Overview
The main objective of this course is to offer a multidisciplinary postgraduate course in order to train experts capable of meeting the challenges in the field of public health.
On completion of the course the students should be able to:
1. Apply a multidisciplinary approach to assessment of public health issues and health care delivery.
2. Provide leadership in the practice of public health, conduct research and provide consultative services to the community.
PHILOSOPHY
The programme is guided by the University of Nairobi’s Philosophy of the need to connect to and inspire the Kenyan Community, to provide leadership and stewardship and to give hope and faith to the Kenyan Society that it can excel in whatever it chooses to do with passion, moral responsibility and a strong sense of patriotism. The programme is therefore a professional as well as an academic degree targeting practitioners working or intending to work and develop population-based health programmes or keen to grow a scholarly career in Public Health.
RATIONALE
The programme addresses, holistically, existing, emerging and re-emerging health system challenges in Kenya, the region and globally. Kenya was among the 57 Human Resources for Health (HRH) crisis countries characterised by biting shortages of health workers, unequal distribution and lack of critical skills needed to deliver a minimum package of healthcare. The challenges of Universal Health Coverage and Human Resources for Health facing Kenya are compounded by the rising double burden of disease, fuelled by HIV/AIDS, TB, Malaria, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and COVID-19.
Currently, there are significant gaps in access to preventive and curative health services. Scaling up existing and additional health services will further increase demand for both the number and skills of public health professionals. The programme responds to the inherent need for professionals with multidisciplinary skills and knowledge to tackle prevailing, emerging and re-emerging public health challenges, most of which require integrated programmatic approaches.
Structure
Course outline-First Year
Core Courses
Code Course Hours
HCH600 Epidemiology I 60
HCH601 Biostatistics and Computing I 60
HCH602 Social Sciences and Health 60
HCH603 Management Sciences 60
HCH604 Research Methodology 60
HCH605 Principles of Disease Prevention, Control and Health Promotion 60
Elective Courses
Option I: Health Care System and Policy Development (any 2 units) 180 per unit
Option II: Disease Prevention and Control and Health Promotion (any 2 units) 180 per unit
Option III: Community Health Sciences (any 2 units) 180 per unit
Second Year
HCH700 Research Project
MODE OF DELIVERY
Face-to-Face Mode
Lectures, seminars, discussions, tutorials, guided practical experiments and demonstrations. clinical work, clinical teachings & tutorials, practical demonstrations, teachings in skills laboratory, on-call duties, clinical case discussions, journal clubs, case reports, seminars, multimedia resources. Most of the learning will be participatory.
Open, Distance and E-Learning Mode
Home and/or office-based media using a variety of self-instructional electronic and online self-study materials, such as; written self-instructional study modules, online interactive devices and self-tests, cloud-based content, videos of lectures mediated technical learning materials e.g. audiovisual and e- learning materials
Blended Learning Mode
A combination of face-to-face and online learning approaches.
Admission Requirements
The common regulations for the Master's Degree in all faculties of the University of Nairobi shall apply.
The following shall be eligible for admission into the programme.
Holders of any of the following degrees, Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MBChB), Bachelor of Dental Science (BDS), Bachelor of Nursing Sciences (BScN), Bachelor of Pharmacy (B. Pharm.), Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine (BVM) of the University of Nairobi or a degree from any other institution recognised by the University of Nairobi Senate and at least one year of post-registration experience in a medical or other health related field.
Holders of a first degree from the University of Nairobi in a discipline closely related to public health and medicine including an upper second class honours degree in
environmental health, sociology, nutrition, demography, statistics, economics, planning, administration and anthropology, education and communication, who in addition have relevant and adequate practical experience of not less than two years.
Holders of Bachelor of Science degree of lower second class in the discipline mentioned in. 2.2.1 or 2.2.2 with relevant Post Graduate Diploma or three years relevant experience.
Holders of equivalent qualifications to those in 2.2.1, 2.2.2 or 2.2.3 recognized by the University of Nairobi Senate.
Careers
The programme aims to produce specialists who will provide leadership in community health at all levels. The emphasis is re-orientation from hospital clinical practice to community health practice, with special emphasis on the community. The graduate from this programme is expected to have acquired competence in the following areas:
1. Control of diseases and management of health problems;
2. Health service management;
3. Evaluation of health services
4. Planning and execution of educational programmes for health;
5. Health services research including research at the community level.
Health informatics specialist.
- Health care administrator.
- Epidemiologist/research analyst.
- Public health project manager.
- Health and safety engineers.
Fees and Funding
| Year 1 | YEAR 1 | ||
| Master of Public Health-Non Kenyans | Semester 1 | Semester 2 | TOTALS |
| TUITION | 192,000.00 | 192,000.00 | 384,000.00 |
| CAUTION - (ONCE) | 5,000.00 | - | 5,000.00 |
| EXAMINATION (PER UNIT @1000) | 5,000.00 | - | 5,000.00 |
| MEDICAL FEE (PER YEAR) | 6,500.00 | - | 6,500.00 |
| ICT SERVICES - (PER YEAR) | 7,000.00 | - | 7,000.00 |
| ID CARD ( PER YEAR) | 1,000.00 | - | 1,000.00 |
| LIBRARY (PER YEAR) | 5,000.00 | - | 5,000.00 |
| REGISTRATION (PER SEMESTER@2250) | 2,250.00 | 2,250.00 | 4,500.00 |
| ACTIVITY-( PER YEAR) | 2,000.00 | - | 2,000.00 |
| STUDENT ORGANISATION(PER YEAR) | 1,000.00 | - | 1,000.00 |
| Totals | 226,750.00 | 194,250.00 | 421,000.00 |
| Year 2 | |||
| Master of Public Health | |||
| TUITION | 384,000.00 | 384,000.00 | |
| MEDICAL FEE (PER YEAR) | 6,500.00 | 6,500.00 | |
| ICT SERVICES - (PER YEAR) | 7,000.00 | 7,000.00 | |
| ID CARD ( PER YEAR) | 1,000.00 | 1,000.00 | |
| LIBRARY (PER YEAR) | 5,000.00 | 5,000.00 | |
| REGISTRATION (PER SEMESTER@2250) | 4,500.00 | 4,500.00 | |
| ACTIVITY-( PER YEAR) | 2,000.00 | 2,000.00 | |
| STUDENT ORGANISATION(PER YEAR) | 1,000.00 | 1,000.00 | |
| THESIS EXAMINATION | 30,000.00 | 30,000.00 | |
| Totals | 441,000.00 | - | 441,000.00 |
| Grand Total | 862,000.00 |
Exam Regulations
The common regulations for the Masters Degree in all the Faculties of the University of Nairobi shall apply.
Candidates enrolled for the degree shall be required to take examinations and pass in all courses before being allowed to proceed to the second year of study.
All the courses will each be examined by 1x3hour written examination paper at the end of the semester.
Continuous assessments shall comprise assignments, end of term papers, written tests, seminar presentations and any other tests as may be given during the course.
The final examination in each course will constitute 70% of the total mark while the continuous assessment test shall constitute 30%.
The pass mark for each course shall be 50%.
A candidate who fails to obtain a pass mark in any of the course, shall on the recommendation of the Faculty Board of examiners and approval by the Senate, be allowed to re-sit the failed courses for a maximum of two times during the next regular examinations.
The pass mark obtained after a re-sit examination shall be recorded as 50% while that for a retake examination shall be the mark obtained at the said sitting.
A candidate who fails a second re-sit or retake examination or fails to complete the programme within the prescribed period shall on recommendation of the Faculty Board of Examiners and approval of the Senate be discontinued.
Examination of Dissertation
The common regulations of examination of dissertation in all Faculties shall apply.
The dissertation shall be examined out of 100% and marks distributed as 70% for the dissertation and 30% for the oral defence of the dissertation.
The pass mark shall be 50%.
A candidate who fails to obtain a pass mark in the dissertation, may on the recommendation of the Faculty Board and approval of Senate, be allowed to re-submit the dissertation after three months up to a maximum of two times.
The pass mark obtained by re-submission of the dissertation shall be recorded as 50%.
A candidate who fails in a second re-submission of the dissertation, shall on the recommendation of Faculty Board of Examiners and approval of Senate, be discontinued.
