PhD in Global Health

Our postgraduate research degree covers a wide range of global health disciplines. When you join us, you’ll get high-quality, challenging training that prepares you for careers in research, medicine, health services, laboratory science, policy, or public health.

Your MPhil/PhD research at the Institute for Global Health can take many forms. You might work on an international project with fieldwork abroad, set up a study in the UK, or analyse data from existing studies. You’ll work closely with an Institute for Global Health-based Principal Investigator to develop and deliver your research.

Programme duration

The MPhil/PhD programme typically lasts three years full-time or five years part-time. During the first year, with guidance from their supervisory team, students refine their research proposal, drawing on current literature and practice. This stage may also involve collecting preliminary data or piloting questionnaires.

Students initially register for an MPhil and may upgrade to a PhD, subject to satisfactory academic progress. To upgrade successfully, students must submit a written report, deliver an oral presentation, and pass an oral examination.

What can I study?

Postgraduate research degree students investigate a relatively narrow topic, but may be examined on a broad field of study. Where students need to spend periods of time collecting data from overseas, that will contribute directly to their thesis, they may do so provided their study leave plans are approved in advance.

All postgraduate research students are expected to undertake 10 days of skills training each year over their 3 or 5 year programme, which is logged and audited electronically. This will include, for example, courses on research design and statistics, ethical and legal issues, presentation skills, thesis production and career planning.

For the MPhil/PhD degree, applicants must have a minimum of an upper second-class (2:1) Bachelor’s degree and a Master’s degree in a relevant discipline from a UK university or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard. Applications from individuals who do not hold a Master’s degree, but who have extensive relevant work experience, may also be considered.

How to apply

If you would like to apply to undertake a postgraduate research degree at the Institute for Global Health, you first need to identify a suitable supervisor. Information on our research areas and supervisors can be found on the Research Degree Supervisors webpage. Contact academics whose subject areas align with your project and interests, and include a 3-4 page research project proposal.

Before making an enquiry or applying, please visit the Guidance on Contacting Potential Supervisors page. Once an academic has agreed to supervise you, please submit a formal online graduate application to the MPhil/PhD Global Health programme to UCL for consideration. This must include your 3-4 page research proposal. The Departmental Graduate Tutor will arrange for the proposal to be reviewed by 2-3 independent academics, and an offer of a place will be made subject to these reviews, as well as the suitability of your academic background and writing skills.

In your application (and any enquiry), please provide clear details about your funding status. If funding is not in place, be clear about your plans for funding applications and any timelines involved in knowing the outcome of these. Please also state if your proposed study plan includes periods of time spent overseas collecting study data (you should consult UCL’s study leave regulations prior to setting out your study plan).

For your information, please see the UCL website for information on tuition fees and living expenses whilst in London.

You should also check the general entry requirements for Graduate Research Programmes, Information by Country, where applicable.  

For English language requirements, please also see the English Language Requirements page. Please note that the English language level for this programme is Level 2.

Once we have received your application and your project proposal has been reviewed, we will be in contact as soon as possible to let you know the outcome. In the meantime, if you have any queries not addressed here please contact our Education Administrator by emailing igh.researchdegrees@ucl.ac.uk

Funding opportunities

UCL Research Scholarships 2026/27

UCL’s Research Scholarship schemes are now open for 2026/27 entry.

The following scholarships are available to applicants: UCL Research Excellence Scholarship (UCL-RES) and the UCL Research Opportunity Scholarship (UCL-ROS).

For more information about how to apply please visit our RES and ROS Scholarships information page.