MPH Master of Public Health (Online)

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Study flexibly online and boost your career with an MPH Master of Public Health (Online) from Scotland’s top-rated University for Health Sciences research.

Public Health (Online)

Key facts

  • Award MPH, Postgraduate Certificate, Postgraduate Diploma
  • Start date May 2025, September 2025
  • Duration MPH part-time: 36 months (September start), 44 months (January/February start), 40 months (May start)
  • Mode of study part time
  • Delivery online

Accreditations

Agency for Public Health Education Accreditation (APHEA) validated curriculum

APHEA Logo

Overview

Public health policy and decision-making has an impact on all aspects of our lives. This was seen clearly during the Covid-19 pandemic. Informing and acting on those decisions are highly trained and skilled people working in public health roles. Public health professionals work across community, national and worldwide initiatives, in health improvement, disease prevention and health services planning. Some engage directly with communities to promote health and deliver services. Others work behind-the-scenes, supporting the overall functioning of public health programmes, policies and research. What they share is a passion for supporting the health and wellbeing of communities, and a strong commitment to social justice.  

This course can help you become part of that powerful workforce, helping to find solutions to community and global health issues. Your reasons for choosing a career in public health will be as individual as you are. Whatever your starting point, and wherever your ambitions lie, this Masters course will help you to develop specific skills and competencies in public health practice, as well as key ‘boundary crossing’ competencies like leadership, communication and systems thinking. You will emerge not only with a comprehensive understanding of public health theories but also with the ability to effect positive change in communities. 

You will be taught by world-leading public health academics from the Faculty of Health Sciences and Sport and the Institute for Social Marketing and Health (ISMH) - an award-winning Institute with more than 40 years of experience in research leading to improvements in population health and wellbeing. We are passionate about public health, and we want to share that passion with you.  

Our curriculum is validated by Agency for Public Health Education Accreditation (APHEA) recognising our commitment to excellence. As a Stirling student, you will benefit from a curriculum that prepares you for real-world challenges, equipping you with the knowledge and skills to make a difference in public health.

Our MPH Master of Public Health course is:  

  • 100% online, taking advantage of what digital delivery can offer, and providing flexibility in when, where and how you study. 
  • Modular, with options that allow you to create a bespoke course tailored to your career goals. 
  • Grounded and practical, including real-world case studies and projects that allow you to apply your knowledge and skills to authentic public health challenges.

Individual modules and short courses

You’re also able to take any of the current Master of Public Health (Online) modules as part of your individual continuous professional development (CPD), including Public Health Practice, Applied Epidemiology, Public Health Research, Public Health Policy and Health Promotion and Behaviour Change. Find out more about CPD and short courses.

This course aims to produce highly skilled public health practitioners and leaders. It will allow you to develop your own specialisms and areas of interest, while reflecting on the role of public health in improving the lives of communities and populations. Through your studies, you’ll learn how to:

  • analyse and apply public health theory and approaches to a range of key areas;
  • gain first-hand insight into the skills and methods used by researchers, practitioners and policymakers;
  • develop practical and transferable skills, including communication, research methods, critical appraisal, and the development of recommendations for policy and practice.

A distinctive MPH Masters course

This multidisciplinary course is founded on the belief that improving population health and reducing health inequalities is vital to creating a better society. It combines theoretical knowledge and practical skills, working in collaboration with global experts and third sector partners, to develop your expertise and understanding of public health practice, research and policy. 

Our course has a strong focus on the social impact of public health policy: investigating how society can tackle health inequalities, exploring the role of public health advocacy in driving change, and considering the relationship between grassroots experiences and the policies that shape interventions. There is also a strong focus on public health practice, helping you develop the discipline specific skills and boundary-spanning competencies that are most relevant to current and future careers in public health, through individual study and collaborations with other students and staff. Our curriculum is aligned with both the UK Public Health Skills and Knowledge Framework and the European Agency for Public Health Education Accreditation. 

The course is awarded curriculum validation by Agency for Public Health Education Accreditation (APHEA), signifying alignment with international standards and assuring our students and stakeholders that our course is of the highest quality.

The MPH course is delivered with close support from Stirling University’s Institute of Social Marketing and Health (ISMH). For over 40 years, the ISMH has provided world-leading research on public health policy with a particular focus on the role of commercial drivers in shaping public health outcomes. You will benefit from being taught by researchers working closely with this highly regarded and influential research unit. 

Our research is world-class and is recognised for its quality and innovation. In the most recent Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021) analysis 100% of our research environment, 80% of our research impact and 83% of our overall research in Allied Health Professions and Nursing is classed as world-leading or internationally excellent.

 

What our students said

Oluwaseun Ajibawo
Oluwaseun Ajibawo
Nigeria
MPH Master of Public Health (Online)
At the University of Stirling, I have been exposed to an array of learning tools, journals and books, which have made concepts in the MPH course easier to understand. The modules in the course are designed to equip students with knowledge that can be applied globally. Stirling is a forward-thinking and innovative university.
Read Oluwaseun's story
Ewan Taylor
Ewan Taylor
United Kingdom
MPH Master of Public Health (online)
The course gave me a broader scope of career pathways. Within my profession of pharmacy, the traditional roles are in hospital, community or primary care, but the MPH allows me the additional option of moving into a more strategic type of role in the Public Health sphere.
Read Ewan's story
Sarah Anyango
Sarah Anyango
Uganda
MPH Master of Public Health (online)
This course had a lot of impact on my career. It enabled me to gain confidence as a leader in the organisation and to start thinking out of the box. It also stood out as being the best choice for people in full-time employment.
Read Sarah's story
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