University of Sunderland • Sunderland
The lowest-total-cost public health master’s on our list — a Guardian Top-30 university in Britain’s most affordable student city.
Our take
Sunderland’s Public Health MSc completes the university’s value sweep across our healthcare families: a £16,500–£19,000 band at a Guardian Top-30 institution, in the cheapest city to live of any we recommend. The health faculty context is strong for the price — pharmacy (including OSPAP), pre-registration nursing and the post-registration nursing MSc all share it — and the North East’s health-inequality profile gives the subject local substance. The same strategic logic as our other Sunderland pages applies: credentials travel, the Graduate visa is national, and minimising the cost of the qualification year is a plan, not a compromise.
| Duration | 1 year full-time |
| Intake | January & September |
| Accreditation | University of Sunderland — Faculty of Health Sciences and Wellbeing |
| Tuition | Within Sunderland’s 2026/27 international postgraduate band of £16,500–£19,000; exact fee confirmed in your offer. The £3,500 CAS deposit is deducted from tuition. |
Where this leads: An academic public-health qualification — no professional registration involved. It complements clinical registrations and leads to programme, analyst and health-improvement roles.
Both intakes run across the health portfolio.
Why Sunderland
Bottom-of-market fees at a Guardian Top-30 university — the cheapest credible MPH year in England.
Pharmacy, OSPAP and nursing programmes surround the course — clinicians broadening out find their professions on campus.
The North East’s health-inequality challenges give projects real substance close to home.
The second window saves a year for autumn misses.
What you study
Entry requirements
English language
Sunderland can consider Medium of Instruction (MOI) evidence for some courses — though clinical and regulated programmes usually still require a formal test. Sunderland considers a Medium of Instruction letter where your previous study was at RQF Level 5 or higher (roughly HND level and above). How recent that study must be varies by the country it was completed in, and regulated courses such as nursing and the OSPAP still require a formal English test — so we always confirm MOI eligibility with the university before you rely on it.
Also accepted: LanguageCert Academic, Oxford International Digital (ELLT), Pre-sessional English (EAP) at Sunderland. Pre-sessional English is available if you fall short.
Careers
Your country
Sunderland is consistently one of the most affordable options for Pakistani students, and the Global Leaders Scholarship has recently applied automatically to eligible Pakistani applicants. For master’s courses you typically need a bachelor’s degree equivalent to a UK 2:2 — usually a four-year degree such as a BS (Hons), or a two-year degree plus a master’s, assessed case by case. Note the deposit rule: applicants from Pakistan are currently asked to pay 50% of the first year’s fee before a CAS is issued, rather than the standard £3,500. MOI letters are considered for recent degrees, though we usually recommend a formal test such as IELTS or LanguageCert for a smoother visa file.
Full guide for PakistanIndian students most commonly join Sunderland’s business, computing, public health and nursing master’s courses. A three-year bachelor’s degree from a recognised Indian university is usually acceptable for postgraduate entry, typically with around 55–60% depending on the awarding institution. Applicants from India currently pay 50% of the first year’s fee before the CAS stage instead of the standard £3,500 deposit. MOI letters are considered where your degree is recent and was taught in English, and the January intake gives useful flexibility if you miss September.
Full guide for IndiaSunderland has a dedicated regional team for Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa. For undergraduate entry, WAEC or NECO with strong credit passes is typically considered alongside a foundation year; for master’s courses a bachelor’s degree at second class is usually expected. The standard £3,500 deposit applies before your CAS. English requirements can sometimes be met without IELTS — Sunderland considers MOI letters and accepts LanguageCert — but MOI validity varies by country, so confirm your specific position with us before you apply.
Full guide for NigeriaStudents applying from the UAE usually hold A-Levels, IB or an Indian or Pakistani curriculum qualification from an international school, which Sunderland recognises for direct entry; the UAE secondary school certificate typically routes through a foundation year first. The standard £3,500 CAS deposit applies. One caution on budgeting: the Global Leaders Scholarship has excluded applicants from Gulf states in recent cycles, so ask us to confirm which discounts you actually qualify for before you plan your finances.
Full guide for the UAECompare
FAQ
On total cost, yes — a £16,500–£19,000 band plus Britain’s lowest student living costs. Most students complete the entire year for less than tuition alone at southern alternatives, with a Guardian Top-30 credential at the end.
A mix of clinicians — nurses and pharmacists broadening into population health, often alongside registration plans we manage in parallel — and science or social-science graduates entering the field.
No — it is academic. Clinical practice still requires NMC or GPhC registration, which we sequence separately; the MPH adds the population-health credential on top.
January or September. January suits applicants regrouping after autumn — the compressed visa timeline is mapped in our January-intake guide.
Fees, entry requirements, English-language policies and intake dates are correct to the best of our knowledge at the date shown, but universities review them every cycle and immigration rules change. Always treat figures as a guide — we confirm the exact, current requirements with the university before you apply. Facts on this page last checked July 2026.
Intakes shown are for this course specifically; Sunderland runs other intakes for other programmes — see the full Sunderland profile.
Free consultation
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