Public Health Sciences
Our BSc Public Health Sciences programme offers an integrated learning experience in an interdisciplinary setting. It provides training in the range of skills involved in keeping people healthy and preventing disease. This degree in Public Health Sciences is one of the few public health undergraduate degrees in Ireland. We offer an integrated learning experience, in an interdisciplinary environment, that produces graduates who are passionate about public health.
| Award Name | Degree - Honours Bachelor (Level 8 NFQ) |
|---|---|
| NFQ Classification | Major |
| Awarding Body | National University of Ireland |
| NFQ Level | Level 8 NFQ |
| Award Name | NFQ Classification | Awarding Body | NFQ Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Degree - Honours Bachelor (Level 8 NFQ) | Major | National University of Ireland | Level 8 NFQ |
Duration
4 Years
Specific Subjects or course requirements
Leaving Certificate entry requirements
At Least six subjects must be presented. Minimum grade H4 in one subject, minimum grade H5 in one subject and minimum grade O6/H7 in four other subjects. English and Irish are requirements for all programmes unless the applicant is exempt from Irish.
Applicants will need to meet the following minimum entry requirements:
English O6/H7
Irish O6/H7
Maths O6/H7 or H4*
Lab Science O6/H7 or H4*
Other Language O6/H7
Note
H4 in Maths or Applied Maths or a Lab Science*
* If the H4 is in Maths or Applied Maths an 06/H7 in a Lab Science subject is also required.
The following are considered Lab Science subjects: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Physics with Chemistry, and Agricultural Science.
Student Garda vetting
All students on this programme will come into contact with the public and assume positions of trust through educational and training opportunities. To ensure the protection of the public, and to justify public trust and confidence, UCC is committed to ensuring that only suitable candidates are allowed to undertake this programme.
Garda vetting is carried out by the Admissions Office in UCC once a student has accepted their place on the programme. It involves a police check to establish whether the individual being vetted has had criminal convictions in the past or whether any criminal proceedings are pending. The Garda Síochána provide this information for students who have resided in Ireland for a period of six months or more (including permanent residence).
All students who have resided outside Ireland for a period of six months or more must furnish a Police Clearance Certificate from their country or countries of residence. This certificate should state that the student has had no convictions recorded against them while residing there. Please see the UCC Garda Vetting information page for more information.
Leaving Certificate Vocational Progamme LCVP
UCC awards the following points to the Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme Link Modules:
Distinction 66 points
Merit 46 points
Pass 28 points
While Link Modules are counted for point scoring purposes they may not be counted as one of the six subjects to satisfy minimum entry requirements.
QQI FET Applicants General Information
Careers / Further progression
Skills and Careers Information
Public Health is a rapidly expanding and timely field both at home and internationally. This degree will open up a range of career opportunities and our graduates have found employment in a diverse range of public health roles, at home and abroad, in areas including:
- Public Health Research
- Media and Public Relations
- Health Promotion
- Health and Safety
- Health and Nutrition
- Community Work
Our graduates can also apply for further study at Masters and Doctorate level, in a wide range of disciplines including health research, health promotion, and global health. The School of Public Health offers graduates a Masters in Public Health (MPH) and Masters in Occupational Health. Some students complete an accredited two-year Master's programmes in related health disciplines such as Occupational Therapy, Nursing, and Dietetics. The BSc can also facilitate graduate entry to other undergraduate degrees such as (Graduate Entry) Medicine.
Further information
Approximate Available Places 5
Find out about the mature entry requirements at https://www.ucc.ie/en/study/undergrad/entryreqs/matureapplicants/
Approximate Available Places Overall 35
Entry 2024
Early online application (discounted): Fee €30 Closing Date: 20 January 2024 at 5pm
Normal online application: Fee €45 Closing Date: 1 February 2024 at 5pm
Late online application - restrictions apply (see page 3 2024 CAO Handbook): Fee: €60 Closing Date: 1 May 2024 at 5pm
Change of Mind - restrictions apply (see page 3 2024 CAO Handbook): Fee: Nil Closing Date: 1 July 2024 at 5pm
Exceptional online late application (see page 34 of the 2024 CAO Handbook): Fee €60 Closing Date: 22 July 2024 at 5pm
Be sure to complete any action well in advance of closing dates. You should avoid making an application close to a closing date. No extensions to closing dates will be allowed and all application fees are non-refundable.
LATE APPLICATIONS
Late Applications are those which are received after 5pm on 1 February 2024. The closing date for late applications is 5pm on 1 May 2024, subject to the restrictions listed on page 3 of the 2024 CAO Handbook. The online facility for late applications opens on the 5 March 2024 at 12:00 noon - a fee of €60 applies.
Exceptional Late Applications (Exception to the timetable)
The exceptional closing date of 22 July at 5pm applies only to applicants who are registered as an undergraduate student on 1 May 2024 in any year in any one of the participating HEIs (subject to the exclusions listed below). In order to avail of the Exceptional Late Application facility you must have entered the HEI through the CAO system. This is an exceptional late closing date and all steps must be completed by 5pm on 22 July. No changes may be made after this date.
If you did not enter your current course through the CAO system, you must first contact the Admissions Office of the HEI to which you wish to apply and they will inform you if you may submit an application direct to the institution.
Exclusions:
You may submit a late application only for entry to courses other than your existing course. If you wish to repeat the year in the same course you must arrange this within your HEI.
Mary Immaculate College Limerick, Marino Institute of Education, Trinity College Dublin, University of Limerick and Maynooth University have special procedures in place in the case of current or previous students who wish to apply for entry to another course in the same HEI. Such applicants must contact their Admissions Office to determine the application procedure. However, if you are a student in another HEI and you wish to apply to any of these five HEIs, you should apply through CAO.
Refer to page 34 of the 2024 CAO Handbook on how to make an Exceptional Late Application.
Restrictions
As a CAO applicant you may experience one or more of the following restrictions based on your course choices, your category of application, or restrictions imposed by the HEIs that you wish to apply to. Please read the section on 'Restrictions' on page 3 of the 2024 CAO Handbook carefully. This section includes information on:
General Restrictions
1. Making a late application
2. Making changes to your course choices
Restricted Courses
3. Applying for a restricted course
Mature Applicants
4. Mature applicants
Supplementary Admissions Routes
5. Applying for DARE and/or HEAR
Course Outline
Our BSc Public Health Sciences programme offers an integrated learning experience in an interdisciplinary setting. It provides training in the range of skills involved in keeping people healthy and preventing disease, including:
- Assessing the health and well-being of populations;
- Investigating complex public health problems such as obesity, HIV/AIDS and the impact of COVID-19;
- Assessing the health impact of policy at local, national, and global levels;
- Communicating effectively with colleagues in public health and the wider health system, as well as with society at large.
This degree in Public Health Sciences is one of the few public health undergraduate degrees in Ireland. We offer an integrated learning experience, in an interdisciplinary environment, that produces graduates who are passionate about public health.
Year 1 Modules (60 credits total)
All modules 5 credits unless otherwise stated.
Core Modules (50 credits):
EH1004 Epidemiology I (10 credits)
EH1006 Perspectives on Public Health
EH1007 Introduction to Health Information Systems (HIS)
EH1009 Determinants of Health
EH1010 Introduction to Public Health
EV2002 The Environment and Human Health
MB1003 Microbiology in Society
SC1011 Sociology of Health, Public Health and Health Promotion
ST1002 Introduction to Health Statistics
Elective Modules (choose 10 credits):
BC1001 Introduction to Biochemistry and the Biological Basis of Disease
FE1013 Introduction to Development Studies I
FR1105 Threshold French
FR1107 French for Reading Purposes I
GE0005 German Language (CEFR-Level A2.1)
GE0008 German Language (CEFR-Level A2.2)
GV1218 International Politics
HS0028 Spanish Language (Beginner Level) (10 credits)
HS1009 Spanish Language (Post Leaving Cert) (10 credits)
MX1004 Introducing Medical Students to Irish as a Spoken Language
MX1007 Special Study Module – Advanced Irish Language
PL1025 Fundamentals of Physiology
The following years comprise a selection of modules from various disciplines across campus together with a 12-week placement in Year 3.
Year 2 Modules
Principles of Social Research; Epidemiology II; Public Health Research Report; Introduction to Theories and Practices of Health Promotion; Public Health Issues; Introduction to Food and Industrial Microbiology; Management and Planning of Public Health Systems; Fundamentals of Nutrition Part 1; Critical Perspectives on Irish Health Policy; Social Research and Survey Methods; Cities of Diversity; Sociology of the Body, Health and Illness.
Year 3 Modules (plus 12-week work placement)
Epidemiology III; Work Placement; Public Health Practice; Data Analysis for Public Health Research; Medical Microbiology; Transmission and Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases; Nutrition in Growth, Development, and Ageing; Professional Ethics; Health and Scientific Deviance; Global Urbanism; Medical Microbiology.
Year 4 Modules
Health Economics; Health Protection; Health Services; Final Year Project; Public Health Advocacy; Primary Health Care; Science, Technology and Public Controversy; Advanced Applied Epidemiology; Gender and Development; Global Health Issues and Perspectives; Humanitarian Action in Development.
Placement or Study Abroad Information
Students undertake a 12-week work placement at the end of Year 3, providing them with the opportunity to experience the working world and apply theory to practice. We have built strong relationships with national and international organisations including HSE Public Health Departments, Safefood, Public Health England, and the WHO in Copenhagen, all of which accept UCC students on placement. The work placement opens doors to future work opportunities with a larger number of employers recruiting graduates for positions in Ireland, elsewhere in Europe, and in other economically developed or developing countries.
Alternatively, a limited number of students may be permitted to undertake Year 3 of their BSc Public Health Sciences studies abroad at an approved institution.
Academic Programme Catalogue
See the Academic Programme Catalogue (https://ucc-ie-public.courseleaf.com/programmes/) for the complete and up-to-date content for this course. Note that the modules for all courses are subject to change from year-to-year. For complete descriptions of individual modules, see the Book of Modules (https://ucc-ie-public.courseleaf.com/modules/)
Programmes Team
sphprogrammes@ucc.ie
+353 (0)21 420 5503
http://www.ucc.ie/en/publichealth