Public Health (Master)

The restoration and strengthening of the health of the population, including disadvantaged population groups, is influenced by social, political, economic and environmental conditions. If you are interested in understanding and shaping these processes, you have come to the right place. On the Master's programme in Public Health you will learn how to

• to make decisions related to the health of the population, to advise others in this by analysing and processing relevant information, to plan, implement and evaluate appropriate measures;
• develop, implement and evaluate change processes and projects in the areas of health promotion, health care and health policy;
• conduct research on health science issues and take responsibility for the further development of public health.

Through the selection of compulsory elective modules, the choice of research project and the topic of the Master's thesis and, if applicable, a semester abroad, you can develop specialisations in different areas of public health, e.g. in the design of care structures, in prevention, health promotion and health protection or in research relevant to public health.

Public Health is a research-oriented Master's degree programme in accordance with international curricular agreements. If you spend a semester abroad at a partner university, the specialisations there will count towards your university studies. During the lecture period, regular courses take place on Mondays and Tuesdays.

From the start of your university studies, you will be trained in health science research. Building on your previous knowledge, the Research Methods module teaches you how to develop an appropriate research design, use quantitative and qualitative methods, present research results and evaluate research. You will acquire application-related research skills as part of a research project that focuses on concrete research work in small groups over two semesters, as well as in the areas of epidemiology, writing for publication, economic evaluation and health technology assessment. In the second and third semesters, you will set individual specialisations through the selection of two compulsory elective modules and one of the international modules.

In the fourth semester, you will engage in independent applied research as part of your Master's thesis. Course projects and Master's theses can be integrated into externally funded projects of the department.

Compulsory elective modules:

• Health promotion
• Health skills in the population
• Social Epidemiology
• Health Technology Assessment and Economic Evaluation
• Normative and strategic management in healthcare facilities
• Environment and health
• Perspectives of critical health science
• Participation in health
   

Choice of modules on international health:

• Globalisation and health
• Ageing in Europe
• Sexual and Reproductive Health in International Comparison: Tasks for Public Health
• alternative: semester abroad

Evidence of a completed Bachelor's degree in a study programme with a focus on health or nursing science with an average grade of 2.5 or better or a degree in social sciences, business sciences or natural sciences without a focus on health science with an average grade of 2.5 or better and professional experience of at least one year in the health system or a degree in social sciences, business sciences or natural sciences with an average grade of 2.5 or better and occupation in a field relevant to public health. Students with an average grade of less than 2.5 and at least three years of relevant professional experience in a public health-related field may be admitted if they can provide evidence in an oral interview that they are aptitude for health science work in a research-oriented study programme.
In addition, admission to the Public Health part-time study programme can only be granted to applicants who work at least half of the collectively agreed weekly working hours in a field relevant to Public Health that requires at least a Bachelor's degree.
Applicants who have not applied for their university entrance qualification at a German-speaking facility must provide evidence of German skills at level C1 of the European Framework of Reference for Languages (DSH-2 or equivalent).

With German educational certificates: 15 April to 30 September

With foreign educational certificates: 1 March to 30 September