MSc Public Health (Addictions)

Program Overview

The MSc in Public Health (Addictions) from LJMU's Public Health Institute delves into the evidence base of addiction harms and risks and explores the policies and interventions used to minimize them. This groundbreaking course offers insights into the wider social and political aspects of addiction, moving beyond the traditional focus on treatment as behavior. Students benefit from work-related experience, personalized support from academic supervisors, and a supportive learning environment.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

This MSc in Public Health (Addictions) from LJMU's Public Health Institute examines the evidence base of harms/risks relating to addictions and ways to reduce them. It is a ground-breaking course, unique in the north west, exploring the evidence base of addiction harms and risks and the policies used to reduce them. The course content is informed by key research in alcohol and drug addiction. Students benefit from support and guidance for placement learning opportunities. The program focuses on the wider social and political aspects of addiction, moving away from the traditional treatment of addiction as a behavior. It addresses the major public health challenges facing communities around the world, with wide-ranging consequences for individuals, families, and society as a whole. The MSc in Public Health (Addiction) builds on the Public Health Institute's extensive research portfolio, covering drugs, alcohol, and tobacco. Students come from diverse backgrounds, including nursing, psychology, and criminology, with many having experience in drug or alcohol support roles. The program provides specialist knowledge and insights into a wide range of addiction issues, working with leading academics in the field. The Public Health Institute leverages an established network of practitioners and policymakers to create a unique educational experience.

Outline:

Core Modules:

• Public Health: Policy and Practice (20 credits): This module introduces concepts and theories within the field of public health.
It enhances knowledge and understanding of population-based health issues and public health response in light of policy and practice. It enables students to examine health inequalities, identify local, national, and international health-related strategies.
• Research Methods (20 credits): This module encourages students to develop their skills as potential producers of research and their ability to systematically evaluate research outcomes from various sources.
It provides a critical knowledge base of the philosophical foundations of public health research, develops expertise in qualitative and quantitative data analysis, and prepares students to carry out empirical and literature-based research. It expands research skills and applies knowledge learned in earlier modules to the research project. Students develop skills necessary to plan and execute a research project relevant to their area of study and effectively communicate research outcomes to an appropriate audience. Students can choose their own topic and methodology, which should be relevant to public health and ideally to their route specialism. They can choose to write up as a full dissertation or as a journal-style article (which comes with a viva).
• Understanding Addictions (20 credits): This module enhances knowledge and understanding of addiction as a public health issue and its risk factors.
It assesses different models of addiction (e.g., drug addiction, alcohol addiction, gambling, etc.) as well as its associations and mediators/moderators.
• Addictions: Policy and Interventions (20 credits): This module enhances knowledge and understanding of addictions policy objectives, enabling students to critically assess the effectiveness of interventions.
It enables students to identify core addiction policies and strategies from a UK and international perspective, assess how these are developed and put into operation, examine how personal and structural forces impact addiction and assess if these are related to policy objectives, and evaluate policies and interventions designed to improve addiction outcomes.
• Public Health Epidemiology, Intelligence, and Health Protection (20 credits): Epidemiology, Health Intelligence, and Health Protection are core public health disciplines that share some key approaches and methods.
Epidemiological and health surveillance methods provide essential data used to determine suitable health protection strategies. This module explores these three key areas and the relationships between them and applies them to a number of key issues from a global context.

Optional Modules:

• Global Health (10 credits): This module examines public health risk in the context of globalization.
It explores the key processes of globalization and how they impact the health of populations and their environments. Public health risks are identified, and their global-level strategic responses are evaluated.
• Violence (10 credits): This module critically examines a range of key issues relating to violence and health from international, national, and local perspectives.
It demonstrates the need for an interdisciplinary public health approach when addressing the causes of violence, building prevention control strategies, and promoting safety. It enables students to understand and develop strategies to control violence.
• Work Related Learning (20 credits): This module aims to enable students to work practically and develop public health knowledge and skills pertinent to practical settings.
• Independent Study (10 credits): This module aims to develop students' knowledge of a public health topic suited to their own needs but which fulfills the learning outcomes for the module.
It focuses on literature review rather than an empirical study related to the field. It provides students with an opportunity to develop their own learning and knowledge base in a public health topic of their choice.

Assessment:

The program uses a range of assessment methods, including essays, reports, poster presentations, and the dissertation. There are few written exams.

Teaching:

• Study Hours: Full-time students attend university for teaching on two full days (Tuesday and Wednesday).
Part-time students normally attend one day/week: Tuesday in the first year of study and Wednesday in the second year.
• Teaching Methods: Students learn via lectures, tutorials, and workshop-related activity.
The program requires a significant amount of independent learning through the library, off-campus, and the virtual learning environment.
• Support: On joining the course, students are appointed a personal tutor who provides academic and pastoral support.
They also have at least one supervisor for the duration of their dissertation module.
• Applied Learning: The program enables students to gain work-related experience in an applied health setting, including the Public Health Institute, Local NGOs/charity sector, and local authority.
Research can also be undertaken in collaboration with these sectors through negotiated agreement. Many students conduct their research project in applied health settings such as the NHS and charity sectors.

Careers:

Graduates of this course typically work in areas improving the health and well-being of individuals, communities, and populations, taking up roles in the voluntary or private sectors. Many Public Health graduates go on to work in the NHS or for local authorities. Graduates may also choose to advance their research career or undertake further study to PhD level.

Other:

The Public Health Institute is located in the City Campus, where students have access to the Avril Robarts Library, IT Zones, high-quality teaching facilities and lecture theatres, plus a range of cafes and social spaces.

Home fee:

£8,390

International full-time per year:

£17,750