Bachelor of Science, Public Health
Programme Handbook 2025-26
1 Purpose of this Handbook
The programme handbook has been developed as a resource for undergraduate students completing the BSc Public Health programme. The handbook aims to provide a comprehensive introduction to the Division of Population Health, Health Services Research and Primary Care and information on all aspects of your programme of study. This resource should be used as the first point of reference for questions concerning your programme, support or advice, or academic policies and procedures.
The University of Manchester is a large and complex organisation, and we want to ensure that you know how to access the information, support, and guidance you need to succeed in your studies. It is therefore designed to guide you through many aspects of your time as a student and provides useful links to information available through the University’s website, as well as summarising the facilities and support services that are available across the University and how you can access them. It also outlines what you should expect of the Division and what they can expect from you and clarifies the policies and procedures relevant to your area of study. It is your responsibility to familiarise yourself with the Student Handbook and with the contents of the student pages on Blackboard and to use them as a reference when required since they govern important aspects of your programme and therefore may have a significant impact on you and the successful completion of your degree.
Please read the below School handbook in conjunction with your programme handbook.
School of Health Sciences Student Handbook
1.1 Communication
You should note that email is the default means of communication between staff and students. You must use your official University email address when communicating with the University not least because email sent from non-University mail accounts may be classified as junk mail and hence not read.
Information is also provided electronically using Blackboard where students can find detailed information on units and programme-specific information. Teaching staff and students are normally expected to check their email accounts, Blackboard and other electronic methods of communication on a daily basis during term-time and to respond to messages as appropriate.
Note: You will need to refer to this Handbook throughout your programme.
2 Welcome from the Programme Director
We’re so excited to be able to offer this opportunity to students from the UK and across the globe. This degree is based upon our very successful master’s programme which has a long and successful heritage. It covers the same breadth of focus across the art and science of public health but at the first-degree level is particularly oriented on the knowledge and skills required to develop a career in the wide range of public health practitioner roles (from Health Improvement and Community Development through to Sports Development, Immunisation programme Co-Ordinators and Social Prescribers). It also offers a firm foundation should you wish to pursue a career in research and go on to take further studies in Public Health or associated fields.
We are offering a mainly on-campus experience although due to our experience of delivering both online and face to face programmes will have some online or blended learning elements on offer too. We aim to be a practical as well as evidence-based programme and we therefore aim to support students in their career goals in public health policy and practice.
This BSc is not only important for populations and planetary wellbeing, but it should also be personally meaningful to you, and you should be able to relate everything you learn to your own life and to the people around you in your communities. For that reason, as you study you will be encouraged to be reflective on your learning and how it affects your own choices and behaviours, Public Health is both an art and a science and you will explore health and wellbeing from some widely differing viewpoints. It is this variety that brings a great richness to studying Public Health, but it can also be challenging to draw on such a breadth of knowledge.
We are part of a vibrant research community and have both international and national links to many other stakeholders who work with us for delivering high-quality research, teaching and social responsibility. Staff supporting the teaching have a vast range of experience, many are involved in research, some conducting their own PhDs, others are still very much involved in public health delivery in the UK and internationally.
Studying at Manchester will give you a good platform for maybe continuing to study at post graduate level and we are confident that here in Manchester our MPH and PhD pathways are just two of the attractions that will entice you to stay longer with us.
We hope you’ll enjoy learning with us, and that you’ll be able to fulfil your career goals in public health. We know we have a dedicated team of experts both in research, teaching and training that are here to welcome you to Manchester, and we wish you every success as you begin the BSc Public Health Programme.
Dr Andrew Rogers, Interim Programme Director, August 2025.
3 Programme Contacts
| BSc Public Health Team | |
| Programme Director: | Dr Andrew Rogers
Andrew.D.Rogers@manchester.ac.uk |
| Senior Academic Advisor, Inclusivity & Widening Participation Lead | Samantha Aston |
| Academic Lead for Exams & Assessments | Gary Clough |
| Academic Lead for Programme & Curriculum Transformation | Tracey Farragher
Tracey.Farragher@manchester.ac.uk |
| Academic Lead for Careers & Employability | Laura Swain
laura.swain@manchester.ac.uk |
| PASS Coordinator | Rebecca Rippon |
| Course Unit Leads | |
| Principles in Public Health | Gary Clough, Laura Swain |
| Health Improvement | Dr Angela Spencer, Rebecca Rippon |
| Evidence Based Practice | Laura Swain (Level 4) and Tracey Farragher (Levels 5&6) |
| Literature Review | Sam Aston |
| Global Health | Laura Swain (Level 4) and Dr Andrew Rogers (Level 5) |
| Health Protection | Laura Swain (Level 4) and Gary Clough (Levels 5&6) |
| Healthcare Public Health | Sam Aston (Level 4) TBC (Levels 5&6) |
| Dissertation | Dr Andrew Rogers |
| Student Development | Sam Aston |
| General student support
Please use the relevant email addresses for support:
|
|
4 Where to go for help and advice
There are several ways you can obtain help and advice, whether you are working online or on campus. In addition to the Programme team, there are numerous people you can contact for support throughout your programme.
4.1 Academic Advisor
Each student will be allocated a named Academic Advisor who will provide advice and support for the duration of the programme.
Our aim is that by engaging with your Academic Advisor, you:
- will know that your advisor cares about your progression, academic success and future plans
- will feel that you belong and are valued regardless of your background, personal strengths and weaknesses
- will know who to contact if you experience difficulties either personally or academically
- will work to enhance your academic and personal self-efficacy after setting and reviewing goals and reflecting on your experiences
- will gain the confidence and skills to develop a career in Public Health
4.2 Course Unit Lead
There will be a designated ‘Course Unit Lead’ for every unit you complete. The Course Unit Lead is your first point of contact for any unit-specific queries including unit content and assessment guidelines. Their role is to convene and moderate all aspects of the Unit and whilst they will deliver a lot of the teaching in each unit, they will not deliver it all and you may find some teaching sessions are delivered by guest lecturers under their leadership, or sessions may be co-delivered by colleagues and guest speakers from the field. This is an important part of your degree as we aim to build your appreciation of, and links with, the field of public health practice.
4.3 Programme Director
The Programme Director’s role is to ensure the smooth running of the programme. This involves chairing a Programme Committee, overseeing the unit evaluation process, considering changes and improvements to the programmes offered and ensuring adherence to the guidelines set out in the University’s Academic Standards Code of Practice (Teaching Standards Committee of Senate 1998).
Contact by email is to Andrew.D.Rogers@manchester.ac.uk
Contact by post is to:
Dr Andrew Rogers
Programme Director, BSc Public Health
Division of Population Health, Epidemiology and Public Health Group
School of Health Sciences
Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health
University of Manchester
Room C.20 4th Floor
Ellen Wilkinson Building
Oxford Road
Manchester
M15 6JA
4.4 Contacting lecturers
Lecturers will let you know how best to contact them at the beginning of each unit. Similarly, your Academic Advisor will let you know at the beginning of the programme. Meeting appointments (either online or face-to-face) will consider the prior commitments of staff, students and any time differences with international students. When leaving a message for lecturers please remember to leave your own contact details.
In an urgent situation any available lecturer can be accessed for advice and support. It may then be necessary to share this information with the Academic Advisor / Course Unit Lead / Programme Director as appropriate.
5 Key Dates for the 2025/26 Academic Year and Timetable Guidance
|
Welcome Week Tuesday 23rd – Thursday 25th September beginning at 10am on Tuesday 23rd in Room A113 in the Samuel Alexander Building Semester 1: Starts 29/9/25 and ends 1/2/2, it includes a reading week and there will be a seasonal break between 22/12/25 to 14/01/26 Semester 2: Starts 2/2/26 and ends 12/6/26, it includes a reading week and a seasonal break 30/03/26 to 12/04/26 |
University of Manchester | Key Dates
Finding your way around Campus is a key part of Welcome Week so here is the link to the campus map and direct links to each of the building’s sessions will be hosted in over the three days.
Map: https://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=6507
For accessibility of the venues please check the links below an email us if there is anything you are concerned about.
5.1 Accessing your timetable – On Campus Students
On campus students can access their personalised timetable via My Manchester. Guidance on accessing your timetable can be found here – Guide to My Manchester. Further guidance about the Timetabling system, including how to change the view and how to subscribe to your timetable on alternative calendar apps can be found here – Using Publish to view your personalised timetable.
It is expected that all on campus students will attend all timetabled activities. Attendance will be monitored and details of the process for this will be provided at induction.
Beyond Welcome Week, the orientation across Campus you gain in these three days will be important so do save the link and get to know the main buildings and routes between them.
You will have classes across the campus so please ensure you familiarise yourself with the locations using the interactive Campus Map. Please note that for any classes in the Stopford Building you will need your student ID card to gain entry to the building.
6 Teaching, learning and assessment
6.1 Details of the programme
This is an undergraduate course (BSc with Hons), and it aims to equip you with:
- the skills and knowledge to apply to public health concerns at local, national and international level
- the ability to apply relevant theory and scientific principles to practical situations
- the capability of meeting core competencies in public health.
You will learn within a research-active public health department; you will be taught by professionals working in the field of local, national or international public health. There is an emphasis on applying your learning to real life public health issues. You will receive an individual student support package, which includes regular meetings with your personal academic advisor throughout the course. You will be able to mix with students from a range of disciplines from all over the world.
6.2 Teaching and learning methods
Academic engagement includes lectures, seminars, workshops and other face to face activities. To achieve the intended learning outcomes for this programme, we have created a range of activities.
Your course unit leads, and teaching team will support you including access to the Student Development Programme including peer-support (PASS) and the Programme Director Seminar Series. We will consult with students to identify any additional needs and further academic engagement activities will be provided. Assessments, preparation for assessments, reading time and independent study are also included within you timetabled activities.
Online/blended learning:
Students will also have some opportunities to study synchronously through webinars and online tasks and asynchronously via recorded sessions and online resources.
There is a high degree of interactive, student-centred learning through exercises, discussions and debate. This is facilitated through lectures, seminars, peer-support and discussion groups. The course materials will include links to external web resources such as reports, academic papers, other teaching materials and case studies.
You are encouraged to undertake independent learning based on the learning outcomes for each course unit. You will learn through reading, reflecting, discussing, questioning to develop curiosity and seeing new perspectives.
Exercises will use real-world examples from appropriate settings, for example from public health practice, globally and nationally. You will also be encouraged to improve existing and develop new communication skills and digital capabilities.
You will be able to put into practice what you learn, with opportunities to interact with other students and tutors through dedicated discussion groups in class and occasionally online. All course units offer exercises based on group work through discussions. These exercises meet the skills-based learning objectives common to many public health curricula and competency frameworks, such as planning, managing and delivering a project, and working as part of a team to deliver a project.
Each 20-credit course unit will require 13 to 17 hours of study per week. You will be supported to work through these units independently and guided in this by peer and tutor support. A unit-specific calendar will be made available in the first week of all units.
7 Overview of the programme
7.1 Induction
We find that students greatly benefit from a formal induction to the course before they start studying, through an online induction unit. This will introduce you to all aspects of the course and is a good opportunity to meet staff and other students. In the first week of the programme, there will be a face-to-face induction course for on- and off-campus students. Please note that attendance at the induction programme is mandatory.
7.2 Course Units
Each year on the programme is made up of credit-bearing ‘course units’ for students to complete. More information is provided later in the Handbook.
7.3 Public Health Seminars. Student Development Programme and Programme Director Seminar Series
In addition to your credit-bearing course units, a programme of development activities will be offered to all students. These will be offered both face-to-face and online to ensure on- and off-campus students can access the same resources. Development activities include subjects such as orientation, reflection, how to complete assessments, wellbeing, careers advice, altruism, good academic writing, invited guest speakers and preparing for the year ahead.
Live lectures will be included on topics such as working internationally, ecologically approaches in public health, place-based approaches, global and local inequalities, prevention and ‘clean minds, dirty hands’, as well as additional skills for a career in public health.
7.4 Stellify
Stellify is a university initiative to develop your leadership skills and encourage community volunteering. To achieve the Stellify award, you have to take part in the three Ethical Grand Challenges , volunteering and leadership activities.
7.5 Coursework and Assessment
Each course unit outline sets out our expectations for self-assessment and marked assessment. The assessment will be closely linked to the learning outcomes of each course unit.
Factual knowledge is assessed by self-assessment assignments/quizzes. The results of these self-assessments are purely for feedback purposes. Marked assignments will focus on the ability to synthesise and implement knowledge. There are no formal examinations. We will use a variety of assessment methods and styles. Please refer to individual course unit outlines for details.
We aim to offer the same quality of feedback across the course, although how we deliver this feedback will vary from unit to unit. More information will be available through Canvas, our online learning platform. All feedback is designed to show how you can improve your work.
Formative feedback will give you the opportunity to develop and improve. This is offered in several different ways, for example:
- feedback by tutors and fellow students on discussion boards;
- automated feedback from self-test or quizzes;
- peer review exercises;
- reflective exercises which provide sample answers.
These are not assessed and are therefore optional. However, you will be encouraged to take part and reflect on the feedback that you receive.
7.6 Course unit details
You will take six mandatory 20-credit units each year, with additional 20 credit student-selected components that will provide you with a local and global perspective of the art and science of public health. We have based the course on the pillars of public health practice, health promotion, health protection, healthcare public health and included global health examples.
You can tailor your learning through personalised plans. You will have access to a wide range of experts and postgraduate students. We offer additional non-credit bearing public health learning opportunities via our lectures, seminars, and public health conferences.
Course content includes:
- Principles of Public Health
- Evidence Based Practice
- Health Improvement
- Health Protection
- Healthcare Public Health
- Global Health
You will learn and present your work through a range of methods including research posters, literature reviews, and global health research, policy or practice project.
7.7 Course units for Year 1
| Title | Code | Credit rating | Mandatory/optional |
|---|---|---|---|
| Evidence Based Practice Y1 | POPH10011 | 20 | Mandatory |
| Global Health Y1 | POPH10022 | 20 | Mandatory |
| Health Improvement Y1 | POPH10031 | 20 | Mandatory |
| Health Protection Y1 | POPH10042 | 20 | Mandatory |
| Healthcare Public Health Y1 | POPH10052 | 20 | Mandatory |
| Principles in Public Health | POPH10091 | 20 | Mandatory |
| Student development programme Y1 | POPH10800 | 0 | Mandatory |
| Health & Safety Online | POPH10000 | 0 | Mandatory |
7.8 Course units for Year 2
| Title | Code | Credit rating | Mandatory/optional |
|---|---|---|---|
| Evidence Based Practice Y2 | POPH20011 | 20 | Mandatory |
| Global Health Y2 | POPH20022 | 20 | Mandatory |
| Health Improvement Y2 | POPH20031 | 20 | Mandatory |
| Health Protection Y2 | POPH20042 | 20 | Mandatory |
| Healthcare Public Health Y2 | POPH20052 | 20 | Mandatory |
| Literature Review Project | POPH20060 | 20 | Mandatory |
| Student development programme Y2 | POPH20800 | 0 | Mandatory |
7.9 Course units for Year 3
| Title | Code | Credit rating | Mandatory/optional |
|---|---|---|---|
| Evidence Based Practice Y3 | POPH30011 | 20 | Mandatory |
| Health Improvement Y3 | POPH30031 | 20 | Mandatory |
| Health Protection Y3 | POPH30042 | 20 | Mandatory |
| Healthcare Public Health Y3 | POPH30052 | 20 | Mandatory |
| Dissertation | POPH30060 | 20 | Mandatory |
| Student development programme Y3 | POPH30800 | 0 | Mandatory |
The BSc (Hons) Public Health is structured as follows:
Year 1: 120 credits at Level 4
Year 1 assessments and examinations do not contribute to your final degree mark, but you must still fulfil the University’s learning requirements as the knowledge gained will assist you in your progression.
Year 2: 120 credits at Level 5
Second year assessments and examinations contribute 33% towards your final degree mark.
Year 3: 120 credits at Level 6
Third year assessments and examinations contribute 67% towards your final degree mark.
7.10 Unit evaluations
Throughout the programme you will be asked to complete an evaluation of each unit you complete. We greatly appreciate all feedback, as this will help us enhance the programme for future students. Thank you.
8 Career opportunities
A career in public health offers diverse opportunities in a variety of settings, from local public health departments to global NGOs (non-government organisations).
This course is a great step towards a career in one of the following areas:
- Public health practitioner
- Consultant in public health
- Public health manager
- Public health officer
- Epidemiologist
- Biostatistician
- Health educator
- Public health statistician /assistant
- Public health intelligence analyst/ assistant
- Public health researcher/research assistant
- Health visitor
- Community development worker
- Environmental health worker
- Transport development worker
- Housing officer
- Health promotion officer
- Health improvement practitioner
- Lecturer in public health
- Communicable disease consultant
- Health protection specialist
The University Careers Service aims to improve the employability of students by providing them with key skills and knowledge. To help students formulate and implement well-informed choices about their careers they deliver and manage numerous services, projects, courses and events. The Careers Service work in partnership with colleagues across The University of Manchester and with organisations across the UK.
Website: www.careers.manchester.ac.uk
9 Part-time work
We recognise that part-time work is a necessity for many students. However, you are advised to think carefully about how you will balance your studies with the demands of part-time employment and to arrange the hours you work accordingly. Evidence of your registration as a student can be provided to employers and you can contact your academic advisor for any further information regarding references over the course of the programme.
10 Closing comments
Thank you for reading the programme handbook. Please continue to access this handbook as required, as you work through the programme. We would like to reiterate our welcome and support for you at every stage of the programme, and we hope you enjoy your undergraduate experience at The University of Manchester.
Best wishes,
The BSc Public Health Programme Team