RTIONALE FOR OFFERING A MASTER OF SCIENCE IN PUBLIC HEALTH

The demand for specialists in public health continues to rise, and Master of Science in Public Health is designed to meet the increasing demand for professionals in this field. It introduces the ways in which management, public policy, microeconomic, and macroeconomic concepts can be applied to the analysis of decisions made by consumers, firms, and governments regarding health and health care. It develops an appreciation of public health, both as an intellectual discipline and as a way of making decisions about health policy and resource distribution. Also, gain an understanding of the techniques that are being used in present-day economic and public policy research generally and in health research and epidemiology specifically. This programme will help you develop an advanced understanding of the core principles in public health practice and policy, health economics, health economic evaluation, and how this influences optimal health care expenditure. The programme will also teach you how to apply techniques used in professional health evaluation to determine the appropriate mix of health interventions, as well as the appropriate analytical techniques and research methodologies that can be used in the exploration of health care decisions.

WHY MSPH AT PIDE?

PIDE has a long-standing reputation for conducting cutting-edge research and influencing policy debates at national and international levels. The MSPH program at PIDE will further strengthen this tradition by:

• Providing an interdisciplinary and research-intensive environment for public health professionals.
• Offering state-of-the-art analytical and methodological training in public health research.
• Encouraging scholars to develop innovative, locally relevant policy solutions for Pakistan’s public health issues and challenges.
• Engaging scholars with governmental agencies, and leading public health practitioners to enhance practical policy experiences.
• Broadening opportunities for public health professionals to secure higher positions of employability.
• Equipping graduates with advanced skills for careers in academia, think tanks, international organizations, and health ministries.

PROGRAMME AIMS AND OBJECTIVES:

The MSPH programme at PIDE is designed to:

• Develop rigorous research skills to explore public health challenges in Pakistan and beyond.
• Enhance scholars’ ability to conduct rigorous analysis in public health domains using modern research techniques.
• Foster an environment for critical thinking and evidence-based policymaking in public health.
• Equip graduates with the necessary expertise to influence and improve quality and equality, governance, and delivery of public health in Pakistan.
• Strengthen highly qualified public health researchers and professionals in Pakistan.

The MSPH at PIDE, aligned with HEC guidelines, will follow a robust academic structure, incorporating advanced coursework, research seminars, and dissertation work under the supervision of distinguished faculty members. The Board of Studies has granted its principal approval, and the next step is securing the NOC from HEC for program initiation in 2026. This initiative reflects PIDE’s commitment to producing thought leaders who can drive innovation in Pakistan’s public health domains.

SCOPE AND EMPLOYABILITY

The MSPH programs are designed globally to essentialize social, cultural, economic, environment, and policy lens to public health issues. Therefore, the scope of these programs are broad due to eclectic, trans-disciplinary, and diverse lens which these programs entail. The same holds true for MSPH program at PIDE, as well. Regarding employability, MSPH at PIDE is for public health professionals and hence course design and contents are in line with the applied and pragmatic approach. Through this program, employment opportunities in policy, academic, and practitioners’ domains can be advanced and secured.

PROGRAMME VISION

To adopt and apply transdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approach to understand public health issues of Pakistan and provide policy analyses to solve issues pertaining health coverage, health disparities and inequalities, and under-resourced healthcare systems functioning in the country.

PROGRAMEE MISSION

To ensure impartation and production of knowledge that reflects issues as well policy solutions to contemporary public health concerns in Pakistan as well as in Global South.

PROGRAMME LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of the degree program, the professionals will be able to:

• Understand and apply methodological tools to advance public health research in Pakistan.
• Advance their knowledge by continuing their PhDs in the fields related to public health.
• Secure and ladder-up employability as independent researchers, health policy practitioners, academicians, and public health consultants.
• Demonstrate a systematic understanding of the application of Public Health Practice and Policy in healthcare decision-making.
• Critically evaluate current research in Public Health for healthcare decision-making.
• Apply a critical awareness of current issues in Public Health and Health Economic evaluations and implement Health Economic evaluations in clinical practice scenarios.

STRUCTURE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE IN PUBLIC HEALTH

Master of Science in Public Health will be a 2 years degree program, with the first two semesters allocated for the course work and the last two for the health project/hospital project and on-the-job practicum. The total credit hours of the courses are 38 credit hours with 32 credit hours for coursework and 6 credit hours for project and practicum. The coursework has been designed to address the key challenges of public health in developing countries with an emphasis on Pakistan and prescribe policy solutions for the issues and challenges. The coursework and research requirements have been designed in line with the public health professionals who will be enrolled in the program.

1. Scheme of Studies

S. No	Course Code	Course Title	Credits
Semester-I
1	MSPH-701	Social and Behavioural Aspects of Public Health	3
2	MSPH-705	Basic Epidemiology and Biostatistics	3
3	MSPH-710	Health    System	3
4	MSPH-720	Research Methodology	3
5	FQ-701	Understanding of Quran- I	1
Semester-II
1	MSPH-725	Environmental and Occupational Health	3
2	MSPH-730	Communicable and Non-communicable Diseases	3
3	MSPH- 715	Applied Epidemiology and Biostatistics for Public Health	3
4	MSPH	Elective-I	3
5	FQ-702	Understanding of Quran- II	1
Semester-III
1	MSPH- 735	Health Promotion, Advocacy and Social Mobilization	3
2	MSPH	Elective-II	3
3	MSPH- 797	Health Research Project/Hospital Project
Semester-IV
1	MSPH- 797	Health Research Project/Hospital Project (continued)	6
2	MSPH-799	On the Job Practicum OR One Publication in Peer Reviewed Journal	Compulsory
Total Credits			38

1. Eligibility Criteria

• 1. An undergraduate degree (involving 16 years of education) in, Bachelor of Science in Public Health (BSPS)/ MBBS/BDS/ MD/BSN/DVM/DPT/Pharm-D/BS Human Nutrition & Dietetics, MSc Epidemiology and BS equivalent qualification in any Allied Health related disciplines is the basic eligibility requirement for admission in the Master of Science in Public Health.
  2. The program is designed for health professionals. The candidates with 16-year qualification in any discipline other than mentioned at (1) above may also be enrolled in MSPH program provided that they possess a minimum 2 years of professional experience in public health areas.
  3. PIDE, in addition to the basic eligibility, will conduct a rigorous admission test as an eligibility condition for admission to the program, with a passing score of 50%. The PIDE admission committee will also conduct interviews with the students who will pass the test. In addition to test and interview scores, previous academic records will also be considered before finalizing the merit list for admissions.

1. List of Courses

Core Courses 

1. MSPH-701      Behavioural Sciences and Public Health Practice
2. MSPH-705      Basic Epidemiology and Biostatistics
3. MSPH-710      Health Systems
4. MSPH-715      Applied Epidemiology and Biostatistics for Public Health
5. MSPH-720      Research Methodology
6. MSPH-725      Environmental and Occupational Health
7. MSPH-730      Communicable and Non-communicable Diseases
8. MSPH-735      Health Promotion, Advocacy and Social Mobilization
9. FQ-701            Understanding of Holy Quran I
10. FQ-702            Understanding of Holy Quran II

Optional Courses

1. MSPH-750      Hospital Management
2. MSPH-752      Pharmaceutical Economics
3. MSPH-754      Ethics in Public Health
4. MSPH-756      Public Health and Emergency Response
5. MSPH-758      History of Medicine
6. MSPH-760      Politics, Power and Public Health Practice
7. MSPH-762      Medical Anthropology
8. MSPH-764      International Health
9. MSPH-766      Body Politics
10. MSPH-768      Political Economy of Health
11. MSPH-770      Culture and Health
12. MSPH-772      Health and Population Dynamics
13. MSPH-776      Health Technology Assessment
14. MSPH- 778     Politics of Health Policy
15. MSPH-780      Ethnomedicine
16. MSPH-782      Public Health Impact Assessment
17. MSPH-784      Sociology of Health and Illness
18. MSPH-786      Current Debates in Public Health
19. MSPH-788      Nutritional Health Programs
20. MSPH-790      Health Economics, Financing and Health Insurance 
21. MSPH-791      Decision Modeling for Health Economic Evaluation
22. MSPH-792      Issues in Public Health and Economic Challenges 
23. MSPH-794      Climate Change and Public Health