Join an online MPH you can study part-time and tailor to your career goals.
You can also study this degree full-time on campus.
Prepare for success in a broad range of public health and academic careers. Gain the skills you need to:
- pursue a career in the public health sector
- influence public health policy
- undertake independent public health research
- move on to a PhD.
You’ll cover the key topics required for professional accreditation in public health in the UK and internationally. And you can choose from a substantial range of elective options to tailor your learning to your ambitions.
You’ll train with internationally experienced public health experts at an award-winning health research university. Our 100% online MPH is delivered part-time, giving you the flexibility to fit your studies around your career and home life.
Who this distance-learning MPH is for
You do not need to have any particular clinical or specialist knowledge to join our online MPH. Public health is a very broad area of activity and we welcome student applications from a range of backgrounds and experiences.
Students who have successfully completed our MPH include medical students, nurses, political scientists, engineers, policymakers, healthcare managers, physicians, surgeons, social workers, dentists, psychologists, microbiologists, nutritionists, health educationalists, biologists, pharmacologists and biomedical scientists.
What you’ll study
You can choose to study for a:
- Masters (180 credits)
- or start with one of the short courses that make up this degree (15 credits).
Your tutors will guide you in selecting your optional courses. They’ll help you tailor your MPH to your career goals.
How you’ll study
Online learning
Our distance learning MPH is delivered flexibly, 100% online.
You can learn with us anywhere, with no need for a study visa.
Your teaching
Your teaching is delivered through MyAberdeen, our online Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). It holds all the materials, tools and support you’ll need in your studies. Take a look around MyAberdeen.
You can access your learning materials on computer, smartphone and laptop, 24 hours a day. You’ll find a range of resources at your fingertips, including online access to our award-winning Sir Duncan Rice Library.
Your online learning environment will be enriched by interaction with other students from varied clinical, non-clinical, professional and cultural backgrounds.
Your tutors
You’ll learn from renowned academic researchers and public health practitioners. You’ll train with internationally experienced tutors across disciplines including epidemiology, statistics, qualitative research, public health, health informatics, health economics, nutrition and clinical trials.
Assessments
You’ll be assessed entirely online. We use a range of online assessment methods throughout your degree, including multiple-choice questions, short-answer tests, numerical exercises, essays, reports, posters, oral presentations and peer review by other students.
Hours for taught courses
If you plan to study part-time, we recommend you take no more than 30 credits per term. Students typically take one or two 15-credit short courses per term.
15 credits
- Around 150 hours of study and assessment time to complete.
- You’ll study 10 – 15 hours per week per term.
30 credits
- Around 300 hours of study and assessment time to complete.
- You’ll study 20 – 30 hours per week per term.
This is an indicative guide to the time required for a typical student at this level to achieve the learning outcomes.
You can largely set your own study hours each week to cover the materials. MyAberdeen is available 24/7, so you can log in and study when it suits you.
Activities at fixed times
There may be some activities scheduled at a fixed time, such as online meetings with your tutor or assessments with deadlines. But otherwise, you can access and work through each course at your convenience.
Hours for 60-credit projects
A 60-credit project is around 600 hours of study time.
This is around one term of full-time study.
You can dedicate a full term to your project and work on it full-time. Or you can complete it part-time, spreading the hours you dedicate to it over two terms.
Hours for 30-credit projects and case studies
A 30-credit project or case study is around 300 hours of study time. That’s around 20 – 30 hours per week per term.
You will dedicate a full term to your project or case study.
When you study with us, you can expect a first-class support structure so that you’re never alone in your studies.
But learning online does mean you have to motivate yourself and manage your own time.
Your most important commitment to your course will be time – the time to work through, reflect on and understand your teaching materials.
Before you start a course that involves a high degree of independent study, we recommend looking at the time you will be able to devote to your course each week:
- Be realistic
- Create a weekly schedule as a guide
If you have any questions about studying online, get in touch with our friendly team. We’re here to help.
Our first-class support structure will ensure that you aren’t alone in your studies. You’ll have contact with your tutors via MyAberdeen and email. You can use social media and discussion boards to chat with your fellow students too.
We provide a wide range of services to support you in your studies and beyond:
- Careers and Employability Service – including one-to-one advice sessions
- Disability support
- IT support
- Library support
- Student Support Service – help with finances, stress, wellbeing and non-academic issues
- Student Learning Service – study support, with advice sessions available via phone or Skype
- Aberdeen University Students’ Association (AUSA) – run by students for students
- Toolkit – clever apps and free training that can make your study life easier
Wherever you are in the world, you’ll feel part of our very special Aberdeen learning community.
Your support team
Our friendly team are here to answer any queries you have before, during and after your studies.

Dr Janet Kyle
Janet is the degree coordinator. She’ll be on hand to answer any questions about degree content before you start and to help you throughout your studies.

Clare McHattie
Clare is part of the School’s postgraduate teaching support team. She’ll be there throughout your studies to answer any of your non-academic queries.

Get in touch
Our online education team is here to answer any questions you have right now about this qualification, or about studying online.
Ask us a questionWhere this will take you
You’ll graduate with the broad public health knowledge and essential research skills you need for both academic and workplace practitioner environments. You will be ready to:
Pursue a career in the public health sector
- in world-ranking academic research institutions
- working on projects commissioned by health authorities such as the WHO, Ministries of Health and NGOs.
Influence public health policy
- through your independent research, with publication in peer-reviewed journals
- translating research evidence into practice in professional and health authority settings.
Become an independent researcher
- identifying research priorities and goals set by global and national health authorities.
Move on to a PhD
- The MPH is a common pathway to health-related PhDs.
- You’ll have the advanced skills in quantitative and qualitative research methods, critical thinking and scientific writing you need to succeed.

Lifelong career support
Our careers support doesn’t stop when you graduate.
You have access to our free careers service while you study, and beyond.
We’re here with 1:1 appointments, CV checks, interview prep, and to connect you with job opportunities around the world.
Fees and funding
The fee quoted above is based on you starting your studies with us in the 2023/24 academic year.
Fees for future academic years are provisional. Our indicative cost assumes a 5% fee rise each year.

Pay as you go
Don’t worry, you do not have to pay the full degree fee upfront.
You can pay for your degree one term at a time. This gives you a flexible way to spread the cost.
Pay as you go allows you to spread payments over several terms.
When you pay
You make a payment before the start of each term.
How much you pay
You only pay for the credits you want to study in the upcoming term.
It’s up to you how many credits you take each term. This gives you control over your costs and your workload.
- Taking fewer credits will increase the length of your studies.
We break down the total cost of this qualification into cost per 15 credits.
Cost per 15 credits for this degree, starting in academic year 2023/24
- £1,230 in academic year 2023/24.
- £1,290 in academic year 2024/25 (provisional).
- £1,355 in academic year 2025/26 (provisional).
Tuition fees typically rise a little each academic year. The fees quoted for 2024/25 and 2025/26 are provisional and subject to change.
This is an example payment schedule for tuition fees. It’s based on the typical route through the degree, including a 60-credit project.
You can take a different route, as described in the ‘What will I study?’ section. You can take more or fewer credits per term than is shown in this example.
Term 1) September – December 2023 | Academic year 2023/24
- Take two 15-credit courses @£1,230 each.
- Fee for term = £2,460.
- Payment due in September.
Term 2) January – April 2024
- Take two 15-credit courses @£1,230 each.
- Fee for term = £2,460.
- Payment due in January.
PgCert exit point
With 60 credits earned, you now have the option to exit with a PgCert.
Total fee for this route to your PgCert = £4,920.
Term 3) May – August 2024
- Summer break. There is no teaching in the first summer of your degree.
- No payment due.
Term 4) September – December 2024 | Academic year 2024/25
- Take two 15-credit courses @£1,290 each (provisional).
- Fee for term = £2,580 (provisional).
- Payment due in September.
Term 5) January – April 2025
- Take two 15-credit courses @£1,290 each (provisional).
- Fee for term = £2,580 (provisional).
- Payment due in January.
PgDip exit point
With 120 credits earned, you now have the option to exit with a PgDip.
Total fee for this route to your PgDip = £10,080 (provisional).
Term 6) May – August 2025
- Undertake a 60-credit project.
- Fee for project = £5,160 (provisional).
- Payment due in May.
Masters complete
On passing your project, you’ll have earned 180 credits and will be awarded a Masters degree.
Total fee for this route to your Masters = £15,240 (provisional).
Note: Fees for academic year 2024/25 are provisional and subject to change.

Learning resources
Access to all the books and resources you need are included in your tuition fee. They’ll be made available to you online and you do not have to buy your own copies.
Printing
You may wish to set aside a small budget for printing, depending on how you like to work.
There are several ways you may be able to get help funding your studies:
- Employer sponsorship – we accept full and partial fee payments from sponsors
- Student loans
- Scholarships – search our funding database for scholarships
Find out more about funding options.
Student card
All our students are entitled to a University of Aberdeen student card. This gives you access to a range of student discounts around the city and online.
20% Alumni discount
You’re entitled to 20% off our postgraduate taught degrees and short courses if you have a degree from the University of Aberdeen. View Alumni discount details and eligibility criteria.
10% NHS discount
NHS staff receive 10% off online postgraduate degrees and short courses offered by our School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition; and our School of Psychology.
How discounts work
Discounts are applied during your application process. Only one discount can be used per application. If you are eligible for more than one discount, we will apply the largest discount for you.
Entry requirements
MPH
For entry, you will usually have:
- a health-related honours degree (a 2:2 or at least 60%)
- or be able to demonstrate evidence of equivalent experience in healthcare practice or research.
You can also apply if you have:
- an honours degree (2:2 or at least 60%) in science, social science or a humanities subject and you’re interested in a public health-related career.
We welcome MPH Online applications from students with both traditional and non-traditional health-related backgrounds.
Short course route to online MPH
If you do not meet these entry requirements, you may be able to use our online short courses as a route into this degree.
Find out about our short course route to entryYou apply through our online Applicant Portal. It allows you to upload relevant qualifications and documents.
Applying to the University of Aberdeen is always free.
What you need to apply for this degree
- Degree transcript
- Personal statement
- Degree certificate
- CV / Resume
- References x2
References
You will need two reference letters. One should be from your university discussing your academic ability. If you have been out of education for a long time, you can use your current or most recent employers or other professional individuals.
You also need to apply on time
Apply as early as you can. Please apply at least two weeks before the degree start date. This is because we need time to review your application and get a decision to you. If you’re successful, we also want to enrol you before teaching starts.
Apply now
Start with our step-by-step guide. It explains degree transcripts, what to write in your personal statement and how to use our Applicant Portal.
You can apply to start in either January or September.
Apply as early as you can. This is so we have time to review your application and get a decision to you. We also want to ensure you have time to enrol before teaching starts.
September 2023 intake
Teaching starts on 18 September 2023.
Application deadlines will be announced in due course.
January 2024 intake
Teaching starts on 22 January 2024.
Application deadlines will be announced in due course.
Entry requirements
We welcome students from all over the world.
See the minimum entry requirements above. If you do not have qualifications from the UK, check equivalent qualifications from your country.
Visa requirements
You do not need a visa to study online with us.
Do you need to provide evidence of your English language proficiency?
Teaching is delivered in English.
We can assess your English language proficiency through your:
- nationality
- qualifications, or
- a recognised English language test.
Use our English requirements checklist to find out if we need to see evidence of your English language proficiency when you apply.
English language tests and scores
If you do need to provide English language test scores, these are the tests and minimum scores we accept.
These are our Postgraduate Higher requirements.
IELTS Academic and IELTS Online (not IELTS Indicator or IELTS General Training)
- 6.5 overall
- 5.5 for listening and speaking
- 6.0 for reading and writing
TOEFL iBT and TOEFL iBT Home Edition
- 90 overall
- 17 for listening
- 21 for reading
- 20 for speaking
- 21 for writing
- TOEFL DI code is 0818
Cambridge English: B2 First, C1 Advanced, or C2 Proficiency
- 176 overall
- 162 for listening and speaking
- 169 for reading and writing
LanguageCert International ESOL B2 Communicator (Written and Spoken)
- Overall High Pass
- 33 for listening, reading and speaking
- 38 for writing
PTE Academic (online test not accepted)
- 62 overall
- 59 for listening, reading, speaking and writing
For more information about language qualifications see our English Language Requirements page.
You will need access to:
A computer (PC, laptop or Mac) operating on either:
- Windows 10 or later
- macOS 10.15 (Catalina) or later.
Most teaching materials are smartphone- and tablet-friendly. But we recommend a proper laptop or desktop for completing assignments comfortably.
Reliable internet access
We recommend:
- a wired connection
- a minimum download speed of 2 Mbps so you can take part fully in live sessions.
Speakers or headphones
- We recommend a headset with built-in microphone and earphones if you’re likely to study in an environment with background noise.
- A webcam is optional, but you may like to use one from some interactive sessions.
Software
We’ll give you access to Office365 applications. This means you can use online versions of Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint and install these programs on up to five personal devices.
If your course requires specialist software, we’ll provide you with access to this and a licence that lasts throughout your studies.
See our detailed IT requirements for more information.
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Master of Public Health
180 credits
£15,240
This indicative cost is based on 180 credits of study over two years, starting in September 2023.
Apply for this programme
- Start month
- September or January
- INDICATIVE COST
- £15,240
This indicative cost is based on 180 credits of study over two years, starting in September 2023.
Apply via our Applicant Portal