Public Health

We designed this Master of Public Health (MPH) programme in order to meet the increasing demand for highly trained public health specialists in Ireland and abroad. This highly regarded programme will prepare you to investigate, evaluate and address public health challenges, whatever your professional background.



On graduation you will be equipped with the core knowledge and specialised skills necessary to make a real difference in public health. This is a full-time and structured programme, delivered over 12 months.

MPH Pathways

The programme allows students to specialise in one of three specific pathways as follows:

• Health promotion

• Health protection

• Epidemiology & Biostatistics



In Part I students take core modules to the value of 45 credits and modules to the value of 25 credits from their chosen pathway.



In Part II students undertake research and write a dissertation to the value of 20 credits. In total students take 90 credits comprised from Part I and Part II.



Part I

Modules - All Pathways (45 credits)

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)

EH6157 Qualitative Research in Public Health (Online) (5 Credits)

EH6132 Health Economics for Public Health (5 credits)

EH6154 Contemporary Perspectives of Global Health (5 credits)



Pathway 1: Health Promotion (25 credits)

EH6029　Health Promotion: Concepts, Principles and Practice (10 credits)

EH6039　Public Health and Behavioural Change (5 credits)

EH6044　Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (5 credits)

EH6046　Global and Environmental Health (5 credits)



Pathway 2: Health Protection (25 credits)

EH6019 The Principles and Practice of Multi-disciplinary Health Protection (10 credits)

EH6046 Global and Environmental Health (5 credits)

MB6009 Principles of Microbiology (online)

EH6044 Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (5 credits)



Pathway 3: Epidemiology & Biostatistics (25 credits)

EH6031 Advanced Epidemiology (10 credits)

EH6044 Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (5 credits)

ST6011 Advanced Biostatistics (5 credits)

ST6012 Survival Analysis (5 credits)



Students move to Part II (dissertation) on successful completion of Part I (taught modules).



Part II

All Pathways

EH6143 Minor Dissertation in Public Health (20 credits)

All applicants will be required to write a 500-word statement demonstrating suitability to undertake a Master of Public Health.



All applicants are required to meet one of the following:

1. Possess a minimum Second Class Honours Grade I in a primary honours degree (NFQ Level 8) in a relevant subject area Or



2. Possess a minimum Second Class Honours Grade I in a postgraduate diploma (NFQ Level 9) in a relevant subject area.



Relevant subject areas are Biological Sciences, Medical and Health Sciences, Public Health and Social Sciences.



Note: In some circumstances, applicants without a primary degree or applicants without a relevant primary degree may be recommended for entry to the programme under Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) following a review of their individual qualifications and experience by the course committee. Such applicants may be called for an interview, and their admission will be subject to the School of Public Health's Executive Committee's approval.



For Applicants with Qualifications Completed Outside of Ireland

Applicants must meet the required entry academic grade, equivalent to Irish requirements. For more information see our Qualification Comparison page.



International/Non-EU Applicants

For full details of the non-EU application procedure visit our how to apply pages for international students.

• In UCC, we use the term programme and course interchangeably to describe what a person has registered to study in UCC and its constituent colleges, schools, and departments.

• Note that not all courses are open to international/non-EU applicants, please check the fact file above. For more information contact the International Office.



English Language Requirements

Applicants who are non-native speakers of the English language must meet the university-approved English language requirements.

Closing Date

Rolling deadline. Open until all places have been filled. Early application is advised.



Non-EU Closing Date

Open until all places have been filled or no later than 15 May. Early application is advised.



Please note this is the campus-based Master of Public Health. If you wish to apply for the online version of the MPH programme please see our Online MPH page.

1 year full-time.



The Master of Public Health (MPH) course is full-time and delivered over 12 months. Lectures take place on Wednesdays, (2pm-5pm), Thursdays (2pm-5pm), and on Fridays (9am to 5pm).

Start Date 8 September 2025

Skills and Careers Information

Our graduates are currently employed in a range of careers in Ireland, Europe and in other developed and developing countries in diverse public health roles including health services, public health research, surveillance, environmental health and public health agencies.