Master of Public Health and Diploma in Public Health

MPH group of 2012	MPH team of 2012

The Master of Public Health (MPH) and the Diploma in Public Health (DPH) is designed with the needs of the twenty-first century public health practitioner in mind. This programme provides a solid foundation in public health knowledge and skills to prepare public health practitioners for leadership roles in the management, improvement and evaluation of health and the health care system.

The objectives are to:

• Promote equity in health.
• Play a leadership role in public health.
• Attain a broad understanding of the core disciplines of public health.
• Develop expertise in at least one area within the broad field of public health.
• Develop a comprehensive understanding of health, the health care system, public health problems and of measures that can be taken to address these problems and to promote and maintain health.
• Develop skills of critical and analytical thinking.

Admission Requirements

Application deadline 31 July 2012 for a MPH/DPH in the following fields:  Rural Health and Social and Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC)

A bachelor’s degree of at least four years duration in dental science, medicine, surgery, nursing, occupational therapy, pharmacy, physiotherapy, or Bachelor of Science Honours;

A Bachelor of Arts or Sciences with honours in psychology or sociology, social work or other field of relevance to public health; or,

By special arrangement with the University.

Programme Details

The MPH/DPH is offered as a full time programme over two years or as a part-time programme over three or more years.  Some fields of study (FoS) are offered only as part-time programmes.  The course has three parts.

Part I: consists of foundational courses and specialized FoS courses, comprising 6 one-week blocks.

Part II: consists of advanced courses, comprising 6 one-week blocks of which four are in a specialized field of study.

MPH ONLY Part III: consists of research and a final research report.

Each course module has required readings. Assessments are a combination of in-class assignments, take-home exams/assignments and examination.

Content

Part I

Six foundational courses must be completed, as follows:

1. In addition to attending the compulsory (non-credit bearing) Master of Public Health Orientation programme, all MPH/DPH candidates are required to complete the following core public health courses:

• Health and Society
• Approaches to Population Health
• Health Measurement I
• Designing Effective Public Health Programs
• Health Measurement II 

2. Candidates are also required to complete an additional course as determined by their field of study.

•  Introduction to Occupational and Environmental Health  (Required for OH; Optional HSP)
•  
• The Rural Health Care Context (Required for RH; Optional HSP)
•  
• Planning and Implementing Social and Behaviour Change Communication (Required for SBCC; Optional HSP)
• Child Health 1 (Required for MCH; Optional HSP)

Part II - Fields of Study

Candidates must complete six courses for MPH/DPH II. 

MPH candidates in all FoS must enrol in the following:

• Research Methods
• Management in Health and Health Services

In addition, candidates enrol in four advanced courses offered by her or his field of study*.  The degree is offered in the following fields of study: (subject to adequate numbers)

MPH/DPH in the field of Health Systems and Policy (previously Health Policy and Management) has been the flagship MPH programme of the School. It provides training and skills primarily to middle and senior managers working in the public and non-governmental sectors and prepares them to deal with the changing policy dynamics and health system challenges of South Africa and the rest of Africa. The content includes a range of themes in health systems and policy including analysis of policy development and implementation, health care financing, health system approaches to planning, implementation and monitoring and evaluation of HIV/AIDS programmes and health systems evaluation and research. This field of study is coordinated by the Centre for Health Policy (CHP), a grant-funded research unit in the School.
Next intake: 2014
Course Administrator: Ntokozo Dube, (011) 717-2087 ntokozo.dube@wits.ac.za 

MPH/DPH in the field of Occupational Hygiene is offered primarily for occupational hygienists who intend to work in occupational health services in the public or private sectors in Southern Africa, particularly in the management and control of occupational risks. Students who complete this programme are expected to have the theoretical knowledge and skills to practice as occupational hygienists in a public health context. Course content in this field of study includes topics such as: occupational health and safety legislation, public health approaches to the measurement and control of workplace hazards and risk assessment and management in occupational settings. This field of study is offered by the School of Public Health in association with the National Institute for Occupational Health (NIOH) and Department of Health (DoH).
Next intake: 2014
Contact: Mr Andrew Swanepoel, (011) 717-2507, andrew.swanepoel@wits.ac.za

MPH/DPH in the field of Rural Health explores the critical need for health care professionals in rural areas to take leadership in supporting and developing the health service in these areas, in designing appropriate health systems and in researching and advocating around the health needs of rural people. The course provides students with the necessary skills to enhance their public health knowledge to manage not only existing conditions, but also to promote health and prevent diseases within the communities in which they practice. The content includes a range of core modules in rural health which enables them to be effective leaders in the health service, manage their resources, develop appropriate programmes, work with communities and advocate on behalf of rural people. The research component will enable them to monitor the effectiveness of their interventions and provide evidence for other rural health care practitioners.
Next intake: 2013
Course Administrator: Mr. Sizwe Dhlamini, (011) 717 2131, sizwe.dhlamini@wits.ac.za

MPH/DPH in the field of Social and Behaviour Change Communication looks at the growing need for quality health communication interventions to bring about social and behaviour change in Africa. This course provides students with the skills to analyze the social and behavioural determinants of health and access to health services in Africa. Students will develop skills in applying social and behavioural theory to research and health communication programmes. This course offers modules that aim to develop students’ skills in designing, implementing, and evaluating social and behavioural change strategies, which aim to address a range of key health issues such as HIV and AIDS, malaria, and maternal health. Students will engage with the role of research in the design, monitoring and evaluation of social and behaviour change communication programmes.  This field of study is offered by the School of Public Health in partnership with the Soul City Institute for Health and Development Communication and is funded in part by USAID through the C-CHANGE project.
Next intake: 2013
Course Administrator: Ntokozo Dube, (011) 717-2087, Ntokozo.dube@wits.ac.za

MPH/DPH in the field of Maternal and Child Health is designed to prepare professionals working in government departments, NGOs, the private sector or academic institutions for leadership positions in the field of Maternal and Child Health. The three modules for MPHII include Child Health II, Maternal Health and A Public Health Approach to Perinatal and Paediatric HIV.  Students will also select an elective from another FoS.  The course focuses on developing students’ competencies in areas such as critical and analytic thinking, management and communication, policy and advocacy, working with others (including community), and ethics and values. The course is designed to integrate the achievement of these diverse skills into the coursework and assignments. Although the course includes clinical issues (such as diarrhoeal disease, child disability or maternal mortality), the emphasis is on the programmatic dimensions of the critical issues affecting women and children, particularly in resource constrained settings. This field of study is coordinated by the Division of Community Paediatrics.
Next intake: 2014
Course Administrator: Ntokozo Dube, (011) 717-2087, ntokozo.dube@wits.ac.za

* The School offers at least 2 fields of study each year.

MPH ONLY Part III - Research and Research Report

In order to graduate, all candidates must design and conduct an empirical research project involving primary research, secondary data analysis or a systematic review in a topic related to the field of specialization, and involves:

Protocol preparation and approval by the Faculty Postgraduate Committee**
Ethics review**
Execution of the research
Data analysis
Report writing
Report submission and approval

**For part-time programmes, these steps are often conducted concurrently with Part II.

Information for International Students: (Study Permits, Accommodation. Living costs etc)

For further information regarding foreign students, applicants should contact the International Office, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 4, WITS, 2050, South Africa. Tel: 27 11 717-1052/1053; Fax: 27 11 717-1059 and e-mail: studysa@international.wits.ac.za

Accommodation

Enquiries regarding on-campus accommodation should be directed to Accommodation Officer, Office of Residence Life, Private Bag X3, WITS, 2050, South Africa. Tel: 27 11 717-9170; Fax: 27 11 339-8213 and e-mail: accommodation@residence.wits.ac.za

Fees

Enquiries regarding fees should be directed to the Fees Office.  Tel: 27 011 717-1531/717-1533.   Non-South African students are required to pay an International Fee over and above the cost of the specific course for which they are applying.

Financial Assistance

For information regarding financial assistance contact the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office, Tel: 27 11 717-1070; Fax: 27 11 339-439

MPH and DPH Applications forms

Download the information brochure [.pdf]

MPH and DPH application forms should be requested by fax or e-mail from:

The Postgraduate Officer
Faculty of Health Sciences
Medical School
7 York Road
Parktown
2193
South Africa

Telephone: 27 11 717-2076

Fax: 27 11 717-2119

e-mail: healthpg@health.wits.ac.za

Closing date for applications: 31 July of the year prior to that for which admission is sought. Intakes are generally annual but will vary by field of study.