Degree Subject

Study Public Health Abroad

Public Health degrees focus on improving population health, preventing disease, and addressing health inequalities through policy, research, and community interventions.Programmes integrate epidemiology, biostatistics, health promotion, environmental health, and health policy, studying disease patterns, social determinants of health, and health systems.Public Health appeals to those wanting population-level health impact rather than individual patient care, offering careers in government health departments, NHS public health teams, international organisations, research, and health charities.

Entry Requirements

A-Levels: AAB-ABB (for undergraduate BSc Public Health)
International Baccalaureate: 32-36 points
Biology, Psychology, or social sciences beneficial but not essential
Strong interest in health inequalities and population health
Minimum IELTS 6.5-7.0 for international students
MPH (postgraduate) typically requires undergraduate degree in health/science
Some numerical and statistical ability required

Required High School Subjects

No specific A-level subjects required for most programmes
Biology, Psychology, Sociology, or Geography all relevant
Mathematics GCSE required (Grade 4/C minimum)
Science or social science background useful

Personal Statement Tips

Your Public Health personal statement should demonstrate genuine interest in population health and health inequalities, understanding of public health beyond individual healthcare (disease prevention, health promotion, policy), awareness of current public health challenges (obesity, smoking, health inequalities, pandemic preparedness, mental health), relevant experience through volunteering (health charities, community health projects, sexual health services), understanding of social determinants of health (poverty, education, housing, environment), interest in research and evidence-based interventions, examples of working with communities or diverse populations, awareness of public health careers and organisations (Public Health England/UKHSA, local authorities, WHO), and motivation for choosing public health over clinical medicine or nursing. Discuss public health issues that concern you and why population-level interventions appeal to you.

Interview Preparation

Public Health interviews assess motivation and understanding of population health. Be prepared to discuss public health issues you're passionate about (obesity, smoking, health inequalities, infectious diseases), explain difference between public health and clinical medicine (population vs individual focus), demonstrate understanding of social determinants of health with examples, discuss recent public health news or campaigns you've followed, show awareness of health inequalities and why they exist, explain what public health professionals actually do (policy, research, health protection, health improvement), demonstrate interest in epidemiology and using data to improve health, discuss experience working with communities or on health projects, and show understanding of public health ethics (balancing individual freedom with population health). Be prepared to discuss COVID-19 pandemic response and lessons learned.

Top Universities for Public Health

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

USA

Undergraduate degree + GRE (MPH)

London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

Undergraduate degree (MPH - postgraduate)

Imperial College London

AAB for BSc Public Health

Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

USA

Undergraduate degree + GRE (MPH)

University of Edinburgh

ABB for BSc Public Health

University of Toronto

Canada

Undergraduate degree (MPH)

Career Opportunities

Public Health Practitioner

Health Improvement Specialist

Epidemiologist

Health Policy Analyst

Global Health Programme Manager

Health Promotion Officer

Public Health Researcher

Consultant in Public Health Medicine

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between Public Health and Medicine/Nursing?

Medicine and nursing focus on treating individual patients' illnesses through clinical care. Public Health focuses on preventing disease and improving health for entire populations through policy, programmes, research, and interventions. Public health professionals rarely provide direct clinical care - instead they work on vaccination programmes, disease surveillance, health promotion campaigns, policy development, and addressing social determinants of health. Choose public health if you want population-level impact, enjoy research and data analysis, are interested in health policy and inequalities, and prefer working on prevention rather than treatment. Public health is ideal for those interested in health but not wanting clinical practice. Many doctors specialise in public health later through Faculty of Public Health training.

Should I do undergraduate BSc Public Health or pursue MPH after another degree?

Both routes lead to public health careers. Undergraduate BSc Public Health (3 years) provides direct entry to public health from A-levels, focused training, and immediate specialisation. MPH (Master of Public Health, 1 year postgraduate) is taken after an undergraduate degree in any subject, offering broader education first plus specialist public health training. MPH is more common internationally and allows you to combine another interest (medicine, social sciences, international development) with public health. BSc Public Health is faster and more affordable. Consider BSc if certain about public health career early; MPH if wanting broader undergraduate education first or coming to public health after clinical/science background. Many public health professionals have diverse undergraduate degrees (medicine, biology, geography, social policy) plus MPH.

What types of organisations employ public health professionals?

Public health professionals work across diverse sectors: UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) on infectious disease control and health protection, local authority public health teams on health improvement and inequalities, NHS public health programmes, international organisations (WHO, UNICEF, Médecins Sans Frontières) on global health, health charities (Cancer Research UK, British Heart Foundation) on prevention programmes, government departments (Department of Health, Defra) on policy, academic institutions on research, and consultancies on programme evaluation. Public health is a small profession (approximately 5,000 specialists in UK) but spans many sectors. Roles vary from epidemiology and data analysis to community engagement, policy development, and programme management. Career progression often involves postgraduate training including MPH and specialist registrar training for medically qualified public health consultants.

What are the career prospects and salaries in public health?

Public health career progression and salaries vary by route and organisation. Public health practitioners in NHS/local authorities typically start at Band 5-6 (£28,000-£43,000) after undergraduate degree, progressing to Band 7-8a specialist roles (£44,000-£60,000). Public health consultants (requiring medical degree plus specialist training, or exceptionally strong public health professionals) earn £84,000-£110,000. International organisation salaries vary widely (£35,000-£70,000+ depending on seniority). Public health research positions range £30,000-£50,000. Job market is competitive as public health is small specialty, but demand exists particularly after COVID-19 highlighted public health importance. Career satisfaction is high due to meaningful work improving population health. Many positions require MPH qualification, so factor in postgraduate study for best career prospects.

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