Top Up - Public Health and Community Studies BA (Hons) Degree

" Top Up - Public Health and Community Studies BA (Hons) Degree OVERVIEW

Public health is high on the government’s agenda, with a focus on promoting health and wellbeing for all groups in society through lifestyle, social, economic changes at individual, community and national level. It is about improving the lives of others by preventing health problems before they happen. This course gives skills and knowledge to help you make a real difference to communities. There is no doubt that this is a demanding and challenging area to work in but the opportunity to bring about positive changes people’s lives means you will be making a huge difference.

WHY CHOOSE THIS COURSE?

The Public Health and Community Studies degree has been designed to help provide you with the skills you may need to excel in a multidisciplinary community environment. You should also learn how to work effectively in the support of a variety of agencies, groups of people and individuals in promoting their health and well-being.

Working in public health involves analysing factors that influence our health and wellbeing, including social, environmental, cultural, economic, political and structural factors. This work provides opportunities to contribute to reducing the causes of ill health and improving people’s health and wellbeing. The community studies aspect aims to provide employment opportunities in developing and strengthening communities within the public, private and voluntary sectors.

WHAT WILL I LEARN?

• Developing Cohesive Communities
• Promoting Healthy Communities
• Researching Communities and Health
• Research Project

On successful completion of the programme you should be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

• Developing cohesive communities – this module aims to develop your awareness of community development theories and practice to develop your understanding of community work. The importance of social cohesion to build healthier communities will be examined with the skills and processes involved in successful and effective community development work;
• Promoting healthy communities – this module aims to develop your awareness of the community is an important setting for health promotion. Analysis of the many influences on health that operate at a community level, highlights opportunities for health empowerment and building up the capacity of communities to participate in meeting their health needs;
• Researching and assessing communities and public health – this module aims to develop your awareness of research methods and processes that are used to study health or social factors in communities to enable you to consider in more depth an appropriate research methodology for you to research an area of their choice with confidence;
• Research project for public health or community studies – you will undertake an independent investigative piece of research after you have formulated a research question of your choice and interest. As part of this project you will demonstrate an ability to work independently using a high level of organisational skills as well as demonstrating awareness of issues of health and safety, ethical considerations and time management.

HOW WILL THIS COURSE BE TAUGHT?

This course will be taught through a variety of methods – lectures, tutorials, self-directed learning, textbooks, module webs, scenario-based learning sets, professional libraries and resources, journals and case studies, seminars, discussion forums and peer-to-peer learning.

HOW WILL I BE ASSESSED?

Assessments will take the form of individual and group coursework, which is vocationally relevant. The wide range of assessment techniques used at Coventry University Scarborough Campus will ensure that you have every opportunity to demonstrate your skills and knowledge in full.

There are no traditional final examinations to worry about. Instead, we willassess your learning through course work and phase tests. Assessmentstake place during and at the end of each six-week block.

TEACHING CONTACT HOURS

As a full-time student a normal learning block will mean that you get 18 hours of teaching each week in groups of approximately 25-50 students. Depending on the course you have chosen, you will attend morning (9.00-13.00) or afternoon (14.00-18.00) sessions. You will also need to attend one two-hour tutorial each week.

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