Program Overview

Master of Public Health Program

The Master of Public Health (MPH) program at the University of Malaya is designed to produce specialists with a strong foundation in public health and adequate training to take up special functions in their chosen discipline. The program, which started in 1973, aims to equip students with the necessary skills to exhibit proper leadership and managerial expertise, function effectively and efficiently, and perform duties at local, district, state, and national levels.

Program Objectives

The MPH program seeks to produce graduates who are:

1. Technically competent in the broad field of public health
2. Equipped with specialized knowledge and skills in a particular discipline of public health
3. Able to exhibit proper leadership and managerial expertise
4. Able to function effectively and efficiently
5. Able to perform duties at local, district, state, and national levels
6. An advocate of public health
7. Able to carry out research or studies and produce epidemiological reports

Eligibility

The program is suitable for medical doctors, dentists, pharmacists, and health professionals. It is also suitable for established or early-career clinical specialists who are keen to learn more about health issues and research techniques related to disease causation and prevention.

Duration of Study

• The minimum duration of study is two regular semesters and one special semester.
• The maximum duration of study is eight semesters.
• A regular semester consists of 14 weeks of lecture/guided learning, one week of mid-semester break, three weeks of examination, and two weeks of end-of-semester break, totaling 20 weeks per regular semester.
• A special semester consists of 8 weeks of lecture/guided learning and two weeks of examination, totaling 10 weeks.

Entry Requirements

Entry requirements for the program are as follows:

1. Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery or an equivalent medical qualification approved by the Senate
2. Bachelor of Dental Surgery
3. Bachelor of Allied Health with a CGPA of at least 3.00
4. Bachelor's degree with a CGPA of at least 3.00 in a relevant discipline
5. At least one year of working experience in the relevant field after graduation

Alternatively, applicants with: 6. Bachelor of Allied Health with a CGPA of 2.5 to 2.99 7. Bachelor's degree with a CGPA of 2.5 to 2.99 in a relevant discipline 8. At least two years of work experience in the relevant field after graduation 9. Passing an interview

Or: 10. Bachelor of Allied Health with a CGPA of 2.0 to 2.49 11. Bachelor's degree with a CGPA of 2.0 to 2.49 in a relevant discipline 12. At least five years of work experience in the relevant field after graduation 13. Passing an interview

Language Requirement

Non-Malaysian applicants whose degree is from a university or institution of higher learning that did not use English as the medium of instruction must obtain:

• International English Language Testing (IELTS) with a minimum score of 6
• Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) with a minimum score of 60 (IBT) or 8.5 (IBT Essentials)
• Pearson Test of Academic English (PTE) with a minimum score of 59
• Cambridge English Qualifications and Tests with a minimum score of 169
• Linguaskill Online with a minimum score of 169
• Occupational English Test (OET) with a minimum score of 250

Program Structure

The Master of Public Health program is a coursework program with a research component comprising less than 30% of the whole program of study. The program consists of:

• Four core courses, each with three credits, totaling 12 credits
• One core course leading to a research project with nine credits
• Five specialization courses, each with three credits, totaling 15 credits
• Three elective courses, each with two credits, totaling six credits

Course Outline

The medium of instruction for this course is English, and candidates are required to complete their assignments, reports, tests, and examinations in English. The candidate will follow a program of in-house instruction in General Public Health.

Core Courses

• MQB7001: Research Method (3 credits)
• MQB7005: Principles and Methods of Epidemiology (3 credits)
• MQB7047: Principles of Management in Health (3 credits)
• MQB7049: Principles of Biostatistics (3 credits)
• MQB7050: Research Project (9 credits)

Specialization Courses

• MQB7003: Principles of Family Health (3 credits)
• MQB7004: Society, Behaviour and Health (3 credits)
• MQB7034: Environmental Health (3 credits)
• MQB7041: Occupational Health (3 credits)
• MQB7042: Global Health (3 credits)

Elective Courses

• MQB7012: Producing Better Evidence (2 credits)
• MQB7014: Health Economics (2 credits)
• MQB7025: Health Promotion (2 credits)
• MQB7026: Public Health Nutrition (2 credits)
• MQB7027: Qualitative Inquiry in Public Health (2 credits)
• MQB7030: Comparative Health System (2 credits)
• MQB7033: Social Health Determinants (2 credits)
• MQB7036: Occupational Medicine (2 credits)
• MQB7038: Clinical Occupational Medicine (2 credits)
• MQB7039: Global Health Leadership (2 credits)
• MQB7040: Nutritional Epidemiology (2 credits)
• MQB7043: Ethics, Law and Health (2 credits)
• MQB7044: Data Management in Public Health (2 credits)
• MQB7045: Essentials of Data Science in Public Health (2 credits)
• MQB7046: Modelling Public Health Data (2 credits)
• MQB7048: Medical Surveillance and Fitness to Work (2 credits)

Examination and Assessment

The examination leading to the degree of Master of Public Health shall consist of an examination or examinations in each of the courses prescribed for the Master of Public Health degree program. The marking scheme includes:

• Continuous assessment (50-100%)
• End-of-semester examination (0-50%)
• Research project (100% on submission of the written report)

Award of Degree

No candidate shall be recommended for the award of the Degree of Master of Public Health unless they have completed all parts of the course and have passed the prescribed examinations. Candidates must obtain at least a 'B' (grade point average of 3.0) in the courses to be considered to have passed the course. Candidates must have completed 42 credits to be considered for the degree of Master of Public Health.