Master of Public Health (MPH) - SHPS Programme Handbook 2024-25 | City UoL

Programme Handbook Contents

Introduction
Welcome from the Dean
Welcome from the Programme Director
Student Charter
Purpose of the handbook    
How City communicates with you    
Programme changes    1
Who’s who: School Structure, Deanery and Departmental Leads    
Programme Director    
Module Leader
Professional Staff    
Health & Safety procedures    
Sources of Information    
SHPS Student Hub    
Contact with staff    
Key information about the academic year    
Student timetable for 2023-24    
Your programme    
Programme specification    
Module specifications    
Credits    
Assessment & feedback    
Module selection    
Language Courses    
Good academic practice, preventing plagiarism and referencing   
Research integrity 
Student engagement and attendance 
Student copyright and intellectual property rights 
Social Media  
Lateness
School, departmental or programme prizes 
Wellbeing 
Student support  
Academic support
Personal Tutor 
SHPS Helpdesk 
Central student support services 
Support@City 
Student Centre 
Student Health Service  
Chaplaincy team   
Academic Skills team    
Student Health & Wellbeing    
Careers and Employability  
Safeguarding & Welfare Support    
City Students’ Union    
GetHeard@City    
Union Advice    
In an emergency    
Learning resources    
Moodle  
Library and User Regulations 
Library Training and Support
Reading Lists 
Lecture Capture   
Lecture Capture live streaming
Virtual Classrooms  
IT Services support
Computer Rooms
Standards of Behaviour in the Computer Suite
Professional obligations and Data
Your voice
Student feedback questionnaires 
External surveys
Survey dates 2023-24 
Your Voice, Our Action 
Annual Programme Evaluation 
Student committees and representation 
Other ways to provide feedback
Conduct, behaviour and what to do if things go wrong 
Harassment, Bullying and Sexual Misconduct 
What to do if things go wrong 
Independent review of student complaints 
Extensions Process  
Fitness to Study 
Fitness to Practise 
Social facilities 
City Students’ Union 
Sports and Leisure Activities 
Booking Study Rooms 
Administration and management 
Transcripts, Certificates and Diploma Supplements  
International students on a Student Visa 
APPENDIX A: Student guide to Assessment & Feedback 
Examination scheduling 
Assessment Guidelines: Information about programme-specific assessment and feedback
Coursework Cover Sheet
Assessment Specification – Example
Grade-related Criteria
Submission process
Where to Submit Your Assessment   
Presentational Aspects 
Receipts
Referencing 
Proofreading
After an assessment 
Marking and moderation 
Provisional marks 
Assessment Boards 
External Examiners 
Feedback
Sanctions
Dissertation/Project 
APPENDIX B: Student guide to good academic practice, plagiarism prevention and referencing 
Understanding academic misconduct, including plagiarism
How to avoid academic misconduct, including plagiarism 
Citing and referencing
Referencing Documents and the Public Domain   
Consequences of poor academic practice or academic misconduct   
Guidance on Ensuring Confidentiality in Your Work  
APPENDIX C: Good Practice in Research  
Research integrity 
Research ethics 
Sponsored International Students visa responsibilities: important information for international students sponsored on a Student Visa 

Introduction

Welcome from the Dean

I am delighted to welcome you to City, University of London and to the School of Health & Psychological Sciences.
City is a leading global University committed to academic excellence, focused on business and the professions. Located in the heart of London, we are dedicated to the education and development of health professionals and the performance of high-quality research in the areas of:

• Nursing
• Midwifery
• Language and Communication Science
• Radiography
• Optometry
• Public Health
• Food Policy
• Health Service Research and Delivery
• Health Management and Policy
• Professional and Inter-professional Practice
• Psychology

We are committed to providing you with an excellent, high-quality educational experience. You will learn from experts in their field whose teaching is informed by the latest research, which means you can expect to learn about the most up-to-date developments in health. You will also have opportunities to develop your practical skills in our on-campus, state-of-the-art simulation and clinical skills facilities.

Those of you on clinical programmes will also benefit from time in clinical placements. We have built excellent relationships with key partners and healthcare providers across London and the South East, including Health Education England, NHS Trusts, and private and third sector organisations. We continue to develop these partnerships to ensure you receive a wide and varied range of placement opportunities and to ensure the research we undertake translates into demonstrable improvements in practice for individuals, families, and our wider communities.

We look forward to supporting your academic and professional development as you prepare for a diverse and rewarding career that makes a real difference to people’s lives. I am sure that you will have many interesting and exciting learning opportunities here at City, University of London. We wish you all the best with your studies.
Professor Debra Salmon Dean
School of Health & Psychological Sciences

Welcome from the Programme Director
I would like to extend a very warm welcome to you as you start your Master of Public Health (MPH) programme at City, University London. I am delighted that you’ve chosen to take this exciting step and study with us at City UoL. I do hope you enjoy the programme and your experience of studying with us.
Bringing together advanced training in research methods and data analysis with modules on the core topics of public health, epidemiology, global health and the social determinants of health, our programme provides an academically rigorous foundation that can help to propel you into a career in public health. Building on the knowledge and skills that you will learn, we also offer you the opportunity to conduct your own substantive piece of research in the form of a dissertation. The dissertation is flexible and allows you to map it onto to your own interests and career plans.
Many of the lecturers on the MPH programme are members of the Centre for Health Services Research (CHSR), which comprises of 94 academic and research staff and 14 doctoral students. CHSR staff is engaged in current or recent research projects to a value of £25 million, stimulating a range of research outputs including over 300 peer- reviewed journal articles since 2008. On the programme, we have lecturers who have won prestigious awards for outstanding and innovative teaching. The link between teaching and research is something we are very proud of and we strive to ensure that each informs the other. Alongside City UoL’s own pool of talent, we will bring you guest lecturers who are experts in their field. Many of the staff you will encounter here are renowned nationally and internationally.

Studying at Masters Level is challenging. Students who have not worked at this level before may feel daunted by the standards that we expect and the scale of undertaking that they have committed to. Do not worry – help is at hand! There is a wide range of support and resources available around the university to help you cope with the academic and personal demands. Your Lecturers, Module Leaders and Programme Director are on hand to offer academic guidance and we have specialist academic support services that can provide further assistance and help to develop your study skills. You will also be allocated a Personal Tutor who is there to offer pastoral support.

We grow by being challenged. With this in mind, I hope that your experience of the MPH is challenging but also engaging, enriching, and rewarding. After your MPH, you may wish to continue to study at City UoL at a higher level through our PhD programme but if not, I hope you will remain in close contact with us and return from time to time to let us know how you are getting on and to get involved in our alumni activities. When students leave City University, we hope that they will be our unofficial ambassadors and become a part of the larger City community. I look forward to working with you this year and I hope you have a great time at City UoL!

Your programme

Studying for a higher education degree is a serious undertaking and students are expected to dedicate themselves to one programme at any one time. Students need to be aware that the standard study time for 10 credits is 100 learning hours. More information about the hours you are expected to undertake each year per module can be found in the module specifications.

Programme specification

KEY FACTS

The Faculty of Public Health in the UK defines Public Health as “the science and art of promoting and protecting health and well-being, preventing ill-health and prolonging life through the organised efforts of society”. The Master of Public Health (MPH) is a multidisciplinary programme consisting of elements of medical sciences, social and behavioural sciences, and the humanities. Our programme will enable students to acquire knowledge about the significance of social context and structure, the external environment, working life, the healthcare system and lifestyle as they relate to the incidence of ill-health. Students will also learn about methods for implementing health promotion, disease prevention, and health policy.

Our MPH offers a unique combination of training in public health research methods; encouraging a culture of applied epidemiology within which you can develop skills in describing, analysing and reflecting on different local public health issues; laying emphasis on the identification and assessment of the challenges in public health from a global perspective; and providing you with an understanding of the processes through which the social environment influences health. The programme will form the basis both for research, education and practical application of public health sciences, making the acquired knowledge applicable for protection and improvement of health and social care services at local, national and international levels.

You will gain the knowledge and confidence to independently lead public health projects and investigations in your place of work, which may be in the local public or private sectors such as the NHS, national charities, research institutions and consultancies, health and social care, or in international agencies, pharmaceutical companies, etc. During the course of your studies, you may have the opportunity to conduct research with NHS Trusts and other health and social care organisations. Focus is placed on providing you with a challenging but also the stimulating and free-thinking environment, which will nurture your aspirations, talent, and career prospects. You are expected to be working in or wish to start a career as a clinical or non-clinical public health consultant where an in-depth knowledge of evidence- based public health practice, health policy and management is an advantage.

By completing the Masters of Public Health, in addition to the skills described for the Postgraduate Diploma and the Postgraduate Certificate, you will have demonstrated the original application of knowledge to the field of public health. You will have been engaged in research that contributes to new understanding in this area.

Those of you who exit the programme with a Postgraduate Diploma in Public Health, in addition to the skills described for the Postgraduate Certificate in Public Health, you will have gained contemporary knowledge of the field of public health. You will have critically evaluated current evidence in the field and provided appropriate methodological and theoretical critiques.
If you exit the programme with a Postgraduate Certificate in Public Health you will have examined theories and evidence related to public health. You will have gained critical insight into core topic areas in the discipline and you will be able to consider problem-solving mechanisms. You will also be able to use a range of techniques to undertake scholarly work.

Depending on the profile of modules successfully completed you may be offered a Postgraduate Certificate in Health Sciences. The criteria for the various exit awards are explained below (see What Award Can I Get?)

Aims

The MPH prepares you for public health practice by providing interactive learning opportunities across core areas: Public Health, Epidemiology, Global Health, Social Determinants of Health, and Research Methods. You will explore key topics from individual, organisational and policy- level perspectives.

WHAT WILL I BE EXPECTED TO ACHIEVE?

On successful completion of this programme, you will be expected to be able to: Knowledge and understanding:

• Develop a critical understanding of current theories and methodological approaches in public health.
• Critically appraise public health projects and research.
• Undertake the analysis of evidence/data to develop transformative solutions to public health concerns.

Skills:

• Critically appraise the literature, formulate research questions and choose appropriate methods to investigate public health issues.
• Critically synthesise data from quantitative and qualitative analysis and apply research findings to improve prevention and management of disease, locally, nationally and internationally.
• Critically assess health services interventions by using quantitative and qualitative research methods.
• Demonstrate the skill of working effectively, independently and in groups/teams.
• Present orally and in writing individual and group work.
• Effectively manage, reflect on, and develop your own learning

Values and attitudes:

• Facilitate collaborative, inter-disciplinary and ethical approaches to research and work.
• Respect the opinions of others and behave with integrity.
• Identify, evaluate and foster capabilities and qualities to support effective communication.
• Be sensitive to and respect the diversity of individuals and communities.
• Respect privacy and confidentiality (especially within the research context).
• Support the principle of reflective, self-directed, life-long personal development and learning.

Registration Period

The normal period of registration for this programme is one year for full-time students or two years for part-time students. The maximum period of registration for this programme is three years for full-time students and five years for part-time students.

HOW WILL I LEARN?

Learning on the course is designed to equip current and future Public Health leaders to contribute at the organisational, regional, national or global level towards strengthening Public Health systems. Our programme provides key foundational knowledge and skills for students aspiring to complete professional qualifications in Public Health (in the UK, professional qualifications are administered by the Faculty of Public Health and are required for access to senior roles such as Public Health Consultant).

Collaborative learning develops skills for working in multidisciplinary teams. A network of expert guest speakers adds further to the diverse learning experience. Collaborative learning activities enhance shared learning and ability to apply knowledge.
Peer-to-peer interactions promote compassionate and inclusive communication, collaboration, teamwork and leadership. Lectures introduce new content and build your skills in critical evaluation and application. Active learning promotes deeper engagement with the core material and develops skills of reflection, synthesis and application of concepts.
Teaching and learning will take place via a mix of teaching styles which allow you to examine Public Health issues in-depth, with lecturer and peer led input.

Structure of the Programme

The programme is offered on both a full-time and a part-time basis. Full-time students complete the programme in one year, while part-time students complete the programme over 2 years.

You will take six or seven taught modules (to a value of 120 credits), plus the dissertation (worth 60 credits). A 15-credit taught module typically involves 150 hours of study time, comprising approximately 30 contact hours (i.e. lectures and seminars) and 120 hours of self- directed study. There are four core modules worth 60 credits in total. Electives modules make up the remaining 60 credits of the taught programme.

The dissertation involves 600 hours of study. The majority of this is self-directed study, supported by a dissertation supervisor. There are lectures, workshops and online resources to support timely completion of the dissertation.

Modes of Study

This is a hybrid programme: it is delivered from a physical learning space with some students attending in person and others attending online. There are two modes by which MPH core modules are delivered, an in-person learning mode and an online learning mode:

In-person Learning Mode

In this mode, teaching on the core MPH modules is delivered via face-to-face teaching sessions on campus.
Elective modules will also be delivered via face-to-face teaching sessions on campus.*

Online Learning Mode

In this mode, teaching on the core MPH modules is delivered via online synchronous, fully interactive teaching sessions. Online learners join lectures that are being delivered ‘live’ to students on campus. We use specially adapted classrooms that facilitate full participation of online learners in the teaching activities. For example, online learners can watch the lecture being delivered ‘live’, respond to the lecturer’s questions, hear the comments / questions raised by in-person students (via ceiling microphones in our classrooms), participate in group activities with other online learners etc.

Elective modules will be delivered via online teaching sessions.* Different types of online delivery modes may be used, including synchronous (‘live’ lectures) and asynchronous (recorded lectures).

Online students require access to a quiet room for online teaching session, and a laptop or computer with a reliable internet connection and sufficient bandwidth to accommodate video conferencing.

Structure of teaching sessions

Core teaching sessions run in 3-hour blocks and include didactic (lecture style) content and activity based (seminar style) content. Teaching sessions are highly interactive and involve individual learning exercises, collaborative small group activities, and class discussions.

Teaching will be delivered by experts from the School of Health & Psychological Sciences and external guest speakers from the world of Public Health and related disciplines. Core teaching sessions are recorded and made available for all students to review subsequently.

Electives

You will take two or three elective modules from a curated list of modules offered across the School of Health & Psychological Sciences. Some of the modules offered may change from year to year but see below for indicative modules.
* Please note: Some electives may be delivered only via online teaching (i.e. with no in- person option). Students on a Tier 4 Student Visa may still be able to take some online electives provided your individual route through the programme complies with the current requirements of the Student Visa (e.g. in terms of the minimum requirements for the proportion of in-person teaching). Some electives may be delivered only via in-person teaching (i.e. with no online option). Online learners will not be able to access these electives.

Co-learning

By bringing together in-person and online learners we facilitate greater opportunities for

WHAT TYPES OF ASSESSMENT AND FEEDBACK CAN I EXPECT?

Assessment and Assessment Criteria

Assessment methods vary by module. These methods include: written assignments; group work, presentations, examinations and the final dissertation. Specific information on assessments in each module on the programme can be found on the individual module specifications.

Assessment Criteria are descriptions, based on the intended learning outcomes, of the skills, knowledge or attitudes that you need to demonstrate in order to complete an assessment successfully, providing a mechanism by which the quality of an assessment can be measured. Grade-Related Criteria are descriptions of the level of skills, knowledge or attributes that you need to demonstrate in order achieve a certain grade or mark in an assessment, providing a mechanism by which the quality of an assessment can be measured and placed within the overall set of marks. Assessment Criteria and Grade- Related Criteria will be made available to you to support you in completing assessments.

These may be provided in programme handbooks, module specifications, on the virtual learning environment or attached to a specific assessment task.

Feedback on assessment

Lecturers and/or module leaders will be available to provide formative feedback and advice on module assessments prior to submission.

Following each assessment, marks and feedback will be provided in line with our Assessment and Feedback Policy. In particular, you will normally be provided with feedback within three weeks (for interim module assessments) or four weeks (for final assessments) of the submission deadline. The timescale for feedback on final year projects or dissertations may be longer. Markers will be available to answer queries about the marks and feedback if these are not clear.

A selection of all assessments will be internally moderated and sent to the external examiner. All initial marks will be therefore provisional, pending external examiner approval and ratification by the Assessment Board.

Feedback will be provided in line with our Assessment and Feedback Policy. In particular, you will normally be provided with feedback within three weeks of the submission deadline or assessment date. This would normally include a provisional grade or mark. For end of module examinations or an equivalent significant task (e.g. an end of module project), feedback will normally be provided within four weeks. The timescale for feedback on final year projects or dissertations may be longer.

Assessment Regulations

In order to pass your Programme, you should complete successfully or be exempted from the relevant modules and assessments and will therefore acquire the required number of credits. You also need to pass each Programme Stage of your Programme in order to progress to the following Programme Stage.
The pass mark for each module is 50%.

If you fail an assessment component or a module, you will normally be offered one resit attempt. If you are successful in the resit, you will be awarded the credit for that module. The mark for each assessment component that is subject to a resit will be capped at the pass mark for the module. This capped mark will be used in the calculation of the final module mark together with the original marks for the components that you passed at first attempt.
If you do not meet the requirements for a module and do not complete your resit by the date specified, you will not progress and the Assessment Board will require that you be withdrawn from the Programme.

If you fail to meet the requirements for the Programme, the Assessment Board will consider whether you are eligible for an Exit Award as per the table below. If you would like to know more about the way in which assessment works at City, please see the full version of the Assessment Regulations at
https://www.city.ac.uk/    data/assets/pdf_file/0007/453652/s19.pdf

WHAT AWARD CAN I GET?

Master’s Degree:

To qualify for the award of Master of Public Health, you will be required to complete all the taught modules (totalling 120 credits), plus the 60-credit dissertation module.

Postgraduate Diploma:

To exit with the award of Postgraduate Diploma in Public Health, you will be required to complete all taught modules (totalling 120 credits).

Postgraduate Certificate:

To exit with a Postgraduate Certificate in Public Health, you will be required to successfully complete three public health core modules and any other 15-credit module.

To exit with a Postgraduate Certificate in Health Sciences, you will be required to achieve 60 credits by successfully completing any combination of modules.

You Programme Director will advise you on your choices of modules.

WHAT WILL I STUDY?

You will take six or seven taught modules, four core modules, one ‘core elective’ (i.e. you can choose between HRM001/ HRM011 and HRM005 but you must take one of these) and one or two elective modules (depending on whether they are worth 15- or 30-credits). You will also take the dissertation module:

• The four core (compulsory) modules are listed below.
• For one ‘core elective’ (30-credits) module, you can choose either: Introduction to Research Methods and Applied Data Analysis; or Evidence-Based Evaluation. The programme team will be on hand to guide you in your choice.

In addition, you will choose either two further 15-credit elective (optional) modules, or one 30-credit elective module. An indicative list of the electives modules is shown below. The final list of elective modules on offer will be conveyed at the start of the programme. If an elective module has less than a certain number of registered students (typically around 10) it may not run. Programme Director or Course Officer will inform you if this happens and will ask you to select another module.

Please note:

While we endeavour to offer elective modules that can be taken by all students, it is possible that some elective modules will only be offered in via in-person delivery, while other may only be offered via online delivery. Details about the modes of delivery available for each module will be conveyed to you at the start of the term.

Dissertation component

The dissertation is a core module. In this module, you will either write a dissertation of between 12,000-15,000 words or a manuscript in the format of a research paper (7,000- 8,000 words). The dissertation format options will be explained by the Programme Director and/or module leader. Dissertation supervision can delivery via face-to-face or online meetings (or a combination) alongside other forms of communication (e.g. email)

You need to achieve 50% or above in order to pass.

Module Title SITS Code Module Core/ Compensation Level

Credits Elective Yes/No

Dissertation APM002 60 Core No 7

Good academic practice, preventing plagiarism and referencing Good academic practice and academic integrity

As a student, it is very important to ensure you follow good academic practice and have academic integrity in your work. Academic integrity means undertaking assessments honestly, in a responsible manner, ensuring you respect the work of others by acknowledging and presenting their ideas correctly as part of your own arguments.

The International Centre for Academic Integrity (2017) defines this as: 'a commitment, even in the face of adversity, to six fundamental values: honesty, trust, fairness, respect, responsibility, and courage. From these values flow principles of behaviour that enable academic communities to translate ideals to action'

Achieving academic integrity

Academic integrity means conducting all aspects of your academic life in a professional manner by:

• Taking responsibility for your own work
• Respecting the rights of other scholars
• Behaving with respect and courtesy when debating with others even when you do not agree with them
• Fully acknowledging the work of others wherever it has contributed to your own (thereby avoiding plagiarism)
• Ensuring that your own work is reported honestly
• Ensuring that you follow the ethical conventions and requirements appropriate to your discipline
• Maintaining standards of conduct which are appropriate to a practitioner in that area, if you are studying on a professionally-recognised vocational programme,
• Supporting others in their own efforts to behave with academic integrity
• Avoiding actions which seek to give you an unfair advantage over others
• Following the requirements of the University Assessment Regulation
• Complying with and undertaking your research responsibly, following all necessary regulatory, legal and professional obligations.

Promoting good academic practice

A key element of academic integrity is understanding good academic practice in written work and creative practice.

Understanding how to use the work of other scholars, including your peers, to develop your own insights into a subject and spark new ideas is an important professional skill. The skills you need to succeed in Higher Education in the United Kingdom (UK) may be different from those you have learned at school, college or in your workplace as you will be expected to follow professional academic conventions.

Within the UK professional academic community, it is never acceptable to use the words of others or their creative output (whether published or unpublished, including material from the internet) without explicit acknowledgement. To do so would not be seen as a mark of respect, but as plagiarism.

By submitting your work, you acknowledge that:

• You have read and understood the regulations and policy regarding academic integrity and misconduct
• This work will be subject to a variety of checks for academic misconduct.

By submitting your work, you declare that:

• The work is entirely your own, except those parts duly identified and referenced within the submission
• It complies with any specified word limits and the requirements and regulations detailed in the coursework instructions and any other relevant programme and module documentation.

Avoiding collusion

Working together with other students on a piece of work that will be submitted for individual assessment is not permitted and can result in an accusation of academic misconduct for all the students involved.

The Students' Union offers useful general advice, guidance and support including information on ‘Collaboration vs Collusion’.
Please be aware, this also includes any collusion which takes place via digital means such as text and email as well as via online platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram etc. (including the sharing of screenshots and photographs).

The consequences of collusion are very serious and could lead to the failure of assessments or even in expulsion from the University.