Postgraduate Courses in the Division of Epidemiology and Public Health:

• Applied Epidemiology
• Public Health
• Public Health (International Health) 

This handbook covers the work Masters students need to undertake in the modules that, first, cover the development of your protocol and project (A34574) and, secondly, the assessment of your dissertation (A34575).

For Diploma students following the Diploma in Public Health or Diploma in Applied Epidemiology the information covers the development of a protocol and your literature review or short epidemiological study (A34562 or A34580 respectively).

Each module is assessed and there are important "Progress Reports" so that we can monitor your progress and pick up any potential problems earlier rather than later.

This guide gives you comprehensive advice about how to succeed with this major piece of work. It is based on the experience of both staff and students. As you work through the sections, any suggestions about how it can be made more helpful are welcome.

As Module Co-ordinators we thoroughly enjoy watching students' ideas being shaped into concrete proposals and then into the final dissertation, and are looking forward to finding out about your interests.

Protocol and project work gives you the opportunity to explore a topic or learn a method and skills in depth. It is therefore important that you choose the focus of your project carefully. We hope that, collectively, this guide, the taught content of the course, the key skills you will be taught, other protocol and project-related contact sessions with supervisors and advisors and information on WebCT will help you with these challenges.

We expect high standards and sustained effort from you, but know that you will need help and, possibly, motivation to achieve these. That is why there are structures in place to make sure that you have the opportunity to acquire the skills and support you need. We also encourage you to contact us as soon as possible if problems arise: if we don‟t know we can‟t help.
As well as being fascinating and rewarding, project work can be lonely and frustrating, and particularly difficult for people who have never undertaken this type of work before - but our students tell us that ultimately they learned a lot.

We are confident that the aims of the module laid out below will be met as we work together through the time you are with us.

NB Returning students: please note that the assessment of Module A34574 has been altered and you are being asked for just one report-back rather than 2.

Suitable for study at: postgraduate level

Module Code: A34574 (Protocol for Masters students - 10 credits)

Module Code: A34575 (Dissertation for Masters students - 60 credits)

Module Code: A34562 (Planning a protocol and reviewing literature for Diploma students - 20 credits)

Module Code: A34580 (Protocol and Epidemiological Study for Diploma Students - 20 credits)