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Global Health and Development MSc

London, Bloomsbury

In a world facing geopolitical challenges and unprecedented environmental, social, and health system pressures, the Global Health and Development MSc provides a multidisciplinary perspective on the crucial subject of global health. The course will equip you to become a future global health leader, improving health and wellbeing worldwide, with a focus on equity and social justice.

UK students International students
Study mode
UK tuition fees (2026/27)
£16,800
£8,400
Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.
Overseas tuition fees (2026/27)
£35,400
£17,700
Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.
Duration
1 calendar year
2 calendar years
5 calendar years
Programme starts
September 2026
Applications accepted
Applicants who require a visa: 20 Oct 2025 – 26 Jun 2026
Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Applicants who do not require a visa: 20 Oct 2025 – 28 Aug 2026
Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Apply for this course

Entry requirements

Normally a minimum of an upper second-class UK Bachelor's degree or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard in medicine, nursing and other allied health professions, sciences, humanities and social sciences. Professional experience in the fields of health and development is desirable. An applicant whose qualifications vary from UCL standards may be admitted if evidence of an adequate academic background and work experience in an appropriate field can be shown.

The English language level for this course 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.

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


This MSc draws together research and evidence from across numerous disciplines, to provide students with the skills required to approach and tackle health equity and inequalities globally.

You will benefit from research-driven teaching, delivered by world-leading academics with extensive global networks and partnerships. The health challenges and solutions in populations are nearly always complex. To address these, you will be taught a range of global and public health disciplines including epidemiology, social sciences, health systems, as well as designing, implementing and evaluating health programmes.

You will learn advanced skills and approaches to innovate effective, equitable and sustainable solutions and to work collaboratively with a range of key stakeholders, from affected communities and populations to policymakers. We offer a wide range of optional modules so you can tailor your degree to match your professional aspirations.

You will graduate with the necessary skills and training to use evidence-based approaches, and apply them to real world health challenges and inequalities, with a particular emphasis on low resource settings and marginalised populations. 

Who this course is for

Graduates of this course include students from more than 70 countries and from a variety of academic and professional backgrounds including medical doctors, nurses, health researchers, government employees, health activists and non-governmental organisation workers. This increases opportunities for you to learn from the skills and experiences of your course mates.

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

What this course will give you

  • Study at one of the world's top ten universities. UCL is ranked 3rd in the world for public health (ShanghaiRankings 2024), 9th in the world as a university (QS World Rankings 2026) and is rated number one for research power and impact in medicine, health and life sciences (REF 2021).
  • Join an interdisciplinary research-driven course, delivered by leading experts from across UCL and the world, designed to train the global health leaders of the future.
  • Gain a comprehensive understanding of the main theoretical approaches and research methods in global health, and the ability to critically analyse and effectively apply them in global health settings.  
  • Gain training to critically understand and address ongoing global health challenges and their impacts on health equity around the world.
  • A strong emphasis on the practical application of knowledge and research skills to support transition to a career in global health.
Read about what you'll get out of a graduate programme

The foundation of your career

The course is ideal for progressing or advancing a career in global health with the benefit of an extensive global health network across the world.

Our graduates have taken key roles within the world’s leading global health organisations and institutions including the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the UK National Health Service (NHS), the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI), and in ministries of health and healthcare systems around the world. 

Many of our graduates have also gone on to academic and research careers, including PhDs and think-tanks, and others have entered the private sector in programme and project design, consulting and health strategy development.

*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, 2021-22 and 2022-23 cohorts.

This MSc gave me the opportunity to study modules that span across multiple disciplines and have a great influence on global health outcomes. It has developed my project evaluation, health management and policy and guideline development skills, as well as advanced my research skills.

Hipolite stands outside the UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health and the UCL Institute for Global Health on 30 Guilford Street. He is standing next to the UCL signage for the building. He is wearing a red shirt and blue jeans.

Hipolite

Global Health and Development MSc

Read more

Employability

You will become adept at applying different disciplinary and interdisciplinary perspectives to global health issues, while also developing useful transferable skills, including giving presentations, applying theory to practice, project management and planning, and policy analysis. You will also get to engage, and interact, with global health leaders through our extensive and established Global Health and Development MSc alumni network.

Networking

Students at the Institute for Global Health (IGH) 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 and networking that bring together research being done across our three sites and lunchtime lectures featuring the research of IGH staff and doctoral candidates. Academic staff also frequently host informal spaces and events at IGH to provide extended opportunities to discuss ideas, research and provide career advice and insights to Global Health and Development MSc students. 

Teaching and learning

The MSc is designed to train the world’s future global health practitioners through developing critical thinking, writing, planning and organisation, teamwork and leadership, and presentation skills. You will learn through a mixture of lectures, seminar discussions, presentations, group work, and independent reading and research. Most lectures are accompanied by assigned readings and an interactive discussion seminar. Seminars are designed to help you solve global health problems through prepared questions, problem-sets based on readings, debates, role-playing, scenario-based sessions, case studies, task-oriented activities, presentations, and group work. 

Assessments on the MSc can include written assignments, unseen written examinations, projects, oral presentations, portfolios, multiple choice quizzes, group work and the written dissertation.

In addition, students undertaking primary data collection as part of the dissertation must submit an ethics form for screening by the UCL Ethics Committee.

Full-time students can typically expect between 10 and 18 contact hours per teaching week through a mixture of lectures, seminars, and tutorials on both core and optional modules. We expect full-time students to then spend between 17 and 25 hours per week in self-directed study. Part-time and flexible students study at a pro-rata rate.

Please note that on both core and optional modules, you should also reserve several hours per week outside of classroom hours for any group work assessments should this be required on the specific module.

In Term 3 and the summer period, you will complete your own dissertation research, keeping regular contact with your dissertation supervisors. You can expect up to 10 hours of contact with your dissertation supervisor during the supervision period which can include meetings, phone calls and emails.

Modules

For full time students, our four core modules will provide you with a comprehensive knowledge base and ability to practically apply skills required for the study of global health. These modules are designed to provide you with an extensive grounding in the key concepts, frameworks and research methods used by global health practitioners and communities.

In Terms 1 and 2, you will extend and deepen your understanding of global health by choosing four optional modules, allowing you to tailor your studies to your research and professional interests in global health.

You will also work on a Dissertation Project throughout Term 1 and Term 2. This project is an exciting opportunity to complete an independent piece of scholarship with guidance from an expert supervisor. You can select the topics and format of your project depending on your research interest including, literature review, action plan, primary data collection or secondary data analysis. The flexibility in the dissertation project offers a further opportunity to align the MSc to your specific areas of interest and career aspirations within global health. 

Over the course of two years part-time you must take 60 credits of compulsory modules, 60 credits of optional modules and 60 credits MSc Dissertation.

In Year 1, you must take a minimum of 90 credits of which a minimum of 30 credits must be taken from the compulsory modules list, and a maximum of 60 credits can be taken from the optional modules list.

In Year 2, you must take a minimum of 90 credits including 60 credits of MSc Dissertation. The remaining 30 credits can be taken from the compulsory or optional modules list.

Over the course of up to five years you must take 60 credits of compulsory modules, 60 credits of optional modules and 60 credits of MSc Dissertation. There is not a prescribed structure for this course and you can take modules as you see fit in your timetable. Programme Directors are available to discuss best options for course structure as needed with modular flexible students.

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 Global Health and Development.

Accessibility

The department will endeavour to make reasonable adjustments for students with disabilities, including those with long-term health conditions, neurodivergence, learning differences and mental health conditions. This list is not exhaustive. If you're unsure of your eligibility for reasonable adjustments at UCL, please contact Student Support and Wellbeing Services.

Reasonable adjustments are implemented on a case-by-case basis. With the student's consent, reasonable adjustments are considered by UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services, and where required, in collaboration with the respective department.

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble. Further information about support available can be obtained from UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services.

For more information about the department and accessibility arrangements for your course, please contact the department.

Visit us

All open days and events

South Cloister, Wilkins Building, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom - Open day

Life and Medical Sciences Postgraduate Open Evening

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Join us on campus to discover our Master’s degrees in Brain Sciences, Life Sciences, Medical Sciences, Medical Engineering, Population Health Sciences and Medical Anthropology. This event is ideal for prospective postgraduate students interested in Brain Sciences, Life Sciences, Medical Sciences, Medical Engineering, Population Health Sciences and Medical Anthropology.

Online - Open day

Graduate Open Events: Global Health and Development MSc

Studying at the Institute for Global Health opens doors to impactful careers across public health, epidemiology, economics, and research. Join our virtual open events to explore our Master’s degrees in Global Health and Development, Health Economics and Decision Science, Applied Infectious Disease Epidemiology, and Global Mental Health. At these events, you will meet Programme Directors, and learn how to make your application stand out.

Watch on demand event

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students
Fee description Full-time Part-time
Tuition fees (2026/27) £16,800 £8,400
Tuition fees (2026/27) £35,400 £17,700

Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.

Postgraduate Taught students benefit from a cohort guarantee, meaning that their tuition fees will not increase during the course of the programme, but UCL reserves the right to increase tuition fees to reflect any sums (including levies, taxes, or similar financial charges) that UCL is required to pay any governmental authority in connection with tuition fees.

The tuition fees shown are for the year indicated above. Where the course 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 with a fee status classification of UK, a fee deposit will be charged at 2.5% of the first year fee.

For full-time and part-time offer holders with a fee status classification of Overseas, a fee deposit will be charged at 10% of the first year fee.

For modular/flexible offer holders with a fee status classification of UK, a £350 deposit will be charged.

For modular/flexible offer holders with a fee status classification of Overseas, a £500 deposit will be charged.

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

All required learning materials are covered by tuition on the course. There may be additional costs should you choose to undertake primary data collection or fieldwork as part of the dissertation (this is not compulsory). These additional costs will vary based on location and may include travelling, accommodation, translation services, etc. This could range from £500 to £5,000 or more.   

The institute offers several competitive travel bursaries each year to cover some of these costs.    

For in-person teaching, 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 £119.90. This price was published by TfL in 2025. 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

Each year a range of scholarships and bursaries are offered to support students during their time of study on the course. You can view our current scholarships on the 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

African Graduate Scholarship

Deadline: 29 May 2026
Value: £40,670 per award (1 year (full-time study))
Criteria Based on both academic merit and financial need
Eligibility: EU, Overseas

Commonwealth Shared Scholarship Scheme (CSSS)

Deadline: 9 December 2025
Value: Full fees, flights, stipend, and other allowances (1 year)
Criteria Based on both academic merit and financial need
Eligibility: EU, Overseas

Institute for Global Health Postgraduate Bursaries

Deadline: 26 June 2026
Value: £2,000 (Duration of study)
Criteria Based on both academic merit and financial need
Eligibility: UK, EU, Overseas

Mukul Madhav Foundation Scholarship

NOW CLOSED FOR 2026/27 ENTRY
Value: Full tuition fees (1 year)
Criteria Based on financial need
Eligibility: EU, Overseas

Office for Health Economics (OHE) MSc Fellowship Programme

Deadline:30 April 2026
Value: Full tuition fee coverage (part-time study) and a monthly stipend of £1,600 during term time. (2 years (part-time study))
Criteria Based on academic merit
Eligibility: UK

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 course 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 Global Health and Development at graduate level.
  • How your academic and professional background meets and has prepared you for the demands of this challenging course.
  • Why you want to study Global Health and Development at UCL.
  • What particularly attracts you to this course and what skills you will bring to the course.
  • 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 course match what the course will deliver.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I choose my four optional modules on the course?

As a student on the MSc in Global Health and Development, you will be able to choose from an impressive and exciting range of optional modules which allow you to design the course according to your research and career in global health. As part of selecting optional modules, all students will be offered time to speak with programme leads during optional module selection clinics where we can provide insight, advice and support on the best optional modules for your future.
 
Are there opportunities for networking with alumni community from the MSc Global Health and Development? 

Yes. As a student on the MSc in Global Health and Development you will have the opportunity to meet and interact with our established and extensive global network of alumni through interactive career and networking events during your time on the course. As a student at the Institute for Global Health, you will also be invited to attend and participate in the IGH Global Health Lecture series which runs throughout the academic year and features lectures and talks by the world’s leading global health researchers.

Please note that you may submit applications for a maximum of two graduate courses (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: 2026-2027

Apply for this course

Got questions? Get in touch

Institute for Global Health
Institute for Global Health

igh.adminpg@ucl.ac.uk

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