This is a four-year, full-time undergraduate programme, leading to the award of a BSc (Hons) Public Health Sciences / BSc (Hons) Public Health*. The programme includes a work placement module and the option of studying abroad in the Third Year.

*The title of this programme has changed from BSc (Hons) (Public Health) to BSc (Hons) (Public Health Sciences) for students entering the programme from 2017/18 onwards.

NOTE: This programme is being revised with changes being implemented on a phased basis (commenced 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).

Garda Vetting
Students, or applicants in receipt of an offer, on this programme will be subject to Garda Vetting as relevant. Students will be prohibited from engaging in a relevant work placement unless the vetting process has been cleared. Click here to view UCC's Student Garda Vetting Policy.

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 Sciences 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)
EH1006 Perspectives on Public Health (5 credits)
EH1007 Introduction to Health Information Systems (HIS) (5 credits)
EH1009 Determinants of Health (5 credits)
EH1010 Introduction to Public Health (5 credits)
EV2002 The Environment and Human Health (5 credits)
MB1003 Microbiology in Society (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
BC1001 Introduction to Biochemistry and the Biological Basis of Disease (5 credits)**
FE1006 Poverty and Development (5 credits)*
FE1013 Introduction to Development Studies I (5 credits)*
FR1105 Threshold French (5 credits)***
FR1107 French for Reading Purposes I (5 credits)***
GE0005 German Language (CEFR-Level A2.1) (5 credits)^#
GE0008 German Language (CEFR-Level A2.2) (5 credits)^#
GV1218 International Politics (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 Language (5 credits)^####
PL1025 Fundamentals of Physiology (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
^####MX1007 must be taken if planning to take MX2009 in Second Year

Note
The following conditions apply to Language modules:

• Students may not select a Language module where there is a timetable clash with core modules.
• The level at which a student is permitted to take a particular language module will be determined by the relevant department.

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 2018/2019 Book and for each module in the Book of Modules 2018/2019.

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 Sciences 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 Public Health Research Report (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
BC2001 Biomolecules (5 credits)[pre-requisite BC1001]*
BC2002 Principles of Metabolic Pathways (5 credits) [pre-requisite BC1001]*
FE2003 Introduction to Sustainable Livelihoods Analysis (5 credits)
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)
GG2010 Cities of Diversity (5 credits)
HI2022 The History of the Media in Ireland (5 credits)
HS0128 Spanish Language Course (Improver [01] Level) (10 credits) [pre-requisite HS0028]
HS2101 Second Year Spanish Language Course (Ex beginners) (10 credits) [pre-requisite HS1009]
LW2202 Introduction to Human Rights Law (10 credits)
ML2001 Introductory Molecular Biology (5 credits)
MX2009 Advanced Irish Language II (5 credits) [pre-requisite MX1007]
PH2019 Philosophy of Science (5 credits)
SC2027 Sociology of the Body, Health and Illness (5 credits)

*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 Sciences programme at an approved university in another country. Second Year students must submit an application to study abroad to the Dean, School of Public Health by the end of the last teaching week in Semester 1. 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 Sciences in the Summer examination.

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 2018/2019 Book and for each module in the Book of Modules 2018/2019.

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.

Core Modules
EH3000 Epidemiology III (5 credits)
EH3011 Public Health Practice (10 credits)
EH3014 Data Analysis for Public Health Research (5 credits)
MB3012 Transmission and Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases (5 credits)
NT2008 Nutrition in Growth, Development and Ageing (5 credits)
PH3042 Professional Ethics (5 credits)
SC3025 Health and Scientific Deviance (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 School of 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)
GV3212 Global Political Economy - Trade (5 credits)
MB3901 Medical Microbiology (5 credits)
SS3024 Social Movements and Health (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 Second University Examination in Public Health, at the summer examinations. Applications, including the proposed workload at the host institution, should be submitted to the Dean, School of Public Health before the end of the last teaching week in Semester 1 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 School will adjudicate on the applications. The adjudication will be based on the following criteria (a) the student's performance in the Second 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/Public Health Sciences. 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/Public Health Sciences Programme, and shall require the approval of the Dean of the School of Public Health.

The student shall be examined by the approved host institution. Marks shall be submitted to the Autumn Examination Board UCC. 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 3^rd 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.

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 2018/2019 Book, and for each module in the Book of Modules, 2018/2019.

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
BC3008 Biochemistry of the Central Nervous System (5 credits) [pre-requisite BC2001 or BC2002] (not on offer in 2018/19)
EH4000 Advanced Applied Epidemiology (5 credits)
EH4009 Global Health Issues and Perspectives (5 credits)
FE3010 Gender and Development (5 credits)*
FE4005 Advanced Programme Planning and Policy Processes (5 credits)
FE4012 Humanitarian Action in Development (5 credits)
GG3010 Global Urbanism (5 credits)*
NT4011 Public Health Nutrition (5 credits)** [pre-requisite NT2008]
NT4013 Nutritional Epidemiology (5 credits)
PH3110 Human Nature and Free Will (5 credits)

* This module is only available to students who have not taken it in Third Year.
** NT4011 is only available to students who have not taken NT3015 in Third Year.

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 2018/2019 Book and for each module in the Book of Modules 2018/2019.

Programme Learning Outcomes for BSc (Hons) Public Health/BSc (Hons) Public Health Sciences* (NFQ Level 8, Major Award)
On successful completion of this programme, students should be able to:

• Demonstrate detailed knowledge of the field of population health and its constituent disciplines including epidemiology, health promotion, health protection and public health advocacy;
• Demonstrate good knowledge of the biological basis of disease, the social influences on patterns of health and ill-health, as well as quantitative and qualitative research methodologies;
• Investigate complex public health/health promotion problems including developing a research protocol; applying the relevant quantitative and/or qualitative methodologies;
• Critically appraise the quality of primary and secondary research;
• Discuss strategies to design, plan, implement and evaluate services, programmes and interventions to address public health issues;
• Analyse the relevance of national and international health related policy, at local, national and international levels;
• Work effectively as an individual, in teams and in multi-disciplinary settings together with the capacity to undertake lifelong learning;
• Communicate effectively with colleagues in public health, health promotion and the wider health system, and with society at large.