This is a four-year, full-time undergraduate programme, leading to the award of a BSc (Hons) Public Health. The programme includes a work placemement module and the option of studying abroad in the Third Year.
NOTE: This programme is being revised with changes being implemented on a phased basis commencing in 2016/17.
Applicants who are under 23 years of age must satisfy the minimum entry requirements of the College of Medicine and Health as set out here.
Entry on the Grounds of Mature Years
Applicants who have not satisfied the minimum entry requirements may,
on the recommendation of College, be considered for admission on the
grounds of mature years (see under "Mature Students" in the Admission
to Undergraduate Programmes section of the University
Calendar).
Three Year Rule
Students must pass/progress within three academic years of first
registration for each year of the programme. Students are permitted to
repeat any academic year once only and may not repeat any more than
two academic years in any one programme.
To be admitted to the First University Examination in Public Health a student must have satisfactorily attended modules to the value of 60 credits as follows:
Core Modules
Students take 50 credits as follows:
EH1004 Epidemiology I (10 credits)
EH1007 Introduction to Health Information Systems (HIS) (5
credits)
EH1008 Biology for Public
Health (10 credits)
EH1009 Determinants of Health (5 credits)
EH1010 Introduction to Public Health (5 credits)
EV2002 The Environment and Human Health (5 credits)
SC1011 Sociology of Health, Public Health and Health
Promotion (5 credits)
ST1002 Introduction to Health Statistics (5 credits)
and modules to the value of 10 credits from the following:
Elective Modules
GV1218 International Politics (5 credits)
FE1006 Poverty and Development (5 credits)*
FE1013 Introduction to Development Studies I (5 credits)*
BC1001 Introduction to Biochemistry and the Biological Basis of Disease (5 credits)**
MB1003 Microbiology in Society (5 credits)
FR1105 Threshold French (5 credits)***
FR1107 French for Reading Purposes (5 credits)***
GE0005 German Language (Intermediate Level B1, Pt1) (5 credits)#
GE0008 German Language (Intermediate Level B1 Pt 2) (5 credits)#
HS0028 Spanish Language (Beginner Level) (10 credits)##
HS1009 Spanish Language (Post Leaving Cert) (10 credits)###
MX1004 Introducing Medical Students to Irish as a Spoken Language (5 credits)
MX1007 Special Study Module – Advanced Irish Studies (5 credits)
*Students may take either FE1006 or FE1013 but not both
**BC1001 must be taken if planning to take BC modules in Second Year
*** Both FR1105 and FR1107 must be taken together if planning to take FR modules in Second Year. Otherwise either FR1105 or FR1107 can be taken.
#GE0005 and GE0008 must be taken together
##HS0028 must be taken if planning to take HS0128 in Second Year
###HS1009 must be taken if planning to take HS2101 in Second Year
Note
The following conditions apply to Language modules:
Students Repeating First Year in 2016/17
A student who repeats the first year of the programme must pass and progress in the current prescribed programme which may differ from the programme in an earlier attempt year. Where a student has been granted exemptions due to having passed module(s) in an earlier attempt year, an exemption in any particular module is relevant to the repeat year only where that module is included in the current prescribed programme. Students repeating first year in 2016/17 may be required to take new modules as prescribed by the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health.
Module Semester Information may be found here.
Module
Descriptions may be found here.
Examinations
Full details of regulations governing Examinations for each programme
will be contained in the Marks and Standards 2017 Book, and for
each module in the Book of Modules,
2016/2017.
For 2016/2017 only
No student may register for the Second Year programme of study until
the First University Examination has been passed. To be admitted to
the Second University Examination in Public Health a student must have
satisfactorily attended modules to the value of 60 credits as
follows:
EH2003 Principles of Social Research (5 credits)
EH2006 Epidemiology II (5 credits)
EH2007 Health Information Systems II (5 credits)
EH2008 Introduction to Theories and Practices of
Health Promotion (5 credits)
EH2009 Public Health Issues (5 credits)
MB1901 Introduction to Food and Industrial Microbiology
(5 credits)
MG2004 Management and Planning of Public Health Systems
(5 credits)
NT2013 Fundamentals of Nutrition Part 1 (5 credits)
NT2014 Fundamentals of Nutrition Part 2 (5 credits)
SC2027 Sociology of Health, Illness and the Body (5
credits)
SS2021 Critical Perspectives on Irish Health Policy (5
credits)
ST2005 Social Research and Survey Methods (5 credits)
From 2017/2018 onwards
No student may register for the Second Year programme of study until
the First University Examination has been passed. To be admitted to
the Second University Examination in Public Health a student must have
satisfactorily attended modules to the value of 60 credits as
follows:
Core Modules
Students take 50 credits as follows:
EH2003 Principles of Social Research (5 credits)
EH2006 Epidemiology II (5 credits)
EH2007 Health Information Systems II (5 credits)
EH2008 Introduction to Theories and Practices of
Health Promotion (5 credits)
EH2009 Public Health Issues (5 credits)
MB1901 Introduction to Food and Industrial Microbiology
(5 credits)
MG2004 Management and Planning of Public Health Systems
(5 credits)
NT2013 Fundamentals of Nutrition Part 1 (5 credits)
SS2021 Critical Perspectives on Irish Health Policy (5
credits)
ST2005 Social Research and Survey Methods (5 credits)
and modules to the value of 10 credits from the following:
Elective Modules
FE2003 Introduction to Sustainable Livelihoods Analysis (5 credits)
HI2022 The History of the Media in Ireland (5 credits)
GG2010 Cities of Diversity (5 credits)
PH2019 Philosphy of Science (5 credits)
ML2001 Introductory Molecular Biology (5 credits)
BC2001 Biomolecules (5 credits)[pre-requisite BC1001]*
BC2002 Principles of Metabolic Pathways (5 credits) [pre-requisite BC1001]*
FR2105 Towards Vantage French (5 credits) [pre-requisite FR1105] **
FR2107 French for Reading Purposes II (5 credits)[pre-requisite CEF B1 + reading skills]**
GE2101 Integrated German Language Course (10 credits)
HS0128 Spanish Language Course (Improver Level) (10 credits) [pre-requisite HS0028]
HS2101 Second Year Spanish Language Course (Ex beginners) (10 credits) [pre-requisite HS1009]
*BC2001 and BC2002 must be taken if planning to take BC3008 modules in Third Year
**FR2105 and FR2107 must be taken together
Study Abroad Option (Third Year)
A limited number of students may be allowed to take Third Year of the BSc Public Health programme at an approved university in another country. An application to study abroad must be made to the Head of Department of Epidemiology and Public Health by the 31st January of Second Year. Permission to undertake any study abroad will be conditional on the student achieving at least an Upper Second Class honours (2H1) in the Second University Examination in Public Health in the Summer examination.
Students Repeating Second Year in 2017/18
A student who repeats the second year of the programme must pass and progress in the current prescribed programme which may differ from the programme in an earlier attempt year. Where a student has been granted exemptions due to having passed module(s) in an earlier attempt year, an exemption in any particular module is relevant to the repeat year only where that module is included in the current prescribed programme. Students repeating second year in 2017/18 may be required to take new modules as prescribed by the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health.
Module Semester Information may be found here.
Module
Descriptions may be found here.
Examinations
Full details of regulations governing Examinations for each programme
will be contained in the Marks and Standards 2017 Book, and for
each module in the Book of Modules,
2016/2017.
For 2016/2017 only
No student may register for the Third Year programme of study until the Second University Examination has been passed. The Third Year Public Health programme consists of taught modules to the value of 50 credits and a Work Placement module to the value of 10 credits.
EH3000 Epidemiology III (5 credits)
EH3011 Public Health Practice (10 credits)
EH3012 Data Management for Public Health (10
credits)
MB3901 Medical Microbiology (5 credits)
MB3012 Transmission and Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases (5
credits)
NT2008 Nutrition in Growth, Development and Ageing (5 credits)
SC3025 Sociology of Health and Illness: New Directions and
Current Debates (5 credits)
SS3024 The Politics of Health and Medicine (5 credits)
EH3004 - Work Placement (10 credits)
Following the Third University Examinations in spring of the Third
Year, students must also undertake a compulsory 12 week work
placement (EH3004 - 10 credits). Students will be placed in an
environment in which they can apply public health theory in practice.
This will be with an appropriate organisation - a Health Services
Executive area, a local authority, a development authority, or a
national agency, such as the Food Safety Authority. The Placement
module shall be assessed on a Pass/Fail basis, and must be passed in
order to graduate, (Full details of the placement are available on request from the Department of Epidemiology and
Public Health).
Note: The Third University Examination in Public Health will be undertaken in March/April to accommodate the Work Placement (EH3004).
Full details of regulations governing Examinations for each programme will be contained in the Marks and Standards 2017 Book, and for each module in the Book of Modules, 2016/2017.
From 2017/2018 onwards
No student may register for the Third Year programme of study until the Second University Examination has been passed. With the exception of students availing of the year abroad option the Third Year Public Health programme consists of core taught modules to the value of 40 credits, a Work Placement module to the value of 10 credits and elective modules to the value of 10 credits.
EH3000 Epidemiology III (5 credits)
EH3011 Public Health Practice (10 credits)
EH3012 Data Management for Public Health (10 credits)
MB3012 Transmission and Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases (5
credits)
NT2008 Nutrition in Growth, Development and Ageing (5 credits)
SC3025 Sociology of Health and Illness: New Directions and
Current Debates (5 credits)
EH3004 - Work Placement (10 credits)
Following the Third University Examinations in spring of the Third Year programme, all students not availing of the year-abroad option must undertake a compulsory 12 week work placement (EH3004). Students will be placed in an
environment in which they can apply public health theory in practice.
This will be with an appropriate organisation - a Health Services
Executive area, a local authority, a development authority, or a
national agency, such as the Food Safety Authority. The Placement
module shall be assessed on a Pass/Fail basis, and must be passed in
order to graduate, (Full details of the placement are available on request from the Department of Epidemiology and
Public Health). Students who are studying abroad in the Third Year are not required to complete a Work Placement.
and modules to the value of 10 credits from the following:
Elective Modules
FE3010 Gender and Development (5 credits)
GV3212Political Economy - Trade (5 credits)
GG3010 Global Urbanism (5 credits)
NT3015 Applied Nutrition (5 credits)
MB3901 Medical Microbiology (5 credits)
Note: The Third University Examination in Public Health will be undertaken in March/April to accommodate the Work Placement (EH3004).
Third Year Study Abroad Students
A limited number of students may be permitted to undertake the Third Year of their BSc Public Health studies at an approved institution abroad. This option is only available to students who obtain at least a Second Class honours (2H1) in the First University Examination and Second University Examination in Public Health, at the respective summer examinations. Applications, including the proposed workload at the host institution, should be submitted to the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health before the 31st January in the Second Year. Please note that the number of students who can avail of the year-abroad option will be limited in any given year. Where the demand exceeds the number of available places, the Department will adjudicate on the applications. The adjudication will be based on the following criteria (a) the student's performance in the First University Examination in Public Health; (b) the quality of the application; and (c) an interview may be required for admission to the programme.
Students studying abroad for Third Year should follow a study programme broadly equivalent to 60 credits of the BSc Public Health. Where a language other than English is the language of instruction at the approved institution, up to 10 credits in one Semester of the programme may be dedicated to formal study of the language of instruction. The detailed programme of study shall be proposed by the student in consultation with the approved host institution and the Director of the BSc Public Health Programme, and shall require the approval of the Head of Department.
The student shall be examined by the approved host institution. Marks shall be submitted to the summer Examination Board UCC, with a supplemental board sitting in the autumn. Honours will not be awarded at the Third Public Health Examination Boards to those students who take their year abroad. Instead, academic transcripts and/or other certified documentation from the approved host institution will be appended to the academic transcript issued by UCC.
NOTE: A student who takes but fails the Third University Examination in Public Health abroad will be eligible to repeat the 3rd year of the programme at University College Cork which will include the Work Placement Module (EH3004). There is no option to repeat the Third Year abroad.
Students Repeating Third Year in 2017/18
A student who repeats the third year of the programme must pass and progress in the current prescribed programme which may differ from the programme in an earlier attempt year. Where a student has been granted exemptions due to having passed module(s) in an earlier attempt year, an exemption in any particular module is relevant to the repeat year only where that module is included in the current prescribed programme. Students repeating third year in 2017/18 may be required to take new modules as prescribed by the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health.
Module Semester Information may be found here.
Module
Descriptions may be found here.
Examinations
Full details of regulations governing Examinations for each programme
will be contained in the Marks and Standards 2017 Book, and for
each module in the Book of Modules,
2016/2017.
For 2016/2017 only
Students may not register for the Fourth Year programme of study until the Third University Examination has been passed and the Work Placement module (EH3004) has been undertaken. No student may graduate until the Work Placement module has been passed.
To be admitted to the Fourth Year BSc (Hons) Public Health Degree Examination, a student must have satisfactorily attended modules to the value of 60 credits as follows:
Core Modules
Students take 40 credits as follows:
EC4302 Health Economics (5 credits)
EH4003 Health Protection (5 credits)
EH4005 Health Services (5 credits)
EH4008 Public Health Advocacy (5 credits)
EH4010 Final Year Project (10 credits)
GP4000 Primary Health Care (5 credits)
SS4000 Science, Technology and Public Controversy (5 credits)
and modules to the value of 20 credits from the following:
Elective Modules
EH4000 Advanced Applied Epidemiology (5 credits)
EH4004 Introduction to Promoting Health with Communities (5
credits)
EH4009 Global Health and Development (5 credits)
NT4011 Nutrition and Public Health (5 credits) [pre-requisite NT2008]
FE4005 Advanced Programme Planning and Policy Processes (5 credits)
FE4012 Humanitarian Action in Development (5 credits)
PH3110 Human Nature and Free Will (5 credits)
GG3010 Global Urbanism (5
credits)
Students Repeating Fourth Year in 2016/17
A student who repeats the fourth year of the programme must pass and progress in the current prescribed programme which may differ from the programme in an earlier attempt year. Where a student has been granted exemptions due to having passed module(s) in an earlier attempt year, an exemption in any particular module is relevant to the repeat year only where that module is included in the current prescribed programme. Students repeating fourth year in 2016/17 may be required to take new modules as prescribed by the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health.
For 2017/2018 only
Students may not register for the Fourth Year programme of study until the Third University Examination has been passed and the Work Placement module (EH3004) has been undertaken. No student may graduate until the Work Placement module has been passed.
To be admitted to the Fourth Year BSc (Hons) Public Health Degree Examination, a student must have satisfactorily attended modules to the value of 60 credits as follows:
Core Modules
Students take 40 credits as follows:
EC4302 Health Economics (5 credits)
EH4003 Health Protection (5 credits)
EH4005 Health Services (5 credits)
EH4008 Public Health Advocacy (5 credits)
EH4010 Final Year project (10 credits)
GP4000 Primary Health Care (5 credits)
SS4000 Science, Technology and Public Controversy (5 credits)
and modules to the value of 20 credits from the following:
Elective Modules
EH4000 Advanced Applied Epidemiology (5 credits)
EH4004 Introduction to Promoting Health with Communities (5
credits)
EH4009 Global Health and Development (5 credits)
NT4011 Nutrition and Public Health (5 credits) [pre-requisite NT2008]
GG3010 Global Urbanism (5
credits) [If not taken in year 3]
FE4005 Advanced Programme Planning and Policy Processes (5 credits)
FE4012 Humanitarian Action in Development (5 credits)
PH3110 Human Nature and Free Will (5
credits)
BC3008 Biochemistry of the Central Nervous System (5 credits) [pre-requisite BC2001 or BC2002]
From 2018/2019 onwards
Students may not register for the Fourth Year programme of study until the Third University Examination has been passed and the Work Placement module (EH3004) has been undertaken. No student may graduate until the Work Placement module has been passed.
Students who undertake the Study Abroad option in Third Year, must pass the Third University Examination in the approved host institution to register for the Fourth Year programme. In the case of a student failing the Third University Examination in the host institution the Third Year is repeated in University College Cork and the student may not register for the Fourth Year programme of study until the Third University Examination has been passed and the Work Placement module (EH3004) has been undertaken.
To be admitted to the Fourth Year BSc (Hons) Public Health Degree Examination, a student must have satisfactorily attended modules to the value of 60 credits as follows:
Core Modules
Students take 40 credits as follows:
EC4302 Health Economics (5 credits)
EH4003 Health Protection (5 credits)
EH4005 Health Services (5 credits)
EH4008 Public Health Advocacy (5 credits)
EH4010 Final Year project (10 credits)
GP4000 Primary Health Care (5 credits)
SS4000 Science, Technology and Public Controversy (5 credits)
and modules to the value of 20 credits from the following:
Elective Modules
EH4000 Advanced Applied Epidemiology (5 credits)
EH4004 Introduction to Promoting Health with Communities (5
credits)
EH4009 Global Health and Development (5 credits)
NT4011 Nutrition and Public Health (5 credits) [pre-requisite NT2008]
GG3010 Global Urbanism (5
credits)
FE4005 Advanced Programme Planning and Policy Processes (5 credits)
FE4012 Humanitarian Action in Development (5 credits)
PH3110 Human Nature and Free Will (5
credits)
BC3008 Biochemistry of the Central Nervous System (5 credits) [pre-requisite BC2001 or BC2002]
Module Semester Information may be found here.
Module
Descriptions may be found here
Examinations
Full details of regulations governing Examinations for each programme
will be contained in the Marks and Standards 2017 Book, and for
each module in the Book of Modules,
2016/2017.
Programme Learning Outcomes for BSc (Hons) Public Health (NFQ Level 8,
Major Award)
On successful completion of this programme, students should be able
to: