Curious about studying Public Health with Foundation Year - BSc (Hons)at Bucks New University? We've gathered all the key details—entry requirements, modules, fees, and more. Hear from real students by checking out reviews, or take the next step by booking an open day to explore it for yourself.
Bachelor of Science (with Honours) - BSc (Hons)
High Wycombe Campus
Full Time
Oct 2026
4 Year
This option includes a Foundation Year, The additional Foundation Year makes the course 4 years and will allow you to develop your skills and academic abilities, and is available to you if you didn't meet the entry requirements of the BSc course. You will graduate with the same qualification but with an additional year at the start.
Gain in demand skillsWith a Public Health degree from BNU, you’ll gain the knowledge and practical skills to be at the forefront of disease prevention, public education, and health crisis response. Whether it's tackling the spread of viruses, addressing chronic conditions like obesity, or reducing health risks linked to genetics and lifestyle, you'll play a vital role in keeping communities informed, resilient, and healthy.A public health degree isn’t limited just to the UK, it can take you worldwide. As part of the course, you’ll study public health prevention and treatments from a variety of perspectives which are relevant to both the UK, Africa, Asia and other parts of the world, making you a desirable employee with a holistic approach.
Taught by expert-professionalsWhat sets BNU apart is the exceptional experience of our course team- professionals who have actively shaped, championed, and driven public health agendas. At BNU, education goes far beyond theory. We offer a powerful, real-world perspective grounded in firsthand experience, giving you a true understanding of what a meaningful career in public health looks and feels like.Our dedicated course team maintains strong relationships with local public health organisations, staying closely aligned with current initiatives and the evolving demands of the sector. These connections enable us to shape your learning around the real-world skills and knowledge employers are looking for, while supporting your individual goals and ambitions. Through this network, you’ll engage with practitioners working at the forefront of public health and start building the professional relationships that could shape your future career.
What will I study?This degree is built around the Public Health Skills and Knowledge Framework and the UKPHR Registration Standards for Public Health (2018), ensuring your skills evolve in step with the demands of the profession. As you progress through the course, you’ll develop a strong, versatile foundation that prepares you to thrive in a variety of public health roles.You’ll explore how social, political, and cultural factors influence the health of individuals and communities, gaining a deep understanding of the systems and structures that shape wellbeing. From local initiatives to national policies and global strategies, you’ll engage with the full spectrum of approaches used to improve population health worldwide.Throughout the course, you’ll build the knowledge and skills essential for making a real impact in health-promotion roles. You’ll delve into key areas such as health and promotion theory, ethical decision-making, health education, and motivational interviewing, equipping you with both the insight and practical tools needed to support positive health outcomes.You’ll explore the complex interplay between societies, cultures, and communities, while engaging with core public health topics such as epidemiology, safeguarding, health patterns and trends, global public health, research methods, and the needs of vulnerable populations.We believe your voice adds value. That’s why we create space for open discussion, critical thinking, and shared learning. You’ll be encouraged to bring your ideas into the classroom, engage in meaningful debate, and collaborate with classmates who share your passion for improving public health.In your final year, you’ll undertake a dissertation project in an area that resonates with your interests and aspirations. This is your opportunity to delve deeper into a topic you’re passionate about, guided by the expert support of your personal tutor.
Foundation Year
The module covers fundamental academic skills. You’ll engage in interactive sessions that emphasise academic writing, research techniques, and the ability to evaluate relevant literature. Practical exercises will enhance numerical literacy, a skill integral to understanding health and social care-related data.
Foundation Year
The course covers self-awareness, goal setting, and resilience. There’s a strong focus on teamwork and collaboration within appropriate care settings. Practical scenarios and group projects facilitate the development of effective communication, conflict resolution, and collaborative problem-solving skills.
Foundation Year
This is designed to prepare you to communicate effectively as health & social care professionals. We’ll consider anti-discriminatory language, conflict resolution and communicating with patients, service users and people with lived experience who are disengaged. Models in relation to verbal, non-verbal and written communication will be covered.
Foundation Year
This module emphasises the importance of evidence-based practice in delivering high-quality care. You’ll learn principles of evidence-based care and develop the ability to identify and to appraise reliable literature. Ethical considerations, inherent in the utilisation of evidence within health and social care settings, are also explored.
Foundation Year
Building upon previously acquired academic skills and taught sessions during the module, you’ll work in discipline specific action learning sets to complete a project. You’ll need to collaborate to investigate, understand and analyse issues arising from a discipline-specific person-centred scenario.
Foundation Year
You’ll explore ethical theories and principles, examining their practical application in real-world scenarios across different care disciplines and their impact on patient/client care. You’ll gain an awareness of the moral responsibilities inherent in professional practice care, considering the diverse ethical challenges that may arise.
This module will provide you with an overview of political, social and economic circumstances influencing public health within the United Kingdom. Our module will enable you to explore policy development and gain an appreciation of the influence of policy drivers in the context of the public health agenda.
The aim of the module is to provide a grounding in the key concepts of epidemiology. It provides an overview of early studies in epidemiology and explores measures of morbidity and mortality and their significance in current society. Additionally, it explores the role of public health surveillance and demographic profiling.
This module introduces you to key concepts from sociological, anthropological and psychosocial theory to explore aspects of social discrimination and the impact of this on specific communities and social groupings. The use of tools, such as advocacy and anti-discriminatory practices will facilitate and promote greater understanding.
This module provides a foundation for studying, and later working in, public health. The module aims to introduce you to the core components of public health practice, and to facilitate the development of requisite knowledge and skills required in public health work settings.
The module aims to provide you with an introduction to the concepts and principles of safeguarding from a public health perspective. The module explores population-level reduction of abuse and neglect. You will be provided with opportunities to explore both historical and international perspectives of safeguarding.
This module aims to provide you with the necessary academic skills and understanding to be successful in your studies. Using evidence-based practice as a platform, you’ll develop the ability to search for and identify suitable literature, begin to examine the quality of evidence and start to apply that knowledge to your clinical studies.
The aim of the module is to prepare you for working within public health organisations. You will learn the theory relating to leadership and develop knowledge and skills required for effective team working and collaborative practice.
This module builds on learning from ‘Introduction to Epidemiology’ to deepen knowledge of epidemiological approaches in improving health, and to facilitate application of knowledge in preparation for future public health practice. The learning outcomes are underpinned by UKPHR (2018) Public Health Practitioner Standards (standards 2, 3, and 4).
This module will explore the various ways in which research is conducted in public health and dive into various methodologies used such as qualitative and quantitative research.
You will gain hands on real-life experience of the workplace where you can connect and expand your academic knowledge acquired to develop and enhance your employability skills, linking to the real world. Benefits include the development of general skills, confidence, professionalism, improved academic performance plus greater prosperity for employment aspirations.
The aim of the module is to enable you to develop an understanding of health promotion. You will be given an opportunity to critically explore the key principles that underpin health and society.Models and approaches to health promotion will be examined, and their application to practice settings investigated.
This module is designed to prepare you for employment in your chosen area of health and social care. You’re encouraged to arrange your own voluntary placement in a health and social care setting for at least two weeks, unless you’re already in paid or voluntary work in the sector. The module helps you link theory to practice and gives you insight into the realities of working in health and social care. You’ll develop your CV, practise reflective skills, explore conflict resolution, and prepare for interviews. Through lectures, guest speakers, seminars and action learning, you’ll explore career options and build the skills needed for future employment.
This module will enable you to increase knowledge and understanding of mental health. You will have the opportunity to examine mental health. Underpinning frameworks and principles for mental health care will be identified, and public health strategies for improving mental health and reducing related health inequalities will be explored.
The aim of the module is to enable you to develop an understanding of public health from a global perspective. You will be given an opportunity to explore international health concepts and critically appraise global health challenges. This module will also enable you to explore how to support populations who are struggling with poverty.
The aim of the module is to develop your confidence and competence in planning, implementing and evaluating health promotion activities within varied settings, in preparation for future employment within a public health role. We build on learning from years one and two strengthening theoretical knowledge of health improvement strategies.
This module aims to develop your as health educators. Building on knowledge of communication theories, your will extend skills to learn how to engage with and communicate with groups. The module will include teaching and learning theory, equipping your with the knowledge and confidence to deliver health education interventions.
This module will give you a thorough understanding of the fundamental topics needed to manage projects within a complex and ever-changing environment. You’ll develop a deeper understanding of both theoretical and practical aspects of project management and gain the essential skills necessary to plan, monitor, control and deliver successful projects.
4.4Bucks New University (BNU) is a student-focused university based in High Wycombe, with over 130 years of educational his...
