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Generate knowledge that improves population health worldwide
Online or on campus
Public health research prevents disease and strengthens systems that enable healthy lives. The PhD Public Health trains researchers who can design epidemiologic and health systems studies, analyse population data, and translate findings for policy. Year 1 advanced coursework in epidemiology, biostatistics, health systems and research ethics is followed by candidacy and multi-year dissertation research. Supervisors work across infectious and non-communicable disease, equity, and health systems implementation. PhD Public Health is taught as one award, not a list of unrelated modules. The published length is 3–5 years, and the credit total is 60. Students move from Advanced Epidemiologic Methods through Advanced Epidemiologic Methods; Biostatistics for Population Health Research; Health Systems, Policy & Implementation Science; Doctoral Seminar in Public Health Ethics; PhD Candidacy Examination; Doctoral Dissertation Research, and finish on Doctoral Dissertation Research. Each course has a question, a method, and a submission. In this field, students describe how people, records, and decisions move through one service, and separate cause from harm. Reading is a pathway description, an incident summary, and an information standard. The artefact a marker expects is a brief a service manager could use, with the evidence attached. The award is built so that a graduate can do the following in practice: Design rigorous epidemiologic and population health studies Analyse complex health data with advanced biostatistical methods Evaluate health systems and implementation strategies Teaching assumes the student can read a source, attempt a problem before the seminar, and revise after feedback. Attendance at live seminars is part of the design. The capstone or final course must use the methods of the earlier courses; a project that ignores them does not pass. This course does not confer a licence to practise nursing, medicine, or any other clinical profession. The pages for each course name the topics that are examined. Those topics are the syllabus. A brochure line is not a substitute for them.
Ideal progression from the MSc Public Health and related quantitative programmes. Opportunities exist for secondary data analyses with global health datasets under ethical governance agreements.
Faculty spotlight
Epidemiology and biostatistics faculty supervise methods-heavy theses; implementation science faculty guide health systems dissertations.
Study online
Online tuition is free. Online examinations are free. There is no exam fee for online study.
On-campus study
Prefer to learn at our Edinburgh campus? Campus tuition and campus examinations are charged. The published campus price is on each programme page.
| Code | Course | Credits · hours |
|---|---|---|
| PHDPH701 | Advanced Epidemiologic Methods Advanced Epidemiologic Methods (PHDPH701) is a 6-credit course on PhD Public Health, with 60 notional learning hours. By the end, students can describe how people, records, and decisions move through one service, and separate cause from harm, using Advanced Epidemiologic Methods as the working context rather than a generic management example. The course is taught in three movements. First, students establish the terms and the decision the course is about. Second, they apply the method to a case, dataset, text, or design and compare it with a weaker alternative. Third, they revise the work after feedback and state what the conclusion cannot support. Preparation uses a pathway description, an incident summary, and an information standard. Seminar time is for the decision, not for reading the materials aloud. Assessment is a brief a service manager could use, with the evidence attached. A pass requires a clear method, evidence a marker can check, and an explicit limit. Credit is not awarded for summary alone. This course does not confer a licence to practise nursing, medicine, or any other clinical profession.
| 6 · 60 h |
| PHDPH702 | Biostatistics for Population Health Research Biostatistics for Population Health Research (PHDPH702) is a 6-credit course on PhD Public Health, with 60 notional learning hours. By the end, students can define a measurable question, fit a method that can be checked, and report where it fails, using Biostatistics for Population Health Research as the working context rather than a generic management example. The course is taught in three movements. First, students establish the terms and the decision the course is about. Second, they apply the method to a case, dataset, text, or design and compare it with a weaker alternative. Third, they revise the work after feedback and state what the conclusion cannot support. Preparation uses a dataset description, a methods note, and one published evaluation. Seminar time is for the decision, not for reading the materials aloud. Assessment is a project note with the question, the method, the result, and the limitation. A pass requires a clear method, evidence a marker can check, and an explicit limit. Credit is not awarded for summary alone.
| 6 · 60 h |
| PHDPH703 | Health Systems, Policy & Implementation Science Health Systems, Policy & Implementation Science (PHDPH703) is a 6-credit course on PhD Public Health, with 60 notional learning hours. By the end, students can describe how people, records, and decisions move through one service, and separate cause from harm, using Health Systems, Policy & Implementation Science as the working context rather than a generic management example. The course is taught in three movements. First, students establish the terms and the decision the course is about. Second, they apply the method to a case, dataset, text, or design and compare it with a weaker alternative. Third, they revise the work after feedback and state what the conclusion cannot support. Preparation uses a pathway description, an incident summary, and an information standard. Seminar time is for the decision, not for reading the materials aloud. Assessment is a brief a service manager could use, with the evidence attached. A pass requires a clear method, evidence a marker can check, and an explicit limit. Credit is not awarded for summary alone. This course does not confer a licence to practise nursing, medicine, or any other clinical profession.
| 6 · 60 h |
| PHDPH704 | Doctoral Seminar in Public Health Ethics Doctoral Seminar in Public Health Ethics (PHDPH704) is a 6-credit course on PhD Public Health, with 60 notional learning hours. By the end, students can describe how people, records, and decisions move through one service, and separate cause from harm, using Doctoral Seminar in Public Health Ethics as the working context rather than a generic management example. The course is taught in three movements. First, students establish the terms and the decision the course is about. Second, they apply the method to a case, dataset, text, or design and compare it with a weaker alternative. Third, they revise the work after feedback and state what the conclusion cannot support. Preparation uses a pathway description, an incident summary, and an information standard. Seminar time is for the decision, not for reading the materials aloud. Assessment is a brief a service manager could use, with the evidence attached. A pass requires a clear method, evidence a marker can check, and an explicit limit. Credit is not awarded for summary alone. This course does not confer a licence to practise nursing, medicine, or any other clinical profession.
| 6 · 60 h |
| Code | Course | Credits · hours |
|---|---|---|
| PHDPH801 | PhD Candidacy Examination PhD Candidacy Examination (PHDPH801) is a 0-credit course on PhD Public Health, with 10 notional learning hours. By the end, students can describe how people, records, and decisions move through one service, and separate cause from harm, using PhD Candidacy Examination as the working context rather than a generic management example. The course is taught in three movements. First, students establish the terms and the decision the course is about. Second, they apply the method to a case, dataset, text, or design and compare it with a weaker alternative. Third, they revise the work after feedback and state what the conclusion cannot support. Preparation uses a pathway description, an incident summary, and an information standard. Seminar time is for the decision, not for reading the materials aloud. Assessment is a brief a service manager could use, with the evidence attached. A pass requires a clear method, evidence a marker can check, and an explicit limit. Credit is not awarded for summary alone. This course does not confer a licence to practise nursing, medicine, or any other clinical profession.
| 0 |
| PHDPH802 | Doctoral Dissertation Research Doctoral Dissertation Research (PHDPH802) is a 36-credit course on PhD Public Health, with 360 notional learning hours. By the end, students can describe how people, records, and decisions move through one service, and separate cause from harm, using Doctoral Dissertation Research as the working context rather than a generic management example. The course is taught in three movements. First, students establish the terms and the decision the course is about. Second, they apply the method to a case, dataset, text, or design and compare it with a weaker alternative. Third, they revise the work after feedback and state what the conclusion cannot support. Preparation uses a pathway description, an incident summary, and an information standard. Seminar time is for the decision, not for reading the materials aloud. Assessment is a brief a service manager could use, with the evidence attached. A pass requires a clear method, evidence a marker can check, and an explicit limit. Credit is not awarded for summary alone. This course does not confer a licence to practise nursing, medicine, or any other clinical profession.
| 36 · 360 h |
Modules are assessed through a published mix of coursework, applied projects, and examinations. Exam windows are announced in advance so students in other time zones are not forced into overnight sittings. Alternative arrangements are available where documented.
The published duration is 3–5 years. Teaching language: English. Actual time-to-complete depends on mode and any recognised prior learning.
You may study this award fully online from your country, or — where published — on campus at Brigant. Online study does not require a student visa. Campus study may.
Degree tuition for this award is published as £0 / tuition-free on the online pathway. Examination or administrative fees may apply at checkout — never an annual tuition invoice. Check the Fees page for any extras.
Requirements are grouped on this page (academic, English, documents, research). Equivalent qualifications are considered. English may be waived after prior English-medium study.
Assessment is typically a mix of coursework, projects, and examinations. Doctoral awards include a thesis or dissertation and an oral examination. Details sit in the programme specification and module outlines.
Recognition of the award for local employment, professional licence, or ministry attestation is decided by your employer or regulator. University of Brigant publishes verification pages for certificates. We do not claim automatic equivalence in every country.
Start an application on this website. Progress is saved from the first step. Admissions: admissions@brigant.uk.
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