MSc in Public and Environmental Health Sciences

Our Public and Environmental Health Sciences MSc is designed for international students wishing to advance their knowledge and develop their careers in public and environmental health. The course is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) and runs in parallel to the Environmental Health MSc.

The course is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health for international students. It is taught in conjunction with the MSc in Environmental Health. We welcome international students to our courses.

This programme is aimed at international students but is also open to UK students. If you are a UK student who wishes to work in the UK or pursue the CIEH Chartered route, please see the equivalent Environmental Health MSc programme.

The course is taught using formal lectures, workshops, group work, case studies, practical simulations, industrial/commercial visits and student-centred learning. Students benefit from being taught in a research-intense environment and are encouraged to develop their critical thinking and research skills. The course supports building the foundation of competence through the knowledge and skills required by the CIEH curriculum.

Why study this course?

This course provides the opportunity to explore the impacts that environmental health stressors (threats) have on the physical health and social well-being of individuals and communities. It comprises a twelve-month course leading to a Masters's Degree in Public and Environmental Health Sciences.

The ethos of the course is to provide international students with the skills and knowledge to work within a range of organizations including national or local government, health services, commercial companies and private consultancies. The course is led by experienced Environmental Health Practitioners supported by external lecturers who are recognized specialists in their fields. You will have the opportunity to be taught by and supported in your own research dissertations by the research scientists within the Division of Environmental Health and Risk Management.

Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH)

Our MSc in Public and Environmental Health Sciences is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH).

The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health is the professional body that oversees all professional practices and qualifications in the UK. It is a member of the International Federation of Environmental Health. It has endorsed this MSc as being suitable for international students who wish to pursue a career in Environmental Health.

Students are able to apply to the CIEH for Associate membership of the CIEH as registered students on this course. This brings a range of benefits.

International Federation of Environmental Health (IFEH)

The University is a member of the International Federation of Environmental Health (IFEH) which represents environmental practitioners at an international level.

The College of Life and Environmental Sciences is dedicated to exploring the diversity and evolutionary challenges of life in all its forms.

Across the breadth of life and environmental sciences, we discover, apply and translate science, forging major advances in human and environmental health. From exercise, biomedicine and mental health to climate change, food security and resilience we combine original thinking and real-world experience with clear focus and rigour. This is underpinned by our enabling technologies, which combine state-of-the-art equipment with expert staff.

We are home to one of the best stand-alone Schools of Psychology in the UK, as well as being ranked consistently in the top five in the world QS league table for Sport and Exercise Sciences. Supported by a major gift from a philanthropist, we have developed the unique Birmingham Institute of Forest Research (BiFoR), which is investigating the effect of rapid climate change on tree canopy development and pathogens.

The College is comprised of four Schools: Biosciences; Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences; Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences; and Psychology. We combine our discipline expertise with those across the wider University to address the most significant human and environmental questions of the present, past and future.

Our extensive engagement with partners across academia, industry and communities deliver a growing impact on the local, national and global stage.

Talented staff

With a faculty of more than 700 academic and professional services staff working in partnership, we are actively engaging with University initiatives to make high-quality appointments in the College’s established and emerging centres of research excellence. Among our academic staff are a number of outstanding, high potential, early career researchers, appointed as part of the University’s sector-leading Birmingham Fellowship programme. Our professional services staff provide valuable support to academic colleagues, enabling an exceptional educational experience for our students, and helping us to grow our influence regionally, nationally, and globally.

One of our core aims in the College is to help our staff to look after themselves. We have a range of apps, programmes and information available to our staff to improve and support both their physical, and mental health.

World-leading research

In the most recent Research Excellence Framework (REF2014) the majority of our research was rated as world-leading (4) or internationally excellent (3). Our world-leading multidisciplinary research areas include:

• Birmingham Institute of Forest Research (BIFoR)
• Environmental Sciences
• Microbiology and Infection
• Water Sciences
• Centre of Precision Rehabilitation for Spinal Pain
• Centre for Human Brain Health
• Institute for Mental Health

In recent years, the College has placed significant investment into key interdisciplinary initiatives including the Centre for Computational Biology and, recently, the Centre for Human Brain Health. Established in 2017, the Institute for Mental Health will largely focus on transforming NHS services from an evidence base of the highest quality research. These investments build on the College’s outstanding infrastructure and reputation for enabling technologies.

Teaching excellence

The College is home to around 5,000 students studying a diverse range of more than 100 undergraduate, postgraduate taught and research programmes.

The combination of outstanding research, training, fieldwork and facilities enables our students to engage with the most exciting and pioneering research through its impact and application to real-world challenges. As a result, they learn both transferable and discipline-specific skills giving them the confidence and experience to succeed in a wide range of careers across the globe.

International students in the College of Life and Environmental Sciences

We are home to a diverse and vibrant community of international students who have chosen the University of Birmingham to further their studies in biosciences, geography, earth sciences, environmental sciences, planning, psychology, sport and exercise sciences and physiotherapy.

Muhammad Nadzmie Bin Zulkifli - Malaysia (MSc Air Pollution Control and Management)

“My favourite thing of being a student in the University of Birmingham probably would be the community, the diverse international community here. It makes me feel at home.”

Christy Wong Hei Yan - Hong Kong (BSc Psychology)

“Studying abroad can broaden my horizons”

Our schools

• Biosciences
• Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences
• Psychology
• Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences

Fellowships

Pursue an independent fellowship in the College of Life and Environmental Sciences at the University of Birmingham, and gain the opportunity to further your own research within a globally respected multi-disciplinary environment.

Postdoctoral and Early Researcher Career Development and Training - PERCAT

The PERCAT programme within the Colleges of Engineering and Physical Sciences and Life and Environmental Sciences aims to provide a gateway to resources and support available at the University of Birmingham for career development and training for postdoctoral and early career researchers, including events, seminars, career development opportunities, research council funding, fellowships and other support services.