Program Overview

Public Health and Community Studies BA (Hons)

Course Overview

The Public Health and Community Studies BA (Hons) course aims to provide you with the underpinning theoretical knowledge, professional expertise and work-based learning relevant to a range of roles working in health and social care.

What You'll Study

Year One

• Communication Skills and Inclusive Practice - 30 credits
  • Develops awareness of the skills needed to work with individuals and groups in communities and to provide effective public health practice which promotes health and wellbeing.
• Community and Change - 30 credits
  • Equips you with an understanding of the ways in which contemporary communities are changing, and the challenges that such change presents to a range of agencies working to support and develop them.
• Contemporary and Public Health - 30 credits
  • Introduces you to the role of public health in contemporary UK society, covering topics such as the promotion of healthy lifestyles, government action, and the impact of recent mental health legislation.
• Lifespan Development and Identity - 30 credits
  • Provides an understanding of human lifespan development, examining the holistic influences on development and their interrelationship, and how this accounts for the formation of self.

Year Two

• Social Divisions and Social Groups - 30 credits
  • Enables you to gain an understanding of the nature of contemporary society from a sociological perspective, with an emphasis on linking social theory and sociological insights to your own life experiences.
• Mental Health and Wellbeing - 30 credits
  • Provides an understanding of the key concepts of mental health, mental wellbeing and mental health promotion, and helps you develop insights into the support needs of people with mental health problems and their families.
• Introduction to Social Science Research Methods - 30 credits
  • Develops your ability to recognise and evaluate core research strategies and methods in social science research, and to develop skills in literature reviewing, research design and ethical literacy.
• Lifestyle Trends, Health and Behaviour Change - 30 credits
  • Raises your awareness of contemporary lifestyle behaviour and its impact on health and wellbeing, and health promotion methods that can be used to enable behaviour change.

Placement Year

• UK Work Placement - 0 credits
  • Provides you with an opportunity to reflect upon and gain experience for an approved placement undertaken during your programme.
• International Study/Work Placements - 0 credits
  • Provides you with an opportunity to reflect upon and gain experience for an approved international study/work placement undertaken during your programme.

Final Year

• Leadership and Management in Public Health - 30 credits
  • Provides you with the opportunity to critically analyse the requirements and expectations for effective leadership and management in community and public health settings in a challenging and ever-changing environment.
• Promoting Healthy Communities - 30 credits
  • Enables you to develop a critical understanding of health promotion by asking you to examine the relationship between theory and real-life experiences of professional practice.
• Contemporary Welfare and Social Policy - 30 credits
  • Introduces social policy and its application in the UK, as well as making comparisons between UK and global welfare services, and investigates the origins of social policies in the UK and their development.
• Research Project - 30 credits
  • Allows you to undertake a research project using secondary research, and to formulate a research question and demonstrate an ability to critically analyse secondary research.

How You'll Learn

• The degree is available as a full-time three-year course, with part-time study also available.
• Teaching methods are varied, offering a number of teaching styles to suit the needs of all students, including lectures, online aspects, workshops and group work.
• Progression through the modules develops knowledge and skills, including communication, study skills, research methods, project management, presentation and career development.

Entry Requirements

• HNC: 64 UCAS tariff points, GCSE maths and English at grade 4 / C or Functional Skills Level 2, or other equivalent Level 2 awards, and minimum two A2 levels or BTEC equivalent qualification.
• HND: 80 UCAS tariff points, GCSE maths and English at grade 4 / C or Functional Skills Level 2, or other equivalent Level 2 awards, and minimum two A2 levels or BTEC equivalent qualification.
• Degree: 104 UCAS tariff points, GCSE maths and English at grade 4 / C or Functional Skills Level 2, or other equivalent Level 2 awards, and minimum two A2 levels or BTEC equivalent qualification.

Fees and Funding

• 2024/25 tuition fees:
  • UK, Ireland, Channel Islands or Isle of Man: £7,950 per year (full-time), not available (part-time)
  • EU: £7,950 per year with EU Support Bursary, £18,300 per year without EU Support Bursary
  • International: £18,300 per year
• Additional costs:
  • Any optional overseas field trips or visits: £400+ per trip
  • Any costs associated with securing, attending or completing a placement (whether in the UK or abroad)

Facilities

• All facilities are located at Mile Lane, including indoor and outdoor social spaces, a library, open access IT suites, engineering lab, science lab, and a moot courtroom.

Careers and Opportunities

• Graduates have gone on to work successfully in a variety of careers, including Briefing Advisor, Digital Care Coordinator, Independence Advisor, Programme Leader, Addiction Support Worker, Community Support Officer, Health Intervention Officer, Mental Health Link Worker, and Social Prescribing Worker.