Public Health and Community Wellbeing

Public health and community wellbeing is concerned with improving health outcomes at a population rather than an individual level. Where clinical medicine treats individual patients, public health asks what social, environmental, and behavioural factors determine the health of entire communities, and what interventions at a population level can prevent illness and promote well-being. It draws on epidemiology, social science, health policy, environmental health, and community development, and it sits at the intersection of science, social justice, and practical action.

This three-year, full-time programme at the University of Bradford includes a foundation year that provides additional preparation before the main degree content, ensuring that students from a range of academic backgrounds can access and succeed in the programme. Bradford's strong tradition of community engagement and its location in a city with significant health inequalities gives the programme a particular grounding in the real-world challenges of public health work. You will study the determinants of health and illness, epidemiological methods, health promotion, health policy, community development, and the social and environmental factors that produce inequalities in health outcomes.

Graduates move into roles in public health organisations, local authorities, the NHS, health promotion agencies, community health projects, and the voluntary sector. Health improvement practitioner roles, health policy analyst positions, and community development work are among the most common destinations. The degree also provides a foundation for further study in public health, health promotion, or community health, including postgraduate qualifications with professional recognition from bodies such as the Faculty of Public Health.

Many graduates also move into research roles studying the social determinants of health and the effectiveness of public health interventions.