Overview

About the course

MPhil degree option
An MPhil involves the exploration of a research topic and is typically studied over a shorter period of 1 year for a full-time student and 2 years for a part-time student. MPhil students are required to demonstrate a systematic understanding of knowledge and a critical awareness of current problems and/or new insights informed by the forefront of their discipline, field of study or professional practice.

Research profile

Public Health and Health Promotion is a dynamic and cutting edge programme of study within the Department of Clinical Sciences. Our academics are research active and internationally renowned in their own specialist fields of public health, health promotion, health and social care and the social context of health and wellbeing.  We explore the ethical, political, societal and cultural dilemmas that arise in public health and health promotion and into health and social care. 

PhD students can draw upon and focus on a wide range of research methods – that includes quantitative, qualitative, visual methods, arts based and digital methods. 

Applicants are welcome to contact us about their own specialist topics and projects.  However we particularly welcome proposals on :

• Health promotion for sexual minority groups.
• Creative methods for researching health and everyday life.
• Sexual health promotion for young people.
• Loneliness and well-being across the life-span.
• Violence and the sociology of health’s contribution to tackling it.
• Interprofessional interventions around FGM or other forms of gendered violence.

Applicants are invited to consider how their study might build on the research of a staff member or team, and to discuss their proposal with staff members informally before submitting.

Find out more

• Research in the College of Health and Life Sciences
• Institute for Environment, Health and Societies

Course content

Research degrees evolve in different ways according to discipline. Find out about what progress might look like at each stage of study here: Research degree progress structure

Employability

PhD+ Award – An internship to work in the industry or perform a research outreach or enterprise activity.

PhD Plus is a career development scheme designed to provide an opportunity for excellent PhD students to undertake work experience and mentoring, and to facilitate their transfer into a career area of their choice. The awards are targeted at exceptional PhD students who have submitted their thesis within the expected submission date and will provide up to three months’ funded support for the period after submissions of their thesis and before the confirmation of the award. The precise number awards each year will depend on the quality of the applicants, up to a maximum 8 awards. The maximum amount to be awarded will be in line with RCUK rates for research training support grants: http://www.rcuk.ac.uk/skills/training/

Careers and your future

Following the completion of the course students may follow several career paths:

• Career path within academia starting as a University Lecturer
• Career progression within research institutes commencing as a post-doc researcher and progressing to senior researcher
• Careers in consultancies for Public Health and Health Promotion; Health and Social Care; Ageing
• Careers in government departments (e.g. Department of Health) and agencies (e.g. National Health Service)

Entry criteria 2019/20

The general University entrance requirement for registration for a research degree is normally a First or Upper Second Class Honours degree. All international students must show evidence that they meet the English requirement for their course of study. The Senate reserves the right to assess the eligibility of applicants on an individual basis.

Research statement

As part of our application process for entry on our research degree (MPhil and PhD) programmes, we ask you to provide a 500-1,000 word research statement, excluding any references/bibliography you may include, setting out your research motivation, ideas and aspirations. Learn how to prepare a research statement here.  

Entry criteria are subject to review and change each academic year.

International and EU entry requirements

Teaching and learning

Each student will be allocated a supervisory team consisting of the principal supervisor, second supervisor and a Research Development Advisor. The supervisory team will set teaching and learning targets and advise the student how to achieve them. The progress of each student will be assessed by the supervisory team at regular meetings and by a formal Progress Review Panel at 9 months for full-time students (18 months for part-time students) and then annually. All academic supervisors receive university supported training in the supervision of PhD students.

Some of the potential supervisors are listed below:

• Prof Mary Gilhooly
• Dr Pamela Griffiths
• Dr Wendy Martin
• Prof Christina Victor
• Dr Jitka Pikhartova

Find out more about working with the Supervisory Team here.

Special features

• A training programme will be provided by the College to assist students with achieving targets.  The programme will include the underpinning principles such as philosophy of science, research integrity, ethics and specialist methodology.  Sessions in core, specialist and advanced research methods will prepare students for an independent research career.  The College research methods programme includes sessions from specialists with research expertise in qualitative, quantitative, reflexive, practitioner and insider research, and is aligned with the ESRC research methods expectations. Students will also enrol in the Graduate School Researcher Development Programme that ensures all students are equipped with generic research skills including presentational skills and impact activities.
• Staff in the Division are experienced researchers and grant holders, with particular strengths in the sociology of health, violence, sexuality and reproductive health.
• Particular fields of interest include Youth Studies and Gerontology
• Staff are members of the Welsh and Irish Health research grants committees, the ESRC and the National Institute of Health Research.
• Staff are regularly invited to advise health and wellbeing policy and projects, such as regarding children’s health, young people’s sexual health, the use of social media in health promotion
• Professor Christina Victor is Fellow of the Faculty of Public Health and an Academician of the Academy of Social Sciences.  
• Professor Christina Victor is Editor in Chief of Ageing and Society, the leading social gerontology journal in the UK.

Facts and figures

Study environment for research students
Find out more: Study environment for research students

Specialist equipment and facilities
Students have access to our state of the art research facilities, where we perform molecular biological and toxicological research, as well as chemical analyses and separation chromatography. We have specialist laboratories to house fish and invertebrate species.

Excellent research support and training
Extensive training and support is offered to all research students by the Graduate School, with regular Masterclasses and individual advice on academic issues as part of the Researcher Development Programme. Read more about the available Research Support and Training.

Library services
Brunel's library is open 24 hours a day, has 400,000 books and 250,000 e-books, and an annual budget of almost £2m. Subject Information Specialists train students in the latest technology, digital literacy, and digital dissemination of scholarly outputs.

• state-of-the-art research information management tools including a research publication and grant database
• one of the largest UK’s full text repository
• an integrated data management system
• analytical tools such as Altmertic and InCites
• Open Access centrally managed fund

Fees and funding

Fees for 2019/20 entry

2019/20 Fees:

Home/EU students

Full time: TBC / Part time: TBC

International students                     

Full time: £18,720 

2018/19 Fees:

Home/EU students

Full time: £4,260/ Part time: £2,130

International students                     

Full time: £18,000 

Research projects undertaken within the Department of Life Sciences in the areas of Biosciences; Environmental Sciences; Psychology and Sport, Health and Exercise Sciences may require an annual bench fee. Research projects undertaken within the Department of Clinical Sciences in the areas of Physiotherapy; Occupational Therapy; Health Sciences and Social Work may also require an annual bench fee. The amount is variable dependent on the requirements of the project and will be discussed and agreed between the applicant and the supervisor at interview stage. This amount will be additional to tuition fees and will be stated in the offer letter from Admissions

Research funding

We offer a range of PhD studentships, partial scholarships, and academic prizes, to help with your research fees.  Explore external funding, particularly the Research Councils, as well as other support.

Some courses incur additional course related costs. You can also check our on-campus accommodation costs for more information on living expenses.

Fees quoted are per year and are subject to an annual increase.