Master of Public Health (Health Services Research)


Start date: September 2010
Duration and mode of study: One year full-time; Two years part-time

Why choose the Master of Public Health (Health Services Research) at the University of Sheffield?

The Sheffield Master of Public Health in Health Services Research (MPH (HSR)) specialises in teaching students a wide range of techniques used for the evaluation of health services and public health interventions. The course brings together the strengths of the traditional MPH that attracts a wide range of UK and international students, and ScHARR's acknowledged reputation for postgraduate education in health services research and technology assessment. The course is suitable for UK, European and overseas applicants.
The programme provides students with a firm grounding in a wide range of skills essential to good health services research, within the context of the needs and challenges of both developed and newly-developing countries.
Its flexible modular structure allows the course to meet a wide range of student needs and interests and to tailor learning to particular areas of public health and health services research. The MPH (HSR) is suited to both clinical and non-clinical professionals who:
  • wish to develop or improve their skills both in public health and in health services research & evaluation;
  • are involved in policy decisions on health care provision and who need to be able to critically evaluate the evidence base;
  • wish to gain an excellent foundation for a higher degree (PhD) or an academic career in public health or health services research.
We typically have a very wide range of professionals on the course, from doctors, pharmacists and nurses, to social workers, health care managers and social scientists and others. You will study alongside other students in the School taking our MPH programmes and we currently have more than 80 students on these courses, of whom two-thirds come from overseas countries.
ScHARR was confirmed as the top UK university department for health services research in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise. The School has the largest concentration of world-class and international researchers, above other leading universities such as the London School of Hygiene, York and Manchester.
Please use the links on the left for information on course details, course structure, course team, entry requirements, careers, how to apply and fees & funding.

Course outline

The MPH (HSR) programme has been designed to provide progression from the fundamentals to more advanced topics. The course begins by introducing key issues in global public health and the assessment of health need. Alongside these units, you take an introductory research methods unit, providing the basis for your research project later in the programme; an introductory statistics unit; a systematic review and critical appraisal techniques unit plus a module on qualitative research design and analysis. There are then a wide range of optional units from which you may select, including: Health Promotion; Epidemiological Research Design; Promoting Evidence-based Health Care; Public Health Informatics and Randomised Controlled Trials. Finally, the dissertation provides an opportunity for you to apply your learning to an area of personal interest. The course offers a range of generic and transferable skills, including tuition in basic study skills such as essay writing, referencing, searching the literature and SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences). In the forthcoming academic session (2009-10), we will be offering students the chance to enhance their experience through fortnightly Action Learning Sets, an exciting and dynamic tutor facilitated approach which seeks to broaden and deepen student learning whilst also offering pastoral and academic support to students.

Aims and learning outcomes

The MPH (HSR) seeks to provide students with the essential knowledge and skills to seek funding for, undertake, evaluate or commission health care research. It also aims to build the capacity for evidence-based health care by developing key health services research and health technology assessment skills among health care researchers, managers and practitioners in the UK and internationally. Particular features of the MPH (Health Services Research) course include:
  • taught by senior staff who are active public health, health economics or HSR researchers;
  • a firm grounding in a wide range of skills essential to good health services research, within the context of the needs and challenges of both developed and newly-developing countries;
  • a focus on qualitative and quantitative research methods, the course also covers economic evaluation, systematic review and epidemiological research design.

Course Contact

Michelle Johnson
Course Administrator
ScHARR
Regent Court
30 Regent Street
Sheffield, S1 4DA
Tel: +44 (0)114 222 0720

Fax: +44 (0) 114 272 4095
If you have any questions or require further information, please use the link below to email Michelle Johnson (Course Administrator)


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