Public Health and Community Studies with foundation year

Public health and community studies is a discipline concerned with the health of populations rather than of individuals, asking how disease, illness, and wellbeing are distributed across communities and what social, environmental, economic, and behavioural factors drive those patterns. Public health is both a science and an art: it draws on epidemiology, social science, health psychology, and policy analysis to understand health problems, and on communication, community engagement, and organisational practice to address them. Community studies extends this into the fabric of how communities function, examining how social ties, inequality, place, and culture shape people's lives and health.

At Coventry University, this four-year programme introduces you to public health as the science and art of promoting and protecting health, preventing illness, and prolonging life through organised societal effort. You will study the determinants of health, health inequalities, disease prevention, health promotion, and the design and evaluation of public health interventions. The community studies dimension brings in the social and environmental contexts that shape health, developing your understanding of how communities can be supported to flourish.

The programme includes a foundation year, a sandwich year, a year abroad, and a work placement. This combination of structured preparation, professional experience, and international study gives you the knowledge and practical competence to work effectively in public health and community settings across a range of cultural and national contexts.

Graduates from public health and community studies degrees move into roles in health promotion, community health development, public health research, NHS health improvement teams, local authority public health services, charity and voluntary sector organisations, international health agencies, and social care. Some go on to postgraduate study in public health, epidemiology, health policy, or social work. The field is one in which the ability to understand and engage with communities, communicate clearly about health risks, and work across organisational boundaries is especially valued.