Overview

NFQ Level 8, Major Award

This is a four-year, full-time undergraduate programme, leading to the award of a BSc (Hons) Public Health Sciences. The programme includes a work placement module and the option of studying abroad in the Third Year.

First Year - Public Health Sciences

To be admitted to the First University Examination in Public Health Sciences a student must have satisfactorily attended modules to the value of 60 credits.

Second Year - Public Health Sciences

No student may register for the Second Year programme of study until the First University Examination has been passed. To be admitted to the Second University Examination in Public Health Sciences a student must have satisfactorily attended modules to the value of 60 credits.

Study Abroad Option (Third Year)

A limited number of students may be allowed to study at an approved university in another country for one single semester, or the whole year, of the Third Year of the BSc Public Health Sciences programme. Second Year students must submit an application to study abroad to the Dean, School of Public Health by the end of the last teaching week in Semester 1. Permission to undertake any study abroad will be conditional on the student achieving at least an Upper Second Class Honours (2H1) in the Second University Examination in Public Health Sciences in the Summer examination.

Third Year - Public Health Sciences

No student may register for the Third Year programme of study until the Second University Examination has been passed. With the exception of students availing of the year abroad option the Third Year Public Health Sciences programme consists of core taught modules to the value of 40 credits, a Work Placement module to the value of 10 credits and elective modules to the value of 10 credits.

Third Year Study Abroad Students

A limited number of students may be permitted to undertake one semester or the whole of the Third Year of their BSc Public Health Sciences studies at an approved institution abroad. This option is only available to students who obtain at least a Second Class Honours (2H1) in the Second University Examination in Public Health Sciences, at the Summer examinations. Applications, including the proposed workload at the host institution, should be submitted to the Dean, School of Public Health before the end of the last teaching week in Semester 1 in the Second Year.

Please note that the number of students who can avail of study-abroad options will be limited in any given year. Where the demand exceeds the number of available places, the School will adjudicate on the applications. The adjudication will be based on the following criteria

1. the student's performance in the Second University Examination in Public Health Sciences;
2. the quality of the application; and
3. an interview may be required.

Students Spending One Semester Abroad

Students studying for one Semester abroad in Third Year should follow a study programme broadly equivalent to 30 credits of the BSc Public Health Sciences. The detailed programme of study shall be proposed by the student in consultation with the approved host institution and the Director of the BSc Public Health Sciences Programme, and shall require the approval of the Dean of the School of Public Health.

The student shall be examined by the approved host institution. Honours will not be awarded at the Third Public Health Sciences Examination Boards to those students who study abroad for one Semester. Instead, academic transcripts and/or other certified documentation from the approved host institution will be appended to the academic transcript issued by UCC.

Students studying in UCC for the duration of Semester One will take modules to the value of 30 credits as follows: 25 credits of core modules (excluding EH3000 Epidemiology III) and 5 credits of elective modules.

Students studying in UCC for the duration of Semester Two will take modules to the value of 30 credits as follows: 20 credits of core modules (excluding EH3000 Epidemiology III) and 10 credits of elective modules.

Note:

1. Students studying abroad for one semester may not take EH3000 Epidemiology III.
2. Students studying abroad in Semester Two will not be required to complete the work placement module (EH3004 Work Placement) to graduate.

Students Spending Third Year Abroad

Students studying abroad for Third Year should follow a study programme broadly equivalent to 60 credits of the BSc Public Health Sciences. Where a language other than English is the language of instruction at the approved institution, up to 10 credits in one Semester of the programme may be dedicated to formal study of the language of instruction. The detailed programme of study shall be proposed by the student in consultation with the approved host institution and the Director of the BSc Public Health Sciences Programme, and shall require the approval of the Dean of the School of Public Health.

The student shall be examined by the approved host institution. Marks shall be submitted to the Autumn Examination Board UCC. Honours will not be awarded at the Third Public Health Sciences Examination Boards to those students who take their year abroad. Instead, academic transcripts and/or other certified documentation from the approved host institution will be appended to the academic transcript issued by UCC. Students studying abroad for the whole of Third Year will not be required to complete the Work Placement module (EH3004 Work Placement) to graduate.

Note: A student who takes but fails the Third University Examination in Public Health Sciences abroad will be eligible to repeat the Third Year of the programme at University College Cork, which will include the Work Placement Module (EH3004 Work Placement). There is no option to repeat the Third Year abroad.

Fourth Year - Public Health Sciences

Students may not register for the Fourth Year programme of study until the Third University Examination has been passed and the Work Placement module (EH3004 Work Placement) has been undertaken. No student may graduate until the Work Placement module has been passed.

Students who undertake the Study Abroad option in Third Year, must pass the Third University Examination in the approved host institution to register for the Fourth Year programme. In the case of a student failing the Third University Examination in the host institution the Third Year is repeated in University College Cork and the student may not register for the Fourth Year programme of study until the Third University Examination has been passed and the Work Placement module (EH3004 Work Placement) has been undertaken.

To be admitted to the Fourth Year BSc (Hons) Public Health Sciences Degree Examination, a student must have satisfactorily attended modules to the value of 60 credits.

Programme Requirements

For information about modules, module choice, options and credit weightings, please go to Programme Requirements. 

Programme Requirements

Module List

Code	Title	Credits
Year 1
Students take 60 credits as follows - all listed core modules (50 credits) and 10 credits of elective modules:
Core Modules
EH1004	Epidemiology I	10
EH1006	Perspectives on Public Health	5
EH1007	Introduction to Health Information Systems (HIS)	5
EH1009	Determinants of Health	5
EH1010	Introduction to Public Health	5
EV2002	The Environment and Human Health	5
MB1003	Microbiology in Society	5
SC1011	Sociology of Health, Public Health and Health Promotion	5
ST1002	Introduction to Health Statistics	5
Elective Modules
Students take modules to the value of 10 credits from the following:		10
BC1001	Introduction to Biochemistry and the Biological Basis of Disease (5) 1
FE1005	Introduction to Development Studies (10)
FR1105	Threshold French (5) 2
FR1107	French for Reading Purposes I (5) 2
GE0005	German Language (CEFR-Level A2.1) (5) 3
GE0008	German Language (CEFR-Level A2.2) (5) 3
GV1218	International Politics (5)
HS0028	Spanish Language (Beginner Level) (10) 4
HS1009	Spanish Language (Post Leaving Certificate) (10) 5
MX1004	Introducing Medical Students to Irish as a Spoken Language (5)
MX1007	Special Study Module: Advanced Irish Language (5) 6
PL1012	Fundamentals of Physiology (5)
Year 2
Students take 60 credits as follows - all listed core modules (50 credits) and 10 credits of elective modules:
Core Modules
EH2003	Principles of Social Research	5
EH2006	Epidemiology II	5
EH2007	Public Health Research Report	5
EH2008	Introduction to Theories and Practices of Health Promotion	5
EH2009	Public Health Issues	5
MB1901	Introduction to Food and Industrial Microbiology	5
MG2004	Management and Planning of Public Health Systems	5
NT2013	Fundamentals of Nutrition Part 1	5
SS2021	Critical Perspectives on Irish Health Policy	5
ST2005	Social Research and Survey Methods	5
Elective Modules
Students take modules to the value of 10 credits from the following:		10
BC2001	Biomolecules (5) 7, 8
BC2002	Principles of Metabolic Pathways (5) 7, 8
FE2003	Introduction to Sustainable Livelihoods Analysis (5)
FR2105	Towards Vantage French (5) 9, 10
FR2107	French for Reading Purposes II (5) 10
GE2101	Integrated German Language Course (10)
GG2010	Cities of Diversity (5)
HI2022	The History of the Media in Ireland (5)
HS0128	Spanish Language (Improver [01] Level) (10) 11
HS2101	Second Year Spanish Language Course (Ex-Beginners) (10) 12
LW2216	Humanitarianism and the Law (5)
LW2217	Introduction to Human Rights Law (5)
ML2901	Introductory Molecular Biology (5)
MX2009	Advanced Irish Language II (5) 13
PH2019	Philosophy of Science (5)
SC2027	Sociology of the Body, Health and Illness ()
Year 3 14
Students take 60 credits as follows - all listed core modules (50 credits) and 10 credits of elective modules:
Core Modules
EH3000	Epidemiology III	5
EH3014	Data Analysis for Public Health Research	5
EH3015	Behaviour Change for Healthy Populations	5
EH3016	Public Health in Practice	5
MB3012	Transmission and Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases	5
NT2008	Nutrition in Growth, Development and Ageing	5
PH3042	Professional Ethics	5
SC3025	Health and Scientific Deviance	5
Work Placement
EH3004	Work Placement 15	10
Elective Modules
Students take modules to the value of 10 credits from the following:		10
FE3010	Gender and Development (5)
GV3212	Global Political Economy - Trade (5)
MB3901	Medical Microbiology (5)
SS3024	Social Movements and Health (5)
Year 4
Students take 60 credits as follows - all listed core modules (40 credits) and 20 credits of elective modules:
Core Modules
EC4302	Health Economics	5
EH4003	Health Protection	5
EH4005	Health Services	5
EH4008	Public Health Advocacy	5
EH4010	Final Year Project	10
GP4000	Primary Health Care	5
SS4000	Science, Technology and Public Controversy	5
Elective Modules
Students take modules to the value of 20 credits from the following:		20
BC3008	Biochemistry of the Central Nervous System (5) 16
EH4000	Advanced Applied Epidemiology (5)
EH4004	Promoting Health with Communities (5)
EH4009	Contemporary Global Health Issues (5)
EH4012	Health Impacts of Climate Change (5)
FE3010	Gender and Development (5) 17
FE4005	Advanced Programme Planning and Policy Processes (5)
FE4012	Humanitarian Action in Development (5)
GG3010	Sustainable cities and communities (5) 17
NT4011	Public Health Nutrition (5) 18
NT4013	Nutritional Epidemiology (5)
Total Credits		240

¹

BC1001 Introduction to Biochemistry and the Biological Basis of Disease must be taken if planning to take BC modules in Second Year.

²

Both FR1105 Threshold French and FR1107 French for Reading Purposes I must be taken together if planning to take FR modules in Second Year. Otherwise either FR1105 Threshold French or FR1107 French for Reading Purposes I can be taken.

³

GE0005 German Language (CEFR-Level A2.1) and GE0008 German Language (CEFR-Level A2.2) must be taken together.

⁴

HS0028 Spanish Language (Beginner Level) must be taken if planning to take HS0128 Spanish Language (Improver [01] Level) in Second Year.

⁵

HS1009 Spanish Language (Post Leaving Certificate) must be taken if planning to take HS2101 Second Year Spanish Language Course (Ex-Beginners) in Second Year.

⁶

MX1007 Special Study Module: Advanced Irish Language must be taken if planning to take MX2009 Advanced Irish Language II in Second Year.

⁷

Pre-requisite: BC1001 Introduction to Biochemistry and the Biological Basis of Disease

⁸

BC2001 Biomolecules and BC2002 Principles of Metabolic Pathways must be taken if planning to take BC3008 Biochemistry of the Central Nervous System modules in Fourth Year.

⁹

Pre-requisite: FR1105 Threshold French

¹⁰

FR2105 Towards Vantage French and FR2107 French for Reading Purposes II must be taken together.

¹¹

Pre-requisite: HS0028 Spanish Language (Beginner Level)

¹²

Pre-requisite: HS1009 Spanish Language (Post Leaving Certificate)

¹³

Pre-requisite: MX1007 Special Study Module: Advanced Irish Language

¹⁴

The Third University Examination in Public Health Sciences will be undertaken in March/April to accommodate the Work Placement module (EH3004 Work Placement).

¹⁵

Following the Third University Examinations in spring of the Third Year programme, all students not availing of the year-abroad option must undertake a compulsory 12 week work placement (EH3004 Work Placement). Students will be placed in an environment in which they can apply public health theory in practice. This will be with an appropriate organisation - a Health Services Executive area, a local authority, a development authority, or a national agency, such as the Food Safety Authority. The Placement module shall be assessed on a Pass/Fail basis, and must be passed in order to graduate. Full details of the placement are available on request from the School of Public Health. Students who are studying abroad in the Third Year are not required to complete a Work Placement.

¹⁶

Pre-requisite: BC2001 Biomolecules or BC2002 Principles of Metabolic Pathways

¹⁷

This module is only available to students who have not taken it in Third Year.

¹⁸

Pre-requisite: NT2008 Nutrition in Growth, Development and Ageing

Note
The following conditions apply to Language modules:

• Students may not select a Language module where there is a timetable clash with core modules.
• The level at which a student is permitted to take a particular language module will be determined by the relevant department.

Examinations

Full details and regulations governing Examinations for each programme will be contained in the Marks and Standards Book and for each module in the Book of Modules.

Programme Learning Outcomes

Programme Learning Outcomes for BSc (Hons) Public Health Sciences (NFQ Level 8, Major Award)

On successful completion of this programme, students should be able to:

• Demonstrate detailed knowledge of the field of population health and its constituent disciplines including epidemiology, health promotion, health protection and public health advocacy;
  
• Demonstrate good knowledge of the biological basis of disease, the social influences on patterns of health and ill-health, as well as quantitative and qualitative research methodologies;
  
• Investigate complex public health/health promotion problems including developing a research protocol and applying the relevant quantitative and/or qualitative methodologies;
  
• Critically appraise the quality of primary and secondary research;
  
• Discuss strategies to design, plan, implement and evaluate services, programmes and interventions to address public health issues;
  
• Analyse the relevance of national and international health related policy, at local, national and international levels;
  
• Work effectively as an individual, in teams and in multi-disciplinary settings together with the capacity to undertake lifelong learning;
  
• Communicate effectively with colleagues in public health, health promotion and the wider health system, and with society at large.