Why study Master of Public Health? | with the University of Liverpool Online
This week I'm joined by Dr Vickie Bates and Dr Ranjit Khutan, programme directors for the University of Liverpool's Online Master of Public Health (MPH). We discuss what makes this flexible, part-time course stand out - from its industry-focused curriculum, aligned with the World Health Organisation (WHO), to its strong global community of students and expert academic support
Participants
- Emily Slade - podcast producer and host, Prospects
- Ranjit Khutan - programme director, online Master of Public Health, University of Liverpool
- Vickie Bates - director of studies, online Master of Public Health, University of Liverpool
Transcript
Emily Slade: Hello and welcome back to Future You, the podcast brought to you by graduate careers experts, Prospects. I'm your host, Emily Slade and in this episode I chat to the University of Liverpool about their Master of Public Health.
Dr Vickie Bates: Hi, I'm Dr Vickie Bates and I'm Director of Studies for the online MPH programme at the University of Liverpool. I've worked on the programme for over 10 years now and my overall responsibility is to assure the curriculum development and the assessment strategies are rigorous and up to date with the most current public health priorities. So I oversee the overall running of the programme and the quality assurance. I've also worked in other organisations in the past related to public health, including the NHS, in a research and teaching capacity as well.
Dr Ranjit Khutan: Hello everyone, I'm Doctor Ranjit Khutan and I'm the Programme Director for the Online Master of Public Health at the University of Liverpool. I work for Kaplan Open Learning, so we provide the day-to-day support for the programme. I oversee academic quality, the student experience and work with my colleagues at Kaplan. We have programme coordinators who help in that role. Externally, I also work across public health education and workforce development in the UK and internationally through my role as a director of the UK Public Health Register and I have close links with the Royal Society of Public Health.
Emily Slade: Fantastic. So to begin with, can you tell us a bit about the course?
Dr Vickie Bates: Yes, sure. So the Master of Public Health Online Programme at the University of Liverpool is an internationally respected degree and it's designed for people who want to make a real impact. on health at a local, national or global level. It's actually rooted in the World Health Organisation's Health for All principles and it gives students a strong foundation in the science and practice of public health, from understanding the wider determinants of health to evaluating policies, health systems and interventions. The programme is fully online and it's part-time, which means students can study flexibly alongside work and personal commitments. Our modules are delivered through an interactive virtual classroom and students learn in small cohorts with peers from all over the world. The curriculum is research connected and it covers core areas like global public health, epidemiology, qualitative methods, leadership, evaluation. We have a range of optional modules which allow students to specialise in areas relevant to their role or interests. We do have 4 programme routes. So we have our main MPH programme, but we also have our MPH in global health. MPH in Health Economics and Policy, and MPH in Global Mental Health too. Fantastic. So who would suit the course? The programme's ideal for anyone working in public health really, whether it's in government, NGOs, health services, community organisations, and also people just getting into public health as well. It attracts a very diverse group of students, and that can be doctors, nurses, pharmacists, people working in environmental health, project managers, and also people from social sciences who want to move into more public health focused roles. Because of the flexibility that we've just described, it's fully online, it's particularly suited to professionals that are balancing their busy careers and also family responsibilities and those looking to advance or change their careers without stepping away from work. While students come from a wide range of countries and sectors as well, which really brings a real world public health experience into the classroom.
Emily Slade: Yeah, that's brilliant. Thank you so much. Going on from that, what are the career prospects? Obviously, several students already have a job. So why do they come and do the course? And what about those that don't?
Dr Ranjit Khutan: I can answer that one. As Vicky has already mentioned, I mean, this course is ideal for students, professionals in health, social care, you know, policy type of backgrounds. So people who are currently working or people who want to move into public health roles. So what we find is that graduates go on to work in public health agencies, NGOs, government departments, international organisations. Those who are already in those roles might want to move from public health practitioner roles to more leadership roles, maybe working in health policy, moving on in epidemiology and health programme manager roles as well. So it really supports career progression into leadership and research roles as well. So as Vicky's also mentioned, it's great for students globally because of the focus on global aspects of public health and the key aspects that are really important for people who want to develop a career in public health.
Emily Slade: Brilliant, thank you. So what support is available for those students?
Dr Ranjit Khutan: Again, if I can just answer that one, because as I said at the start, I work for Kaplan Open Learning. and we work in partnership with the University of Liverpool. So the University of Liverpool have designed the programme and it's our responsibility to ensure that it's delivered in a really high quality way. So one of the great things about Capital Open Learning is the dedicated support team that we have to help students. So we have student support advisors, we've got academic staff who are all experts in their field. Many of them hold PhDs and do research in public health and work at other universities as well. And you'll get support from us in terms of an access to an online resource that's accessible 24-7. There's study skills guidance from the University of Liverpool. The University of Liverpool Library, the online library support is fantastic and that's one of the things that that students talk about quite highly in their feedback. We also provide academic writing support as well. Again, from the University of Liverpool, the support services there are excellent, which you'd expect from a leading university. And also there's the networking opportunities. The students themselves, they're part of a global student community, so they are able to network with each other and we encourage that process throughout the programme.
Emily Slade: Yeah, fantastic, thank you. So big question now, what are the learning, teaching and assessment methods of the course?
Dr Vickie Bates: I can answer that one. So our teaching is delivered through an online platform and that combines short lecture casts, readings, practical activities, things like case studies and interactive tasks. Our students learn within small virtual classrooms and it encourages active participation, collaboration and discussion with their peers. and also the faculty members too. Our programme's core content is delivered entirely asynchronously, so that allows students to study when it suits them. There are opportunities for synchronous sessions. These can be live feedback and peer interaction, presenting research ideas. These sessions are really encouraged because they really get students engaging with each other and developing that community feel, but they're not compulsory and they are always recorded for those who aren't able to attend, because obviously we appreciate there's work commitments, time zone issues, so we do try our best to accommodate for everybody. Our modules are designed around active learning, collaboration and problem solving, reflecting real world public health practice. There are no exams on this programme, so students complete a mix of short, bite-sized assignments, reflective work and collaborative assignments as well. The assessments are all designed to be authentic and they mirror the kinds of outputs public health professionals produce in practice. So that could be things like rapid reviews, briefing papers, applied research summaries. And the other advantage of our strategy is that students receive regular formative feedback and that helps our students to stay on track and continually develop their skills.
Dr Ranjit Khutan: I think in terms of the, I mean, the overall learning teaching assessment methods that we provide through this programme, I've got experience in three other online MPH programmes and in developing online programmes. And I think one of the really key strengths of this programme is how it's designed. And Vicky, was at the outset of that. And it's, Vicky's created this programme to fit in with all those things that she's talked about in terms of, the student needs, the employer needs, making sure it's globally attractive. And I think for me, one of the key strengths of this is the assessment methods, the little and often approach that we have within this programme so that Students are supported from the outset and they get feedback at regular points which help them to develop and build on their knowledge throughout the programme. So unlike some online courses where you're doing the work and then you have an assessment at the end, and that can be quite scary for a lot of students, I think having these short assessments and feeling supported through that process is a real strength of the programme. And also the support from the experts in the field who are teaching students. They are passionate about their work and they will keep in regular contact each week. Because everyone's busy, everyone's got other things to do. So I think giving students a nudge here and there and supporting them is a real strength of the programme.
Emily Slade: Yeah, absolutely. So what advice would you give to someone considering applying?
Dr Vickie Bates: So my advice would be, if you're interested, then go for it. Especially if you're looking for a programme that fits around your life while still being academically rigorous and professionally relevant. The online MPH is allowing for people balancing work, family and other commitments. So you don't need to take time out of your career to study. I'd also encourage prospective students to think about what they'd want to achieve from the programme as well. So whether it's moving into a new area of public health, moving up the ladder, so stepping into leadership roles, or students might be really interested in research skill development as well. The programme offers a lot of flexibility, especially for our optional modules and a dissertation, so students can really tailor the programme to suit their needs.
Dr Ranjit Khutan: One of the other things about applying for the programme is Traditionally, when students apply to universities, there's a couple of entry points in the year. And for us, we have four starts in the year. So students don't have to think to themselves, oh, have I missed a start or, should I apply now, should I apply later? We accept applications at any time in the academic year. So apply, get in touch. They can contact us for information as well. Our admissions team are great. They know the programmes really well and they often ask us for information about things that they may not be able to answer. So yeah, if you're considering applying, apply at any time and get in touch with us to learn more about the programme.
Emily Slade: Yeah, brilliant. What do students typically enjoy most about the programme?
Dr Ranjit Khutan: Okay, so I think From working with the students, we find that because students are working from diverse backgrounds across the world, it's that sharing with each other as well. So they share their own experiences. Some people are working in public health, as we've already mentioned. So they'll talk about what happens in their country and how there's different health systems are tackling public health issues. And that's one of the key things about this programme. We provide people with the academic knowledge, the theories, the models, but we also encourage that sharing through collaborative forums and discussions. So that's one of the things that I think students really enjoy. Another one is the flexibility, the opportunity to study anytime, anywhere, any place, and to work that around their own commitments as well. So that's another value. And also they can see the relevance of learning to their professional roles because as I mentioned, when this programme was originally designed, Vicky and other colleagues at the University of Liverpool really made sure that this would relate to their own learning needs and also the needs of employers. It's been carefully mapped around those areas so students can see the value in the programme. And also when they get to the final part, which is their dissertation, is the opportunity to work one-on-one with a dissertation supervisor to look at an idea, a research project that is of interest to them, that they can really develop and uses something as a showcase as well. So when they're looking for that next role, they can say, this is a piece of work I did, and this is what I learned, and it brings everything together in their programme. That's if they want to do the MPH, the full MPH, because we accept that some students might just want to do the postgraduate certificate or the postgraduate diploma or the full MPH.
Emily Slade: Yeah, fantastic. So you've briefly touched on it, but can we expand on how the course prepares students for real world challenges?
Dr Vickie Bates: Yes, certainly. So as we've discussed previously, the programme has been designed around authentic public health practice. So every module that you'll explore will connect directly to real world issues. whether that's evaluating evidence, designing interventions, analysing health inequalities. So throughout the programme, students would learn to interpret and apply data for decision making, evaluate policies and programmes, design research that addresses real community needs, communicate findings clearly for different audiences, and also to work collaboratively in multidisciplinary teams. And that's a real unique selling point of the programme, the collaborative, multidisciplinary nature of our online classrooms.
Emily Slade: Absolutely. So just to go on from that, again, we've briefly touched on it, but just to bring it home, what makes the Liverpool Online MPH different from other programmes?
Dr Vickie Bates: So I think we've already touched on some of the points, but some of the features that really stand out on the programme are Liverpool's long history in public health research, which The online MPH really draws on us and is connected to. It's a real research connected programme. So students learn from academic staff and practitioners who are active in research, global health and leadership. It's a highly interactive course. So I know some people might have the perception of an online course being lonely and isolating and just reading materials. This isn't this programme. Our programme is very engaging, very interactive. As we've mentioned before, students study in small virtual classrooms with constant interaction, feedback and collaborative learning as well. We've discussed the flexibility. So the programme is specifically designed for online delivery. The experience is very structured and supportive. It allows part-time students to study alongside demanding professional roles. And I think that is a real plus for the programme. And we also have our dissertation preparation pathway for those studying on the full Masters programme. And this is a structured pathway that runs alongside the taught modules and it gives students an early and ongoing support for the dissertation. And this is something that students really appreciate. And by the time students begin their research projects, which seems at the start of the programme a very long way in the distance, they already have a supervisor proposal and a clear plan that significantly boosts confidence and completion.
Dr Ranjit Khutan: Can I just add to that? Because I think, yeah, I mean, I agree with everything that Vicky said. I think it's an amazing programme and I think the The difference for me, having experience working at other universities on other online MPH programmes and actually developing those as well, I think the University of Liverpool is such a prestigious place to study at. And I think that's one of the key things, you know, internationally renowned for its work around public health and the developments in public health. You know, so many things have come out of the University of Liverpool that have that have improved population health across the globe. So I think that's one of the things that's really important. I think the other thing as well is the partnership with Kaplan Open Learning and the support that's provided to students. Other universities may deliver in-house or they may work with a partner and I think that one of the strengths of this partnership that we have with the University of Liverpool and Capital and Open Learning is the support that's provided. There's so much support provided for students that, you know, it's evaluated really well by students and really valued by them. And the other thing I would say is that it's the design of the materials, the online learning materials. Everything that is provided is bespoke, so it's been created by experts and It's been reviewed by a number of experts as well. So we make sure that the videos that are provided are created by ourselves. It's not things like YouTube videos or TED Talks or other things like that are included. They are actually created by the academic team themselves. Those are some of the things that make it stand out from other online MPH programmes.
Emily Slade: Yeah, definitely. Fantastic. If potential students want to get in touch with either of you with follow-up questions or if they're curious about the course and want to learn more, are they able to get in contact with you?
Dr Ranjit Khutan: Yeah, I think the main way to get in touch is through the admissions team. So if they go onto the website for University of Liverpool online programmes, so if you just search for that in search engine, you'll find it. And there is a link there and you can get in touch with the admissions team who, as I've already mentioned, will then contact myself. And if there's any questions that a student has, you know, we'll take time to speak to a student if we can help in any way, just so they can make that decision over Liverpool online MPH compared to another online MPH. So we're happy to do that.
Emily Slade: Yeah, fantastic. Well, thank you so much for your time today, both of you.
Dr Vickie Bates: Thank you.
Dr Ranjit Khutan: Thank you. It's been a pleasure.
Emily Slade: Thanks again to Vickie and Ranjit for their time. For more information on the course, check out the show notes below. If you enjoyed the episode, do feel free to leave us a review on Apple or Spotify. Thank you as always for listening and good luck on your journey to future you.
Notes on transcript
This transcript was produced using a combination of automated software and human transcribers and may contain errors. The audio version is definitive and should be checked before quoting.
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