Curious about studying Public Health with Foundation Yearat Canterbury Christ Church 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)
Canterbury
Full Time
Sep 2026
4 Year
**Get ready with a foundation year and learn the foundational skills and knowledge to complete a full Honours degree. You'll be able to embark on this qualification without meeting the level 3 entry requirements, giving you the opportunity to study at degree level through this four year course.**
Explore how to improve lives, shape healthier communities, and tackle real-world health challenges with a BSc (Hons) Public Health degree at Canterbury Christ Church University.
**What you’ll learn**
- Explore how national health policies aim to reduce inequality in the UK and beyond.
- Develop creative solutions to protect communities through health promotion, protection, and prevention.
- Analyse how psychology, sociology, and politics shape public health strategies.
- Collaborate on real public health challenges with expert guidance from active researchers.
- Gain leadership and communication skills for careers in health organisations, research, not for profit, or government.
Dive into a subject that makes a difference in people's lives, whilst developing the skills to lead, influence policy, and protect wellbeing on a local and global scale. Learn in a supportive, inclusive environment with experts who connect you to real careers in the NHS, charities, government and international organisations.
Whether you want to study health at university, work in public health, or build a career that matters, this course is your chance to make a lasting impact
**Location**
This course is run at our Canterbury Campus in Kent. Canterbury is just 50 miles south-east of London and less than an hour by high-speed train from St Pancras. Located on a UNESCO World Heritage Site the campus offers state-of-the-art buildings, right in the centre of a vibrant and world-famous cathedral city. You’ll benefit from a campus with excellent learning and teaching resources, music venues, a superb sports centre, a well-stocked bookshop and plenty of coffee bars and places to eat. A short walk away is Augustine House our award-winning library and home to a vast range of learning resources and student support teams.
Foundation Year module.
This module aims to help you nurture compassion, strengthen your interpersonal connections, and enhance your adaptability. You will be introduced to the process of developing professional communication skills, which will continue to grow throughout your studies and throughout your professional life. The module will support you in respecting cultural differences and practices, helping you develop the ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences within the health and social care sector. It will also provide you with the knowledge and strategies to protect your well-being in the professional relationships you form during your studies and future career.
Foundation Year module.
This module will help you discover where you fit into the big picture of both university life and the wider world. You will be introduced to the differences between university, school, and workplace training. Here, you will have the opportunity to extend and deepen your understanding in ways that are both disciplined and limitless. Through a combination of lectures, seminars, and guided online learning, you will explore the relationship between your studies and the world around you. You will examine how various disciplines, including your own, approach contemporary challenges such as building sustainable futures and managing the opportunities and risks of Artificial Intelligence.
Foundation Year module.
This module is your gateway to thriving in higher education, with a strong focus on wellbeing to ensure you excel in your studies. It introduces university life and supports the development of essential personal and academic skills. You will explore the broader factors affecting health and wellbeing, gaining insights into the social and environmental influences on everyone's health. Covering learning theory, information literacy, written communication, and digital skills, the module also familiarises you with key higher education terminology and processes, equipping you for success both academically and personally.
numeracy skills.
Foundation Year module.
This module provides a scientific foundation for your future studies by introducing the key stages of human development and the fundamentals of human anatomy and physiology. By examining the interconnectedness and diversity of the biological, psychological, and social domains of development, you will gain an understanding of how these systems and processes interact and influence each other across the lifespan. During the module you will be supported in building your confidence and competence in applying your observation, classification, data analysis, and numeracy skills to real-world scenarios, preparing you for your future career in Health and Social Care.
You will develop skills in Public Health in using a range of Public Health resources. By taking this module you will develop your understanding of how to use resources to communicate effectively about key public health principles and to effectively communicate this. You will explore the safe, appropriate, and professional use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
You will explore and understand the four pillars of Public Health looking at our health, behaviours, and lifestyles; the wider determinants of health; an integrated health and care system; and the places and communities we live in. You will explore different theoretical perspectives including a biopsychosocial model in understanding the social determinants of health and the personal dimensions of health, and how they influence our health and wellbeing.
You will develop a holistic understanding of how the wider public health workforce work together to improve the health and wellbeing of individuals, communities, and the whole population. It will help you to explore the individual and community factors which affect health and how these may be addressed through collaborative working.
This module will look at the burden and impact of diseases and the risk factors which contribute to them and the associated implications for Public Health. It will develop your knowledge and understanding of the scale, underlying factors, and consequences of specific health conditions and lifestyle choices that significantly impact disease rates and overall wellbeing in the United Kingdom.
These are bite size modules designed to help you settle in and obtain core skills such as critical thinking, digital literacy, and sustainability. You’ll engage with contemporary, thought-provoking topics and issues whilst maximising your chance of success right from the start of your studies.
Drawing from theories such as health psychology and sociology of communities, you will look at how to enable and empower individuals and communities to improve health. It will build upon concepts taught in level 4 modules. You will examine health promotion interventions, policies, and strategies from a UK and global perspective.
This module aims to develop your knowledge and understanding of public health protection measures. It will examine how the public is protected from biological, environmental chemical and radiological hazards in the United Kingdom. It will further examine the control of communicable diseases locally, nationally, and globally.
This module will explore the social determinants of health examining the social, political and economic environment in which we live, work and play. The Social Development Goals (SDGs) (UN, 2015) will be examined and how it applies within a local and international context. You will explore how this contributes to a sustainable and equitable world.
These modules recognise the value of integrating knowledge, methods, and perspectives from other disciplines and use this approach to address a range of opportunities and challenges in contexts of varying complexity.
You will have the opportunity to apply your knowledge to a real-world project. You will develop your personal, professional, and technical skills on a relevant brief and implement strategies for effective working. By the end of this module, you will have gained industry-focused experience to support you in your future career aspirations.
This module aims to develop your understanding of the concepts and theories underpinning mental health and wellbeing on an individual, community, and societal perspective. You will be required to examine and critically comment on the effectiveness of existing mental health policies and strategies at a local and national level. The challenges of equality, diversity, and inclusion on mental ill health will be studied alongside societal norms and values, and what this means in different countries and cultures within an international perspective. This module will encourage you to challenge your existing beliefs and perceptions of what is required to promote good mental health and wellbeing.
You will explore the concepts of health research and epidemiology in the context of developing research skills in Public Health. It will enable you to develop the required skills and capabilities to conduct a research proposal and research project. You will critically assess the use of reliable and valid sources, considering the impact of AI in research. The module also aims to provide the core knowledge and skills of the discipline of epidemiology and provide a solid foundation for learning of applied aspects of public health and health promotion, which you will encounter on other modules on this course.
This module complements other modules by exploring key physical health aspects and individual relationships to food and physical activity. The impact of these physical health behaviours on individual, community, and population health will be examined along with their interrelation with mental health and wellbeing. Key theories from the field of psychology and sociology which underpin physical and psychological affects from diet and physical activity will be applied. You will have the opportunity to examine the intrinsic links contributing to positive health and wellbeing.
You will be supported to undertake an individual major project on a subject of your choice relevant to their Public Health degree. You will utilise current research to inform your project including methods, rationale, and the final content. You will be allocated supervisors who will support you throughout. This project will enhance your skills and graduate attributes to prepare you for your next steps following completion of your Public Health degree.
4.2Established in 1962, Canterbury Christ Church University (CCCU) is renowned for its industry-responsive courses, trainin...
