomorrow. Discover more about how to join Northumbria’s global family or our partnerships.
View our Global FootprintBusiness
The world is changing faster than ever before. The future is there to be won by organisations who find ways to turn today's possibilities into tomorrows competitive edge. In a connected world, collaboration can be the key to success.
More on our Business ServicesResearch
Northumbria is a research-rich, business-focused, professional university with a global reputation for academic quality. We conduct ground-breaking research that is responsive to the science & technology, health & well being, economic and social and arts & cultural needs for the communities
Discover more about our ResearchAlumni
Northumbria University is renowned for the calibre of its business-ready graduates. Our alumni network has over 246,000 graduates based in 178 countries worldwide in a range of sectors, our alumni are making a real impact on the world.
Our AlumniIf you’d like to receive the latest updates from Northumbria about our courses, events, finance & funding then enter your details below.
* At Northumbria we are strongly committed to protecting the privacy of personal data. To view the University’s Privacy Notice please click here
Option for Placement Year
Option for Study Abroad
Please note: this course is subject to validation. The first year of entry for this course is September 2025.
Public health approaches to dying, grief, caregiving and loss have been a part of government and palliative care policies for almost two decades, promoting community readiness and integration into medical training. But public health training is limited and emphasises surveillance sciences over practical applications like community development or civic policy.
Northumbria’s Master of Public Health (MPH) Palliative & End-of-Life Care is a unique course designed to fill this gap, aligning with public health policies and addressing workforce needs in end-of-life care.
Throughout this course, you will critically evaluate public health theories, policies, and practices, focusing on health promotion, improvement, care services, and civic actions. You will also learn to apply evidence-based approaches to design public health interventions, addressing health challenges across government, workplaces, schools, faith groups, non-profits, and other community sectors.
You will be taught by some of the key international experts in the field – from the founder of the public health palliative care international movement to prominent academic and clinical figures from global professional bodies.
Unique Course: This pioneering degree focuses on public health approaches to palliative care, this unique course emphasises policy and practice over traditional research, reframes dying, caregiving, and loss as quality-of-life issues rather than public health threats, and combines interdisciplinary training with a focus on community-based care models.
Research Powerhouse: Social Policy research at Northumbria is ranked 3rd in the UK for research power in the UK out of 76 submissions (REF 2021)
This course is also available as full-time study.
Level of Study
Postgraduate
Mode of Study
28 months Part Time
Department
Social Work, Education and Community Wellbeing
Location
City Campus, Northumbria University
City
Newcastle
Start
September 2025
Fees
Fee Information
Discover the funding options available to you.
Throughout this course, you will develop the ability to critically evaluate public health concepts, theories, and research methods, focusing on their application to policy and practice.
You will analyse the impact of social support on life-limiting illnesses, caregiving, and grief, and emphasises the importance of end-of-life literacy, community development, and service redesign to improve public health outcomes.
As well as this, you can gain expertise in using health data, translating epidemiological findings into policies and strategies.
Teaching will be delivered via a mix of lectures and seminars, which will be supported by case studies, enquiry-based learning exercises, skills development sessions and independent study.
This course will be assessed through written work, group presentations, essays and academic posters.
You will also produce an in-depth dissertation project around a subject area of your choice. Undertaken under the supervision of a dedicated supervisor, this project will form the final stage of the assessment process.
This course is taught by a team of experienced instructors with a practice background in public health and palliative care. We boast close links with local directors, commissioners and practitioners, some of whom are employed as part of our teaching team to provide you with access to professionals that are actively working within the sector.
We also welcome external visiting speakers from a variety of public health contexts and palliative care to contribute to lectures, enabling you learn about the current issues that are defining the public health palliative care sector.
View some of the staff teaching on this course.
Research-rich learning is central to the structure of this course and our research-active staff will use examples from the latest studies and their own research to develop your critical understanding and thinking.
Our facilities are modern and up to date, ensuring your learning evolves in-line with the latest developments in the industry.
Technology is embedded throughout all aspects of your degree, and you will receive ongoing support through our innovative e-learning platform, Blackboard, where you can access module handbooks, assessment information, lecture presentation slides and reading lists. Key lectures will also be recorded to allow you to listen again.
If English is not your first language you will also have access to the Academic Language Skills (ALS) programmes to help you develop your English language, academic writing and study skills.
Explore the fantastic facilities you'll have access to at Northumbria University.
The MPH (Palliative & End-of-Life Care) at Northumbria equips graduates for the evolving public health workforce both nationally and internationally, with modules designed to encourage independent learning and critical thinking.
You’ll develop key skills valued by employers, including organisation, teamwork, communication, and networking, essential for careers in health promotion, the NHS, hospices, care homes, local authorities, and research.
Graduates could aspire to careers with policy organisations such as Hospice UK, Marie Curie, Macmillan, Age UK, Alzheimer’s Society, Compassionate Communities UK, and/or Public Health Palliative Care International.
We have a fantastic service for students' to use to gain advice and tips on furthering careers and enhancing their employability.
Careers and Employment Services
Applicants should normally have:
A minimum of a 2:2 honours degree in a subject related to health or health sciences, or work experience at a senior level in public health/healthcare and evidence of a clear commitment to a career in public health. Other subject qualifications, equivalent professional qualifications and/or relevant work experience will be considered on an individual basis.
International qualifications:
If you have studied a non UK qualification, you can see how your qualifications compare to the standard entry criteria, by selecting the country that you received the qualification in, from our country pages. Visit www.northumbria.ac.uk/yourcountry
English language requirements:
International applicants are required to have a minimum overall IELTS (Academic) score of 6.5 with 6 in each component (or approved equivalent*).
*The university accepts a large number of UK and International Qualifications in place of IELTS. You can find details of acceptable tests and the required grades you will need in our English Language section. Visit www.northumbria.ac.uk/englishqualifications
Full UK Fee: £9,700
Full International Fee: £19,350
Scholarships and Discounts
ADDITIONAL COSTS
There are no Additional Costs
* At Northumbria we are strongly committed to protecting the privacy of personal data. To view the University’s Privacy Notice please click here
else
Our Applicant Services team will be happy to help. They can be contacted on 0191 406 0901 or by using our Contact Form.
Full time Courses are primarily delivered via on-campus face to face learning but could include elements of online learning. Most courses run as planned and as promoted on our website and via our marketing materials, but if there are any substantial changes (as determined by the Competition and Markets Authority) to a course or there is the potential that course may be withdrawn, we will notify all affected applicants as soon as possible with advice and guidance regarding their options. It is also important to be aware that optional modules listed on course pages may be subject to change depending on uptake numbers each year.
Contact time is subject to increase or decrease in line with possible restrictions imposed by the government or the University in the interest of maintaining the health and safety and wellbeing of students, staff, and visitors if this is deemed necessary in future.
Northumbria University is committed to developing an inclusive, diverse and accessible campus and wider University community and are determined to ensure that opportunities we provide are open to all.
We are proud to work in partnership with AccessAble to provide Detailed Access Guides to our buildings and facilities across our City, Coach Lane and London Campuses. A Detailed Access Guide lets you know what access will be like when you visit somewhere. It looks at the route you will use getting in and what is available inside. All guides have Accessibility Symbols that give you a quick overview of what is available, and photographs to show you what to expect. The guides are produced by trained surveyors who visit our campuses annually to ensure you have trusted and accurate information.
You can use Northumbria’s AccessAble Guides anytime to check the accessibility of a building or facility and to plan your routes and journeys. Search by location, building or accessibility feature to find the information you need.
We are dedicated to helping students who may require additional support during their student journey and offer 1-1 advice and guidance appropriate to individual requirements. If you feel you may need additional support you can find out more about what we offer here where you can also contact us with any questions you may have:
If you’d like to receive the latest updates from Northumbria about our courses, events, finance & funding then enter your details below.
* At Northumbria we are strongly committed to protecting the privacy of personal data. To view the University’s Privacy Notice please click here
Open Days are a great way for you to get a feel of the University, the city of Newcastle upon Tyne and the course(s) you are interested in.
Information about all of our tuition fees, funding and scholarships.
Get an insight into life at Northumbria at the click of a button! Come and explore our videos and 360 panoramas to immerse yourself in our campuses and get a feel for what it is like studying here using our interactive virtual tour.
Back to top