Public Health (part-time) (Online Learning) MPH, PgCert, PgDip, PgProfDev

How online learning works

• Interactive learning environment: Learn using our state-of-the-art digital platform, which facilitates an engaging, interactive and flexible education.
• Supportive peer community: Study alongside and share your knowledge and experience with other students from around the world.

Teaching and assessment

• Teaching: In addition to interactive online sessions, activities such as discussion forums, blogs and group work will augment your learning experience.
• Assessment: Assessments are varied, typically including essays, project reports and reflective journals, all submitted online.

Time commitment

The programme is designed to be flexible. You should expect to dedicate approximately 10-15 hours per week to your studies, which allows you to balance your education with work and personal commitments.

Technical requirements

• Equipment: You will need a stable internet connection and a computer with the latest browser installed.
• Software: All necessary learning platforms and tools are provided online by the University.

Support for online students

Online students receive comprehensive support, equivalent to their on-campus counterparts. This includes access to technical support teams, Student Advisers and the University's extensive digital library. You will be able to interact with your peers and our highly qualified teaching staff at times that work for you, and small staff-to-student ratios allow individualised support if you need it.

Find out more about the benefits and practicalities of studying for an online degree:

• Postgraduate online learning

Our online MPH programme is structured to provide a comprehensive understanding of public health issues and practices over three years, with flexibility to exit after one or two years with a Postgraduate Certificate or Diploma, respectively.

Year 1: Core public health foundations

• Introduction to Public Health
• Introduction to Health Promotion
• Introduction to Epidemiology and Statistics
• Epidemiology for Public Health Practice
• Public Policy for Health

These foundational courses will equip you with essential public health knowledge and analytical skills.

Year 2: Advanced studies and electives

• Introduction to Qualitative Research Methods
• Research Design for Public and Global Health
• Systematic Reviews

You will also be able to tailor your learning to your career goals in Year 2 by selecting from a variety of elective courses on topics such as data analysis, global mental health, leadership in public health, and maternal and child health.

Year 3: Specialisation and project work

In Year 3, you can choose whether to:

• Undertake a nine-month research project, culminating in a dissertation, or
• Integrate your MPH learning and apply it to public health-related problems and challenges in the real world with a Student-Led Individually Created Course (SLICC).

Find out more about compulsory and optional courses

We link to the latest information available. Please note that this may be for a previous academic year and should be considered indicative.

The MPH (online) programme aims to equip students with evidence-based conceptual and practical tools, to take a critical interdisciplinary approach to public health challenges.

You will:

• Demonstrate a critical understanding of the theories, concepts and principles underpinning public health practice, policy and research.
• Apply knowledge and skills and engage with relevant literature, in qualitative and quantitative disciplines.
• Apply critical analysis, evaluation and synthesis to develop effective responses to contemporary public health challenges.
• Communicate complex public health concepts and issues to both public and professional audiences using a range of media and methods.
• Exercise autonomy, take responsibility for own work and work constructively with peers on complex public health issues.

Graduates of our online MPH programme find themselves well-equipped to pursue a variety of impactful careers in diverse sectors.

Sectors and roles

• Public sector: Take on roles in epidemiology, health education, policy analysis or programme management within government agencies and international health organisations.
• Non-profit organisations: Work on initiatives that address health disparities and deliver community health programmes.
• Academic and research institutions: Contribute to public health knowledge through research or take up teaching roles to educate the next generation of public health professionals.
• Private sector: Engage with health consultancy, pharmaceutical companies or healthcare technology firms to drive innovation in public health solutions.

Each sector offers unique opportunities to apply the skills and knowledge gained through the MPH program to real-world challenges, enhancing health outcomes on a global scale.

Support for career advancement

The University of Edinburgh's Careers Service offers extensive support, from CV workshops to personalised career advice, ensuring you are fully equipped to make an impact in your chosen field.

Overall, my experience on the MPH has transformed me. The programme has helped me acquire solid technical skills while also teaching me to combine the 'theoretical' with the 'practical', all of which I have applied directly in my work. I recommend this programme wholeheartedly.

Deepika, Public Health Analyst US, CDC

Thanks to the MPH, I have a much deeper understanding of evidence-based medicine and what goes on behind the scenes in the formulation of clinical practice and other guidelines. Secondly, I no longer hold the notion that the non-communicable disease (NCD) epidemic is due to random bad individual choices; the social determinants of health and the role of the environment in health related decisions are concepts that are now ingrained in my thinking, and which I keep in mind when interacting with patients.

Rukayya, Internal Medicine Resident (Physician), Nigeria

I'm able to get a much better understanding of the research landscape in a global context as well as a Canadian context. It's also really flexible. I find that the online aspect really gives you the opportunity to work at the same time as studying.

Bronte Patterson, Master of Public Health (MPH) online graduate 2019

These entry requirements are for the 2025/26 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2026/27 academic year will be published on 1 Oct 2025.

A UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent in medicine, nursing, social science, science, biomedicine, or other related discipline.

Students from China

This degree is Band D.

• Postgraduate entry requirements for students from China

International qualifications

Check whether your international qualifications meet our general entry requirements:

• Entry requirements by country

English language requirements

Regardless of your nationality or country of residence, you must demonstrate a level of English language competency which will enable you to succeed in your studies.

English language tests

We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified:

• IELTS Academic: total 7.0 with at least 6.5 in each component. We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
• TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 100 with at least 23 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
• C1 Advanced (CAE) / C2 Proficiency (CPE): total 185 with at least 176 in each component.
• Trinity ISE: ISE III with passes in all four components.
• PTE Academic: total 73 with at least 65 in each component. We do not accept PTE Academic Online.
• Oxford ELLT: 8 overall with at least 7 in each component.

Your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start date of the programme you are applying to study, unless you are using IELTS, TOEFL, Trinity ISE or PTE, in which case it must be no more than two years old.

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We also accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration:

• UKVI list of majority English speaking countries

We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English speaking countries (non-MESC).

• Approved universities in non-MESC

If you are not a national of a majority English speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old at the beginning of your programme of study.

Find out more about our language requirements:

• English language requirements

Additional programme costs

You are responsible for meeting your computing costs and any research costs.

Tuition fees

Funding for postgraduate study is different to undergraduate study, and many students need to combine funding sources to pay for their studies.

Most students use a combination of the following funding to pay their tuition fees and living costs:

• borrowing money

  • taking out a loan

  • family support

• personal savings

• income from work

• employer sponsorship

• scholarships

Explore sources of funding for postgraduate study

The University of Edinburgh offers a small number of scholarships to outstanding candidates. These are very competitive. We publish data on the success rate for scholarship applications to help you understand the level of demand.

• Scholarship applications - success rates

UK government postgraduate loans

If you live in the UK, you may be able to apply for a postgraduate loan from one of the UK’s governments.

The type and amount of financial support you are eligible for will depend on:

• your programme
• the duration of your studies
• your tuition fee status.

Programmes studied on a part-time intermittent basis are not eligible.

Other funding opportunities

• Online Learning Scholarships

Search for scholarships and funding opportunities:

• Search for funding