Stay relevant with overarching knowledge and skills to distinguish your career in health without having to compromise on employment with Open & Distance Learning programme by International Medical University.
In the era of COVID-19, where staying indoors and limiting face-to-face interactions with others is the prescribed antidote for spreading of the virus, working towards self-development has been brought into the spotlight. If there was ever a time when you thought of changing careers, widening your skill set or building on your educational foundation, now is the time to do something about it. International Medical University (IMU) has an established Open & Distance Learning (ODL) Master of Science in Public Health (MScPH) programme that allows you to complete the programme online from the convenience of your home. With universities only recently updating their teaching methods to carry out learning activities online, IMU had established the postgraduate ODL programme pre-COVID-19 period to specifically cater to individuals who do not have the luxury of attending on-campus classes.
With the ODL MScPH programme, you do not have to choose between employment and improving your qualifications because you can do both at the same time – just in one year! IMU has provided an additional option of carrying out the MScPH degree part-time as well. Therefore, students can forgo the full-time one-year programme and opt to do the part-time programme instead, completing their MScPH over a period of 2-6 years depending on the number of courses taken per semester.
The IMU MScPH programme attracts students from diverse health backgrounds, including nursing, pharmaceutical, medical, health administration and business. Cheong Beng Wui is a goal-oriented businesswoman specialising in healthcare devices who has decided to join the MScPH for “self-attainment to a higher level and challenging [her] limits.” Dr Shazatul Shazmin, a part-time ODL student, is an employee of the Ministry of Health Malaysia, states that the flexibility of the part-time programme “allowed balancing between work, life and acquisition of higher education which will enhance [her] career pathway as a public health physician.”
The MScPH programme is offered not only through the online delivery mode but also through the on-campus delivery mode as well, open to both local and international students. Despite the setbacks posed by COVID-19, there has been a seamless transition from on-campus learning activities to online. Abigail, a student from the on-campus MScPH programme, shared “We are in a generation that spends a lot of time online so switching learning methods to online was a relatively smooth process. The lecturers from all the modules made this possible and they continue to be very responsive. The frequency of emails and TEAMS meetings have been very conducive to learning.” The MSc Public Health programme is geared towards providing an exciting curriculum for the students, with a variety of teaching methods employed including tutorials, videos, practical, field visits, seminar presentations, case discussions, on-site public health attachments and lectures. This content is delivered by experienced faculty, who have specialized in public health experience both nationally and internationally.
Written by Dr Sumaira Hussain
