BSc (Hons) Public Health

3 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

University of West London

Program Overview

The BSc (Hons) Public Health at the University of West London gives you the knowledge and skills to understand how social, economic, cultural, and political forces shape health across entire populations. It’s ideal for students who want to promote healthier communities through research, education, behaviour change, and practical health-promotion strategies.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1

In your first year, you explore the key determinants of health and learn how factors such as inequality, policy, lifestyle, and environment influence wellbeing. You also develop strong communication skills — written, verbal, digital, and social-media based — enabling you to deliver clear and compelling public-health messages. This year builds your understanding of population health trends and how to assess community needs.

Year 2

Your second year becomes more hands-on and applied. You receive Making Every Contact Count (MECC) training, which prepares you to have meaningful health-promotion conversations with individuals about topics like smoking, diet, stress, and physical activity. You’ll also plan and carry out health-promotion projects, learning how to design interventions, gather evidence, and apply them in real community settings while working alongside multi-agency partners.

Year 3 (Final Year)

In the final year, you strengthen your leadership and project-management abilities. You learn how to design, implement, and evaluate public-health campaigns, using evidence to measure their effectiveness and impact. You’ll also work more closely with stakeholders and multi-agency teams, gaining confidence in influencing health policy, leading initiatives, and advocating for community wellbeing.

Focus Areas

Social determinants of health, population health assessment, behaviour change, health promotion, community engagement, leadership, policy influence, multi-agency collaboration.

Learning Outcomes

You’ll develop the ability to analyse population-level health data, design and evaluate health-promotion interventions, communicate effectively across multiple media formats, work within multi-agency teams, and contribute to policy or strategy that enhances community health.

Professional Alignment (Accreditation)

While the course is non-clinical, it is closely aligned with public-health career paths within the NHS, local authorities, public-health charities, government bodies, and community-health organisations. MECC training strengthens your professional profile, as it reflects real-world practice used widely in public health settings.

Reputation (Employability & Student Experience)

The course prepares graduates to work confidently in multi-agency environments, delivering health-promotion projects and contributing to community wellbeing. Students benefit from opportunities to engage with public-health organisations, gain volunteering experience, and build a portfolio that supports strong employability outcomes. UWL also holds a strong reputation for student satisfaction and practical, career-focused teaching.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

At the University of West London, the BSc (Hons) Public Health is built around applied, hands-on learning. Instead of relying only on lectures, you learn through realistic simulations, project work, and skills development that mirrors real roles in the public health sector.

UWL’s industry-standard simulation centres allow you to practise public-health decision-making in environments that resemble clinical and community settings. Whether you’re analysing health data, planning interventions, or evaluating policies, you’ll gain practical insights that prepare you for non-clinical public health careers.

Throughout your degree, you’ll also engage with project-based learning, group tasks, research skills, and independent study — all designed to build confidence, leadership, and analytical abilities. While the course doesn’t include a formal placement year, UWL supports students in finding public-health relevant volunteering or work experience through its Careers and Employment services.

Here’s how experiential learning is structured:

Access to advanced simulation centres that replicate hospital and community health settings
Project-based assignments, such as designing public health campaigns, analysing population data, and evaluating health inequalities
Group assessments that build communication, teamwork, and leadership skills
Independent coursework where you develop your own public-health ideas and solutions
Final-year research project exploring a public health challenge or developing an intervention
Support from Careers and Employment Services for volunteering, internships, and health-related project opportunities
Opportunities to participate in public-health themed workshops, events, and academic support sessions

Facilities & Tools Supporting Your Learning

State-of-the-art Simulation Centres designed for realistic hands-on practice
Paul Hamlyn Library with extensive academic resources, digital databases, study rooms, and learning support
Modern IT facilities providing access to online learning materials and public health resources
Specialist academic support through tutors, student advisers, and skills development teams
Careers Service and employability teams offering help with CVs, applications, interview prep, and relevant volunteering opportunities

What You’ll Study (Key Topics & Modules)

Foundations of public health, including epidemiology and determinants of health
Evidence-based public health practice and research skills
Data management, health surveillance, and understanding population trends
Global health challenges, inequalities, and policy frameworks
Applied public health, where you design and evaluate interventions
Leadership, health economics, and social policy
A full dissertation or applied project in your final year

Career Outcomes & Professional Value

Prepares you for non-clinical public health roles, such as health promotion officer, community health practitioner, public health project assistant, or health policy support roles
Equips you with sought-after skills in data interpretation, communication, and health analysis
Builds strong foundations for postgraduate study, including a Master of Public Health
Employers value UWL graduates for their practical mindset and strong project experience
Located in London, giving you access to NGOs, public health charities, local authorities, and community health organisations

Progression & Future Opportunities

Graduates of the BSc (Hons) Public Health at the University of West London enter a wide range of roles in health promotion, community wellbeing, health policy, and public health outreach. Many move into positions within the NHS, local authorities, public-health charities, or research organisations. Typical roles include:

Public Health Educator
Health Promotion Officer
Community Health Coordinator
Health Policy or Public Health Analyst

Here’s how UWL prepares you for strong career outcomes:

University Services That Support Your Career
- UWL’s career and employability team supports students with placements, CV building, interview practice, and access to local and national employers.
- Students benefit from an active volunteering service that connects them with public-health charities, non-profits, and community organisations for hands-on experience.
Employment Statistics & Salary Figures
- Graduate outcome data for this subject area shows more than half of students progressing into employment or further study within 15 months.
- Typical earnings 15 months after graduation average around £30,000, with long-term salaries rising to £32,000 after 5 years.
- A high proportion of UWL public-health graduates who are employed report working in highly skilled roles.
University–Industry & Community Partnerships
- The course includes Making Every Contact Count (MECC) training, which equips you to advise individuals on lifestyle and wellbeing issues such as alcohol use, smoking, nutrition, physical activity, and mental health.
- Students frequently take part in real-world health campaigns — for example, organising community events and presenting at student-led public health seminars.
- Volunteering opportunities allow you to collaborate with multi-agency teams, community organisations, and health charities.
Long-Term Accreditation & Career Value
- The degree is broad and non-clinical, designed to prepare graduates for roles across public health, health promotion, and policymaking.
- You gain leadership skills, health-communication expertise, and a strong grounding in evidence-based public health — all valued across the public, private, and voluntary sectors.
Graduation Outcomes
- You’ll graduate ready to design, implement, and evaluate community health interventions.
- You learn how to analyse social, political, economic, and cultural factors that influence health inequalities.
- Skills in teamwork, research, data interpretation, behaviour change, and community engagement prepare you to work effectively with diverse populations and stakeholders.

Further Academic Progression:

UWL offers a Master of Public Health (MPH) for students who want to advance into specialist areas such as epidemiology, health policy, or global health.
You can also progress into postgraduate programmes in Health Promotion, Health Policy, Wellbeing Studies, or Data Analytics for Public Health.
If you enjoy research, you can pursue an MPhil or PhD in public health, social sciences, or health policy, building on your final-year project and academic training.