Public Health & Health Promotion

What is the BSc (Hons) in Public Health and Health Promotion?

The BSc (Hons) in Public Health & Health Promotion (formerly the BA (Hons) in Health Promotion) is a full-time, four year, honours degree course of study that can be chosen within the Health Sciences Common Entry Route. This four year, honours degree course (chosen via the Health Sciences Common Entry Route) is approved by the International Union for Health Promotion and Education, which allows graduates to register as Accredited Public Health and Health Promotion Practitioners with diverse career opportunities in health services, industry, communities, charitable and voluntary organisations, working to improve the health and wellbeing of populations and individuals. This course aims to give you practical skills to work with a wide range of population groups in a wide range of settings about a wide range of health related topics (e.g. mental health, physical activity, and the environment). 

What will you learn about on the BSc (Hons) Public Health & Health Promotion?

The course develops the skills and competencies in students to support individuals and communities to live healthier and happier lives. You will study nutrition and study the science behind a healthy diet, how to analyse the diet and promote dietary change. You will learn practical facilitation and behaviour change skills and how to be an excellent communicator. You will learn how to become an excellent consumer of research and how to conduct research. You will learn how to develop, implement and evaluate health interventions and campaigns and have the opportunity to apply your skills in a practical setting. You will learn about the body, human disease, and how to conduct health screening and measurement. You will learn about social justice, inequality, policy and public health. In addition, you will learn how to work with state agencies, local government, NGOs and communities to build capacity for better health. 

The BSc (Hons) in Public Health & Health Promotion will give you the skills to work with a wide range of groups (e.g. children, elderly, and people with disabilities), in a wide range of settings (e.g. community centres, workplaces, and schools) about a wide range of topics (e.g. mental health, physical activity, and climate change).

Accreditation by the IUHPE (International Union of Health Promotion and Education)

The BSc in Public Health and Health Promotion is an internationally recognised qualification with the course content informed by the agreed IUHPE (International Union of Health Promotion and Education) competencies and professional standards for Health Promotion. The programme is an IUHPE Accredited Health Promotion Course. This means that students who graduate from this course are automatically eligible to apply to become an IUHPE Registered Health Promotion Practitioner on the voluntary register. This voluntary register is managed by the Association of Health Promotion in Ireland (AHPI) who was approved by the IUHPE to facilitate the registration of practitioners in Ireland. Graduates to the AHPI website to complete their registration application. The benefits of being on the IUHPE Register of Practitioner means graduates are members of a globally recognised professional group.

Health Promotion Work Placement

There is a 16-week placement in the third year of the course. This introduces the student to practical health promotion settings and provides the student with the opportunity to practically apply the skills they have gained on the programme. Students have been placed in the following settings: Health Service Executive, Health Promotion Departments, hospitals, state companies and private companies, Youth Services, Adolescent Health and Information Projects, Community Projects and Adult Education Service, VECs. International placement & options to study abroad may also be available. 

Your Peers

Students work in small groups with close attention from well qualified staff. Students take part in a Peer to Peer (P2P) buddy programme that is run within SETU Waterford. They get a chance to take part in department events (e.g. health screening, physical activity events and a table quiz) and external community health promotion events where they help out with health initiatives.