Public Health and Human Behaviour
Public health and human behaviour is a degree that examines health not just as a medical matter but as a social, psychological and environmental one. Public health focuses on the conditions, behaviours and systems that determine the health of populations: why some communities experience better health than others, how disease is distributed across social groups, and what interventions can improve health at scale. Human behaviour brings the insights of psychology and behavioural science to bear on those questions, examining how people make decisions about their health, why behaviour change is difficult, and how communication and social influence can support healthier choices.
At the University of Lincoln you will study public health and human behaviour over three years of full-time study, developing both the population-level perspective of public health and the individual-level analysis of behavioural science. A sandwich year and the opportunity for a year abroad extend the programme with professional and international experience, and work placement is integrated throughout, connecting your learning to real public health and community settings. The typical tariff of 120 reflects a programme designed to be accessible to students from a range of backgrounds who have genuine interest in health, society and the factors that shape human wellbeing.
Graduates work in local authority public health teams, the NHS, health promotion organisations, government agencies, research institutions, voluntary and community sector organisations and international health bodies. Roles include health improvement specialist, health behaviour analyst, programme coordinator, health protection adviser and public health researcher. Many graduates go on to postgraduate study in public health, health psychology, health promotion or epidemiology, and the dual grounding in population health and behavioural science positions them well for specialist practice or research careers.
The field is growing in importance as governments and health systems invest more heavily in prevention and population-level intervention.