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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.

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

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.

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

You’ll need broadband internet access and a desktop or laptop computer with an up-to-date version of Windows (10 or 11) or macOS Ventura or higher.

Any additional software will be provided or is generally freely available.

To join in spoken conversations in tutorials, we recommend a wired headset (headphones/earphones with a built-in microphone).

Our module websites comply with web standards, and any modern browser is suitable for most activities.

Our OU Study mobile app will operate on all current, supported versions of Android and iOS. It’s not available on Kindle.

It’s also possible to access some module materials on a mobile phone, tablet device or Chromebook. However, as you may be asked to install additional software or use certain applications, you’ll also require a desktop or laptop, as described above.

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.

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.

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.

Course work includes:

4 Tutor-marked assignments (TMAs)
1 Interactive computer-marked assignment (iCMA)
End-of-module assessment