Postgraduate Diploma Public Health

About the Programme

The program is offered ONLINE.
Examinations are written on Blackboard Ultra
You need to have a computer and internet facilities for the duration of your studies.

The purpose of this program is to equip students with introductory public health knowledge and skills applicable to the contemporary health sector. The student is also exposed to the wider context of academic public health issues. It is of value to health managers and health care involved in a broad spectrum of health and social issues in both the public & private sectors.

Duration: This is a 120-credit one-year program (consisting of 2 semesters),

Program Modules: This program consists of the following compulsory modules:

1. The Public Health Sector in South Africa
2. The physical environment and Health
3. Introduction to health education and health promotion
4. Introduction to Monitoring and Evaluation
5. Population Health measurements
6. Public Health Research Paper

Admission Requirements

• A bachelor’s degree in a health-related or social sciences field
• An average of 60% of the bachelor’s degree.
• Two years of work experience
• Fluency in English.
• Competency in using MS Office applications (typing, email, sourcing information from the internet, etc.)
• For all qualifications obtained outside South Africa, the SAQA evaluation certificate of academic qualifications must accompany the application for admission.
• Students who will be registered at another institution at the time of application will not be considered for admission into the program.
• Also, note that meeting the minimum requirements as stated above does not guarantee acceptance to the program. Applicants are ranked according to a departmental scoring system and applicants with the highest scores are selected.
• Accepted students will be required to attend compulsory virtual Summer and Winter Schools held in January/February and June/July respectively.

The supporting documents to be uploaded during the online application:

A one-page essay describing your reasons for wishing to pursue a career in public health. An essay should not be longer than 1 page and should not include a summary of your CV.
Curriculum Vitae which highlights the following:

• Your current position and activities
• Certified copies of all tertiary qualifications
• Certified copies of academic records from previous universities attended.
• Certified copy of Grade 12 certificate
• If English was not the language of instruction in your tertiary studies, provide proof of English proficiency.
• SAQA evaluation certificate, (if applicable)
• A certificate of registration with a Professional Council (if applicable)

Note: only complete applications with all the above-mentioned documents will be considered for selection.

❖ All non-South African citizens and non-permanent residents are required to obtain a study permit and medical cover prior to registering as students. Applications for the study permit should be submitted to the South African Home Affairs, Consulate, or High Commissioner in your country of residence/origin and it would be issued in favour of Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University and to be submitted during registration.

Visit the School Calendar for more details: Postgraduate Students | SMU