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Doctor of Public Health (DrPH)Student Handbook 2009/10

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Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) Contents

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Contents 1.Introduction ................................................................... 3

1.1 Welcome to Public Health @ Brunel ..................... 3 1.2 Welcome to Brunel Graduate School ..................... 5 1.3 Staff Profiles ........................................................... 9 1.4 Honorary Faculty and Associates ......................... 14

2 The Doctor of Public Health Programme (DrPH) ....... 16

2.1 Overall Structure .................................................. 17 2.2 Innovative Features .............................................. 17 2.3 Admission Requirements ..................................... 17

3. Taught Element .......................................................... 19

3.1 Part 1 Learning Outcomes .................................... 19 3.2 Learning and Teaching Strategy ......................... 21

4 Assessment and Progression ....................................... 29

4.1 Assessment ........................................................... 29 4.2 Progression ........................................................... 33 4.3 Intermediate awards ............................................. 34

5. The DrPH Thesis Element .......................................... 35

5.1 Output of internships ............................................ 36 5.2 Student Support and Progress Monitoring ........... 38 5.3 The DrPH Thesis .................................................. 40

Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) Contents

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6. Resources ................................................................... 42

6.1 The Royal Society of Public Health ..................... 42 6.2 Reading List ......................................................... 44 6.3 Specialist Software ............................................... 49 6.4 University services ............................................... 51

Accommodation ......................................................... 51 Alumni ........................................................................ 52

Brunel International .................................................... 53 Computer Centre ........................................................ 53

Disability and Dyslexia Service ................................. 54 E-mail ......................................................................... 55 English for Academic Purposes (EAP) ...................... 55 Job Shop ..................................................................... 56 Library ........................................................................ 57 Media Services ........................................................... 58 Sports facilities ........................................................... 58 The Student Centre ..................................................... 59 U-Link ........................................................................ 60 Valuing Diversity at Brunel University ..................... 60

7 Administration, Quality and Standards ....................... 62

7.1 Regulations ........................................................... 63 8. Appendix .................................................................... 72

Programme Specification ........................................... 72

Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) Introduction

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1. Introduction

1.1 Welcome to Public Health @ Brunel Public Health @ Brunel, also known as the Centre for Public Health Research, is a cross-university initiative employing multidisciplinary approaches in research and training to identify and address local, national, and global Public Health challenges. PH@B establishes a critical mass of core expertise in Public Health within the University to approach dilemmas in contemporary population health from diverse disciplinary perspectives. It creates an exciting and dynamic intellectual forum for pushing the boundaries of current thinking about solutions to Public Health problems. This is essential for supporting those of us involved in what is, by definition, an interdisciplinary endeavour. We are delighted to be able to welcome you to Brunel University and to the DrPH programme which we hope you will find exciting and professionally challenging. We hope that it provides you with an opportunity to consolidate existing knowledge, cultivate new areas of expertise, and develop life-long skills in public health leadership. The three year DrPH program has been created with a self-motivated, self-directed, and intelligent, public health professional in mind. You will get the most out of the programme by stretching yourself and expecting the same from your cohort. Take the opportunity to learn from those around you, and take the opportunity to help those around you learn. And of course there is a faculty with a wide range of expertise to support and work with you. We are especially delighted that PH@B is particularly privileged to have Affiliated Status with the Royal Society of Public Health (formerly the Royal Society of Health). These


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strong links allow us to offer a wide range of internships, made available through affiliate or member organisations including UK NGOs, as well as numerous overseas organisations which have links with the Society. We from Public Health @ Brunel wish you a very warm welcome to Brunel University, to the Centre for Public Health Research, the Brunel Graduate School and to the DrPH programme. We wish you every success over the next three years, and look forward to meeting you and working with you.

Professor Christina R Victor Director of the Doctor of Public Health Programme Professor of Gerontology


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1.2 Welcome to Brunel Graduate School The Doctorate in Public Health is co-ordinated by the Graduate School and DrPH students are based in the School. The Graduate School is composed of a team of academic and administrative staff who work closely with academic schools and administrative departments with the aims of enhancing the educational experience and pastoral care of our graduate students and establishing Brunel as a premier postgraduate institution in the southeast of England. As the focus for postgraduate education in the University, the Graduate School:

• Co-ordinates postgraduate research provision across the University;

• Delivers the postgraduate training programmes (e.g. generic research skills, transferable skills);

• Provides dedicated facilities to postgraduate students.

• Co-ordinates the DrPH and the New Route PhD The Graduate School is physically located in the annex of the Halsbury Building, directly across the square from the Lecture Centre. It provides the following facilities to postgraduate students:

• 24-hour secure access - 365 days per year.

• Storage lockers, kitchen with microwave, fridge, and kettle, cold water dispenser and snacks machine.

• PG Common Room and Quiet Study Room both with internet access and ‘Surf Station’ web area.

• Conference room with overhead and data projectors, TV & Video.

• Laptops available to borrow.

• Graduate School office staff to assist with any enquiries.


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In addition, we operate the Postgraduate Study Centre with 40 workstations and laptop facilities on the second floor of the Bannerman Building. The Graduate School organises a number of social events for graduate students throughout the year, including a welcome party in October of each academic year and coffee mornings every Tuesday. These provide an opportunity to meet and network with other postgraduate students at Brunel. The Graduate School is also the home base for The Postgraduate Society. The aim of the society is to increase interaction between postgraduates whilst offering support and advice. They organise regular social events, including football matches, movie nights and quiz evenings. They are always looking for new members, and can usually be found at the Graduate School's Tuesday coffee morning. Welcome! The Brunel University Graduate School team

Dr Kate Hone Director of the Graduate School


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Professor Christina R Victor DrPH Programme Director, Brunel Graduate School

Dr Subhash Pokhrel Brunel Graduate School

Jennifer Woodhead Doctoral Programmes Manager Brunel Graduate School


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Contact Details (Brunel Graduate School) Mrs Jennifer Woodhead Doctoral Programmes Manager Direct Line: +44 (0)1895 265347 Fax: +44 (0)1895 269740 Email: [email protected] Dr Subhash Pokhrel Direct Line +44 (0)1895 268745 Email : [email protected] Prof Christina R Victor DrPH Programme Director Websites (external): Brunel Graduate School http://www.brunel.ac.uk/graduateschool DrPH Programme http://www.brunel.ac.uk/publichealth Public Health @ Brunel http://www.brunel.ac.uk/research/centres/cphr Websites (internal) – id and password required: Brunel Graduate School http://intranet.brunel.ac.uk/graduateschool/ DrPH Course Material http://www.brunel.ac.uk/intranets/u-link/


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1.3 Staff Profiles

Dr Geraldine Barrett: Senior Lecturer in Health Studies, SHSSC Areas of expertise include women’s sexual and reproductive health, research methodology (qualitative and quantitative) and research ethics. Professor Martin Buxton: Professor of Health Economics and Director, Health Economics Research Group Areas of expertise include methods and practice of economic evaluation in health interventions, clinical trials, and high-cost health technologies evaluation. Dr Alexandra Farrow: Reader, SHSSC Areas of expertise include environmental epidemiology, occupational exposure, risk perception, indoor air pollutants, reproductive outcomes and longitudinal data analysis.


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Professor Julia Fox-Rushby: Chair in Health Economics, Health Economics Research Group Areas of expertise include economic evaluation of health interventions, measurement of health related quality of life across international contexts, cost effectiveness of Public Health policies and practice. Professor Judith Harwin: Director, Interdisciplinary Centre for Child Focused Research and Division of Social Work Areas of expertise include policy, law and practice. Experience in the UK and Eastern Europe. Dr Wendy Martin: Lecturer in Health Studies, HSSC Areas of expertise include ageing bodies, perpectives on health, ‘risk’ and ageing, families and caring in South Asian communities, growing older in transnational communities, experiences of dementia, risk and health promotion, emotions and later life, food, poverty and place; and perceptions of safety and security.


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Dr Timothy Milewa: Research Lecturer, Health Sociology, School of Social Sciences Dr Milewa is course leader for the ESRC accredited MRes (Health Research). Areas of expertise include user involvement in health care planning, and social policy. Dr Melissa Parker: Lecturer in Anthropology and Director of International Medical Anthropology Programme, School of Social Sciences Expertise in tropical health, well-being, nutritional anthropology, infant and child mortality, health and healing in the aftermath of war, the measurement of health-related quality of life, sexual health. Dr Subhash Pokhrel: Research Lecturer in Health Economics, SHSSC and Brunel Graduate School Expertise includes health financing, cost effectiveness and evaluation and implementation research. Dr Sally Spencer: Lecturer in Health Studies, SHSSC Areas of expertise include systematic reviews, subjective measures of health related quality of life, and evaluation of health interventions.


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Dr Mary Pat Sullivan: Lecturer, SHSSC Areas of expertise include qualitative methodology, gerontology and aged care, evaluation research, diversity in teaching and learning.

Prof Christina R Victor, DrPH Programme Director, Brunel Graduate School/SHSSC Areas of research expertise - Gerontology: old age and later life and the use of and evaluation of health services for older people. Particular interests are in social relationships and social networks in later life and the experiences of ageing amongst ethnic minority elders

Dr Veronica Vinciotti, SISCM Lecturer in Statistics, SISCM expertise includes classification methods, graphical models, statistical bioinformatics and credit scoring.

Dr Allan Tucker, SISCM Research Lecturer in SISCM . Areas of expertise include machine learning, data mining, Bayesian networks, bioinformatics and medical informatics.


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Dr. Ariana Zeka, Lecturer, Institute for the Environment Research interests include the evaluation of the health effects of occupational and environmental exposures; occupational and environmental epidemiology; and exposure modelling, health policy public health in countries in transition; and socio-economic indicators of health. Staff with related interests Professor Mary Gilhooly, Gerontology – areas of expertise include ageing, medical sociology, medical law and ethics.

Professor Robin Goodwin, Social Psychology – areas of research include risk perception, social change, HIV with a focus on Eastern Europe and China.

Professor Lynn Myers, Health Psychology – areas of research include health related behaviours, compliance, risk perception, sexual health.

Angela Scriven, Reader in Health Promotion - areas of research include the relationship between policy and practice in health promotion

Dr Keming Yu, SISCM Reader at Statistics, Areas of expertise include Regression analysis, nonparametric statistics, Bayesian inference, time series modelling, statistical finance & risk analysis, health statistics & survival analysis, quantile & variance function estimation and statistical prediction.


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1.4 Honorary Faculty and Associates

Mr Andrew Eric Joseph Banfield OBE BA DMA FCIEH FCIM Hon FRSH Hon MAPHA Senior Research Associate

Prof Jeff French PhD, MBA, MSc Director, National Social Marketing Centre – Professor Associate

Prof Margaret Gyapong Director, Dodowa Health Research Centre, Ghana Professor Associate

Ms Akanksha Marphatia EdM (Harvard) BA (SFSU) Senior Research Associate

Dr José Maria Ortega Benito, Allison Thorpe, Head of Public MD, MSc, FFPHM Health Workforce Development Deputy Director/Consultant in and Head of Health Literacy – Public Health Medicine Dept of Health Richmond & Twickenham PCT MSc, BSc (Hons), MRIPH, Professor Associate DIP SOCPOL, DIP MEDSEC Senior Research Associate Dr Fiona Adshead, Deputy Chief Medical Officer for England – Dept of Health BSc, MB BS, FRCP, MSc, FFPH Professor Associate


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Prof Richard Parish Chief Executive, Royal Society of Health, UK Professor Associate

Prof David Edward Philips Director of Public Health, Dorset PCT Professor Associate

Prof Hilary Pickles Director of Public Health, Hillingdon PCT Professor Associate

Prof Geof Rayner Public Health Policy Consultant Professor Associate

Dr Heema Shukla Public Health Consultant, Hillingdon PCT. Senior Research Associate

External Examiner Dr Jens Aargaard-Hansen Senior Researcher DBL Faculty of Life Sciences University of Copenhagen

Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) DrPH Programme

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2 The Doctor of Public Health Programme (DrPH) The aim of the DrPH professional doctorate programme is to cultivate interdisciplinary leaders and future leaders in public health. The focus is on:

• the development of advanced public health knowledge, expertise and skills within both professional practice and the broader discipline;

• the development and enhancement of leadership; and

• the integration of these within the dynamic nexus of public health research, policy development, and practice.

The programme is geared towards the development of (future) leaders who have the capacity and vision to assess and develop interventions that address the health needs of entire populations including the most disadvantaged, marginalised, and vulnerable populations here in the UK and internationally. In keeping with the interdisciplinary spirit of public health at Brunel, the DrPH is coordinated by the Graduate School, drawing on academic support from the schools of Health Science and Social Care, and Social Sciences, as well as the Health Economics Research Group, the Institute for the Environment, and the Centre for Public Health Research. We recognise that the Public Health Doctoral Students enrolled in the programme will also come from diverse disciplinary backgrounds, and bring distinct strengths, expertise, and experience for others to share. The programme is in line with the University’s mission statement and strategic plan in that it supports both the teaching and research missions, enhances the postgraduate research profile, is inherently inter-disciplinary in

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nature and brings together staff from several schools and Institutes in a common venture.

2.1 Overall Structure The programme, in full time mode, takes three years and is divided into two parts. Part I is a two term, intensive, taught element whilst Part II comprises a series of two or three research-based internships in organizations involved in public health activities (see figure 2.1). The programme is also available on a part time basis and takes up to 5 years. Part I will take place over 2 years and Part II will be completed during the remaining 3 years of the programme.

2.2 Innovative Features The DrPH is an inter-disciplinary professional doctorate programme, which employs entirely non-modular assessment and locates the research work in several professional contexts. Locating Public Health within the Social Sciences, the initiative brings together internationally recognized academics in Medical Anthropology, Biostatistics, Health Economics, Epidemiology, Environmental Sciences, Health Promotion, Health Services Research, Health and Social Policy, Psychology, Rehabilitation, and Medical Sociology.

2.3 Admission Requirements Applicants are normally expected to have a 2.1 or better Honours degree (or overseas equivalent) or preferably, a Masters degree in a relevant discipline. In addition, applicants are normally expected to have at least 3 years of relevant health or social science related work experience. For overseas applicants whose first language is not English, proof of English language competence to a standard of IELTS 7 or equivalent is required.

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Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) Taught Element

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3. Taught Element An induction programme for all doctoral level students in the University is organised by the Graduate School. The programme focuses on the basic skills necessary to survive, and get the most out of doctoral level studies. All doctoral students are expected to complete the induction. Part 1 represents an integrated course of study, 120 credits in volume and is taught over two terms.1

3.1 Part 1 Learning Outcomes The learning outcomes of the taught element are formally: (A) Knowledge and Understanding:

• The fundamental theories and concepts in the range of social science disciplines that relate to public health;

• Relationships between, and historical antecedents of, underlying principles and theories of public health;

• Principles of, and approaches to disease prevention and control and health promotion;

• The impact of genetic, social, cultural, political, ethical, environmental and economic factors on public health policy, practice and research;

• an integrated understanding of health systems, public health policy, practice and research;

• a critical understanding of risks, consequences, ethics and responsibilities of public health interventions;

1 The course covers some of the elements required for the Part A examination for Diplomate Membership of the Faculty of Public Health of the Royal Colleges of Physicians of the United Kingdom. Although this is not the principal focus of the course, Public Health Doctoral Students interested in pursuing this option will be encouraged and guided appropriately.


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• critical knowledge and understanding of qualitative

methods in current public health research and practice and their limitations;

• critical knowledge and understanding of the quantitative methods in current public health research and practice and their limitations;

• The principles of leadership and management in public health;

• The principles of effective research design in public health.

(B) Cognitive (thinking) Skills - able to:

• assess strengths and weaknesses of solutions to public health issues taking account of sub-disciplinary perspectives;

• conduct a policy analysis; o synthesise diverse sources of policy-relevant

information; o identify and weigh competing interests; o present the analysis in a form suitable for

policy development. • undertake the analysis of qualitative and quantitative

data; • interpret public health data. • plan for a public health emergency; • develop a public health intervention and evaluate the

broader impact of that intervention; • critically evaluate the quality of published research; • identify biases and errors in research methodologies

and techniques; • provide balanced inferences based on the collation of

evidence;


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(C) Other Skills and Attributes (Practical/Professional/Transferable) -able to:

• demonstrate leadership, negotiation and group working skills.

• effectively communicate public health information in forms appropriate to academic, professional and lay audiences

• effectively communicate research and analysis findings using diverse media

• proficiently employ software for qualitative and quantitative data analysis and presentation

• proficiently employ software for document preparation and information retrieval and organisation.

3.2 Learning and Teaching Strategy A variety of methods will be used in teaching with a focus on interactivity. This is a doctoral level program and students are responsible for their learning. The development of different forms of delivery will be a part of the leadership building strategies in the course. Sessions will combine the use of seminars, debates, discussions, role plays, practicum and group work. Peer review and self and peer assessment will be employed to encourage team work and self reflection. Content

Content is divided into four general themes:

1. Research and Analytic Methods • Biosocial Statistics • Epidemiology • Social Research Methods

2. Health Policy and Systems

• Health Economic Evaluation


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• Health Policy • Health (Care) Systems

3. Disease, Health, Illness and Wellbeing

• Ecosystems and Human Health • Health, Culture and Society • Evidence-based Health Promotion

4. Principles, Practice and Leadership in Public Health

(integrative learning) • History and evolution of public health • Current and topical issues in public health • Critical debates in public health • Leadership building • Skill based professional development

The taught element is not divided into separate modules. In keeping with Public Health Practice, and with the broad goals of the Centre for Public Health Research at Brunel University, integration of concepts across disciplines is critical to the overall course objectives. This integration of ideas and themes is reflected across the teaching, learning, and assessment. For the purpose of ease and clarity of description the broad themes are however, further broken down into “units” for administrative convenience and these are described separately. Theme 1. Research and Analytic Methods Biosocial Statistics The aim is to enable doctoral students to understand and apply descriptive and inferential techniques in the analysis of population health data.


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Indicative Content The unit emphasizes the understanding of applied statistical analysis. Topics covered include descriptive statistics; theoretical and empirical probability distributions; standard errors and confidence intervals, parametric and non-parametric inferential statistics; correlation and bivariate regression; survival analysis; multivariable (non-) linear regression; sample size calculation; and approaches to exploratory data analysis. Public Health Doctoral Students will be trained in and use appropriate statistical packages throughout the programme. Reading Bland M & Peacock J. Statistical Questions in Evidence-based medicine. 2000. Oxford University Press Peacock J and Kerry S. Presenting medical statistics from proposal to publication. 2006. Oxford University Press Epidemiology To develop a sophisticated understanding in doctoral students of the theories and techniques of epidemiology as they apply to population health. Indicative Content This unit emphasizes the principles and methods used to describe and evaluate the patterns of illness in populations and population subgroups. Methods and research designs used in the investigation of the aetiology of infectious and non-infectious disease are presented. Topics include population structure, incidence, prevalence and age standardization; life tables and measures of risk; descriptive and analytical approaches in epidemiology; diagnostic tests and screening; outbreak investigation; causation and confounding; and critical


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appraisal. Applications of these in specialist areas of epidemiology will also be explored. Applied Social Research To develop a sophisticated understanding of what it means for public health to be a social science and the ways to advance knowledge and practice in an ethical manner. Indicative Content The unit covers the philosophy of social scientific investigation; the development and place of theory; measurement; scale construction; survey research; field methods; observational methods; health impact assessment, interview techniques; group discussion techniques; and historical and textual analysis. Ethics. Public Health Doctoral Trainees will have opportunities for practical exercises in data collection and analysis. Theme 2. Health Policy and Systems Health Economic Evaluation This teaching unit aims to enable doctoral students to understand and apply current methods in the economic evaluation of health interventions. Indicative Content The unit addresses different types of economic evaluation and sets out ways in which economic evaluations might be structured to aid decision-making in public health. It introduces a range of principles and practice for identifying, measuring, and valuing the costs and consequences of health interventions and moves on to consider approaches to measuring and valuing costs and then the outcomes of health care interventions. Public Health Doctoral Students will be taught to critically appraise the presentation and interpretation


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of evidence and assess the usefulness of economic evaluation in practice, policy, as well as a method and way of thinking. Health Systems and Health Policy The aim is to provide doctoral students with the practical, conceptual and analytical skills to address health policy and health systems challenges, ranging from the process of policy formulation to the application of principles of equity, efficiency and socio-political acceptability in enabling public health in a local and global context. Indicative Content The unit is strongly integrated with health economics, ethics and equity, research, health impact assessments, management, an understanding of society and culture and political analysis to the formulation of policy and its evaluation in public health. It explores the development of health policy and management of health (care) systems that are integrated, responsive and evidence based. Issues examined include the development of Primary Health Care, universal coverage, health insurance, pluralist health systems, globalization and trade in health and human resources in health. Doctoral students will examine and contrast different models of health care delivery and the principles on which they are built. Trainees will also examine key policy decisions at the local, national and international levels with a number of leaders in public health to understand the process of policy formulation, the roles of research and other forms of evidence and other key factors that affect the success or failure of policy decisions.


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Theme 3. Disease, Health, Illness and Wellbeing Ecosystems and Human Health This teaching unit aims to enable doctoral students to understand the interaction between population health and the environment and to be able to use GIS in visualising environment-health interactions and spatial modelling of disease and the determinants of population health. Indicative Content This unit covers the relationship between the environment and population health:

• non-communicable direct environmental exposures, • Infectious disease spread and contact environments • The role of geographic information systems in public

health • Environmental health practice

Topics include the interaction of individual, social, and physical environment in determining health; control of communicable disease; monitoring and control of occupational and environmental hazards; risk assessment; legislation; food quality; water and air quality monitoring; radiation hazards; and waste disposal. The use of GIS systems in visualising environment-health interactions and spatial modelling of disease and social determinants of health will also be covered.


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Health, Culture and Society This teaching unit aims to enable Doctoral Trainees to develop a sophisticated and critical understanding of the complex interaction of social and cultural environments on population health and wellbeing. Indicative Content This unit deals with the history, theoretical approaches and methods of sociology and medical anthropology and provides a critical overview of the different ways in which sociological and anthropological perspectives can contribute to public health policy and practice in contemporary societies. It covers topics such as the social and cultural perceptions of sickness, health seeking behaviour, and the relationship between cultural constructions of the person, the body and sickness. Evidence Based Health Promotion The aim is to provide doctoral students with the practical, conceptual and analytical skills necessary to develop, critique, and evaluate evidence-based health promotion strategies. Indicative Content This unit covers the health promotion concepts and approaches as they relate to contemporary health issues. The conceptual foundation of health promotion is examined with a particular focus on the relevant national and international frameworks, strategies, and declarations. Consideration is given to the political context; models and strategies of health promotion; programme planning; the settings of health promotion; and evidence and evaluation. Indicative topics include:

• health education • social marketing • healthy policy


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• community and participatory approaches • settings approaches

Theme 4. Principles and Practice of Public Health and Public Health Leadership Throughout Part 1 of the programme, there will be a spine of regular seminars. The seminars will be broadly divided between “Public Health Leadership” and “Principles and Practice of Public Heath”. The purpose of the seminar series is threefold:

a) To provide the integrative framework within which to understand Public Health research, policy, and practice;

b) To provide a workshop environment within which Public Heath students can formalise their understanding of Leadership and explore its application to Public Heath;

c) To provide opportunities for Public Heath students to develop and apply skills associated with effective public health practice.

The seminars provide Public Health students with a background in the historical, social, and political origins of public health; address topical issues and novel methods; and creates opportunities for skill-based professional development.

Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) Assessment and Progression

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4 Assessment and Progression Assessment and progression requirements in Part 1 of the programme are broadly in line with the University Senate Regulations 3 and 4, but with some variation in terms of non-modular synoptic assessment, retrieval rights and grade profile requirements for progression to Part 2. The programme regulations are presented in section 7 of this handbook.

4.1 Assessment The formal assessment over the taught element of the programme will not be performed by unit; rather the assessments will directly assess the Part 1 learning outcomes. Nevertheless, units will provide formative tasks aimed at monitoring progress and enhancing learning, including reports, presentations, reviews of papers, etc that will be discussed during tutorial sessions. In each full time, taught term, there will be four pieces of formal assessment. The formal assessment is designed to:

a) Enhance the doctoral students’ learning opportunities; b) Assess the acquisition of skills and knowledge within

individual sub-disciplines; and c) Provide a synoptic assessment of integrated learning

across the sub-disciplines. The formal assessment of the programme is therefore focused on individual evaluation that addresses the learning for more than one sub-discipline of public health at any one time. These are described for each term in the following. Term 1 Assessments for full time students in Term 1 of the taught element will consist of:

• A journal article (1) • A policy analysis • An integrated group project (1)


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• End of term examination (1) The journal article: Doctoral students will be required to submit a paper in a specified format according to an approved, peer reviewed, public heath journal. The article will be based on the quantitative analysis of a data set provided in the course and focus on issues raised in the Principles and Practice of Public Health. The assessment is designed to evaluate the ability of doctoral students to:

a) integrate the content knowledge of public health into the conceptualisation of a research problem;

b) analyse a data set; c) demonstrate an understanding of the limitations of

quantitative methods in public health; and d) communicate the findings of the research.

Policy analysis: Doctoral students will undertake a systematic policy analysis of an issue relevant to public health with the objective of producing a position paper with supporting briefing notes according to a specified format. The assessment is designed to evaluate the ability:

a) to conduct a policy analysis; b) to synthesis diverse sources of policy relevant

information; c) to identify and weigh competing interests; d) to present that analysis in a form suitable for policy

development; e) to present a coherent and critically analysed

argument. Integrated group project: Doctoral students will be required to undertake and report on the findings of a group ‘table exercise.’ The exercise will be designed to develop leadership, negotiation and group working skills. In addition, based on topics covered in the Principles and Practice of Public Health, Epidemiology, Evidence Based Health Promotion and Health Policy and Health Systems, the assessment will evaluate the ability of the students to:


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a) integrate knowledge across areas of public health research and practice;

b) develop a public health intervention; c) consider the broader impact of that intervention; and d) communicate the results.

Examination: The examination will be a 3 hour synoptic assessment. The form of the examination and whether it is “open book” or “closed book” will be determined nearer the date. Doctoral students will be required to:

a) demonstrate knowledge of the covered sub-disciplines of public health;

b) demonstrate an integrated understanding of public health;

c) be able to interpret and synthesise public health data. Term 2 Assessments for full time students in Term 2 of the taught program will consist of:

• A journal article (2) • A systematic review • An integrated group project (2) • End of taught programme examination (2)

The journal article (2): Doctoral students will be required to submit a paper in a specified format according to an approved, peer reviewed, public heath journal. The article will be based on the analysis of qualitative data provided in the course. The topic covered in the paper will relate to an issue relevant to the Principles and Practice of Public Health or in Health, Culture and Society. The assessment is designed to evaluate the ability to:

a) integrate the content knowledge of public health into the conceptualisation of a research problem;

b) undertake the analysis of qualitative data; c) demonstrate an understanding of the limitations of

qualitative methods in public health; and d) communicate the findings of the research


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Systematic review: Doctoral students will be required systematically to review the available evidence on a given topic. The assessment will involve locating, appraising and synthesizing evidence from studies that used primary data sources. The assessment is designed to evaluate the ability of doctoral students to:

a) assess the methodology used in published research findings;

b) evaluate the quality of the published research; c) identify biases and errors in research; d) provide balanced inferences based on the collation

of the evidence; and e) communicate the results.

Integrated group project (2): Doctoral students will be required to undertake and report on the findings of a group ‘table exercise.’ The project will be designed to further build on leadership, negotiation and group working skills. The projects will be based on topics covered in the Principles and Practice of Public Health, Health Culture and Society, Health Economics, and Ecosystems and Human Health. The assessment will evaluate the ability of the students to:

a) integrate knowledge across areas of public health research, policy and practice;

b) demonstrate an appropriate understanding of risks, consequences, and responsibilities of responses;

c) communicate the results. Examination (2): The final examination will be a 3 hour synoptic assessment drawing on elements from across the taught programme. The form of the examination and whether it is “open book” or “close book” will be determined nearer the date. Doctoral students will be required to:

a) demonstrate a thorough knowledge of the covered sub-disciplines of public health;


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b) be able to describe solutions to public health issues taking account of sub-disciplinary perspectives;

Written Assessments Brunel University has a very strict policy on plagiarism and it carries severe penalties. The referencing style of submitted written work may vary according to the assessment task. In general the referencing style of choice is Vancouver. Training on RefWorks is organized during the induction week and bibliographic databases need to be submitted as an annex to written assessments. Assessments are submitted electronically through U-Link. Guidelines are provided on penalties for late or non-submission.

4.2 Progression Progression from Part 1 (taught programme) to Part 2 is based on the doctoral students mastery of the taught element as demonstrated by the achieved grade profile. To enter Part 2 of the DrPH programme, doctoral students must:

a) Achieve a grade of at least B on the Term 2 Examination; AND

b) Achieve no fewer than four grades of at least B in total; AND

c) Achieve no more than four grades of C; AND d) Achieve no grade lower than C.

Students may elect to repeat any element of assessment once in order to retrieve (improve on) a grade of D or C. Retrieved grades will be capped at B. Doctoral students who fail to demonstrate the requisite level of mastery will not progress to Part 2 of the programme. Doctoral students who elect not to proceed to Part 2 or who fail to achieve the grade profile for progression to Part 2 may,


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subject to achieving the appropriate grades, pursue intermediate awards.

4.3 Intermediate awards Students failing to progress may be eligible for intermediate awards. The Intermediate awards for this programme are:

Postgraduate Diploma in Public Health Master of Public Health (MPH)

Doctoral students not progressing to Part 2 will be eligible for the intermediate award of Postgraduate Diploma in Public Health providing they achieve the appropriate grade profile as stated in Senate Regulations 3. Doctoral students not progressing to Part 2, who are eligible for the award of Postgraduate Diploma in Public Health, may progress to Dissertation for the intermediate award of Master of Public Health (MPH). To achieve the award of MPH, Masters’ candidates must, in addition to the profile required for the Postgraduate Diploma in Public Health;

a) complete a dissertation (60 Credits); and b) achieve a grade of no lower than C.

During Part 1 Public Health doctoral students will also begin to shape the thematic focus of their thesis and meet with and formalise the research proposal (see U-Link) with their Thesis Advisory Committee.

Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) Thesis Element

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5. The DrPH Thesis Element On successful completion of Part 1 of the programme, Public Health Doctoral Students will progress to Part 2 (Thesis Element). This element involves two or three separate, professionally-based, research internships, each of approximately 6-12 months duration respectively. The purpose of the research internships is to expose doctoral students to the professional practice of public health, where they will be mentored by professionals in leadership roles and explore the real life nexus between research, policy and practice. Internships are designed to: • Enhance and broaden the Public Health doctoral student’s

subject knowledge; • Develop skills in the integration of public health research,

policy, and practice; • Develop important generic skills; including leadership and

team working; • Develop research skills; and • Be relevant to career development/employment needs in

public health Internships will be based on negotiation between the academic staff at Brunel, the Public Health Doctoral Student, and the Host Organisation. Access to internships is based on availability and suitability. Public Health Doctoral Students are not guaranteed particular internships. Students may arrange their own internships; however, the host organisation and project need to be approved by the DrPH Programme Director and must meet the learning objectives of the thesis element and the learning needs of the student.

Brunel University makes no guarantee that doctoral students will be given their internship of choice. However, we will work with students to ensure that the internships meet the learning objectives. Internships are generally unpaid, and there should be no expectation of any financial remuneration.


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Further details on internships are on the DrPH U-Link web site. 5.1 Output of internships By the end of each internship, doctoral students will be required to produce, understand and critique research within the context of a given public health professional setting. Research projects from each internship are required to generate publishable research reports. On completion of the two or three internships, Public Health Doctoral Students will have a four month intensive period based at the University in which they will complete the write up of their thesis. The internships will expose Public Health Doctoral Students to a maximum of three professional environments, each with a Research, Policy, or Practice focus. It is acknowledged that ideally, the boundary between these areas should be seamless. Research Internship Doctoral students will undertake an internship in a public health focused research institution. Doctoral students will be encouraged to undertake this internship with one of the research centres/institutes at Brunel University. The staff listed can provide or assist with research projects related to their areas of research or expertise. The advantage of this would be to support doctoral students through their first internship and provide close supervision for their research skills. Doctoral students may elect to undertake this internship with an external research institution, if an appropriate institution and project can be identified. Policy Internship Doctoral students will undertake an internship in a policy focused setting and be exposed to the development and implementation of policy. This internship will enable students to explore how evidence produced by research feeds into


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policy or how policy needs generate research questions within a real life setting. Practice Internship Doctoral students will undertake a professional internship in a public health practice setting providing the opportunity to observe and engage with the implications of policy changes, the generation of research questions and the use of evidence. The Programme Director will approve the suitability of internships based on the projects available for the doctoral trainees and the level of mentoring available on site. Public Health doctoral students will be encouraged to experience a wide diversity of public health settings, including internationally-based internships, or a locally-based internship with an international focus. The Centre for Public Health Research has links with a range of Public Health related organizations through a Memorandum of Understanding with the Royal Society of Health. In each internship Public Health doctoral students will undertake a substantial and discrete research project and observe at close quarters the extent to which the organisation supports its public health policy and objectives, its ability to develop a shared vision, its relationships with other organisations, its capacity to respond to public health challenges, its internal structures and management, the leadership styles, and policies to enhance the ability of the staff to provide effective and high quality health interventions. Doctoral students will be required to provide a thoughtful and critical summary of the professional practice settings within the context of their research. It is expected that trainees will adhere to the University’s Ethical Conduct guidelines in research and the professional codes of conduct within their host institutions. Students may not engage in behaviours during internships which may prejudice the reputation of the University. Public Health


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students have a responsibility to embody the professionalism, principles and practice of public health. 5.2 Student Support and Progress Monitoring

Support during internship Doctoral students will be exposed to differing levels of engagement and responsibility during the internships for the thesis element. A number of support mechanisms will be put in place for academic supervision to ensure that overall programme goals are achieved.

• Doctoral students will be assigned mentors within the professional internship setting.

• The primary supervisor for each doctoral student will maintain contact at least by email on a fortnightly basis.

• Where geographically possible, doctoral students on research internships will be required to attend the research seminar series and continuing leadership development at the Centre for Public Health Research on a weekly basis. Where this is not possible, alternative arrangements will be made for debrief and support of doctoral students.

Each Public Health doctoral student will have two supervisors. Supervisors will be drawn from academic staff at Brunel associated with the Centre for Public Health Research, Honorary staff of the Centre for Public Health Research Brunel University or, with the approval of the Programme Director, one supervisor may be drawn from academic staff at Brunel not associated with the Centre. In addition to the supervisors, each Public Health doctoral student will also have a Thesis Advisory Committee (TAC). The committee will comprise no fewer than four academic staff at Brunel, including the two supervisors. The Thesis Advisory Committee will be chaired by a nominee of the Director of the Graduate School. The Chair of the committee


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will not be one of the supervisors. Doctoral students will work closely with their primary supervisor and Thesis Advisory Committee to ensure continued support for the duration of their internships. The committee is responsible for monitoring the timeliness and adequacy of a Public Health doctoral student’s progress. It will also provide advice and feedback on the overall coherence of the work leading towards the written thesis. The committee will meet once before an internship commences and once prior to the completion of an internship. The former (planning) meeting will consider the trainee’s research plan for the forthcoming internship and provide advice and feedback on the plan (including ethical approval requirements), taking into account the overall coherence and thematic focus of the student’s programme of research. The latter (review) meeting of the Thesis Advisory Committee will receive a report from the Public Health doctoral student and the Supervisors on the doctoral student’s progress as it relates to the research-based internships. TACs will determine if progress is satisfactory or unsatisfactory and may use any available information in reaching that conclusion. In reaching a decision about progress TAC will give due regard to:

1. Professional development; 2. Professional conduct; 3. The quality and quantity of work completed; 4. Issues related to the internship.

The review process will be conducted under the guidelines laid down for PhD student annual reviews. Information on professional conduct will also be considered. In the event that progress is unsatisfactory, Public Health doctoral students may not proceed to the next internship. The


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TACs will make recommendations for the remediation of unsatisfactory progress. 5.3 The DrPH Thesis The DrPH Thesis will make an original and distinct contribution to professional knowledge and understandings within the field of public health. It will consist of the compiled research reports from the two/three internships focusing on research, policy and practice. The research reports must be accompanied by an exegesis or scholarly commentary that demonstrates a systematic line of enquiry linking the internship reports. Each research report will be of publishable quality giving a critical analysis and account of the internship project undertaken under supervision. The project will be a discrete applied research task in a professional public health setting. Each research report will not exceed 12,000 words. The DrPH thesis will:

• Clearly demonstrate a critical understanding of the Research, Policy, Practice nexus within the context of each of the public health settings;

• Describe original research conducted within Research, Policy, and Practice internships;

• Demonstrate the synthesis of knowledge based on a critical appraisal of the situation, the definition of a research problem, the collection and analysis of relevant primary or secondary data and the communication of the implications of the findings.

• The length of the thesis must not exceed 50,000 words, exclusive of references and appendices. The summary of the thesis may not exceed 300 words.

• The thesis may incorporate any publication resulting from the work completed during internships whether or not the doctoral student is the sole author or one of the joint authors. However, the student must clearly


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state the nature of his/her personal contribution and this must be certified by the co-authors and the supervisor.

Requirements for the award of DrPH The procedures relating to the submission, examination of the final thesis, including the appointment of examiners and the award of the DrPH professional doctorate degree will be in line with Senate Regulation 5 governing research degrees. The formal thesis assessment criteria for the award of the DrPH are that examiners are required to certify that: • the thesis is a satisfactory record of research undertaken

by the candidate and is genuinely the work of the candidate

• the submission forms a distinct contribution to knowledge and professional practice in public health

• the candidate has given evidence of a broad knowledge and understanding of the candidate’s discipline and of associated research techniques, and has shown that they have been successfully applied

• the submission is satisfactory as regards literary presentation

• the submission is suitable for publication (by placing on the shelves of the University library or otherwise) as a work approved for a higher degree of Brunel University

In addition, students on the DrPH programme must have gained, before being permitted to submit the thesis for consideration: A minimum grade profile of BBBBCCCC (4 Bs and 4 Cs) in the 120 credits of assessment of the taught element of the Programme including a minimum of grade B in GS5524.

Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) Resources

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6. Resources The programme will make use of human and physical resources provided both by the Graduate School and by the collaborating schools/institutes. Where appropriate or necessary, the services of external lecturers/speakers will be retained. The Graduate School will provide a base for the doctoral students, including desk space and computing facilities, and will provide the administrative and management resources. Where required, internships will be negotiated with the Royal Society for Health and its affiliate organisations.

6.1 The Royal Society of Public Health (formerly Royal Society of Health) Established in 1876, the Royal Society of Health (also known as the Royal Society for the Promotion of Health) is the oldest and largest multidisciplinary, multisectoral, independent public health organisation in the United Kingdom. In September 2008, a formal merger with the Royal Institute of Public Health saw the name changed to the Royal Society of Public Health. The Society’s membership comprises medical doctors, nurses, nutritionists and other health professionals, pharmacists, academics, environmental health officers, teachers, engineers, health and safety experts, town planners, architects, and managers. They are drawn from the public, private, and voluntary sectors. Indeed, any and all of the professionals in a position to contribute to public health and health promotion. A top priority for the Society at presents involves supporting the accreditation and development of health promotion practitioners. The Society provides policy advice and comment to Government, and acts as an advocate on public health issues


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on behalf of the public and health professionals. Although by no means exclusive, current priorities include:

• Action on the social and economic determinants of health;

• Environment and health; • Diet, obesity and physical activity; • Child and adolescent health.

Over 70,000 individuals gain RSH qualifications each year, mainly in technical subjects closely related to public health. The Society also operates a network of ‘Partner Universities’, of which Brunel University is a leading member. This partnership has already led to a number of developments, including using the resources of the RSH to help identify leading edge placements for Brunel students. Under a contract with the Department of Health in London, the RSH manages the national NGO Forum for Health. This is the main mechanism by which Government consults with the voluntary sector to seek the views of NGOs on key public health issues of the day. The NGO Forum comprises almost 100 national voluntary organisations, which form a comprehensive network for student places. From its headquarters in central London, the Royal Society of Public Health also co-ordinates the national Coalition for Public Health, which consists of many of the leading professional public health bodies in the United Kingdom. Indeed, the Society sits at the very heart of contemporary public health and health promotion practice. Key partners include:

• The Faculty of Public Health of the Royal College of Physicians;

• The UK Public Health Association; • The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health; • The UK Voluntary Register of Public Health

Specialists; • The National Heart Forum;


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and many others. Although retaining its independence, the RSPH has well established links with the health departments in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Society also maintains an excellent working relationship with the World Health Organisation, the International Union for Health Promotion and Education, the American Public Health Association, and the World Federation of Public Health Associations. Developments are underway to form RSPH Associations in a number of other regions around the world and membership applications are welcome from all professionally qualified staff with an interest in public health. The MOU between the Centre for Public Health Research at Brunel University and the Royal Society of Public Health will facilitate access for doctoral students to the 75 health related non government organisations across the UK co-coordinated by Royal Society of Public Health through the NGO Forum. The Royal Society is also the secretariat for the Coalition of Public Health Action, made up of the 5 peak public health bodies. Other links have been established with international NGOs and research institutes for international internships. Ultimately internships will depend on availability and the interests and skills of the doctoral students. Doctoral students will also be encouraged to nominate their own internships where possible. Contact: Tel: +44 (0)207 630 0121 Website: www.rsph.org

6.2 Reading List The reading list for Part 1 of the programme is shown below. These texts will be made available in the Library.

1. Anderson RM and May RM (1992) Infectious Diseases of Humans: Dynamics and Control. Oxford.


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2. Bernard, H.R. 2006. Research Methods in Anthropology: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches (4th Edition). :AltaMira Press

3. Bland, M. (2003). An Introduction to Medical Statistics, 3rd Edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press

4. Bland M & Peacock J. Statistical Questions in Evidence-based medicine. 2000. Oxford University Press

5. Bowling A, and Ebrahim, S. (eds) 2005 Handbook of health research methods, Open University Press, Maidenhead

6. Bowling, A. (2009), Research Methods in Health: Investigating Health and Health Services, Open University Press. ISBN: 0335233643.

7. Bowling, A. (2004), Measuring health: a review of quality of life measurement scales, Maidenhead, UK: Open University Press. ISBN: 0335215289

8. Briggs A, Sculpher M, Claxton K (2006) Modelling Methods For Health Economic Evaluation, Oxford University Press

9. Brownson, R. C., & Petitti (1998). Applied Epidemiology: Theory to Practice. Oxford: Oxford University Press

10. Bryman, A (2008) Social research methods (third edition), Oxford University Press, Oxford

11. Cromley E K and McLafferty S L (2002) GIS and Public Health. Guilford Press, London.

12. Detels Roger, McEwen James, Beaglehole Robert, and Tanaka Heizo 2002 Oxford Textbook of Public Health. Oxford. Oxford University Press


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13. Donaldson C. and Gerard K. Economics of health care financing: the visible hand. Second edition. Palgrave MacMillan, 2005.

14. Drummond MF, Schulpher M, Stoddart G, Torrance GW, O’Brien B, (2005) Methods for Economic Evaluation of Health Care Programmes, 3rd edition, Oxford University Press, Oxford

15. Elliott J, Wakefield C, Best N G and Briggs D J (2000) Spatial Epidemiology: Methods and Applications, Oxford.

16. Farmer P 1999. Infections and inequalities. Berkeley: University of California Press.

17. Fink A (2005) Conducting Research Literature Reviews (second edition) Sage: London

18. Folland S, Goodman AC. and Stano M. The economics of health and health care. Fourth Edition. Prentice Hall, 2004.

19. Fox-Rushby J & Cairns J (2005) Economic Evaluation McGraw Hill

20. Giesecke Johan, Modern Infectious Disease Epidemiology, 2nd Ed, London: Arnold. 2002.

21. Gilbert N (ed) (2008) Researching Social Life-3rd edition, Sage, London

22. Gold M., Siegel J., Russell L. and Weinstein M. Cost-effectiveness in health and medicine. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1996.

23. Green, J. Thorogood, N 2004 Qualitative methods for health research, Sage, London.

24. Groves, R. M., Fowler, F. J., Couper, M. C. et al. (2004). Survey Methodology. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley


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25. Hahn R (editor) 1999. Anthropology in public health: bridging differences in culture and society. New York: Oxford University Press

26. Ham, C. (2004). Health Policy in Britain: The Politics and Organisation of the National Health Service (5th Edition). Palgrave

27. Holloway, I. (ed) 2005 Qualitative research in health care, Open University Press, Maidenhead

28. Jost, T. (2004). Health Care Coverage Determinations: An International Comparative Study. Berkshire: Open University Press. .

29. Kirkwood, B. R. & Sterne, J. A. C. (2003) Essential Medical Statistics, 2nd Edition, Oxford: Blackwell Science

30. Last, J. M. (2000). A Dictionary of Epidemiology. New York: Oxford University Press

31. Lee K, Buse K, Fustukian S (2002). Health Policy in a Globalising World. Cambridge Cambridge University Press. .

32. Lewis JM. (2005) Health Policy and Politics: Networks, Ideas and Power, Melbourne: IP Communications

33. Matthias Egger, George Davey Smith and Douglas Altman (eds). (2001) Systematic Reviews in Health Care. Blackwell, Oxford

34. McMichael, T. (2001). Human Frontiers, Environments and Disease: Past Patterns, Uncertain Futures. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

35. Miles, M. B., & Huberman, A. M. (1994). Qualitative Data Analysis. London: Sage

36. Moodie, R. & Hulme, A. (2004). Hands on Health Promotion. Melbourne: IP Communications.


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37. Neuman, W. L. (2005). Social research methods: Quantitative and qualitative methods (6th ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

38. Nutbeam, D., & Harris, E. (2004). Theory in a Nutshell: A Guide to Health Promotion Theory (2nd Edition). McGraw-Hill

39. Paul Glasziou, Les Irwig Chris Bain Graham Colditz (2001) Systematic Reviews in Health Care: A Practical Guide. Cambridge University press

40. Peacock J and Kerry S. Presenting medical statistics from proposal to publication. 2006. Oxford University Press

41. Petticrew M and Roberts H (2005) Systematic Reviews in the Social Sciences: A Practical Guide Blackwell

42. Rose, G. (1993). The Strategy of Preventive

Medicine. Oxford: Oxford University Press

43. Rothman, K. J. & Greenland, S.(2002). Modern Epidemiology (2nd Edition). Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott-Raven.

44. Rothman, K. J. (2002). Epidemiology: an Introduction. New York: Oxford University Press

45. Saltman, R., Rico A., Boerma W. (2005). Primary Care in the Driver's Seat? Berkshire: Open University Press

46. Seale, C. (ed.) (2004). Researching Culture and Society (2nd Edition). London: Sage.

47. Seale, C. (ed.) (2004). Social Research Methods: A Reader. London: Routledge.

48. Selvin, S. (2004). Statistical Analysis of Epidemiologic Data. Third edition. Oxford University Press. New York.


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49. Sloman J. Economics. Fourth edition. Prentice Hall, 2000.

50. Streiner, D. & Norman, G. (2003). Health Measurement Scales: A Practical Guide to Their Development and Use (3rd Edition). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

51. Tones, K., & Tilford, S. (2001). Health Promotion: Effectiveness, Efficiency and Equity. Nelson Thornes

52. Trigg, R. (2000). Understanding Social Science: A Philosophical Introduction to the Social Sciences. Oxford: Blackwell

53. Trochim, William M. The Research Methods Knowledge Base, 2nd Edition. Internet WWW page, at URL: http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/

54. Valerie A. Brown, John Grootjans, Jan Ritchie, Mardie Townsend, Glenda Verrinder, Eds, Sustainability and Health: Supporting Global Ecological Integrity in Public Health, London: Earthscan. 2005

55. Whiteford L., Manderson L. (2000). Global Health Policy, Local Realities: The Fallacy of the Level Playing Field. Boulder Colorado: Lynne Rienner

56. Woodward, M. (2005). Epidemiology: Study Design and Data Analysis (2nd Edition). Boca Raton, FL: Chapman & Hall/CRC

6.3 Specialist Software In addition to standard software packages available to research students in the University, the following packages will be required:

• Stata • MLwiN • Atlas Ti


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• NVivo 7 These packages will be made available to all DrPH doctoral students. Public Health @ Brunel is committed to the use of open source software. R is a powerful, freely available, statistical package (http://www.r-project.org/). OpenOffice is a complete, freely available, office package with word processor, spreadsheet, database, and presentation software (http://www.openoffice.org). R and OpenOffice are available for Windows, Linux, and Mac platforms. All assignments may be submitted in OpenOffice formats. The preferred fonts for submission are liberation (http://www.redhat.com/promo/fonts/).


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6.4 University services

Accommodation The Accommodation Office is responsible for the allocation of all undergraduate, postgraduate and research students to University Residences and for notifying the Finance Office invoice amounts for accommodation fees. The University campus provides self-catering accommodation for approximately 4,571 students in 17 Halls of Residence. There is a variety of accommodation including single bedrooms that share kitchen and bathroom facilities to modern flats where several bedrooms are grouped around a shared kitchen/dining area. A large number of the Halls of Residence feature bedrooms with en suite facilities. All rooms on campus have IT network access points. Additionally a new residential hall, Isambard Close, includes 17 buildings with 1342 units, comprising of 112 studio flats, 1190 en-suite rooms and 40 disabled rooms. Accommodation prices for 2009/10 range from £84.49 (standard) to £105.00 (en-suite). Prices for 2010/11 will be available on the accommodation website from June 2010. All postgraduate students are eligible for on-campus accommodation and to facilitate their studies, postgraduate students are grouped together in halls of residence. The accommodation office will also assist those who may choose to live off-campus. For more information on postgraduate accommodation facilities please visit the Accommodation Office website http://www.brunel.ac.uk/life/accommodation/residences or contact the Accommodation Office via: Tel: 01895 267900 E-mail: [email protected]


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Alumni When you complete your course at Brunel University, you will automatically become a member of the Brunel Alumni, joining some 67,000 Brunel past students throughout the UK and the world. We have successful entrepreneurs, financiers, lawyers, engineers, designers, scientists, technologists, teachers, health professionals, and researchers - all making a difference to their community. Many Brunel Alumni are in decision making roles in both public and private organisations all over the world. If you go to the theatre, it is quite likely that our performing arts students are involved in the production. We have a wonderful reputation for sport. Amongst our sporting past students are such famous names as Kelly Sotherton - Commonwealth Games Gold Heptathlon medal; James Cracknell - Rowing; Audley Harrison - Boxing; Richard Hill - Rugby; Abi Oyepitan - Athletics; Ann Wild and Sarah Burrett - Paralympics wheelchair basketball and Alan Pascoe Vice Chairman 2012 London Olympic bid team. Paul Dickenson (Borough Road 1971) is our well known BBC sports commentator. In entertainment Jo Brand, Patricia Hodge, Lee Mack, Nic Abbott, Archie Panjabi (Bend it like Beckham) are all known names. We have five MPs who also studied at Brunel. Check out the Brunel Alumni website to find out more at: www.brunelalumni.co.uk. We ask our Alumni to assist our current students by offering Work Placements and Careers advice. They come back to give talks, they bring their companies' research requirements back to Brunel and generally benefit from the continuing relationship with the University. We offer our Alumni routes


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to further professional development and to advice and consultancy from the research expertise within our Schools. We keep in touch with our Alumni through the annual free Brunel Link magazine and through email and encourage them to let us know what they are doing and if we are able to assist in any way so that both Alumni and the University can mutually benefit from a life - long friendship. Head of Alumni Relations: Sue Curley, Ext 67775, Direct line: 01895 267775 Email: [email protected] Alumni Office: Wilfred Brown Building

Brunel International Brunel International is situated within the Russell Building, and is available for students who may have particular issues relating to being in a new country. Specific information can be obtained by emailing [email protected]

Computer Centre The Computer Centre provides services distributed throughout the University, with a wide range of software and access to various academic services across the Joint Academic Network (JANET) and the Internet. As well as such traditional computing, the Centre provides access to electronic mail, World Wide Web and information, library and news services. To help your statistical and data analyses, SPSS for Windows is network-available: for more modest analytical needs, Excel is present as part of the Microsoft Office family. Each of these programs comes with extensive online help. The principal means of contacting your Computing Support team is by electronic mail to [email protected]


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since this brings your enquiry to all members of the Computing Support staff simultaneously. For enquiries that require personal contact, you may also visit the Computing Support office in the John Crank Building, (Room M031) between 0900 and 1700 (Monday to Friday, except on days when the University is closed). Computing provision is always evolving, especially as buildings are being erected, refurbished and re-organised, so you should keep up to date with where and when you may find open work areas (and all other Computer Centre information) by frequent visits to the Computer Centre website. Also, look out for local notices which tell of temporary changes, and read IntraBrunel (the staff and student information portal) each time you login. Your username and password is issued at Registration Arena, along with full details of how to get started using the network.

Disability and Dyslexia Service The Disability and Dyslexia Service provides confidential advice to disabled students and those with specific learning difficulties and mental health requirements, and keeps in touch with them regularly via a monthly e-newsletter, the web and weekly drop-in sessions. The team is made up of a growing number of dedicated disability and dyslexia support staff that can organise Support Workers like Note Takers, Study Mentors, Study Skills Support Tutors, British Sign Language Communicators, equipment loan and more, should a student’s Needs Assessment recommend them. They can also liaise with University staff to ensure that a student’s needs are catered for. If you are a disabled student at Brunel, the Disability and Dyslexia Service can provide you with vital information on anything from Disabled Students’ Allowances, to


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accommodation, exam provisions, dyslexia diagnosis and other arrangements or Services available to you.

Further Information For more information about the Disability and Dyslexia Service or to request a copy of the Disabled Students’ Handbook and other informative publications visit this Service’s website or contact the Team. Disability and Dyslexia Service Room 315, Bannerman Centre Brunel University Kingston Lane Uxbridge Middlesex UB8 3PH Tel: 01895 265213 Fax:: 01895 269767 Email: [email protected] Web: www.brunel.ac.uk/life/welfare/dis

E-mail As students you are also encouraged to use your Brunel e-mail to communicate with staff. E-mails coming from Hotmail or Yahoo accounts, for example, are often blocked as spam by the University firewall, which means we would not get your message at all. All members of staff can be contacted via email. Staff email addresses are in the Global Email list found by clicking on the To: button of a new email message in webmail.

English for Academic Purposes (EAP) The International Pathways and Language Centre (IPLC) offer a range of classes for overseas students. Classes are available free of charge to registered students whose native tongue is not English, for example:


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Writing for Academic Success; Grammar for Academic success; Seminar and Presentation Skills for Academic Success; Listening and Discussing for Academic Success; Reading for Academic Success; Pronunciation for International Intelligibility; Writing for Research Success; Discussing and Presenting for Research Success.

Individual help can be obtained in one-to-one surgeries. All international students are strongly advised to take advantage of this resource. English language tuition is available from IPLC, but it must be stressed that this is to improve already existing skills. Please contact the IPLC for further details about class times and surgeries: Tel: 01895 265533 or email: [email protected] The IPLC is located within Brunel International in room 115 on the first floor of the Russell Building, Science Park, near the Kingston Lane entrance to the Uxbridge campus.

Job Shop As an integral part of the Placement and Careers Centre, the Job Shop is here to help you find part-time and vacation work throughout your time at Brunel.

The service has been set up in response to the increasing need among students to offset the expense of full-time study by taking on part-time work. However, we feel that taking on work during your course is not just about earning some extra cash; it’s also an opportunity for you to acquire and enhance those all important transferable skills which employers seek when you graduate.


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The Job Shop advertises opportunities for local and national employers, as well as on-campus jobs for students. We hold Part-time and Vacation Work Jobs Fair, bringing employers with immediate vacancies directly to you. The Job Shop can also advise you on matters such as alternative job-hunting resources, job applications, tax and national insurance.

The Job Shop, Placement & Careers Centre First Floor, Bannerman Centre, Uxbridge Campus Email: [email protected] Tel: 01895 265759 www.brunel.ac.uk/pcc/jobshop

Library The library is located in the Bannerman centre. Locating and using information relevant to your subject is an essential skill for you to acquire, and it is worth spending time finding out what is available. More information pertaining to the library can be found on the Brunel Library website: http://www.brunel.ac.uk/life/study/library Do not rely solely on standard texts when writing essays. Remember that lecturers often read over 100 essays on the same topic and are very familiar with the contents of major textbooks. When researching an essay, spread your net wide by searching through journals and bibliographies for relevant literature. Useful sources of material can be founds at: http://intranet.brunel.ac.uk/library/subjects.html Term-time Library opening times are as follows: Monday - Friday 08.40 -21.00 Saturday 12.00 -17.00 Sunday 12.00 -19.00


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Please note that the materials in the Library are for the use of all students. Thus, if you remove any without returning them you are depriving your fellow students. These materials are expensive and often impossible to replace so be considerate. Books which are recommended for particular modules are available in the library, often on restricted access, but there are never enough copies to satisfy student demand fully. It is in your interest therefore to buy a certain number of key texts.

Media Services Media Services provide a range of academic support services enabling staff and students to make effective use of media technology in teaching, learning and research. The department is open between 0900 and 1700 weekdays during term time. A general enquiries service point is located on the top level of the Lecture Centre (LC308). Audiovisual Team: [email protected] or ext. 65507 Media Production Centre: [email protected] or ext. 66355

Sports facilities Sports facilities in the Sports Centre include:

large and small sports halls netball hall squash courts exercise studio climbing wall indoor athletics centre fitness centre


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Outdoor facilities include an athletics arena, two all-weather and one grass pitch, tennis and netball courts.

The Student Centre The Student Centre is located in the Bannerman Building. The Student Centre provides support with a wide variety of administrative areas. Students will be offered support with:

Student Administration enquiries; Finance enquiries; General Accommodation; Student Annual Parking permits; Student Access ID cards; E-Vision.

Opening hours Regular opening hours are as follows: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday 10.00 – 16.00 Wednesday, Friday 09.00 – 13.00 Phone lines are open as follows: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday 09.00 – 17.00 Tuesday 10.00 – 17.00 The Student Centre will extend normal opening hours during the first 5 weeks of the academic year- please contact The Student Centre for more details. The Student Centre can also be contacted on [email protected] or by telephone on 01895 268268.


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U-Link Brunel U-Link is a facility for sharing academic materials across the University learning community, and is used in the School to support your learning. All modules will be posted on Brunel U-Link with the following minimum requirements:

Module outline; Learning resources; Noticeboard tool.

Each Brunel U-Link base will be tailored to the module leader’s requirements. There will also be a “School Information” base which you will need to check regularly, as important information will be posted here, including details of coursework hand-in dates. You can access U-Link by going to http://www.brunel.ac.uk/intranets/, selecting “U-Link (Web-based Learning)” and logging in with your student number and password, which will be allocated to you shortly after induction.

Valuing Diversity at Brunel University The Brunel University community is truly diverse and multicultural. We are proud of this diversity, which enriches the learning experience of the student and staff body. We strongly recommend that, in order to participate fully and fairly as a member of the Brunel community, you find out about:

Your rights and your role Our commitment and our expectations How to make the most of our diverse community

The easiest and quickest way to do this is through the online Valuing Diversity @ Brunel University resource. This is a


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virtual learning environment that provides essential information and guidance to equip you to confidently handle aspects of equality and diversity relating to ethnicity, gender, disability, sexual orientation, human rights, religion and age. There’s also lots of information about activities that you can get involved in at Brunel. To get started, log on via Brunel’s Web-based Learning portal: http://www.brunel.ac.uk/intranets/u-link

DrPH Administration, Quality and Standards

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7 Administration, Quality and Standards The programme is co-ordinated by a member of Academic staff in the Graduate School (The DrPH Programme Director) appropriately supported by the Director of the Graduate School and the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research). Administrative support is also provided by the Graduate School. Course committees ensure integration and co-ordination of the thematic areas of the Part I of the programme and monitor and update course materials. With respect to Part 2 of the programme, the role of the course committee will be to monitor the overall progression of students, the function of the TACs, and overall performance of the programme. The course committee will forward minutes of its meetings to the Graduate School Board and to which it will also provide an annual review document for approval at school level. The committee, chaired by the programme director, will comprise a student representative and at least one member of the course team representing each of the contributing schools and institutes. An appropriately constituted Examination Panel and Board will consider doctoral students’ grades and progression at the end of Part 1. In the event that a student fails to progress to Part 2, recommendations will be made with respect to retrieval, award (PGDip) or progression (MPH). In the event that students pursue an MPH, an Examination Board will be held at an appropriate time to allow the students to graduate within a reasonable time. External examining arrangements for Part 1 and for award of MPH shall be as per SR4 (one external examiner for whole cohort). For Part 2, SR5 shall apply and an external examiner will be appointed for each candidate for DrPH examination.


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7.1 Regulations Regulations for the degrees of Doctor of Public Health / Master of Public Health. Senate Regulation 5 shall apply to candidates for the degree of Doctor of Public Health, subject to the following amendments and additions. Amended sections of SR 5 are indicated in brackets. Where sections of Senate Regulation 3 apply to the taught part of the degree, these are also indicated in brackets.

1. A successful candidate for the degree of Doctor of Public Health must show a satisfactory record of research and a thorough knowledge of the field of scholarship. A successful candidate will have made an original and distinct contribution to professional knowledge and understandings within the field of public health. The thesis will demonstrate the following features:

• Clearly present a critical understanding of the Research, Policy, Practice nexus within the context of each of the public health settings;

• Describe original research conducted within Research, Policy, and Practice internships;

• Demonstrate the synthesis of knowledge based on a critical appraisal of the situation, the definition of a research problem, the collection and analysis of relevant primary data or the analysis of secondary data and the communication of the implications of the findings.

The candidate shall also have successfully completed a programme of taught study in accordance with these regulations. (SR5.1)

2. A candidate for the degree of Doctor of Public Health

is required to show appropriate ability in the


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organisation and presentation of his/her material in the thesis part of the programme (Part 2), which must demonstrate clarity of expression and appropriate literary style. It must be in the English language, and must be suitable for publication, either as submitted or suitably abridged. (SR5.3)

3. Before recommending that a candidate be awarded the

degree of Doctor of Public Health, Examiners are required to certify

a that they have satisfied themselves that the thesis is a satisfactory record of research undertaken by the candidate and is genuinely the work of the candidate;

b that the thesis forms a distinct contribution to knowledge and professional practice in Public Health;

c that the candidate has given evidence of a broad knowledge and understanding of the discipline and of associated research techniques, and has shown that they have been successfully applied;

d that the thesis is satisfactory in its literary presentation;

e that the thesis is suitable for publication (by placing on the shelves of the University library or otherwise) as a work approved for a higher degree of Brunel University. (SR5.5)

4. The normal and maximum duration of registration for the degree of Doctor of Public Health shall be as follows (SR5.11):


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Normal duration (in months)

Maximum duration (in months)

Full-time DrPH 36 60 Part-time DrPH 60 72

5. Candidates for the degree of Doctor of Public Health shall normally first register in September and enrol annually each September. (SR5.16)

Guidance and Progression General provisions

6. For the taught part of the programme (Part 1), each student shall be appointed an academic adviser, who is normally the course co-coordinators.

7. Each candidate shall work under the general

supervision of two supervisors appointed by the authorised member of staff of the School. All supervisors must be either members of academic staff of the University or have Recognised Supervisor Status. Candidates based away from the University must have a local supervisor and a further supervisor based at the University. (SR5.20)

Progress of candidates

8. The progress of each candidate for the degree of Doctor of Public Health shall also be reviewed during Part 1 by the appointed Board of Examiners.


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9. For Part 2 of the programme a Thesis Advisory Committee shall be appointed for each candidate, which will comprise the appointed supervisors and at least two other members of academic staff of the University or holders of Recognised Supervisor Status. The Thesis Advisory Committee shall review the progress of each candidate at the end of each internship and at least annually in accordance with University guidelines for the formal monitoring of research students. In reaching a decision about progress, the Thesis Advisory Committee will give due regard to:

a. The quality and quantity of work completed; b. Professional issues related to the internship.

(SR5.23)

10. A candidate who fails to satisfy the Thesis Advisory Committee and the authorised member of staff in the Graduate School during the review process, either through poor professional competence or by lack of satisfactory progress or attendance in his or her programme of research, may be:

a. confirmed in registration for the award but required to undertake an additional prescribed programme of work;

b. transferred to registration for an MPhil and may be required to take further formal assessments;

c. required to withdraw. (SR5.24) Assessment and requirements for award Taught part

11. In order to progress to Part 2 of the degree, a candidate for the degree of Doctor of Public Health is required to achieve the minimum of Masters Degree with Merit Grade Profile ie. BBBBCCCC in the 120 credits of assessment of the taught element of the Programme. A candidate must also achieve a


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minimum of grade B in GS5524. A summary of the aims, learning outcomes and other details of Part 1 of the DrPH (including those for the taught award of Master of Public Health and other interim taught awards available through the programme) shall be set out in the approved programme specification. (SR5.33, 5.21)

12. Part 1 of the programme shall be divided into a

number of units of study and 8 modules of assessment. Each module of assessment shall be assigned credit and assessed for the award of a grade in accordance with the scheme for the assessment of modules set out in Senate Regulation 3. A module may be assessed by means of coursework, test, assignment, report, portfolio, practical or written or viva voce examination, or a combination of these methods, as specified in the programme student handbook and approved by the Graduate School Board. The method and schedule of assessment shall be notified to the student at the start of the academic year. (SR3.17).

13. A Board of examiners and external examiner shall be

appointed for the assessment of the taught part of the programme (Part 1), in accordance with Senate Regulation 4.

14. Each module shall be graded in accordance with the

generic grade descriptors issued by the Learning and Teaching Committee for postgraduate programmes. (SR3.18)

15. An assessment which fails to attract at least a grade E

may be awarded the following grades: F Fail


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P Aegrotat Pass, mitigating circumstances accepted (SR3.19)

16. A student who fails to achieve the taught part grade profile required to successfully complete Part 1 of the programme may elect to repeat any element of assessment once in order to retrieve a grade of D or C. Retrieved grades will be capped at B. Doctoral students who fail to demonstrate the requisite level of mastery will not progress to Part 2 of the programme.

17. Doctoral students who elect not to proceed to Part 2 or

who fail to achieve the grade profile for progression to Part 2 may, subject to achieving the appropriate grades, be eligible to be recommended for intermediate awards. Doctoral students not progressing to Part 2 will be eligible for the intermediate award of Postgraduate Diploma in Public Health, providing they achieve the appropriate grade profile as stated in Senate Regulation 3.

18. Doctoral students not progressing to Part 2 who are

eligible for the award of Postgraduate Diploma in Public Health may, subject to the approval of the Board of Examiners, transfer to the degree of Master of Public Health (MPH) and progress to the Dissertation for that award. To achieve the award of MPH, Masters candidates must complete a dissertation (60 Credits) and achieve a grade of no lower than C.

19. During Part 1 Public Health doctoral students will also

begin to shape the thematic focus of their thesis and meet with and formalise the research with their supervisors.


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Research Part: Recommendations of the Examiners

20. In accordance with Senate Regulation 5 the Examiners for Part 2 of the degree of Doctor of Public Health shall make a joint written report to Senate on the examination of the candidate and may make any of the following recommendations (SR5.49):

a. If the candidate has met the criteria as specified by Senate set out in paragraphs 1-3 above, the thesis is adequate, and the candidate has satisfied the Examiners at the viva voce examination, the Examiners may recommend the award of the relevant degree.

b. If the thesis is otherwise adequate but requires minor amendments and if the candidate satisfies the Examiners in all other parts of the examination, the Examiners may, in writing, require the candidate to make such corrections to the thesis as will satisfy them (or one of their number as they decide). The Examiners shall specify the time available for making such corrections, up to a maximum period of four months, taking into account so far as is possible the candidate's personal circumstances. In the event that a candidate is unable to complete the minor corrections within in the time period specified by the Examiners, an extension of up to two months may be approved by the Chair of the Sub-Committee for Postgraduate Research Degrees.

c. The degree not be awarded but that the candidate be allowed to resubmit the thesis in a revised form for re-examination within twelve months, either with or without a


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further viva voce examination.

d. If the thesis is judged by the Examiners to be satisfactory, but the candidate fails to satisfy the Examiners at the viva voce examination, the candidate may be allowed to present the same thesis at a second viva voce examination within six months.

e. If the thesis is judged by the Examiners to be of an insufficient standard for the award of Doctor of Public Health, the candidate should not be awarded the degree of Doctor, but should be re-examined, with or without a viva voce, on a resubmitted thesis, following appropriate revisions, for the award of Master of Philosophy. A report to this effect should be made and a date should be set for re-examination of the thesis within a period of not less than two months and not more than six months. A further Examiners' report form will be required in respect of any re-examination of the thesis whether or not a viva voce takes place.

f. If the thesis is judged by the Examiners to be of an insufficient standard for the award of Doctor of Public Health, and (except in the case of a final permitted submission) unable to achieve the requirements for the award of Master of Philosophy within the permitted resubmission period, recommend the transfer of the candidate to the degree of Master of Public Health, the student having the opportunity to revise and resubmit their thesis in fulfilment of the dissertation requirements of the Master of Public Health degree;


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g. The Examiners may, upon consideration of the thesis and the candidate's performance at the viva voce, make the recommendation that the degree not be awarded if no recommendation can be made under regulations a-f, above.

21. Following submission of the thesis no candidate for a research degree may be assessed on more than two occasions, except where the second examination is a re-examination for a doctoral award, following which the Examiners may, if appropriate, recommend that the candidate be examined on a third occasion for the MPhil degree. The first formal assessment shall include the examination of the thesis and its defence by viva voce, where required. (SR5.54)

22. Doctor of Public Health candidates who are

recommended for the award of Master of Philosophy will be eligible for the award of a Postgraduate Diploma in Public Health for achievement in Part 1 of the programme.

Approved on behalf of Senate by Learning and Teaching Committee – June 2008

DrPH Appendix – Program Specification

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8. Appendix

Programme Specification 1. Awarding institution: Brunel University 2. Teaching institution: Brunel University 3. Home school/associated institution:

Brunel Graduate School

4. Contributing school(s)/associated institution:

School of Health Sciences and Social Care School of Social Sciences Institute for the Environment

HERG 5. Programme accredited by:

-

6. Final award: DrPH 7. Programme title: Doctor of Public Health 8. Normal length of programme:

3 years f/t; 5 years p/t

9. Minimum/maximum period of registration:

30 months/5 years f/t and 4 years/7 years p/t

10. Variation(s) to September start:

N/A

11. Mode of study: f/t; p/t; 12. Mode of delivery: Standard (taught part) with Internship-based

research 13. Intermediate award(s) and title(s):

Master of Public Health (MPH) Postgraduate Diploma in Public Health

14. UCAS code: N/A 15. JACS code: B990 16. Date programme specification written or revised:

July 2006

17. Relevant subject benchmark statements & other external and internal reference points used to inform programme outcomes: University Mission Statement and Strategic Plan Centre for Public Health Research, Brunel University Faculty of Public Health Royal Society of (for the Promotion of) Health 18. Educational aims of the programme

The overall aim of the DrPH programme is to cultivate interdisciplinary leaders and future leaders in public health. The focus is on:

• the development of advanced public health knowledge, expertise and skills within both professional practice and the broader discipline,


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• the development and enhancement of leadership; and • the integration of these within the dynamic nexus of public health

research, policy development, and practice. The programme is geared towards the development of (future) leaders who have the capacity and vision to assess and develop interventions that address the health needs of entire populations including the most disadvantaged, marginalised, and vulnerable populations in the UK and internationally. 19/20. PART 1 - TAUGHT ELEMENT OF THE PROGRAMME

19. Taught part learning outcomes. All of the following learning outcomes apply to the DrPH and the MPH and PGDip intermediate awards, unless otherwise stated. The taught part provides opportunities for students to develop and demonstrate knowledge and understanding, qualities, skills and other attributes in the following areas:

20. Teaching, learning and assessment strategies to enable learning outcomes to be achieved and demonstrated

A Knowledge and Understanding (A) Knowledge and Understanding:

1. The fundamental theories and concepts in the range of social science disciplines that relate to public health;

2. Relationships between, and historical antecedents of, underlying principles and theories of public health;

3. Principles of, and approaches to disease prevention and control and health promotion;

4. The impact of genetic, social, cultural, political, ethical, environmental and economic factors on

Learning/teaching methods and strategies A variety of methods will be used in teaching with a focus on interactivity. Doctoral students will be required to take control of their learning and it is required that the development of different forms of delivery will be a part of the leadership building strategies in the course. Sessions will combine the use of lectures, seminars, debates, discussions, role plays, laboratories, fieldwork, practicum and group work. Peer review and self and peer assessment will be employed to encourage team work and self reflection.


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public health policy, practice and research;

5. integrated understanding of health systems, public health policy, practice and research;

6. critical understanding of risks, consequences, ethics and responsibilities of public health interventions;

7. critical knowledge and understanding of qualitative methods in current public health research and practice and their limitations;

8. critical knowledge and understanding of quantitative methods in current public health research and practice and their limitations;

9. The principles of leadership and management in public health;

10. The principles of effective research design in public health.

Assessment The Part 1 knowledge and understanding learning outcomes opposite are tested directly through varied types of formal assessment:

• Journal Articles (2) • Systematic Review • Policy Analysis • Integrated Group Projects (2) • Synoptic Examinations (2)

See the DrPH handbook for details.


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B Cognitive (thinking) Skills (B) Able to:

1. assess strengths and weaknesses of solutions to public health issues taking account of sub-disciplinary perspectives;

2. conduct a policy analysis; a. synthesise

diverse sources of policy- relevant information;

b. identify and weigh competing interests;

c. present that analysis in a form suitable for policy development.

3. undertake the analysis of qualitative and quantitative data;

4. interpret public health data.

5. plan for a public health emergency;

6. develop a public health intervention and evaluate the broader impact of that intervention;

7. critically evaluate the quality of published research;

8. identify biases and errors in research methodologies and techniques;

9. provide balanced inferences based on the collation of evidence;

10. Plan, execute and evaluate an individual enquiry-based project (MPH only).

Learning/teaching methods and strategies A variety of methods will be used in teaching with a focus on interactivity. Doctoral students will be required to take control of their learning and it is required that the development of different forms of delivery will be a part of the leadership building strategies in the course. Sessions will combine the use of seminars, debates, discussions, role plays, laboratories, fieldwork, practicum and group work. Peer review and self and peer assessment will be employed to encourage team work and self reflection. Assessment The Part 1 cognitive skills learning outcomes 1-9 opposite are tested directly through varied types of formal assessment:


See the DrPH handbook for details. Outcome B10 (MPH only) is assessed through a written dissertation.


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C Other Skills and Attributes (Practical/Professional/Transferable)

(C) Able to: 1. demonstrate leadership,

negotiation and group working skills;

2. effectively communicate public health information in forms appropriate to academic, professional and lay audiences;

3. effectively communicate research and analysis findings using diverse media;

4. proficiently employ software for qualitative and quantitative data analysis and presentation;

5. proficiently employ software for document preparation and information retrieval and organisation.

Learning/teaching methods and strategies A variety of methods will be used in teaching with a focus on interactivity. Doctoral students will be required to take control of their learning and it is required that the development of different forms of delivery will be a part of the leadership building strategies in the course. Sessions will combine the use of seminars, debates, discussions, role plays, laboratories, fieldwork, practicum and group work. Peer review and self and peer assessment will be employed to encourage team work and self reflection. Assessment The Part 1 other skills learning outcomes opposite are tested directly through varied types of formal assessment:


See the DrPH handbook for details.

21. PART 2 – THESIS ELEMENT OF THE PROGRAMME See DrPH Handbook and Regulations 22. Programme structures and features: levels, themes, assessment, credit and progression and award requirements


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Programme Structure (f/t)

Year Term 1 Term 2 Term 3

I Part 1 - Taught Element DrPH Internship 1

(or MPH Dissertation)

II

DrPH Internship 1 (continued)

Write-up DrPH Internship 2 Write-up

III DrPH Internship 3 Write-up DrPH Thesis Write Up

Part-time structure individually tailored based on above sequence

Leve

l 5 (M

aste

rs)

Part 1 - Taught Element Themes of Studies

1. Research and Analytic Methods

2. Health

Policy and Systems

3. Disease,

Health, Illness and Wellbeing

4. Principles,

Practice and Leadership in Public Health

Compulsory assessment titles and credit rating: GS5517 Journal Article 1 GS5518 Systematic Review GS5519 Integrated Group Project 1 GS5520 Synoptic Examination 1 GS5521 Journal Article 2 GS5522 Policy Analysis GS5523 Integrated Group Project 2 GS5524 Synoptic Examination 2 For MPH intermediate award only: Public Health Dissertation

15 cr 15 cr 15 cr 15 cr 15 cr 15 cr 15 cr 15 cr 60 cr

Progression and award requirements: Taught part assessment and Intermediate award regulations as per SR3 (except as defined in section 23). DrPH candidates must achieve the minimum of Masters Degree with Merit Grade Profile ie.BBBBCCCC over the 120 credits of the Taught Part in order to progress to Part 2 of the DrPH programme.(See SR3). The DrPH candidate must also achieve a minimum of grade B in GS5524.


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Le

vel 6

(Doc

tora

l)

Part 2 – Thesis Element

Assessment by thesis and viva voce examination

Progression and award requirements: DrPH candidates’ progress will be reviewed after internship 1 and internship 2 in order to allow progression to subsequent internships. DrPH candidates may make a submission to their Thesis Advisory committee to undertake 2 instead of 3 placements based on the quality of their placement, research data and research, policy and practice experience. DrPH award regulations as per SR5

23. Programme regulations not specified in Senate Regulations

DrPH candidates may elect to repeat any element of assessment in Part 1 on one occasion only to retrieve a grade of D or C in order to attempt to achieve the grade profile required for progression to Part 2. Retrieved grades will be capped at B.

24. Admission requirements Applicants are normally expected to have a 2.1 or better Honours degree (or overseas equivalent) or Masters degree in a relevant discipline. In addition, applicants are normally expected to have at least 3 years of relevant health or social science related work experience. For overseas applicants whose first language is not English, proof of English language competence to a standard of IELTS 7 or equivalent is required.

25. Additional relevant information (e.g. study abroad, information on internships, matters specific to professional courses) The course covers many of the elements required for the Part A examination for Diplomate Membership of the Faculty of Public Health of the Royal Colleges of Physicians of the United Kingdom. Although this is not the principal focus of the course, Public Health


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Doctoral students interested in pursuing this option will be encouraged and guided appropriately. Each internships comprises a 6-12 month period of initial engagement, depending on whether the DrPH candidate is undertaking 2 or 3 internships, followed by a 2-month period of writing up (which can be within or outside the internship setting).

26. Further information about the programme is available from: The Doctoral Programmes Manager, Brunel Graduate School (email [email protected], tel +44 (0)1895 265347) Web site: www.brunel.ac.uk/publichealth

Please note: this specification provides a concise summary of the main features of the programme and the learning outcomes that a student might reasonably be expected to achieve and demonstrate if he/she takes full advantage of the learning opportunities that are provided. More detailed information on the learning outcomes, content and teaching, learning and assessment methods of each module can be found in the module guide and course handbook. The accuracy of the information contained in this document is reviewed by the University and may be checked by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education.

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