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Education, Health Promotion and International Development MA

London, Bloomsbury

This MA programme, grounded in the values of equity, empowerment, participation, social justice, and sustainability, allows you to deepen your understanding of theories and practices for promoting education, health, and wellbeing in low- and middle-income countries. You will develop new ways to analyse, evaluate, and generate knowledge in educational contexts to advance health and wellbeing. The programme is taught by experts and can be taken on campus, online, or in a blended format.

UK students International students
Study mode
UK tuition fees (2025/26)
£13,500
£6,750
Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.
Overseas tuition fees (2025/26)
£29,800
£14,900
Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.
Duration
1 calendar year
2 calendar years
5 calendar years
Programme starts
September 2025
Applications accepted
Applicants who require a visa: 14 Oct 2024 – 27 Jun 2025
Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Applicants who do not require a visa: 14 Oct 2024 – 29 Aug 2025
Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Apply for this course

Entry requirements

The minimum requirement for entry to this programme is a second class Bachelor’s degree from a UK university or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard. As the academic content on our MA programmes is demanding, we are particularly looking for applicants from relevant academic backgrounds – normally in social science, education or nursing, but a range of undergraduate programmes are accepted (including arts and humanities) - and/or who can demonstrate substantial relevant experience. For entry onto the MA Education, Health Promotion and International Development, we are particularly looking for applicants who can demonstrate a sufficient combination of experience in, and understanding of, health and health education/promotion, participatory practice and participatory research, in one or more low-/middle- income countries. Applicants are normally expected to have a minimum of one month’s experience working (paid or voluntary) in a low-/middle-income country.

The English language level for this programme is: Level 2

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.

This programme is suitable for international students on a Student visa – study must be full-time, face-to-face, starting September.

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


Through this globally unique MA you will develop new ways of understanding, analysing, evaluating and creating knowledge related to promoting health and wellbeing through educational contexts.

By the end of programme, ongoing engagement with classes, with tutors and with your co-students should enable you to:

  • Analyse the latest academic and other sources of information to generate new insights into promoting education, health and wellbeing.
  • Understand how policy development, programming  and professional practice can work in partnership with children, young people, adults and communities to promote wellbeing.
  • Evaluate critically sources of information - including generative AI - for research and preparation of individual and group-based assignments.
  • Apply ethical and research frameworks to make an original and critical research contribution to the field on an educational- and wellbeing-related issue of relevance to you (within a low/middle income country context).

The programme, taught be experts in the field, can be taken on campus, online (distance), or a combination of both (mixed mode). Please select the relevant mode of study at point of application. Note that distance and mixed mode options are not available to students applying for a student visa.

Who this course is for

We welcome applications from those with backgrounds in one or more of these areas: health, education, health promotion, arts and humanities, anthropology, psychology, sociology (and social sciences in general), nursing, medicine (and allied health professions), as well as in social development in low- or middle-income countries.

Applications are encouraged from those with substantial experience in low- and middle-income countries, as well as those with minimal experience in these country settings but who would like to extend and deepen their understanding of research, policy and practice in these contexts.

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

What this course will give you

This unique programme provides you with opportunities to explore and examine the links between three academic and professional fields - education, health promotion and international development. It encourages a consideration of the ways that these fields are both distinctive, yet inter-related, and how evidence- and values-informed practice might best contribute to working across professional boundaries, enhancing wellbeing and advocating for social justice.

Students learn alongside tutors who hold a breadth and depth of expertise in education, health promotion, social research and international development and who have professional experience in national and international contexts. Tutors are active in research on areas related to physical and emotional health and wellbeing, international development, refugees, young people, gender and sexuality, teaching and pedagogy and curriculum development.

IOE, UCL’s Faculty of Education and Society is home to the Centre for Education and International Development (CEID), which comprises a team of internationally recognised experts in international development and education and which has nurtured world leaders in educational practice and research for over 85 years. 

The Centre has extensive experience and expertise in education-related research and practice in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Themes addressed include equality and human rights, gender, migration, race, health and wellbeing, sexuality, disability, social class, conflict and peacebuilding.

Through linking research with policy and with practice, the result is an extraordinarily powerful learning community connecting students, tutors and other professionals.

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

The foundation of your career

Graduates of this Master's degree have been engaged:

  • as policymakers and advisers in government ministries and departments
  • as policy advocates and programme managers in international NGOs and development agencies
  • as social research consultants
  • as teachers and lecturers in schools, colleges and universities
  • as international development consultants
  • in doctoral study (either on PhD or EdD programmes).

The best thing about my course is that my course leader motivated me to better myself academically, and to also feel free to be open-minded and creative in my studies.

UCL Portico building with welcome sign between columns.

Ave Le Blanc

Education, Health Promotion and International Development MA

Q&A with Ave Le Blanc

Employability

Graduates of this Master's degree have used the academic and professional expertise gained through the programme to:

  • set up and manage an NGO or consultancy
  • prepare successful project and research proposals
  • develop new reporting procedures adopted throughout their organisation
  • gain employment as consultants
  • take on new roles and responsibilities within an organisation
  • transfer their expertise into international development
  • engage policymakers, practitioners and members of the public through research-informed practice.

Networking

During your time at UCL, you will be able to build networks with other students on this and the other programmes in the Education and International Development cluster, academic staff and alumni in the Centre for Education and International Development, as well as the broader UCL community and international development field.

Teaching and learning

The programme is taught through a combination of lectures, participatory and interactive groupwork, online learning and individual tutorials.

Teaching intends to provide you with a critical perspective on a range of different theoretical and practice-based frameworks. You will be expected to apply what you have learned to the production of coherent and engaging writing as well as other forms of communication (such as presentations). 

To assist with the development of skills for employability, students are expected and supported to not only engage with in-person and online discussions, but also lead conversations and presentations using these different modes of communication. This echoes the ways that professionals across the field increasingly connect with one another and with non-specialist or community audiences.

A range of forms of assessment are used across the programme – including individual and small group presentations, as well as written assignments.

A dissertation provides you with an opportunity to prepare and submit a piece of sustained writing (up to 12,000 words) based on a piece of small-scale research, on a topic of interest to you and which is relevant to the MA.

The particular details of how each module is assessed will be provided.

For each 30-credit taught module you yourself are expected to dedicate 300 learning hours. Or, as days of study for each 30-credit module, you will be expected to set aside 40 days at 7.5 hours per day.

Direct teaching accounts for 30 hours, assignment tutorial(s) 1 hour, and the remaining time (269 hours, or a little under 36 days) will consist of your own self-directed study, such as: preparation for classes and contributing to any online learning activities, searching for, reading, evaluating and synthesising information related to the module and your own interests, collaborating with other students, applying what you have learned to the preparation and completion of group and individual assignments.

Most taught modules are 30-credits. Your compulsory dissertation is 60-credits, and so requires 600 hours or 80 days of study time.

Modules

As a full-time student on this programme, you will complete the programme within one calendar year.

The programme consists of two compulsory taught modules, a compulsory research/dissertation module and two optional taught modules.

You can study the programme on-campus/face-to-face or mixed mode (which is a combination of on-campus/face-to-face and online) or wholly online.

Your Programme Leader and/or Personal Tutor can discuss with you an appropriate combination of compulsory and optional modules that might best align with your own professional and personal interests.

As a part-time student on this programme, you will complete the programme within two calendar years.

The programme consists of two compulsory taught modules, a compulsory research/dissertation module and two optional taught modules.

You can study the programme on-campus/face-to-face or mixed mode (which is a combination of on-campus/face-to-face and online) or wholly online.

Your Programme Leader and/or Personal Tutor can discuss with you an appropriate combination of compulsory and optional modules that might best align with your own professional and personal interests.

For part-time study it is recommended that you begin your programme with the two compulsory taught modules.

As a student on a modular/flexible basis, you will complete the programme over two to five calendar years.

The programme consists of two compulsory taught modules, a compulsory research/dissertation module and two optional taught modules.

You can study the programme on-campus/face-to-face or mixed mode (which is a combination of on-campus/face-to-face and online) or wholly online.

Your Programme Leader and/or Personal Tutor can discuss with you an appropriate combination of compulsory and optional modules that might best align with your own professional and personal interests.

For modular/flexible study it is recommended that you begin your programme with the two compulsory taught modules.

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 MA in Education, Health Promotion and International Development.

Fieldwork

Fieldwork is not a compulsory part of the programme. However, students are encouraged to draw from their professional or voluntary experience as well as the ideas encountered during the programme to write critically and cogently for different audiences. The small-scale research study (dissertation) usually takes the form of a combination of desk-based research (a literature review) and fieldwork.

Placement

Placements are not routinely part of the programme. But good links have been established between the programme and UCL Volunteering Services. Some students have also taken part in UCL ChangeMakers. These can provide those studying in London with valuable international development-related experience. That said, both on-campus and online/distance learning students are encouraged to bring their own interests and concerns into their programme, helping to make it personally relevant and professionally significant.

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.

Where you'll study

IOE, UCL's Faculty of Education and Society

IOE, UCL's Faculty of Education and Society, is a world-leading centre for research and teaching in education, culture, psychology, and social science. We are one of the UK’s largest teacher training providers, offering a wide range of programmes across all phases of learning and more subjects than any other university. We also offer an extensive range of master’s programmes. Our research addresses society’s most important challenges and feeds into our teaching, enabling our graduates to go on to influence future generations for the better, from individual lives to societal change.

Find out more about IOE, UCL's Faculty of Education and Society

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students
Fee description Full-time Part-time
Tuition fees (2025/26) £13,500 £6,750
Tuition fees (2025/26) £29,800 £14,900

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.

Students may choose to organise and undertake placement or fieldwork in relation to their research for their dissertation, but this is not a requirement. If undertaken, placement or fieldwork must be self-funded.

Students are responsible for covering any travel, accommodation, and other expenses involved in conducting research for their dissertation, and should account for these costs when planning their finances.

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

Applicants should read the UCL scholarships and funding page to see if they are eligible for funding,

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

Commonwealth Shared Scholarship Scheme (CSSS)

Deadline: 12 December 2024
Value: Full fees, flights, stipend, and other allowances (1 year)
Criteria Based on both academic merit and financial need
Eligibility: EU, Overseas

GREAT Scholarship

Deadline:8 May 2025
Value: £10,000 towards tuition fees (1 year)
Criteria Based on both academic merit and financial need
Eligibility: EU, Overseas

IOE-Clarke Scholarships

Deadline: 5 May 2025
Value: Tuition fees, return flights and stipend (1 year)
Criteria Based on both academic merit and financial need
Eligibility: EU, Overseas

IOE-ISH Centenary Masters Scholarships

Deadline: 5 May 2025
Value: Tuition fees and accommodation at International Students House (1 year)
Criteria Based on both academic merit and financial need
Eligibility: Overseas

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 about:

  • Why you want to study education, health promotion and international development at graduate level and at UCL

In particular, we want you to describe:

  • Relevant academic, professional and/or voluntary experience in promoting health and wellbeing through education
  • Your experience of working with marginalised groups in participatory ways
  • Your experience of qualitative research
  • Any other experience you consider relevant to the course values of: equity, empowerment, participation, social justice and sustainability
  • Where you would like to go professionally with your degree. 

We expect applicants to have relevant experience of at least one month in a low- or middle-income country (as defined by the World Bank).

Together with essential academic requirements, the personal statement is your opportunity to illustrate whether your reasons for applying to this programme are aligned with the course to which you are applying.

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.

Choose your programme

Please read the Application Guidance before proceeding with your application.

Year of entry: 2025-2026

Apply for this course

Got questions? Get in touch

Education, Practice and Society
Education, Practice and Society

ioe.ma.ehpid@ucl.ac.uk

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