The Postgraduate Diploma in Public Health can be taken either full-time over 10 months or part-time over a maximum of 60 months from the date of first registration for the programme. It is designed to provide students, from a range of different professional backgrounds, with academic and experiential learning.

The Postgraduate Diploma has three pathways as follows:
Pathway 1: Health Promotion
Pathway 2: Health Protection
Pathway 3: Epidemiology

Prospective students must satisfy the following:

• Students accepted on the course would normally be expected to hold an Honours primary degree in a relevant subject (minimum Second Class Honours) or an Honours primary degree in any discipline (minimum Second Class Honours) and either possess a postgraduate qualification in a relevant field or show evidence of at least two years work experience in a relevant field;
• OR
• Completion of three years (180 credits) on the undergraduate medical degree programme. No student may register for the Intercalated Postgraduate Diploma in Public Health programme of study until the Third University Examination in Medicine has been passed to an Upper Second Class honours Standard. Students will be required to provide evidence of engagement with public health practice or research
• Include with application form a sample of their own written work
• May have to satisfy an interview board

Applicants should indicate on their application form their reasons for wishing to enter this programme and may be required to discuss these at interview.

Note: In exceptional circumstances, applicants without a primary degree may be recommended for entry to the programme following a review of their individual qualifications and experience by the course committee. Admission of such applicants will be subject to the approval of the College of Medicine and Health Executive Committee.

Fitness to Practise
Commencing with the 2013/2014 intake of first year students (including repeats), this programme will be subject to the University's Fitness to Practise Policy - full details may be found here.

Exemptions at point of entry:
Holders of the Postgraduate Certificate in Health Protection or the Postgraduate Certificate in Public Health will be exempt from certain modules on the programme if passed as part of the Postgraduate Certificate examination if he/she undertakes the Postgraduate Diploma in Public Health within five years from the date of successful completion of the Postgraduate Certificate in Health Protection or the Postgraduate Certificate in Public Health (EH6019, EH6046, MB6000, EH6035 and PG6009).

In Part I students take core modules to the value of 30 credits. In Part II students choose one of the Pathways and undertake modules to the value of 30 credits. (Pathway preferences will need to be chosen in consultation with the Programme Director.).
Students take 60 credits as follows:

Part I
Core Modules - All Pathways
Students take 30 credits as follows:
EH6025 Principles and Practice of Public Health (10 credits)
EH6026 Applied Research for Public Health (10 credits)
EH6027 Public Health Informatics (5 credits)
EH6028 Leadership in Public Health (5 credits)

Part II
(Pathway preferences will need to be chosen in consultation with the Programme Director.)

Pathway 1: Health Promotion
Students take 25 credits as follows:

EH6029 Health Promotion: Concepts, Principles and Practice (10 credits)
EH6039 Public Health and Behavioural Change (5 credits)
EH6045 Practice Portfolio - Health Promotion (5 credits)
PG6009 Graduate Information Literacy Skills (5 credits)
plus
5 credits from the following:
EH6046 Global and Environmental Health (5 credits)
SS6017 Critical Social Science Perspectives on Public Health (5 credits)

Pathway 2: Health Protection
Students take 30 credits as follows:

EH6019* The Principles and Practices of Multi-disciplinary Health Protection (10 credits)
EH6035* Practice Portfolio (5 credits)
EH6046* Global and Environmental Health (5 credits)
MB6000* Microbiology for Health Protection (5 credits)
PG6009 Graduate Information Literacy Skills (5 credits)

* Holders of the Postgraduate Certificate in Health Protection or the Postgraduate Certificate in Public Health will be exempt from these modules if passed as part of the Postgraduate Certificate examination if he/she undertakes the Postgraduate Diploma in Public Health within five years from the date of successful completion of the Postgraduate Certificate in Health Protection or the Postgraduate Certificate in Public Health (EH6019, EH6035, EH6046, MB6000, and PG6009).

Pathway 3: Epidemiology
Students take 30 credits as follows:

EH6031 Advanced Epidemiology (10 credits)
EH6044 Meta-Analysis (5 credits)
PG6009 Graduate Information Literacy Skills (5 credits)
ST6011 Advanced Biostatistics (5 credits)
ST6012 Survival Analysis (5 credits)

Module Semester Information may be found here. Module Descriptions may be found here.

Examinations
Full details and regulations governing Examinations for each programme will be contained in the Marks and Standards 2018 Book and for each module in the Book of Modules 2017/2018.

Exit award: Postgraduate Certificate in Public Health (NFQ Level 9, Minor award)
Upon successful completion and passing of core modules to the value of 30 credits, students may opt to exit the programme and be conferred with a Postgraduate Certificate in Public Health. A student who subsequently applies to continue  to the Postgraduate Diploma and/or Master's level must do so within 5 years from the date of successful completion of the Certificate Examinations. Students will be granted exemptions in all passed modules thereof (currently EH6019, EH6035, EH6046, MB6000, PG6009).

Individual Modules
As part of UCC's commitment to Continuing Professional Development (CPD), healthcare professionals may take a one-off module and be provided with a relevant transcript of marks.

Programme Learning Outcomes for Postgraduate Diploma in Public Health (NFQ Level 9, Major award)
On successful completion of this programme, students should be able to:

• Critically analyse theories and issues related to public health;
• Construct arguments around the social, political and economic factors determining the health of populations;
• Demonstrate competence in the key underpinning disciplines and theories of public health including epidemiology, communicable diseases including health care associated infections, biostatistics, social and behavioural sciences and social policy;
• Analyse and synthesise evidence and apply it to public health;
• Demonstrate enhanced knowledge in the chosen specialist pathway.

Programme Learning Outcomes for Postgraduate Certificate in Public Health (NFQ Level 9, Minor Award)
On successful completion of this programme, students should be able to:

• Demonstrate an understanding of the appropriate management of infectious diseases caused by different pathogenic microorganisms;
• Investigate the transmission of endemic and epidemic infections from sufficient knowledge of the characteristics and transmission of causative organisms;
• Select appropriate methods for control of hospital and community acquired infectious disease;
• Design, implement and evaluate co-ordinated control methods utilising tools such as reflective practice, audit and surveillance;
• Assess constraints of health protection delivery services and provide possible solutions to barriers;
• Describe the global impact of infectious diseases and strategies which are effective, partially effective and ineffective in management and prevention;
• Discuss the wider aspects of Health Protection;
• Discuss and identify effective methods to bring about practice change.