MSc Public Health: which uni is best?
Hi! I have offers for MSc Public Health at LSTM, Liverpool Hope, Bangor, Glasgow, York, and Bristol. I’d love to hear from students or offer holders about their experiences – what do you think about the teaching, support, employability and student life at these unis? Anything you wish you’d known before choosing? 😊
Diggory the AI Uni Coach helped write this post
Diggory the AI Uni Coach helped write this post
Reply 1
Congrats on all the offers! That's amazing! Public health is a great discipline and I'm sure you'll enjoy it wherever you go 
I just finished my Master of Public Health at York and really enjoyed it. I think it more comes down to what you want out of the course and plan to do afterwards - LSHTM has a reputation for being global, Glasgow on socioeconomic determinants of health, and (in my experience) York was very political and health systems focused. Not sure about the others! Think about if you want any data science/computational aspects, as I did some of this at York but some of the other unis I looked at didn't have any of this. On that note, look at which unis offer an MSc in Public Health vs a MPH (Master of Public Health) - York is MPH, but like I said it covered data analysis and some epidemiology which typically comes under MSc. It's not a huge difference, but an MPH would likely lean more social and include less scientific method (especially for the dissertation) whereas an MSc would be more scientific and follow a stricter scientific method when it comes to research.
I recommend looking at the modules offered on each course, you'll often be able to find module pages going through what the module is and the assessment methods (i.e. would you prefer exams, papers, or presentations). Public health is a very broad area, and not often covered at undergrad, so there's a lot of areas you can explore within the discipline!
Objectively, LSHTM is extremely well regarded in population health and diseases, so if those areas are what you're interested in that would be the best university on paper. They also typically have closer connections between students and staff as it's a smaller institution and focuses on postgrad, so if you're planning on a PhD after that is something to think about. As for location, I loved York and would really recommend any student to live there, there's a vibrant student community and always plenty to do, without being overwhelming (and distracting!) for someone wanting to do a postgrad.
Ultimately, there is no "best" university. In my opinion, a degree from LSHTM wanting to go into global health, population health, or diseases would be the most prestigious, but if you're looking at different areas a different university would be better. It more comes down to the modules and content offered, if the location and environment will support you undertaking a masters, and if you want a PhD afterwards (and therefore what connections you could make during your masters to make getting one easier). I'm happy to answer any more questions you have about my MPH experience or York/UoY!
I just finished my Master of Public Health at York and really enjoyed it. I think it more comes down to what you want out of the course and plan to do afterwards - LSHTM has a reputation for being global, Glasgow on socioeconomic determinants of health, and (in my experience) York was very political and health systems focused. Not sure about the others! Think about if you want any data science/computational aspects, as I did some of this at York but some of the other unis I looked at didn't have any of this. On that note, look at which unis offer an MSc in Public Health vs a MPH (Master of Public Health) - York is MPH, but like I said it covered data analysis and some epidemiology which typically comes under MSc. It's not a huge difference, but an MPH would likely lean more social and include less scientific method (especially for the dissertation) whereas an MSc would be more scientific and follow a stricter scientific method when it comes to research.
I recommend looking at the modules offered on each course, you'll often be able to find module pages going through what the module is and the assessment methods (i.e. would you prefer exams, papers, or presentations). Public health is a very broad area, and not often covered at undergrad, so there's a lot of areas you can explore within the discipline!
Objectively, LSHTM is extremely well regarded in population health and diseases, so if those areas are what you're interested in that would be the best university on paper. They also typically have closer connections between students and staff as it's a smaller institution and focuses on postgrad, so if you're planning on a PhD after that is something to think about. As for location, I loved York and would really recommend any student to live there, there's a vibrant student community and always plenty to do, without being overwhelming (and distracting!) for someone wanting to do a postgrad.
Ultimately, there is no "best" university. In my opinion, a degree from LSHTM wanting to go into global health, population health, or diseases would be the most prestigious, but if you're looking at different areas a different university would be better. It more comes down to the modules and content offered, if the location and environment will support you undertaking a masters, and if you want a PhD afterwards (and therefore what connections you could make during your masters to make getting one easier). I'm happy to answer any more questions you have about my MPH experience or York/UoY!
Reply 2
Original post
by EberechiHi! I have offers for MSc Public Health at LSTM, Liverpool Hope, Bangor, Glasgow, York, and Bristol. I’d love to hear from students or offer holders about their experiences – what do you think about the teaching, support, employability and student life at these unis? Anything you wish you’d known before choosing? 😊
Diggory the AI Uni Coach helped write this post
Diggory the AI Uni Coach helped write this post
Hey! It's exciting that you're looking at Liverpool Hope. ☺️
Looking first at official rankings etc., these are a few nice stats that can give you an idea of how students feel overall:
In the 2025 National Student Survey, Liverpool Hope was ranked 1st in the North West for:
•Teaching on my course
•Learning opportunities
•Assessment and Feedback
•Academic Support
•Student Voice
•Students Union representation of academic interests
•Communication about mental wellbeing support services
•Freedom of Expression
We were also ranked:
•2nd in the UK for Academic support
•2nd in the UK for Freedom of Expression
•3rd in the UK for Assessment and Feedback
•3rd in the UK for Learning opportunities
•and 5th in the UK for Student voice
So hopefully that speaks for itself in terms of our students experience in those areas!
I'm a Hope graduate myself so can also speak personally. What made me choose this University was the genuine care I felt from the academics, right from the start at my Open Day. We are a small university, with only 5000-6000 students, so 1-1 support from your tutors or the Student Life team is really accessible.
The campus itself is gorgeous and in such a nice location. I think that this truly does play apart in your learning experience so it's worth mentioning!
We have a system called HopeWorks, if you wish to get part-time jobs on campus. I did several of these during my time as a student, as they're perfect for being flexible around your studies. In terms of postgraduate career support, our careers team are here to help you with finding work, building your CV, interview prep, and more, even for 3 years after you graduate!
Finally, Liverpool is just such a fantastic city. I've stayed here post-graduation and I can't imagine ever leaving! I'm from the south west, so I came a long way to be here, but it's just such a welcoming, vibrant, interesting place. There's always something to do, and 5+ years later I'm still exploring new areas, even though it's actually a pretty compact and navigable city.
Please let me know if you have any other questions, and best of luck to you whatever you decide.
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