Europubhealth: European Masters Programme in Public Health European Public Health Master
School of Medicine and Population Health,
Faculty of Health
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Start date
September 2025 -
Duration
2 years -
Attendance
Full-time
Explore this course:
Apply now for 2025 entry or register your interest to find out about postgraduate study and events at the University of Sheffield.

Course description
Join our prestigious two-year double degree program, provided by the Europubhealth Erasmus consortium, This unique course leverages the expertise of eight top European universities and offers both scholarships and self-funded places through a competitive application process.
In your first year, you'll study core public health competencies at one of the following institutions:
- University of Sheffield or University College Dublin (English)
- University of Granada (Spanish)
- University of Liège, ending with a three-week integration module in Rennes (French)
In your second year, you'll specialise in a specific area of public health practice at a partner university in France, the Netherlands, Poland, Belgium, or Spain, while also completing a placement and dissertation.
Graduates of this program receive two masters degrees: one from the university attended in the first year and another from the university attended in the second year. This program is accredited by the APHEA and is perfect for those aspiring to build a career with Europe’s leading health organisations.
Do you have a question? Talk to us
Book a 15-minute online meeting with our course director to find out more information and ask further questions.
Accreditation
The University of Sheffield is accredited by the Agency for Public Health Education Accreditation (APHEA).
Modules
Core modules:
- Health Needs Assessment, Planning and Evaluation
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Assessing health needs and tackling health inequalities are key aspects of public health work at the local, national and international level. This module will provide students with an understanding of the main approaches to, and methodologies for, conducting Health Needs Assessments and will equip them with an understanding of programme planning, and the monitoring and evaluation of programmes.
15 credits - Introduction to Research Methods
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This module is offered across several programmes. Learning activities for the module are tailored to your individual specialist areas to provide learning that is relevant and specific to your chosen degree programme.
15 credits
This module provides students with an introduction to quantitative and qualitative research methods; it covers all stages of the research process from planning and design and research ethics and public and patient involvement, through to data collection and analysis and dissemination stages. It is specifically designed for students who do not have prior research experience and would be suitable for students from a range of backgrounds, but is particularly relevant to those interested in applied health related research. The course also provides a foundation for further learning in specific research methods. - Introduction to Statistics and Critical Appraisal
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The unit introduces students to basic concepts and techniques such as hypothesis testing and confidence interval estimation in statistics. Students will learn some simple statistical methods and the principles behind some advanced methods such as regression. It will equip students with the knowledge and skills necessary to understand and critically appraise statistics in research literature.The course is not aimed at 'doers' of statistics, that is, students who are going to design their own studies to collect and analyse their own data. It will not teach you how to analyse, present and report your own data.
15 credits - Critical Reflections in Global Health
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Global health has been described as the art and science of preventing disease, prolonging life, and promoting health through the organised efforts of society, with the goal being the attainment of biological, physical, and mental well-being of all members of society. In this module we take an inter-disciplinary approach to explore these themes.
15 credits
Aligned with the themes of our key reader (7th edition of the Oxford Textbook of Global Public Health) we will consider some of the key concepts of global health, explore some of the determinants of health, and consider some of the key function / methods applied to address global health issues. We will then reflect on these themes in relation to the practice of global health through the lens of specific health challenges. Throughout the module themes such as inequalities in health, complexities in our response, and the political, social, and economic context within which we work will be repeatedly raised and discussed.
In delivering this module we are excited to have secured the expertise of regional, national, and international leaders and experts who will share their learnings on a diverse range of subjects that include socioeconomic and health inequalities, health intelligence, and sexual and reproductive health. In relation to the sharing of experiences and expertise, and in stimulating engaged discussion, throughout the module you will be encouraged to develop and use a reflective learning approach to consider shifts in your perception and understanding of the issues raised. - Epidemiology
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Epidemiology is the discipline underpinning both effective public health practice and research into the causes, control and prevention of disease. Knowledge and understanding of epidemiological concepts and methods is a basic requirement for effective public health practice.
15 credits
This module will provide an introduction to epidemiology covering key epidemiological concepts; measures of disease; association and causation; confounding and bias. It will also introduce research designs including cross-sectional, ecological, cohort, case-control and intervention studies and introduce population health measures such as screening.
Year two modules will vary depending on the specialisation and institution chosen, but you will complete your dissertation during this time.
Optional modules:
- Disaster and Emergency Management
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Disasters and emergencies can strike any community. It is not a question of whether a disaster will occur but when. However, the likelihood, scale and impact of a disaster can be minimized through appropriate emergency planning, preparation and response by the community, governmental and non-governmental organisations. This module will cover the key concepts of disaster and emergency management, explore some of the contemporary issues and develop students' knowledge and skills in this field.
15 credits - Confronting Public Health Problems
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ScHARR is well known for its high-quality and impactful research. Engaging with the research process on relevant public health topics through problem-based learning will provide students with practical skills not just for future research but also transferable skills for other areas relating to public health, for example policy making and designing and implementing public health interventions. This module is offered as an optional module on the MPH, and it will complement the core modules in allowing students to concentrate on specific aspects of public health practice and research, and develop and advance transferable employability skills.
15 credits - Further Statistics for Health Science Researchers
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The unit covers fundamental statistical concepts, and both simple statistical methods and the more widely used advanced methods of multiple regression, survival analysis and generalised linear models. It will be a practical module, including the teaching of the statistical software SPSS, equipping students with the knowledge and skills necessary to design and analyse a study to answer specific research questions; to understand and critically appraise the literature; and to present research findings in a suitable fashion.
15 credits - Communicable Disease Control
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Health protection is one of the cornerstones of public health. The control of communicable diseases is one of the major functions of health protection. This module will cover the principles of surveillance, outbreak management, immunisation programmes, and prevention and control of infectious diseases. It will also present a broad range of common infectious disease topics including HIV, tuberculosis, meningitis, diarrhoeal illnesses and hospital acquired infections. This module would provide the essential foundations for students intending to undertake the Faculty of Public Health Part A/Diploma examination.
15 credits - Economic Evaluation and Healthcare Financing
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This module introduces the basic principles of economic evaluation as applied to healthcare interventions and health care financing. The core part of the course focuses on economic evaluation and covers the different types of evaluations that are available and the various stages and techniques that need to be applied to generate results. As alternative techniques are described, the strength and weakness of each will be highlighted, with the students being encouraged to critically appraise their appropriateness to different contexts. The course also introduces the concepts of markets and market failure, models of health care financing and objectives of health care systems. These topics draw on economic theory and use it to identify possible solutions to health system problems. Health system performance measurement will also be covered, linking the economic and health system content to empirical studies.
15 credits - Health Promotion
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Health Promotion enables people to take control over and improve their own health. It builds on knowledge from behavioural science that individual behaviour and health are determined by the social, physical and economic environment. This module will consider the nature of health promotion from a global perspective, the associated ideological dilemmas, current understanding of individual and group behaviours, methods of promoting health and the evaluation of health promotion. The module will use the 5 key principles within the Ottawa Charter applied to health promotion as a framework. Case studies will be used to give students practical examples of health promotion in different countries.
15 credits - Public Health Informatics
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Public Health Informatics is a module designed to look at how informatics and information technology can be used to help address some of the major issues in public health. Public health informatics was traditionally defined as the systematic application of information and computer science and technology to public health practice, research, and learning (Yasnoff, 2000). In this module, we examine this rapidly changing field, using a combination of lectures, individual and group exercises and self directed learning. Key issues around the local, national and international contributions that technology can make to public health are critically examined and students are given a theoretical and practical grounding in this increasingly important discipline.
15 credits - Systematic Reviews and Critical Appraisal Techniques
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To familiarise students with principles of systematic reviews and critical appraisal and the acquisition of skills necessary to undertake such work. The unit includes an introduction to information systems; principles of systematic literature reviews and critical appraisal; search strategies; computer-assisted search methods; practicalities of writing up the results of a systematic review; introduction to Meta- analysis; and dissemination of findings.
15 credits - Qualitative Research Design and Analysis
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On completing the module students will be expected to be able to: understand a range of qualitative research approaches, data collection methods and forms of analysis; plan and undertake a simple analysis of student-generated qualitative data; critically appraise the methods and results of qualitative research.
15 credits - Foundations in Health Policy, Leadership and Management
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This campus-based module, integrates the principles of health policy with the foundations in leadership and associated management of health care teams, services and systems, in the context of rapid changes and advances locally, nationally and internationally. There will be a particular focus on public health and health system issues throughout the module.
15 credits
A number of different cases will be used to illustrate the complexity of developing (or not) health policy and how related health and public health services are then managed and evaluated. Students will be supported in developing critical thinking about the relative effectiveness of different approaches to policy development and analysis. They will learn key approaches to leadership and management of health teams, services and systems, as well as gain an understanding of the complex interplay of the different actors in the health systems. They will acquire an appreciation of some of the key challenges and issues encountered in contemporary health service and health system management. Through exploration of these topics and critical analysis, students will develop know how to systematically assess, as well as management and improvement by analysing several health care services within the broader cultural, commercial and political contexts. Over the course of the module students will work in small groups to gain practical understanding of how to apply management and leadership theories and styles in different health care contexts, from health care teams to public health and health systems. - Psychological and sociological approaches to health
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There is increasing awareness amongst health professionals of the need to focus on social and psychosocial aspects of illness, as well as biomedical. This module provides an introduction to contemporary research in the field of health psychology covering both traditional mainstream approaches and newly emerging critical studies. It combines this with a sociological approach, studying how society is structured by looking at the patterns of relationships that have an existence over and above individuals and how this influences health and illness. In this respect it looks at how health is distributed as a consequence of how people are related to each other in a number of ways. This involves looking at how, for example, social class and gender relations result in varying patterns and experiences of health.
15 credits
Topics covered include: approaches within health psychology, for example understanding and changing health behaviour, the role of psychology in health and illness, and the application and relevance of contemporary work in global and cultural context. The approach to sociology involves understanding how people share and shape understandings of what it means to be healthy or ill. We will explore how the meaning of health can shape encounters with various health professionals and how concepts of health and illness can shape and control the behaviour of different populations.
The content of our courses is reviewed annually to make sure it's up-to-date and relevant. Individual modules are occasionally updated or withdrawn. This is in response to discoveries through our world-leading research; funding changes; professional accreditation requirements; student or employer feedback; outcomes of reviews; and variations in staff or student numbers. In the event of any change we will inform students and take reasonable steps to minimise disruption.
Open days
An open day gives you the best opportunity to hear first-hand from our current students and staff about our courses.
Duration
2 years, full-time (the first year of study is at the University of Sheffield)
Your career
Graduates of our European Health Master's program find opportunities in a variety of fields, often securing roles within health or public health settings. A notable percentage pursue further doctoral/PhD studies or work in research and academic positions which we feel reflects the high quality of our research-led teaching.
Recent graduates from our course are now working in public health consultant roles, data analysis positions, and project management. Students have also found excellent opportunities at the World Health Organisation (WHO), Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and Save the Children.
Student profiles

I study for two years, and my second year is at a different European institution. Next year I will be in Paris studying Environmental and Occupational Health at EHESP (École des Hautes Études en Santé publique). The course is so broad, it gives students space to develop their own interests within public health.
Entry requirements
For entry requirements and English language requirements for this course, visit the Europubhealth website.
If you have any questions about entry requirements, please contact the school/department.
Fees and funding
Alumni discount
Save up to £2,500 on your course fees
Are you a Sheffield graduate? You could save up to £2,500 on your postgraduate taught course fees, subject to eligibility.
Apply
You'll need to apply for this course via the Europubhealth website:
Contact
Any supervisors and research areas listed are indicative and may change before the start of the course.
Recognition of professional qualifications: from 1 January 2021, in order to have any UK professional qualifications recognised for work in an EU country across a number of regulated and other professions you need to apply to the host country for recognition. Read information from the UK government and the EU Regulated Professions Database.