Master of Public Health

This programme seeks to produce specialist who has a strong foundation in the broad field of Public Health as well as adequate training and preparation to take up special functions as required in the speciality discipline of his or her own choice. The programme was started in 1973 and the first batch graduated in 1974. (History of MPH programme in Malaysia)

The MPH graduate should have the following public health skills,

  1. Technically competent in the board field of Public Health;
  2. Equipped with adequate specialised knowledge and skills in a particular discipline of Public Health;
  3. Able to exhibit proper leadership and managerial expertise
  4. Able to function effectively and efficiently;
  5. Able to perform the duties at local, district, state and national levels;
  6. An advocate of Public Health and
  7. Able to carry out research or studies and produce epidemiological reports.

Students’ Testimonial

Hear what our alumni have to say about the programme.

Who should apply?

The MPH is the first step toward a career in admissions/how-to-apply/master public health. It is suitable for medical doctors, dentists, pharmacists, and health professionals. It is also suitable for an established or early-career clinical specialist who is keen to learn more about health issues and research techniques related to disease causation and prevention.

The MPH seeks to produce specialist who has a strong foundation in the broad field of Public Health as well as adequate training and preparation to take up special functions as required in the speciality discipline of his or her own choice. The MPH from the Universiti Malaya offers a unique learning experience both in and out of the classroom. You will build skills in quantitative methods, problem-solving and the application of public health training in real-world situations.

Classification of Programme

The Master of Public Health programme is a coursework programme in which the credits 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.

Why is prior public health experience a requirement?

One of the requirements for admission to the Master of Public Health programme is one year of prior public health experience. The MPH programme is an applied programme as compared to an academic programme. Most of the courses offered in the MPH programme required the students to bring the real-world situation into the classroom to enhance the discussion. The real-world public health experience will make your classroom experience more valuable.

What is relevant public health experience?

There are many avenues to obtain relevant public health experience. Public health experience does not need to just come from working with the Ministry of Health or international health agencies alone. It can be obtained from volunteering in your national and local non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that are involved in the delivery of community and health programmes to the public. The aim of volunteering work is to get your hands dirty and work directly with the community to improve the health of the community.

There are NGOs that focus on a specific health area and those that are more general. Here are some of the examples of relevant NGOs in Malaysia.

Example of NGOs that focused on a specific health area

Examples of more general health-related NGOs

Examples of umbrella organisations

You can find the list of the NGOs in your local areas from the HATI website.

What is not considered relevant Public Health experience?

Having research experience alone is not considered a relevant public health experience. The research should involve the process of engaging with a community through data collection or the implementation of an intervention programme.

Having experience in organising conferences or workshops is not relevant public health experience.

Duration of study
  • The minimum duration of study shall be two (2) regular semesters and one (1) special semester..
  • The maximum duration of study shall be eight (8) semesters.

NOTE

  • A regular semester consists of 14 weeks of lecture/guided learning, one (1) week of mid-semester break, three (3) weeks of examination and two (2) weeks of end-of-semester break, which gives a total of 20 weeks per regular semester.
  • A special semester consists of 8 weeks of lecture/guided learning and two (2) weeks of examination giving a total of 10 weeks.
  • The regular semester starts in September and February, and the special semester starts in June.
  • The special semester is for candidates to complete their research project.
  • The total duration of an academic year is 50 weeks.
  • The academic year starts in September.
  • Candidates registering for the September intake will be able to complete the Master of Public Health programme in one academic year (two regular and one special semesters).
  • Candidates registering for the February intake will only be able to complete the Master of Public Health programme in one and a half year (three regular semesters).
Entry Requirement

Entry requirements for this program are as follows:

(1) The degrees of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery of the University or an equivalent medical qualification approved by the Senate;
OR
(2) The degree of Bachelor of Dental Surgery;
OR
(3) The degrees of Bachelor of Allied Health with a CGPA of at least 3.00;
OR
(4) A Bachelor’s degree with a CGPA of at least 3.00 in a relevant discipline;
AND
(5) At least one (1) year of working experience in the relevant field after graduation;

OR

(6) The degrees of Bachelor of Allied Health with a CGPA of 2.5 to 2.99;
OR
(7) A Bachelor’s degree with a CGPA 2.5 to 2.99 in a relevant discipline;
AND
(8) At least two (2) years of work experience in the relevant field after graduation;
AND
(9) Pass the interview;

OR

(10) The degrees of Bachelor of Allied Health with a CGPA of 2.0 to 2.49;
OR
(11) A Bachelor’s degree with a CGPA 2.0 to 2.49 in a relevant discipline;
AND
(12) At least five (5) years of work experience in the relevant field after graduation;
AND
(13) Pass the interview

Language Requirement

A non-Malaysian applicant whose degree is from a university or institution of higher learning where the medium of instruction for that degree is not the English language and where the applicant wishes to follow a programme shall be required:

(1) To obtain a score of 600 for a paper-based total (PBT); a score of 250 for a computer-based total (CBT) or a score of 100 for an internet-based total (IBT) for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL);

or

(2) To obtain a band of 6 for the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) (Academic)

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.

(3) The list of courses for the programme of Master of Public Health is provided below:
Course Outline

Registration
  • Registration for the courses of study shall commence the week prior to the start of the relevant semester.
  • A candidate is required to register for at least three (3) credit hours in any semester except where the candidate has been permitted to withdraw from the semester concerned.
Attendance

During his programme of study, a student may be permitted to undertake part of his training in other institutions or agencies recognised by the Faculty.

Supervision
  • The Faculty shall appoint at least one supervisor for each candidate no later than two months after the candidate’s registration.
  • The co-supervisor and/or consultant shall be appointed when required.
  • A consultant shall be appointed for a candidate who undertakes part of his programme of study outside the University. The consultant shall be appointed no later than two months after the candidate has commenced training in the outside location.
Title of research

The title of the Research Project for a candidate shall be determined by the Department responsible for the candidate’s program of study not later than two months prior to the commencement of the research project.

Submission

A candidate is required to submit his research papers no later than one month before the end of the relevant semester for examination.

Examination for the Degree

The examination leading to the degree of Master of Public Health shall consist of an examination or examinations in each of the courses prescribed for the Master of Public Health degree programme as follows:

Marking Scheme

(1) Four (4) core courses each of three (3) credits, totalling twelve (12) credits;
(2) One (1) core course that leads to one (1) Research Project of nine (9) credits;
(3) Five (5) specialisation courses each of three (3) credits, totalling fifteen (15) credits;
(4) Three (3) elective courses each of two (2) credits, totaling six (6) credits.
(5) Examination Components and Allocation of Marks
(a) Taught Courses
The components of the taught courses and the marks to be allocated to the components of the courses prescribed for the Examination shall be:
Component Allocation of Marks
(Maximum)
(i) Continuous Assessment 50-100%
(ii) End of Semested Examination 0-50%
Total 100%
(b) Research project
The marks allocated to the components of the research papers shall be 100% on submission of the written report.
(c) The Senate may on the recommendation of the Faculty amend the allocation of marks for the components of a course for the Examination.
(6) Course Grade Requirements
Course grades are subjected to regulations prescribed in the University of Malaya (Master’s Degree) Rules 2019 and University of Malaya (Master’s Degree) Regulations 2019.
MARK GRADE GRADE MARK MEANING
90.00-100.00 A+ 4.0 High Distinction
80.00-89.99 A 4.0 Distinction
75.00-79.99 A- 3.7 Distinction
70.00-74.99 B+ 3.3 Pass
65.00-69.99 B 3.0 Pass
60.00-64.99 B- 2.7 Fail
55.00-59.99 C+ 2.3 Fail
50.00-54.99 C 2.0 Fail
45.00-49.99 C- 1.7 Fail
40.00-45.99 D+ 1.5 Fail
35.00-39.99 D 1.0 Fail
0.00-34.99 F 0.0 Fail
Award of Degree

No candidate shall be recommended for the award of the Degree of Master of Public Health unless he has completed all parts of the course and has passed the prescribed Examinations.

Candidates must obtain at least a ‘B’, i.e., a score of more or equal to 65 (Grade Point Average 3.0) in the courses (both core and elective) to be considered to have passed the course. Candidates must have completed 42 credits to be considered for the degree of Master of Public Health.

Core Courses

CodeTitleCredits
MQB7001Research Method3
MQB7005Principles and Methods of Epidemiology3
MQB7047Principles of Management in Health3
MQB7049Principles of Biostatistics3
MQB7050Research Project9
Total21

Specialisation Courses

CodeTitleCredits
MQB7003Principles of Family Health3
MQB7004Society, Behaviour and Health3
MQB7034Environmental Health3
MQB7041Occupational Health3
MQB7042Global Health3
Total15

Elective Courses

CodeTitleCredits
MQB7012Producing Better Evidence2
MQB7014Health Economics2
MQB7025Health Promotion2
MQB7026Public Health Nutrition2
MQB7027Qualitative Inquiry in Public Health2
MQB7030Comparative Health System2
MQB7033Social Health Determinants2
MQB7036Occupational Medicine2
MQB7038Clinical Occupational Medicine2
MQB7039Global Health Leadership2
MQB7040Nutritional Epidemiology2
MQB7043Ethics, Law and Health2
MQB7044Data Management in Public Health2
MQB7045Essentials of Data Science in Public Health2
MQB7046Modelling Public Health Data2
MQB7048Medical Surveillance and Fitness to Work2
Total (Select any 3 of the above)6

How to Apply?

Those who are interested to apply for the course can browse for information for the application for postgraduate studies or login into the MAYA website.

What are the Fees?

Fee Structure for Citizen
Fee Structure for Non-Citizen