MPH Programme Outline

The Master of Public Health programme is a coursework programme in which the credit hour for the research component comprises less than thirty (30) percent of the whole programme of study. After completion of the relevant programme of study specified in this Schedule, a candidate shall be eligible for the award of the Master of Public Health degree.

Structure of programme

The medium of instruction for this course is English and candidates are required to complete their assignments, reports, tests and examination in English. The candidate will follow a program of in-house instruction in General Public Health.

(1) The Master of Public Health programme comprises forty-two (42) credit hours namely:

  • Four (4) core courses each of three (3) credits, totalling twelve (12) credits;
  • One (1) core course that leads to one (1) Research Project of nine (9) credits;
  • Five (5) specialisation courses each of three (3) credits, totalling fifteen (15) credits;
  • Three (3) elective courses each of two (2) credits, totalling six (6) credits.

(2) Details of the courses offered are as approved by Senate from time to time on the recommendation of the Faculty and candidates shall be informed of such details at the beginning of each session.

Course Outline

Core Courses

MQB7001 RESEARCH METHOD
The students will be introduced to the steps involved in the research process. Critical appraisal on scientific articles produced by other researchers will provide ‘hands on’ experience for students to understand the methodological issues in the conduct of studies. With the above mentioned knowledge, students will be able to increase their expertise in appraising scientific articles and producing research proposals in a scientific manner.
MQB7005 PRINCIPLES AND METHODS OF EPIDEMIOLOGY
This course introduces candidates to the principles and methods of epidemiology which will form the basis to other courses in epidemiology. This course also demonstrates the applications of epidemiologic principles and methods.
MQB7047 PRINCIPLES OF MANAGEMENT IN HEALTH
This course is designed to expose the student the basic principles of Management and its application to the Health Services delivery. It will also expose issues in management as applicable to Primary Health Care and Hospitals.
MQB7049 PRINCIPLES OF BIOSTATISTICS
This will cover basic statistical techniques that are important for analyzing data arising from public health research. Major topics include descriptive statistics, elements of probability, introduction to estimation and hypothesis testing, nonparametric methods, analytical techniques for categorical data, regression analysis, analysis of variance, and elements of study design. The concept and applications of statistical methods are stressed. At the end of the module, the candidate will also have the knowledge of the need for non-parametric statistical techniques as alternatives to parametric methods; acquired skills in their practical implementation and have an understanding of the underlying theory.
MQB7050 RESEARCH PROJECT
The course takes the candidate through the steps of research process and provides the candidate a hands-on experience to develop a research proposal, carry out the research, analyse the data, and write up the report.

Specialisation Courses

MQB7003 PRINCIPLES OF FAMILY HEALTH
This course is an introduction to the principles of Family Health. The course will cover basic programs of reproductive health such as safe motherhood and high-risk approach in MCH care. It will also include child survival and development strategies and common conditions seen in mothers and children. Nutrition topics and wellness promotion programs will also be covered.
MQB7004 SOCIETY, BEHAVIOUR AND HEALTH
This course is designed to provide an overview of the influence of social and behavioural in preventing disease and promoting better health outcomes. Students will be provided with depth understanding of the social structure including institutions, socialization, social control, abnormal behavior (deviance) and stigma in analysing determinants of health. Theoretical frameworks that draw on major health behaviour theories will provide a better understanding of how individuals, families, peers, schools, neighborhoods, policies and the larger community shape health. The course will promote intellectual and collaborative learning through course lectures, readings, class discussions, and individual and group work.
MQB7034 ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
This course is an overview of the environmental health issues in the local and global perspective, addressing the current and future issues. The course covers core topics that prepare students to understand and address environmental health issues; air pollution; water pollution; housing environments and health impact assessment.
MQB7041 OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH
This course is an overview of the occupational health issues in the local and global perspective. The course covers core topics that prepare students to understand and address occupational health issues; toxicology; exposure assessment; risk assessment, occupational disease and disability, accident and safety at work.
MQB7042 GLOBAL HEALTH
This course is designed to increase student understanding of current and emerging transnational issues in population health through application of concepts and theories and through an understanding of governing structure of global health.  Topics include health impact of global climate changes, trade liberalisations, and increased population mobility.

Elective Courses

MQB7012 PRODUCING BETTER EVIDENCE
The objective of this course is to produce valid scientific evidence which can be used to modify policy or management standards. It contains the following:

Introduction to performing systematic search and critically appraising the literature/evidence. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses produce the highest hierarchy of evidence should be used to inform clinical decision-making and health care policy. The principles of meta-analytic statistical methods are reviewed, and the application of these to data sets is explored. Application of methods includes considerations for clinical trials and observational studies. The use of meta-analysis to explore data and identify sources of variation among studies is emphasized, as is the use of meta-analysis to identify future research questions.

MQB7014 HEALTH ECONOMICS
This course is designed to introduce students to the aims, concepts, theories and methods of economic analysis as well as to give an appreciation of how these methods are being applied to problems of resource allocation, management, evaluation and planning in health services.
MQB7025 HEALTH PROMOTION
This course covers in depth the various models of health behaviour and health communication. Health promotion methods and approaches discussed include detailed planning, needs assessment; implementation and evaluation of health promotion programs.
MQB7026 PUBLIC HEALTH NUTRITION
The course will focus on the nutrition-related problems throughout the life cycle, various methods of nutritional assessments, public health nutrition approach in health promotion and primary prevention of diseases as well as community programs in nutrition carried out in the country. Current nutritional issues affecting health will also be discussed.
MQB7027 QUALITATIVE INQUIRY IN PUBLIC HEALTH
This unit is mainly concerned with the development of capacities and skills in using a range of qualitative research techniques in public health. It is expected that the students will be familiar with the theoretical foundations of qualitative research and common methods of data collection, sampling techniques, validity, ethical issues, and data analysis. The unit also seeks to enhance students’ knowledge and skills to critically assess qualitative research by the end of the course.
MQB7030 COMPARATIVE HEALTH SYSTEM
This course provides the knowledge and assessment of health system.
MQB7033 SOCIAL HEALTH DETERMINANTS
Social epidemiology is the study of the distribution of health outcomes and their social determinants that contribute to or detract from the health of individuals and communities. This course will provide an overview of the social determinants of health which operate at different stages of the life course and in different population groups. Policy responses and interventions to promote health or reduce health inequality will also be introduced. The course also includes methodology and tools used in social epidemiology and health equity research.
MQB7036 OCCUPATIONAL MEDICINE
This course will provide the student with the basic to intermediate knowledge of diseases related to workplace exposure, diagnosis and management of work aggravated and occupational diseases, and an introduction to the principle of occupational toxicology. It will also cover the principle of methods and modalities used in the establishment of those diseases in the workplace and community.
MQB7038 CLINICAL OCCUPATIONAL MEDICINE
This course is complementary to the MQB7036 – OCCUPATIONAL MEDICINE and MQB7037 – MEDICAL SURVEILLANCE AND FITNESS FOR WORK courses. This course will provide the student with the practical experience in the clinic on basic to intermediate knowledge of diseases related to workplace exposure, diagnosis and management of work aggravated and occupational diseases, including relevant workplace assessment.

Prerequisite

Candidate must have registered for the Occupational Medicine (MQB7036) and Medical Surveillance and Fitness for Work (MQB7037) courses or have successfully completed MQB7036 and MQB7037.

Other Requirements

This course is only available for medical doctors with a valid Annual Practising Certificate (APC) or a Temporary Practising Certificate (TPC) as the course requires the student to have a practice session in the clinic. The APC is for doctors who have full registration with the Malaysian Medical Council (MMC). Foreign doctors with medical degrees from an institution recognised by the MMC can apply for a  TPC. (List of Medical Institution and medical programmes recognised by the MMC)

MQB7039 GLOBAL HEALTH LEADERSHIP
This course introduces students to the practice of leadership in global health. Students will learn how leaders have overcome challenges faced in the operationalisation of complex global health interventions, foreign policy, and working with key stakeholders and organisation in this context. They will be exposed to real-world cases in global health leadership.
MQB7040 NUTRITIONAL EPIDEMIOLOGY
This course is designed for candidates who are interested in better understanding and interpreting epidemiologic studies on the associations of diet and diseases. This course examines study designs, dietary assessment and statistical methods used in nutritional epidemiology, as well as to review the current evidence on diet and selected diseases.
MQB7043 ETHICS, LAW AND HEALTH
This course is designed to provide the candidate with the basic knowledge of ethical and legal issues related to research, medical and public health practice. It will explore current issues in research, medical, public health ethics, Doctor – Patient relationship and Public Health Law.
MQB7044 DATA MANAGEMENT IN PUBLIC HEALTH
This module is an introductory course to research data management. Students will learn about the diversity of data and their management needs across the research data lifecycle; components of good data management plans; best practices for working with data including the organization, documentation, and storage and security of data. Students will also understand the importance of archiving and sharing data as well as how to assess the trustworthiness of repositories. Critical concepts of data management principles and practical methods to support planning, collection, storage, and dissemination of data in clinical research will be taught. The module will use a combination of practical lessons, short quizzes, and hands-on exercises to help students develop their skills. After completing this module, students will develop a strong working knowledge and skill set in data management principles and practice and better equipped to manage data throughout the entire research data lifecycle from project planning to the project completion, including how data could be shared effectively and made available in a trustworthy repository.
MQB7045 ESSENTIALS OF DATA SCIENCE IN PUBLIC HEALTH
This module covers basic of data science techniques for analysing health data particularly in public health research. Major topics that will be emphasized include health data source and system, ethics in data science, and data analytics techniques using R. Application, translation as well as communication of model from data analytics techniques are stressed. At the end of the module, the candidate will have the knowledge and skills in handling health data using data science approaches.
MQB7046 MODELLING PUBLIC HEALTH DATA
This module provides a comprehensive overview of different types of modelling for public health data and application of these models in solving public health issues. The course focuses on the theory behind modelling methods, formulation, interpretation and validation of models. A variety of modelling methods are introduced which include developing a model, handling missing data, general linear models, generalised linear models, mixed models, structural equation modelling, mediation and moderation analysis. Applications of statistical methods will be emphasized.
MQB7048 MEDICAL SURVEILLANCE AND FITNESS FOR WORK
This course is complementary to the MQB7036 – OCCUPATIONAL MEDICINE course. The course focuses on the three component of health risk assessment; which is risk assessment, risk management and risk communication. It will include overview on methods and modalities for qualitative and quantitative risk assessment in the workplace. The course will stress on the assessment of health risk related to exposure to chemicals, physical, biological, ergonomics and psychosocial hazards.

Prerequisite

Candidate must have registered for the Occupational Medicine (MQB7036) course or have successfully completed MQB7036.