Postgraduate Diploma in Public Health: Admission, Syllabus, Colleges, Distance Learning, Jobs 2023

Post Graduate Diploma in Public Health is a 2-year post-graduation level program in public health management.

Students who have completed MBBS or BDS or BSc in a relevant field that is related to community health. Some colleges also allow students that have a BA in Social Science to secure admission in this course. Any qualifying course should have a minimum aggregate of 50%.

See More: PGD Public Health Colleges

Admission to this course will be done based on the candidate’s performance in the qualifying exams i.e. Bachelor degree exams.

Some of the top colleges who offer the program of Post Graduate Diploma in Public Health are Indian Institute of Public Health, National Institute of Health and Family Welfare, Indira Gandhi National Open University, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Asian Institute of Public Health etc

The course fee averages from a range of INR 11,000 to 2,50,000. Some reputed colleges may conduct their own entrance examination for the program.

This program builds a strong foundation for candidates who wish to take up the PhD level program in this field. Having skilled themselves with the necessary knowledge and competencies, they open for themselves a wide spectrum of employment opportunities in the areas of Health Delivery Services, Health Information Management, Environmental Health, and Health Promotion. The average remuneration earned by the graduate ranges between INR 2,00,000 and 21,00,000 per annum.

PGD in Public Health: Course Highlights

Course level	Post-graduation
Duration	1 year
Examination Type	Semester
Eligibility	Qualifying graduate degree in MBBS with an aggregate of 50% marks
Admission process	Merit List
Average Annual Fees	INR 11,000 - 2,50,000
Average Annual Salary	INR 2,00,000 - 21,00,000
Top Recruiting Companies	HCL Foundation, AIIMS, Mamta Health Institute of Mother and Child, National Rural Health Mission, etc.
Job Positions	Research Data Support Manager, Health Care Manager, Emergency Response Officer, Polio Eradication Officer, etc.

Admission Process

PGD in the Public Health: Admission Process

Admission to this course will be done based on the candidate's performance in the qualifying examination i.e. Bachelor’s degree exams. In merit-based selection, marks obtained by a candidate in the qualifying examinations are considered for offering admission into the course. The various steps involved in the admission process are given below.

Registration: Registration date opens up annually and announcements are made in advance by the colleges. Registration will be done online where a profile needs to be created.
Filling up of application form: Once a profile has been created, login and start the application process. Fill up the application form with past educational achievements, job experience, internships and projects done etc.
Scan and upload documents: Documents like mark sheets, photograph, signature and transfer certificates must be scanned and uploaded online to the portal. All documents must be in a specific format and size only to be accepted.
Application fee: A minimal application fee has to be paid to process the application. Payment can be done using online payment methods.
Admission: Colleges take a couple of weeks to process applications. If a candidate meets the cut offs and all other criteria then an offer letter for admission is released.

PGD in Public Health: Eligibility Criteria

The eligibility criteria set for admission to the program of Post Graduate Diploma in Public Health are as follows:

Candidates who have qualified their graduate degree in MBBS, BDS, BA or BSc in Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Sciences, Physiotherapy, Natural Life Sciences or Social Science or any equivalent examination with an aggregate of 50% marks and above are eligible for admission.
Those who have relevant work experience in the area of Medicine, Nursing, etc. will prove beneficial for admission.
Certain colleges may conduct an interview for admission.

Which are the top Postgraduate Diploma in Public Health Entrance Exams?

There are only a few colleges which conduct an entrance test for admission to the PGD in Public Health course. The examination mostly has a duration of 2 to 3 hours during which the students are required to attempt objective type questions. The examination details are released by the colleges every year. For university specific entrance exams, students are advised to regularly visit the official website of colleges/ universities for further updates.

How to Prepare for a Postgraduate Diploma in Public Health Entrance Exams?

Some of the important points that candidates can keep in mind while preparing for PGD in Public Health entrance exams are given below:

Syllabus: Students must go through the syllabus of the course and mark all the important topics from syllabus
Revise important topics: Revise all the important topics from the syllabus. Make sure to solve all questions that are related to the important topics.
Practice Previous Year’s Question Papers: Solve previous year’s question paper so that you can get use to the question and it will also help in increasing your speed as the exam will be in online mode
Mock Test: Candidates can solve and give the online mock test at the official website. It will increase efficiency and speed and will boost up your confidence.

How to Get Admission in a Good PGD in Public Health College?

In order to get admission in a good or top-ranked PGD in Public Health college, one should keep the following points in mind:

Do the research and look at the cut-offs and rankings of the top colleges offering the course. Filter out the colleges based on their rank, course fee, facilities and faculty.
Do not follow what others are doing, be it the college preference or coachings for preparations. Follow what suits you the best.
Since the colleges offer admission to the course on the basis of the score in the entrance exam, so prepare well and try to score your best for the best college. Be clear with the concepts related to the topics and try to understand them instead of mugging up.
Prepare for English section and Aptitude section too as some exams include these sections. Focus on grammar and logical reasoning sections more.
Be aware of the dates and deadlines of the admission procedure of the college in order to not miss any update.

Syllabus

PGD in Public Health: Syllabus

The program syllabus is divided into classroom study, training and fieldwork rendering the students a deeper perspective into the field of public health and management.

The course qualifies the students in aspects of content as well as teaching. Candidates are made proficient to undertake a higher qualification in the field and PhD study in the program. The coursework utilizes a variety of methodology for learning and teaching techniques.

The overall syllabus followed by most of the universities and colleges covered throughout the program is tabulated as follows:

Subjects of Study
Health Behaviour
Epidemiology (Theory & Application)
Health Services Administration
Public Health, Environment & Society
Biostatistics I
Global Applications in Public Health
Practical
Field Work
Seminar
Projects
Research Work

Top Colleges

PGD in Public Health: Top Colleges

The table below shows the best PGD in Public Health program colleges and Institutions that offers the course in Full time mode:

Name of Institution	Average Annual Fees
Indian Institute of Public Health, Gurgaon	INR 1,80,000
S.S. Institute of Professional Education, Uttar Pradesh	INR 1,00,200
University of Delhi, New Delhi	INR 50,000
Lady Irwin College, New Delhi	INR 28,700
Institute of Home Economics, New Delhi	INR 29,190
Government Medical Health, Nagpur	INR 81,500
National Institute of Health and Family Welfare, New Delhi	INR 2,50,000
All India Institute of Hygiene and Public Health, West Bengal	INR 52,500
Indira Gandhi National Open University, New Delhi	INR 11,000
MAHE, Manipal	INR 63,800
Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh	INR 41,200
Asian Institute of Public Health, Orissa	INR 2,00,000

PGD in Public Health: College Comparison

The following table shows a comparison between the top-rated colleges offering Postgraduate Diploma in Public Health in India based on their placement packages, course fee and other parameters:

Parameters	Indian Institute of Public Health	Government Medical Health
Location	Gurgaon	Nagpur
Admission Process	Entrance-Based	Entrance-Based
Average Annual Fees	INR 1,80,000	INR 81,500
Average Annual Salary	INR 3,50,000	INR 4,60,000

Course Comparison

PGD in Public Health vs PGD in Hospital and Health Management

Both PGD in Public Health and PGD in Hospital and Health Management are Diploma courses at the PG level.

Check: Top PGD in Hospital and Health Management Colleges here.

The difference between the two above-mentioned courses are given below:

Parameters	PGD in Public Health	PGD in Hospital and Health Management
Level	PG Diploma	PG Diploma
Duration	1 year	1 year
Eligibility	MBBS/ BDS/ BSc/ BA with an aggregate of 50% marks	MBBS/ BDS/ BSc with an aggregate of 50% marks.
Overview	Knowledge of leveraging data pertaining to public health issues handed with the methodologies of conducting research in the field.	Theoretical knowledge and develop practical skills to apply a scientific approach to management of people, materials, finance, communication and for organizing work and managing resources
Average Annual Fees	INR 11,000 – 2,50,000	INR 3,000 - 25,00,000
Average Annual Salary	INR 2,00,000 - 21,00,000	INR 1,50,000 - 15,00,000

Future Scope

PGD in Public Health: Future Scope

There is a scarcity of workers in the medical field and more in the community health sector. Working for the health of the community one resides in can be really meaningful and comes with multiple rewards as well.
A course in Post Graduate Diploma in Public Health can add a lot of value in the resume of a graduate student. Anyone in the medical field working can apply to this course to increase their job prospects and wish for a promotion.
Students who successfully complete this course can always continue their education and opt for a master’s course or join research programmes. This course also builds a strong foundation for a PhD program. Community health is gaining a lot of attention especially since the COVID-19 pandemic. Research is being encouraged in the area so as to help form better community guidelines and preventive measures to avoid such a catastrophic illness in the future.
After the completion of this course, students can expect to get employed from any public or private hospitals especially if a candidate is with a meaningful work experience. These include AIIMS, KEM Hospital, Fortis, Apollo and so on.
Foundations like HCL Foundation, Tata Charitable Trust, and Reliance Foundation are always looking for people with relevant education to work for them in order to make real changes at a grass root level.
The opportunities are endless but finally it is the skills of the candidates that will guarantee their success in their career life.

Job Prospects

PGD in Public Health: Job Prospects and Career Options

Candidates who have successfully completed their program in PG Diploma in Public Health are trained to undertake the work of managing public institutions and its management.
The program is supported by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India under National Health Mission, which aids candidates to take up aspects related to district Health Services.
Candidates have lucrative opportunities in the areas of administration, technical companies, Health Information Management, Health Promotion, Environmental Health, Health Management and other such. They can become Clinical Coordinator, Research Data Support Manager, Polio Eradication Officer, Emergency Response Officer and other such.

The following job profiles can be expected by the candidates after completing PGD in Public Health program:

Job Profile	Job Description	Average Annual Salary
Polio Eradication Officer	A polio eradication officer plays an important role in organizing campaigns to educate the masses, supervising the workings and following the procedures as formulated by WHO.	INR 2,00,000 and 6,00,000
Emergency Response Officer	Reporting Accidents, being responsive to emergencies and assessing the situation are all the responsibilities of an emergency response officer.	INR 1,50,000 and 4,00,000
Research Data Support Manager	Managing and maintaining the internal and external research work and projects, guiding the officers are the duties of a research data support manager.	INR 6,00,000 and 11,00,000
Clinical Coordinator	The job of a clinical coordinator is organizing and managing the administrative work of the health services and departments.	INR 2,00,000 and 3,00,000
Professor	A Professor is a well – respected occupation that involves imparting knowledge of the subjects in detail using various different tools of the program.	INR 5,00,000 and 8,00,000
Health Care Manager	A Healthcare Manager plans and coordinates services in hospitals, ensuring all the duties are carried out effectively.	INR 8,00,000 and 12,00,000

FAQs

PGD in Public Health: FAQs

Ques. Is PGD in Public Health a good course?

Ans. Public health is a sensitive issue and yet, it is of great importance given our situation. A PGD in Public Health is hence, quite a valuable course. It can prove to be of great addition to people who are planning or are already working in the field of community health. It teaches students about epidemiology of various diseases, public health behaviour along with various research methodologies. Finally, judging how good or bad a course is comes down to the interest of the candidates, the college and the faculty teaching in the institution.

Ques. What is the syllabus of this course?

Ans. The syllabus of this course consists of various theoretical and practical aspects along with compulsory research and field work along with additional seminars and conferences. The topics taught to the students range from Epidemiology of various diseases to Biostatistics. There are also a couple subjects of management to provide a more comprehensive course for the students.

Ques. Can this course be done via distance education?

Ans. Yes, this course is offered by Indira Gandhi National Open University which is a self – taught university for the students. The university offers this course by the name Post Graduate Diploma in District Health Management. The whole course costs INR 11,000 which can be done in with a minimum of 1 year to a maximum of 3 years duration.

Ques. What is Public Health Management?

Ans. Public health management covers the administrative and managerial capacities, organizational structures, and systems needed to finance and deliver health services more efficiently, effectively, and equitably. The ultimate goal is to use the resources efficiently and improve the health of the communities. The students are imparted with the knowledge of leveraging data pertaining to public health issues handed with the methodologies of conducting research in the field.

Ques. What is the course fee?

Ans. The fees of the course depends on whether the college is funded by the government or not. The fees for this course hence, can range anywhere from between INR 11,000 and 2,50,000

Ques. What is the salary package one can expect after completing this course?

Ans. No course can inherently attach a particular package to it. It is the skills of the student, what the student has learnt and how the students use their education to prosper. Similarly this course too doesn’t possess the inherent value package for a salary. However, due to the rigorous nature of the course, most students will gain the skills required by the industry and hence, on average can expect an annual salary ranging between INR 2,00,000 and 21,00,000.

Ques. What are some of the job profiles that students can expect to work as?

Ans. A job can be expected to be done in any hospitals, charitable trusts, foundations set up to help those in need, NGOs, etc. Research Data Support Manager, Health Care Manager, Emergency Response Officer, Polio Eradication Officer etc. are some of the job profiles of a student who has completed this course.

Ques. Name some of the good colleges that offer this course?

Ans. Some of the top colleges that offer the program of Post Graduate Diploma in Public Health are as follows: