The MPH course targets medical graduates with an MBBS degree and non-medical graduates having a Bachelors degree in science. The mission of the Faculty of Medicine is to provide quality programmes of professional education to serve the Sri Lankan nation and contribute to its health, well-being, prosperity, and to the development of health care and rehabilitation.

The objectives of starting this course are:

• To structure the programme based on well accepted international norms in public health education and practice enunciated by the Council for Education in Public Health in the USA and the WHO.
• To design the contents to reflect the latest developments in the profession.
• To integrate the academic and practical skills of the programme with changing practices in the public health, educational and political arenas.
• To meet student, professional and community needs for quality education of public health practitioners at an international standard.

It is proposed that the curriculum for this course is organized on a modular basis, with a

credit system. This is the commonest curriculum framework adopted by most schools of public health that run multi-professional programmes. It affords flexibility and allows the programme to cater to the individual needs of the participating students.This master's degree programme will be a two year programme comprising course work and a research/service component. It will lead to a Master's in Public Health.

The curriculum modules include theoretical and self directed learning, epidemiology and public health practice experience, and research and skill development in a variety of public health settings especially in the field of epidemiology at institutional and community level.

Name of programme : Master of Public Health (Epidemiology)
Medium of instruction : English
Awarding Body : University of Kelaniya

At the end of the programme and on qualifying, graduates will be able to;

• Demonstrate specific knowledge and skills that are required for the competent practice of Public Health and Epidemiology.
• Integrate knowledge, skills and attitudes competently for Public Health practice in promoting health and preventing disease.
• Identify at risk individuals and communities to target cost effective Public Health interventions.
• Liaise with individuals and agencies to promote health and prevent disease under normal and emergency situations.
• Consolidate and demonstrate skills in planning and implementing intervention programmes as appropriate.
• Monitor and evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of intervention programmes and modify or terminate such programmes as necessary.
• Demonstrate an understanding of epidemiologic research methods and critical analysis of epidemiologic literature.
• Demonstrate skills in presenting and communicating epidemiologic findings to policy makers and the public
• Use epidemiologic evidence in health policy development.
• Promote health and well being, and prevent illness and disability in individuals and communities.
• Respect the rights of all individuals and communities in the practice of public health and epidemiology and abide by the code of professional ethics.
• Work as a manager and an effective and contributing member of a multi-disciplinary team.
• Demonstrate skills in self-directed learning and positive attitudes towards continuing professional and personal development.
• Contribute towards development of public health and epidemiology as a specialty.

An alpha numeric code is used to identify each module. The code consists of five digits prefixed by a set of four letters which refer to the type of the module. The codes of all courses in this study programme will start with MPH followed by C, P, E or D to denote core, track, elective or dissertation research, respectively, as the fourth letter.

With regard to the 5 digits of the course code, the 1st digit denotes the year of study (6 for year 1 modules and 7 for year 2 modules); the 2nd the semester in which the course will be taught; the 3rd and 4th digits together form the specific number assigned to that module for that year of study, and the 5th digit signifies the credit value.

Each of the modules comprises a minimum of 15 hours of theoretical learning. In addition to these study hours, students are expected to carry out a minimum of 20 hours private study per module. In most cases, there is also attached practical work, such as seminars, presentations,video based learning and tutorials, relevant to a particular module. Students will have the opportunity to practice knowledge and skills gained in the theoretical components of study by visiting selected public health institutions.

As the degree leads to a professional qualification, the credit attribution for each module reflects not only the time allocated for that module, but also the development of a knowledge base, practical skills and personal/professional development. Each module is of equalimportance in terms of contributing to the overall professional competence of the Public Health Specialist.

Each module has assessments and students must pass all modules in order to qualify with a MPH. (For details about assessment and progression requirements see section 4 of this document).

Marks obtained in each module will be graded according to the following grading system.

The pass mark is 40%. Students will be required to pass all modules to graduate. A student who has obtained a Grade of D or lower for a component of assessment will have to re-sit that component. In modules where there are more than one assessment component, if a student obtains an E Grade (<25%) for one component of assessment, they are required to retake the entire module in order to graduate from the programme. In exceptional circumstances, a student may be allowed to graduate with one condoned fail module.

In the final calculation for degree classification, all re-sits due to fails at first attempt or missed first attempt due to invalid reason (as deemed by the board of study) will not be given (in calculation) more than 40 marks or a C grade.

= (2x4.0) + (3x2.0)+(3x3.0)+(3x1.0)+(1x0.0)+(1x4.0)

   2+3+3+3+1+1

= 28 = 2.15 = 2.2
   13

GPA shall be computed to the first decimal place, based on the number of the credits for the relevant programme i.e., certificate, postgraduate diploma or MPH.

To be eligible for the award of the Certificate in Epidemiology, a student must have

1. Accumulated 30 credits during the course (core 20, major 5 and elective 5).
2. Obtained a minimum GPA of 2.7

To be eligible for the award of the Postgraduate Diploma in Epidemiology, a student must have

1. Accumulated 45 credits during the course (core 20, major 20, elective 5).
2. Obtained a minimum GPA of 2.7

To be eligible for the award of the MPH (Epidemiology) degree, a student must have

1. Accumulated 60 credits during the course.
2. Obtained a minimum GPA of 2.7

To be eligible for the award of a merit pass in the Master of Public Health (epidemiology) degree programme, a student must have

1. Accumulated 60 credits during the course.
2. Obtained at least a B- pass in each module.
3. Obtained a minimum GPA of 3.7