Master of Public Health
Public Health
A course by
University of Canterbury
A professionally focused postgraduate degree to equip you with practical skills to improve population health and address public health challenges locally and globally.
In-person study
Face-to-face learning in a physical classroom setting
University of Canterbury, Christchurch
It will take a total of 18 months
Core skills this course teaches
Apply public health knowledge and practical skills
Develop and implement strategies to address real-world public health challenges in New Zealand and globally.
Work-readiness in public health
Be prepared for a professional career in public health with applied skills developed through an internship or industry project.
Equity and community engagement
Use principles of equity and community engagement, including integration of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, in public health practice.
What You're Signing Up For
The Master of Public Health (MPH) at the University of Canterbury is a practice-focused, postgraduate qualification designed to prepare graduates for work in the public health sector in Aotearoa New Zealand and worldwide. The program combines foundational coursework, electives across health topics, and a capstone project or workplace internship. There is a strong focus on equity, community engagement, and culturally responsive practice. The degree is designed to meet both national and international public health competency frameworks.
Course Content
- Five compulsory courses covering key areas of public health
- Three elective health topic courses
- Capstone project: industry-based project or workplace internship
- PUBH420 Public Health Essentials: Building Blocks for Impact
- PUBH422 Health Systems in Action: Policy, Innovation and Equity
- PUBH421 Hauora Māori
- HLTH470 Qualitative Research Methods for Health
- PUBH424 Social and Political Epidemiology OR HLTH460 Epidemiology and Critical Appraisal
- Electives from HLTH403, HLTH410, HLTH430, DATA422, DATA423, DRRE401, GEOG401, GISC422, MBAZ601, MBUS603, MBUS626, MKTG634, POLS442, POLS446, POLS449, STAT448, STAT462
- PUBH630 Public Health Practice: Experiential Learning Practicum OR PUBH631 Public Health Research: Community-Based Project
What you need to know first
Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in an area relevant to public health (e.g., health sciences, psychology, data science, geography, politics, sociology, etc.)
What sort of industry will this job lead to
Public Health
Health Services
Health Policy
Health Promotion
Future employment opportunities might be
Health promotion roles
Environmental health roles