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Applied Infectious Disease Epidemiology MSc

London, Bloomsbury

How and why do infections spread in populations? How can we design and evaluate real-world public health interventions for prevention and treatment of infectious diseases? Join us on this one-year Master’s degree to benefit from UCL’s world-class research in epidemiology and infectious diseases, the ideal foundation for a career as an epidemiologist in research, data analytics, public health or policy.

UK students International students
Study mode
UK tuition fees (2025/26)
£16,000
£8,000
Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.
Overseas tuition fees (2025/26)
£33,000
£16,500
Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.
Duration
1 academic year
2 academic years
5 academic years
Programme starts
September 2025
Applications accepted
Applicants who require a visa: 14 Oct 2024 – 27 Jun 2025

Applications not yet open

Applicants who do not require a visa: 14 Oct 2024 – 29 Aug 2025

Applications not yet open

Find similar courses still open

Entry requirements

A minimum of an upper second-class Honours in a relevant degree of a UK university, or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard, a professional qualification in a health related area such as medicine or nursing of an equivalent standard. Relevant research, work or volunteer experience will be viewed favourably. Students without the minimum academic standards may be considered if they have extensive relevant work or research experience.

The English language level for this programme is: Level 3

UCL Pre-Master's and Pre-sessional English courses are for international students who are aiming to study for a postgraduate degree at UCL. The courses will develop your academic English and academic skills required to succeed at postgraduate level.

Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.

Equivalent qualifications

Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website.

International applicants can find out the equivalent qualification for their country by selecting from the list below. Please note that the equivalency will correspond to the broad UK degree classification stated on this page (e.g. upper second-class). Where a specific overall percentage is required in the UK qualification, the international equivalency will be higher than that stated below. Please contact Graduate Admissions should you require further advice.

About this degree


Epidemiology – the study of patterns and causes of diseases in human populations – is the underpinning science for clinical and public health research.

Infectious disease epidemiologists integrate understanding across biology, society and the environment to help countries control infections, and address major global health challenges. Join us to build specialist knowledge in the core principles of epidemiology and statistics, alongside training in host and pathogen biology and human behaviours.

Optional modules allow you to tailor the programme to your own interests, with popular options including infectious disease modelling, global eradication of viruses, and evaluating interventions. 

Who this course is for

This programme is suitable for applicants from a wide variety of undergraduate degree backgrounds, including biology, maths and statistics, medicine, social sciences and related disciplines.

We also welcome students from many professional backgrounds, including researchers, healthcare professionals, vets, public health and development practitioners. Students come from all over the world, as well as the UK.

This diversity increases opportunities to learn from other students' experiences and perspectives.

Applicants should demonstrate in their applications an appreciation of the quantitative content of the programme and describe any previous experience (from study or work) that will support them in engaging with the quantitative aspects. A good level of numerical competence is required, such as A level or advanced secondary school mathematics or equivalent experience.  

Read about what it takes to study for a Master's at UCL

What this course will give you

  • UCL is ranked 6th in the world for public health (ShanghaiRankings 2023), 9th in the world as a university (QS World Rankings 2025) and is rated number one for research power and impact in medicine, health and life sciences (REF 2021).
  • Explore infectious disease epidemiology from an interdisciplinary perspective, with basic and clinical science, bioinformatics and molecular epidemiology taught alongside essential epidemiological, statistical and critical appraisal skills.
  • Gain a firm grounding in core principles of infectious disease epidemiology such as transmission dynamics and study design and analysis.
  • Assess the quality of evidence in infectious disease research and public health policy, construct research questions, work with quantitative data, choose and apply methods, and interpret findings.
  • Learn about important scientific advances, including pathogen genomics and other molecular technologies, big data opportunities and the microbiota, which have changed the way we can measure host-pathogen relationships and understand infectious disease epidemiology.
  • Teaching will draw on examples from high, middle, and low-income settings, across a range of conditions, including HIV, influenza and other airborne viruses, STIs, TB, and emerging, vaccine-preventable, vertically transmitted, and vector-borne diseases.
  • Benefit from a cohort of between 25 and 35 students – small enough to form strong connections, and large enough to support vibrant discussion in class.

Examples of publications arising from infectious disease-related dissertations completed by MSc students at UCL Institute for Global Health include:

Read about what you'll get out of a graduate programme

The foundation of your career

This Master’s degree will set up you up for building a career as an infectious disease epidemiologist within interdisciplinary teams.

Graduates have gone on to a variety of roles as epidemiologists, analysts and data scientists in research, public health, healthcare, and private sector organisations, both in the UK and internationally. Many have been successful in securing places in funded PhD programmes at UCL and at other universities.

Alumni from the UCL Institute for Global Health (UCL IGH) have gone onto work at organisations such as IQVIA, the NHS, the Ministry of Health, the Department of Health and Social Care, the UK Health Security Agency, and universities in the UK and abroad. Others have gone onto PhDs and academic research.*

*Graduate Outcomes survey carried out by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), looking at the destinations of UK and EU graduates in the 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20, 2020-21 cohorts.
 

Employability

Tackling infectious diseases effectively calls for professionals in this area to have a diverse range of skills which will allow you to approach complex infectious disease problems, relevant for a wide range of careers within epidemiology and public health.  

You’ll learn about everything from study design, and planning, conducting and interpreting statistical analyses – to critical appraisal, oral presentations, teamwork, project management, and writing for scientific and lay audiences.

These skills are highly relevant for careers in epidemiology and public health (not limited to infection), including research and evaluation, policy formulation, and programme planning and implementation.

Networking

UCL IGH students have priority access to academic events held throughout the year. This includes UCL's prestigious Lancet Lecture series which showcases leading global health scholars working on key public health issues. Students also have access to internal events, such as meetings that bring together research being done across our three sites and lunchtime lectures featuring the research of UCL Institute for Global Health staff and doctoral candidates. Academic staff also host a series of events for students to provide informal spaces to discuss ideas, research, and provide career advice.   

Teaching and learning

The programme will be delivered through a mixture of lectures, tutorials and practical sessions that build your learning throughout the year. Practical sessions include critical appraisal, data analysis, interpretation of data, application of evidence to scenarios, presentations, and discussion forums. 

UCL academics with wide-ranging and international expertise in epidemiology, medicine, public health, social science, and basic science research of infectious diseases will deliver lectures, facilitate practical sessions and act as your supervisors and tutors.

Your learning will culminate in an independent dissertation project, supervised by one of the UCL IGH’s world class research staff and supported through skills sessions and milestones throughout the year.

Classes take place during business hours. Modules are delivered as blocks of study. The duration of modules ranges from one to ten weeks. This course can be taken full-time, part-time or flexibly (see ‘programme structure’).

Meet the academics currently leading this programme on the UCL IGH website. 

Core modules and most optional modules are largely assessed by coursework rather than timed exams. Examples of coursework tasks include investigating an outbreak, developing a funding proposal to tackle an infectious disease problem, critically appraising papers, and conducting and presenting statistical analyses. You will build skills in presenting your work orally and in a variety of written formats including short reports, responses to questions, data visualisations, and a dissertation. 

Each 15-credit core module typically includes four-five hours of contact time (e.g. lectures, practical sessions) per week during the First and Second Term, with the 30-credit module including 8-10 hours of contact time per week. You are also expected to dedicate independent study time to reading, reviewing materials, and practicing methods to consolidate your learning, as well as to prepare formative and summative assessments.

During the Third Term, you will continue with one or two optional modules but will have proportionately more independent study time working towards your dissertation, that you will submit at the end of the summer. You will have approximately 10 hours of dissertation supervision time, in additional to dissertation skills sessions throughout the year.

Students taking the course full-time should expect to spend approximately 40 hours per week total on their course throughout the year.

Modules

You will be introduced to the key concepts in infection and population health in the First Term. You will synthesise understanding about microbiology, immunology, and epidemiology of pathogens to inform infection control and public health interventions. You will also acquire basic statistical skills and a good understanding of infectious disease epidemiology.

In the Second and Third Term you will extend your understanding of molecular epidemiology and statistics and choose optional modules from a selection offered by the UCL IGH, the UCL Department of Infection and Immunity, and elsewhere.

You will be supported to choose two optional modules fitting with your own interests and career aspirations from a selection including those aimed at developing more advanced or specialised knowledge in implementation and research methods, the basic science of infectious diseases, or quantitative skills in epidemiological data analysis.

You will also write a research project that you will present as a dissertation in the format of a journal article of up to 7,500 words and an oral presentation. The research can include data analysis or a literature review in a topic related to infectious disease epidemiology.

The programme can be taken part-time (over two years). We have experience supporting students with this mode of study. Part-time students take 90 credits in Year One (not including the dissertation) and 90 credits including the dissertation in Year Two. Epidemiology and Infectious Diseases is a prerequisite for taking Molecular Epidemiology for Infectious Diseases. Applied Statistics for Infectious Disease Epidemiology 1 is a prerequisite for Applied Statistics for Infectious Disease Epidemiology 2.

The programme can be taken flexibly (over more than two years). We have experience supporting students with this mode of study. Modular/flexible students should discuss their plans with one of the course directors before making any module selection. Epidemiology and Infectious Diseases is a prerequisite for taking Molecular Epidemiology for Infectious Diseases. Applied Statistics for Infectious Disease Epidemiology 1 is a prerequisite for Applied Statistics for Infectious Disease Epidemiology 2.

Compulsory modules








Optional modules















Please note that the list of modules given here is indicative. This information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability are subject to change. Modules that are in use for the current academic year are linked for further information. Where no link is present, further information is not yet available.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits. Upon successful completion of 180 credits, you will be awarded an MSc in Applied Infectious Disease Epidemiology.

Accessibility

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble. Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services team.

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Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students
Fee description Full-time Part-time
Tuition fees (2025/26) £16,000 £8,000
Tuition fees (2025/26) £33,000 £16,500

Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.

The tuition fees shown are for the year indicated above. Fees for subsequent years may increase or otherwise vary. Where the programme is offered on a flexible/modular basis, fees are charged pro-rata to the appropriate full-time Master's fee taken in an academic session. Further information on fee status, fee increases and the fee schedule can be viewed on the UCL Students website: ucl.ac.uk/students/fees.

Additional costs

For Full-time and Part-time offer holders a fee deposit will be charged at 10% of the first year fee.

For flexible/modular offer holders a £500 fee deposit will be charged.

Further information can be found in the Tuition fee deposits section on this page: Tuition fees.

There are no additional costs for this programme.

UCL’s main teaching locations are in zones 1 (Bloomsbury) and zones 2/3 (UCL East). The cost of a monthly 18+ Oyster travel card for zones 1-2 is £114.50. This price was published by TfL in 2024. For more information on additional costs for prospective students and the cost of living in London, please view our estimated cost of essential expenditure at UCL's cost of living guide.

Funding your studies

Funding opportunities relevant to this programme include:

  • UCL Institute for Global Health Postgraduate Bursary.
  • Commonwealth Shared Scholarship Scheme.

Find out more on the UCL Institute for Global Health website

For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website.

See all the ways you can fund your studies

Next steps

Students are advised to apply as early as possible due to competition for places. Those applying for scholarship funding (particularly overseas applicants) should take note of application deadlines.

There is an application processing fee for this programme of £90 for online applications. Further information can be found at Application fees.

When we assess your application, we would like to learn:

  • Why you want to study Applied Infectious Disease Epidemiology at graduate level.
  • Why you want to study Applied Infectious Disease Epidemiology at UCL.
  • What particularly attracts you to the chosen programme.
  • How your academic and professional background meets the demands of this challenging programme.
  • Where you would like to go professionally with your degree.

Together with essential academic requirements, the personal statement is your opportunity to illustrate whether your reasons for applying to this programme match what the programme will deliver.

In addition to the above, please ensure your personal statement addresses why you have chosen the programme with particular regard to its focus on quantitative epidemiology and statistics.
 

Please note that you may submit applications for a maximum of two graduate programmes (or one application for the Law LLM) in any application cycle.

Got questions? Get in touch

Institute for Global Health
Institute for Global Health

igh.aide@ucl.ac.uk

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