MPH

100 Master of Public Health Thesis Topics

Academic session 2026-2027 · 100 topics

This page lists 100 master of public health thesis topics for postgraduate candidates for the 2026-2027 academic session. The collection is organized around clinically or administratively relevant questions that can be converted into focused research protocols using a clearly defined population, measurable variables and a study design suited to the facilities and records available at the investigator’s institution.

The master of public health thesis topics below span maternal and child health, adolescent health, non-communicable diseases, mental health, communicable diseases, environmental and occupational health, health systems, healthcare utilization, digital health, health economics, national programmes, health literacy and vulnerable populations. The topics favour community-based, facility-based, observational and comparative designs that can be implemented with realistic sampling frames and measurable public-health outcomes within the usual duration of an MPH dissertation.

Click any topic to open it in the protocol generator with the title already filled in.

Choosing a Master of Public Health thesis topic

How should an MPH student choose a manageable thesis topic?

Begin with a population and setting that you can access consistently, such as a defined community, school, primary health facility or hospital service. Then select one primary public-health problem and a limited set of relevant determinants rather than attempting to measure many unrelated domains. Feasibility should be checked through expected participant numbers, travel requirements, questionnaire length, laboratory costs and availability of records. A strong MPH topic links a measurable outcome with a clear population and actionable determinants, while using a sampling strategy that can reasonably represent the population addressed by the research question.

Which study designs are commonly feasible for an MPH dissertation?

Community-based and facility-based cross-sectional studies are frequently feasible for estimating prevalence, knowledge, practices, service utilization and associated factors. Comparative cross-sectional designs can examine differences between predefined populations such as urban and rural residents or users of public and private facilities. Record-based studies may suit health-service utilization, expenditure or programme indicators when reliable data already exist. The chosen design should correspond to the objective and available sampling frame. Association found in a cross-sectional study should not be presented as proof of causation, particularly when exposure and outcome are measured simultaneously.

What makes a public health thesis useful beyond estimating prevalence?

Prevalence is useful when the magnitude of a problem is genuinely uncertain, but a stronger dissertation often also examines modifiable determinants, service gaps or disparities that can guide action. Examples include factors associated with incomplete immunization, barriers to healthcare access, determinants of medication adherence, health literacy, occupational exposures or differences between population groups. The analysis plan should still remain focused and avoid indiscriminate testing of numerous variables. Clearly defining the primary outcome, conceptual relationship between determinants and outcome, and the population to which findings may reasonably apply improves both scientific value and practical relevance.

Thesis and protocol questions

How is a thesis topic different from a thesis protocol?

The topic is the title — the question a study sets out to answer, together with the population and the design. The protocol is the full document built around it: background, review of literature, aims and objectives, inclusion and exclusion criteria, sample size calculation, methodology, statistical plan, ethics considerations, consent documents and references. A topic is agreed with a guide first; the protocol is written afterwards and submitted to the institutional ethics committee.

When does a postgraduate thesis have to be submitted?

For most Indian postgraduate programmes the protocol is submitted within the first six months of joining, and the completed thesis is submitted at least six months before the final examination. Exact deadlines are set by the university, so the departmental circular for the current session takes precedence over any general timeline.

How is sample size decided for a postgraduate thesis?

Sample size follows from the primary objective, not the other way round. A prevalence study is powered from an expected proportion and an acceptable margin of error; a comparative study is powered from the expected difference between groups, the standard deviation, alpha and desired power. The figure should then be checked against the institution's actual case load for the study period, because a statistically ideal sample that cannot be recruited in the time available is not a workable plan.

Does a thesis topic need ethics committee approval?

Yes. Every postgraduate thesis involving human participants, human data or human samples requires clearance from the institutional ethics committee before data collection begins. Approval is granted on the protocol rather than on the title, and the submission usually includes the protocol, the participant information sheet and the consent form in English and in the local language.

What makes a topic realistic for a three-year postgraduate programme?

A workable topic can be completed at a single centre, with equipment and investigations that are already available in routine practice, within roughly eighteen months of data collection. Topics that depend on external funding, specialised assays, multicentre coordination or long follow-up tend to stall. Choosing a condition the department already sees in volume matters more than choosing a novel one.

Can a thesis be published as a research paper afterwards?

Yes, and it is generally expected. A thesis is usually condensed into a paper of around three to four thousand words, restructured into the standard introduction, methods, results and discussion format, with the review of literature shortened considerably. Journals differ in their requirements, and the ethics approval number from the original thesis is normally cited in the methods section.