Allied and Public Health
Public Health at UEL
'Public Health is about everything, everyone, everywhere'. Current PhD student Simone started with a short course at University of East London and is now challenging policy and legislation in the UK.
Undergraduate courses
Postgraduate courses
About us
We pride ourselves on inspiring and developing health workers from all over the world. You'll work alongside students who are committed to enhancing the quality of people's lives. Remarkable students like Marina Haque, have organised a series of community-transforming health projects.
Guided by our expert and supportive teaching teams, you'll receive a first-class preparation for a rewarding career in these increasingly important healthcare disciplines, helping people suffering from injury, illness or disease.
Whether you study physiotherapy or podiatry, you'll gain tremendous satisfaction from helping patients of all ages to alleviate and manage their conditions, improve their mobility and enhance both their independence and quality of life. You'll undertake work placements in prestigious local hospitals and NHS clinics through our great partnerships and you'll benefit from low student-to-staff ratios due to our small annual intake across all three courses.
We boast the only university degree course in London that concentrates on podiatry, the healthcare specialism that deals with care, disorders and treatment of the foot. We were also the first UK university to run a physiotherapy degree course, so we take particular delight in both these programmes and in the excellent practitioners they help develop.
Why choose us?
Our range of Allied and Public Health courses enables you to have a massive impact. Whether that's on an individual level helping patients of all ages to alleviate and manage their conditions, or on a wider scale managing community projects enhancing the quality of people's lives.
Our allied health students will be supported in finding the required placements needed for their professional registration on graduation. Our strong links with NHS Trusts across London mean you'll spend your placements in some of the most cutting-edge clinical settings in the UK. Public Health students can also use our amazing links with industry, taking part in short placements or projects in the local community.
Students on our undergraduate Nursing, Physiotherapy and Podiatry courses starting from September 2020 are eligible for a payment of at least £5,000 a year.
Our facilities
Centre for Clinical Education
Our Centre for Clinical Education provides clinical training facilities in podiatry and physiotherapy as well as adult nursing. The Centre is London's only provider of clinical and training facilities in podiatry and builds on our excellent reputation as a provider of education in physiotherapy, podiatry, sports science, professional health studies and subjects allied to medicine.
The Clinical Education Building based at Stratford campus houses the London Centre for Podiatry Education and four large dedicated practical teaching rooms all with integrated audio-visual displays. A working podiatry clinic, biomechanics laboratory, orthotics manufacturing room and nail surgery suite are included in the centre. Podiatry, Physiotherapy and Sports therapy students learn the majority of their core skills in this building which is well stocked with rehabilitation equipment and models. Students constantly report their satisfaction with the practical facilities and how much they enjoy learning in this environment.
Simulation Centre
The new £250,000 Simulation Centre boasts cutting-edge tools including 'Stan', a high-tech patient simulator mannequin. UEL hopes the new nursing course will help address the acute shortage of nurses in east London and the aim is to train local people for local jobs.
Libraries and learning services
We have a superb range of resources and facilities to help you with your studies and we're committed to offering you a first-class student experience. Our Stratford library, opened at a cost of £14 million, is a state-of-the-art building which provides an inspirational environment for study and research. Overlooking the Royal Docks, our modern Docklands library is another fantastic space for learning, offering a wide range of resources as well as group and silent study facilities. It's also home to the UEL Skillzone, where you can get extra help with your academic writing.
Both our libraries are open 24/7 during term time, giving you maximum flexibility about when you choose to study. As well as visiting our libraries in person, you can also take advantage of our growing collection of electronic resources, including e-books, e-journals and databases.
Student Support hubs
To ensure our students get the best possible support, we've opened brand-new Student Support hubs at our Docklands and Stratford campuses - at a cost of £3.1 million. These contain centralised helpdesks as well as comfortable areas to relax and socialise.
The helpdesks provide a 'one-stop-shop' for every possible need, from course-related enquiries to personal issues such as health and money matters. They're designed to be your first port of call if you have an enquiry or problem.
I volunteered with Well London as a student and the work I did was invaluable in helping me know what to do on my first internship in Nigeria. It gave me the knowledge and experience I needed."
Josephine Bardi
Public Health MSc
Careers
Nurses, physiotherapists, and podiatrists are in high demand across the UK and abroad. With all of these pathways, you could go on to work within the NHS or in private practice. The ultimate aim of our courses is to prepare you for a rewarding and inspiring career. The clinical placement hours help prepare you for the world of work upon graduation and help you develop your interpersonal skills.
Some of our graduates have gone on to work at leading sports institutions such as Essex County Cricket Club and the England and Wales Cricket Board, which oversees the men's and women's national teams. Physiotherapy staff and students also work at the London Marathon each year and were involved in the 2017 World Athletics Championships.
Our Public Health graduates have gone on to work for employers including Public Health England, local authorities, national government and the civil service, the NHS, charities and social enterprises. They've become public health educators or specialists. They've worked in voluntary organisations in the UK and abroad, or advised on policy.
As the global need for projects to deliver good health becomes more urgent, public health as an industry is growing and growing. The industry needs well-trained allied and public health graduates to address this crucial issue.
At UEL, you'll have access to:
- Employability skills training such as interview techniques and CV writing.
- Career Assessment, giving you the opportunity to learn about yourself and Career Coach will help you to discover career suggestions based on your interests.
- UEL Skills Academy, where external professionals deliver sessions on the competencies most prized by graduate employers.
- Internships, placements and volunteering opportunities from our work placements team.
- Professional mentoring scheme, matching students with staff from major companies.
- Networking opportunities and annual careers fair.
- Support with setting up your own business.
What we're researching
Our research in the area of Allied Health Professions (Dentistry, Nursing and Pharmacy) was a big winner in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework - the six-yearly national review of research quality in higher education. An expert panel rated 72 per cent of our research as world-leading/internationally excellent overall (REF 2021).
Our research into public health links in with UEL's internationally-renowned former Institute for Health and Human Development (IHHD), which regularly carried out research across the UK and also overseas. The IHHD was heavily involved in more than 50 significant projects since its foundation in 2006. UEL staff and students have researched into and developed programmes to improve health and wellbeing, particularly in some of London's poorest communities.
Our location
Our location in one of Europe's largest regeneration areas and our extensive links to local employers will also give you access to fantastic internships and placements.
From heavy industry to high-tech, health and social care to the arts, there are so many opportunities right on our doorstep.
Career coach
Our online Career Coach shows you the different career paths that your chosen subject area can lead you to.
Get information on specific careers, job roles, potential wages and available jobs in the sector.
Or, take a quick quiz to find a career to match your personality type!
Foundation pathways
All of our Allied and Public Health degrees have a related foundation pathway that will enable you to excel in higher education, and a head start on the subject-specific knowledge and skills in your degree programme.
During your Foundation Year, you will gain the essential skills that will enable you to excel in higher education, and a head start on the subject-specific knowledge and skills in your degree programme.
Your student experience, learning and employability will be enriched through tailored activities such as small tutorial groups, field trips and events with current students and alumni in your chosen field of study.