Since the launch of our first health course in 2013, the department has expanded to feature 14 different courses in four very different subject areas: nursing, infection control, healthcare management and public health.
Today we’re exploring the different options available to you when studying a health degree or short course online with us.
Want to learn more about our health courses? Watch the video from our latest health department webinar.
Our subject areas
Our longest-running health course is our MSc Infection Control, launched in the 2013-14 academic year. This course helps you develop strategies to reduce the spread of infection and respond appropriately to future outbreaks, by looking at topics such as immunology, medical microbiology and quality improvement.
In September 2015, we began running our Master of Public Health (MPH). Students on this course explore a variety of public health areas relevant across the globe, such as epidemiology, health promotion and health needs assessment. Students also receive a 1-year student membership with the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH).
At the start of 2019 we launched our first undergraduate courses in health with our BSc (Hons) Healthcare Management, and the associated short course. This programme was also launched at postgraduate level, with our MSc International Healthcare Management. These degrees combine elements of healthcare and business, helping you drive change in your healthcare organisation or context.
In April 2020, we introduced our latest health course: our MSc Nursing, aimed at current registered nurses who wish to progress to more senior and managerial roles. This is one of the most flexible courses in the health department, with a wide range of optional modules that allow students to specialise in the topics most relevant to their career objectives.
You can find out more about all of our health courses here, including modules, tuition fees and entry requirements.
Our health department
Dr Andrea Barrett is the Head of Health programmes at University of Essex Online. Graduating with a PhD in Healthcare Management in 2010, Andrea has continued to work within higher education for the last 12 years holding a number of roles across the UK. She has conducted primary research in a number of areas including patient experience, leadership, service management and health education.
Andrea is supported by our Programme Managers who assist with the management and development of all our health courses. We also have a number of outstanding tutors teaching our courses, many of whom are currently working within healthcare or have a wealth of academic experience (or both). You can find out more about our tutors here.
Once you’ve been accepted onto a course, a Student Adviser from your dedicated Student Support team will be in touch to welcome you. Student Advisers will be your first point of contact and will be on hand to mentor and guide you as you settle into your studies.
Our institution
By studying an online degree with University of Essex Online, you have the opportunity to gain a well-regarded qualification from a top UK university, while continuing in your current role and keeping up with any personal and professional commitments you have.
Your course material will be delivered through our cutting-edge Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), which hosts multimedia lecturecasts, engaging discussion forums and a broad eLibrary containing required texts and academic journals.
We also achieved excellence for teaching, learning and academic support in the 2023 National Student Survey.
If you’d like to get a taste of online learning, you can try out a free lecturecast. We have tasters available for most of our health courses, and you can sign up to try one here.
Our students
We have students from across the world, from many backgrounds and industries. Here are some of their stories.
Dr Obinna Orjingene was working as part of a medical team supporting Doctors Without Borders in north-east Nigeria. He used learnings from his public health degree every day in his development work and system strengthening. He said, “For me it has been a great experience and honour to be part of this academic community. The shared experience around the module discussions have been a great learning platform. It has been wonderful speaking to my course mates across the globe.” Read more about Obinna’s story here.
In 2018, our Alan Jenkins Memorial Award winner was Dr Muna Yousif from Sudan. Although she was working full-time while raising three small children, Muna was able to put what she learned on our MSc Infection Control into practice by improving the sanitation standards for her patients. You can watch Muna’s acceptance video below.
Read more stories from our health students here. You can also chat to a current health student here, to find out more about the online study experience and their insights into our courses.
You can download a prospectus to read more about our courses. Already sure you want to study with us? Apply online now!