Public health: health promotion and health security

Public health is everybody’s business. Whether or not you are in professional practice, your viewpoint is a central aspect of this module. It will inform and empower you to challenge your existing assumptions around current policies and interventions and encourage you to move your everyday actions and practice forward. This module considers both communicable and non-communicable diseases (NCDs), and how the demography and epidemiology of both types of disease have uncovered health inequality and inequity in society. The module is mapped against the current United Kingdom Public Health Register (UKHPR) requirements and offers you insights into how social determinants impact the health and wellbeing of diverse social groups. It’s ideal if you’re interested in developing a career in public health or want to discover ways of sustainably promoting greater health and wellbeing while strengthening integrated public health services and reducing inequalities.

Modules count towards OU qualifications

OU qualifications are modular in structure; the credits from this undergraduate module could count towards a certificate of higher education, diploma of higher education, foundation degree or honours degree.

Browse qualifications in related subjects

Health & Social Care qualifications
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Module

Module code

K310

Credits

Study level

Level of Study
OU	SCQF	FHEQ
3	10	6

What you will study

Public health is defined as the art and science of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organised efforts of society¹. Never in recent memory have public health measures, prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic, involved so many people throughout the world in collective and individual action to improve their health and wellbeing. Most recognisably through measures involving public health interventions.

Central to public health are issues of social justice arising from the social determinants of health and illness. This module will play a central role in revealing insights into the ways in which social determinants impact on the health and wellbeing of diverse social groups.

The module is made up of four blocks of study that focus on a particular area associated with public health.

Block 1: An introduction to public health

What is public health
The scope of public health
Health trends and wider determinants
Theory and policy in health promotion
Theory and policy in health promotion: health security

Block 2: Evidence-based public health

The evidence base of public health
Understanding quantitative research
Understanding qualitative research
Using research to plan public health interventions

Block 3: Planning, implementing and evaluating public health on a community level

Education and empowerment
Communities
Settings
Partnership and teams

Block 4: Going global

Global public health and governance
Factors influencing global public health
Policy making for better health
Public health in the 21st century

The module is mapped against the current United Kingdom Public Health Register (UKPHR) public-health competencies where appropriate. On successful completion, you can be awarded our Graduate Certificate in Public health (S06).

¹Acheson, 1988; WHO

Vocational relevance

This module is mapped against the United Kingdom Public Health Register requirements (UKPHR) for those who are pursuing a career in public health.

Teaching and assessment

Support from your tutor

You’ll get help and support from an assigned tutor throughout your module. They’ll help by:

marking your assignments and offering detailed feedback to help you improve
providing individual guidance, whether that’s for general study skills or specific module content
guiding you to additional learning resources
facilitating online discussions between your fellow students in the dedicated module and tutor group forums.

Online tutorials run throughout the module. Where possible, we’ll make recordings available. While they’re not compulsory, we strongly encourage you to participate.

Assessment

The assessment details for this module can be found in the facts box.

Future availability

Public health: health promotion and health security (K310) starts once a year – in October.

This page describes the module that will start in October 2025.

We expect it to start for the last time in October 2029.

Regulations

As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the academic regulations which are available on our Student Policies and Regulations website.

Course work includes:; 4 Tutor-marked assignments (TMAs)
: 1 Interactive computer-marked assignment (iCMA)
: End-of-module assessment

Entry requirements

This is an OU level 3 module. OU level 3 modules build on study skills and subject knowledge acquired from studies at OU levels 1 and 2. They are intended only for students who have recent experience of higher education in a related subject, preferably with the OU, such as by completing the modules below:

either K102 or SDK100, and K118; and
either K243 or KE206, or SK299 and SK298, and K219

You are not required to have done any study before in this subject area but if you have any doubt about the suitability of the module, please speak to an adviser.

Register

Start	End	England fee	Register
04 Oct 2025	Jun 2026	£3892.00	Registration closes 11/09/25 (places subject to availability) Register
This module is expected to start for the last time in October 2029.

Additional Costs

Study costs

There may be extra costs on top of the tuition fee, such as set books, a computer and internet access.

If your income is not more than £25,000 or you receive a qualifying benefit, you might be eligible for help with some of these costs after your module has started.

Ways to pay for this module

Open University Student Budget Account

The Open University Student Budget Accounts Ltd (OUSBA) offers a convenient 'pay as you go' option to pay your OU fees, which is a secure, quick and easy way to pay. Please note that The Open University works exclusively with OUSBA and is not able to offer you credit facilities from any other provider. All credit is subject to status and proof that you can afford the repayments.

You pay the OU through OUSBA in one of the following ways:

Register now, pay later – OUSBA pays your module fee direct to the OU. You then repay OUSBA interest-free and in full just before your module starts. 0% APR representative. This option could give you the extra time you may need to secure the funding to repay OUSBA.
Pay by instalments – OUSBA calculates your monthly fee and number of instalments based on the cost of the module you are studying. APR 5.1% representative.

Joint loan applications

If you feel you would be unable to obtain an OUSBA loan on your own due to credit history or affordability issues, OUSBA offers the option to apply for a joint loan application with a third party. For example, your husband, wife, partner, parent, sibling or friend. In such cases, OUSBA will be required to carry out additional affordability checks separately and/or collectively for both joint applicants who will be jointly and severally liable for loan repayments.

As additional affordability checks are required when processing joint loan applications, unfortunately, an instant decision cannot be given. On average the processing time for a joint loan application is five working days from receipt of the required documentation.

Employer sponsorship

Studying with The Open University can boost your employability. OU courses are recognised and respected by employers for their excellence and the commitment they take to complete. They also value the skills that students learn and can apply in the workplace.

Over 30,000 employers have used the OU to develop staff so far. If the module you’ve chosen is geared towards your job or developing your career, you could approach your employer to see if they will sponsor you by paying some or all of the fees.

Your employer just needs to complete a simple form to confirm how much they will be paying and we will invoice them.
You won’t need to get your employer to complete the form until after you’ve chosen your module.

Credit/debit card

You can pay part or all of your tuition fees upfront with a debit or credit card when you register for each module.

We accept American Express, Mastercard, Visa and Visa Electron.

Mixed payments

We know that sometimes you may want to combine payment options. For example, you may wish to pay part of your tuition fee with a debit card and pay the remainder in instalments through an Open University Student Budget Account (OUSBA).

Please note: your permanent address/domicile will affect your fee status and, therefore, the fees you are charged and any financial support available to you. The fee information provided here is valid for modules starting before 31 July 2026. Fees typically increase annually. For further information about the University's fee policy, visit our Fee Rules.

This information was provided on 15/05/2025.

Can you study an Access module for free?

Depending on eligibility and availability of places, you could apply to study your Access module for free.

To qualify, you must:

be resident in England
have a household income of not more than £25,000 (or be in receipt of a qualifying benefit)
have not completed one year or more on any full-time undergraduate programme at FHEQ level 4 or above or successfully completed 30 credits or more of OU study within the last 10 years

How to apply to study an Access module for free

Once you've started the registration process, either online or over the phone, we'll contact you about your payment options. This will include instructions on how you can apply to study for free if you are eligible and funded places are still available.

If you're unsure if you meet the criteria to study for free, you can check with one of our friendly advisers on +44 (0)300 303 0069, or you can request a call back.

Not eligible to study for free?

Don't worry! We offer a choice of flexible ways to help spread the cost of your Access module. The most popular options include:

monthly payments through OUSBA
part-time tuition fee loan (you'll need to be registered on a qualification for this option)

To explore all the options available to you, visit Fees and Funding.

What's included

You'll have a module text book – Health Promotion: Global Principles and Practice – and access to a module website, which is the focal point of your study, and includes:

a week-by-week study planner
course-specific module materials
audio and video content
assessment details and submission section
online tutorial access
forum to discuss the module with fellow students and the module teaching team.

Computing requirements

Primary device – A desktop or laptop computer. It’s possible to access some materials on a mobile phone, tablet or Chromebook; however, they will not be suitable as your primary device.
Peripheral device – Headphones/earphones with a built-in microphone for online tutorials.
Our OU Study app operates on supported versions of Android and iOS.
Operating systems – Windows 11 or latest supported macOS. Microsoft will no longer support Windows 10 as of 14 October 2025.
Internet access – Broadband or mobile connection.
Browser – Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge are recommended. Mozilla Firefox and Safari may be suitable.

If you have a disability

The OU strives to make all aspects of study accessible to everyone and this Accessibility Statement outlines what studying K310 involves. You should use this information to inform your study preparations and any discussions with us about how we can meet your needs.

To find out more about what kind of support and adjustments might be available, contact us or visit our disability support pages.