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Global Health and Development MSc

London, Bloomsbury

The MSc in Global Health and Development is a multidisciplinary programme (drawing on epidemiology, anthropology, sociology, psychology, economics, political science and government, gender studies, critical theory etc.) that provides comprehensive training in how to address the world’s most complex and pressing health issues with an emphasis on low- and middle-income countries. You are provided with foundational training in the critical evaluation of research evidence, health systems strengthening, and global health policy. The programme’s extensive range of optional modules offers the opportunity to tailor the MSc to your desired areas of specialisation whether you are interested in research and evaluation, policy formulation, advocacy, or the implementation of global health programmes in resource-limited settings.

UK students International students
Study mode
UK tuition fees (2022/23)
£12,900
£6,450
Programme fees on a modular (flexible) basis.
Overseas tuition fees (2022/23)
£26,600
£13,300
Programme fees on a modular (flexible) basis.
Duration
1 calendar year
2 calendar years
5 calendar years
Programme starts
September 2022
Applications accepted
All applicants: 18 Oct 2021 – 30 Jun 2022

Applications closed

Notification

Application closes at 17:00 GMT.

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 heath 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.

If your education has not been conducted in the English language, you will be expected to demonstrate evidence of an adequate level of English proficiency.

The English language level for this programme is: Good

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. International Preparation Courses

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 programme takes a unique cross-disciplinary approach to global health and attracts students from a range of academic and professional backgrounds. You can craft a programme of study that suits your interests and which will help you become better global health practitioners wherever you work in the world.

Who this course is for

Graduates of this programme include students from more than 70 countries and from a variety of academic and professional backgrounds including development practitioners, medical doctors, nurses, researchers and non-governmental organisation workers. This increases opportunities to learn from other students' skills and experiences.

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

What this course will give you

UCL offers a multidisciplinary approach to studying global health. You will work alongside teachers, researchers and other students from a diverse range of disciplines and be taught by experts from several of UCL's faculties. These may include health policy specialists, economists, philosophers, lawyers, political scientists, geographers, clinicians, nutritionists, anthropologists, and epidemiologists. We place particular emphasis on research-based teaching, and our academics use their current research as case studies.

The MSc in Global Health and Development will provide you with the following skills and capacities:

1. A comprehensive understanding of the main theoretical approaches to global health and development and the ability to critically analyse them.

2. Experience working with quantitative/ qualitative or mixed methods research methodologies and an understanding of their application in global health settings.

3. The capacity to communicate effectively both orally and in writing about global health topics and research.

4. Collaborate in a team and across disciplines in addressing complex global health challenges.

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

The foundation of your career

The programme is designed to teach you how to apply different disciplinary perspectives to global health issues. The modules draw on different approaches to assessing your skills and knowledge in order to develop the diverse set of skill needed for work in global health, including: presentations, team work, applying theory to practice, project management and planning, policy analysis, time management, and critical thinking. These skills are relevant for a wide range of careers within global health, including: research and evaluation, policy formulation and advocacy, and programme planning and implementation.

Employability

Alumni from the MSc in Global Health and Development have pursued careers in government, NGO and for profit sectors. They have taken on roles at national and international levels as programme managers, policy advisers and advocacy leaders, researchers, advisors for Ministries of Health, consultants, programme officers, and so on. Others have decided to pursue a career in academia by completing a PhD after their MSc. The MSc in Global Health and Development alumni network is global, dynamic and continuously expanding. The alumni network provides the chance for students to engage and interact with leaders in global health throughout the academic year in a number of networking and social events.

Teaching and learning

The programme is taught with an emphasis on collaborative and co-operative learning to ensure that you enter the workforce capable of joining projects and programmes where working in teams is important.

Assessments may include written assignments, unseen written examinations, projects, oral presentations, portfolios, multiple choice questions, 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.

Core modules are normally taught over five weeks.

Optional modules are offered in two formats: long  (three hours per week over 10 weeks) or short (three weeks, with teaching in the first two weeks on Monday, Tuesday and Friday and the third week is for self-study).

A Postgraduate Diploma (120 credits, nine months full-time, two to five years flexible study) is offered. Students take four core modules (60 credits) and four optional modules (60 credits).

Modules

For full time students, in term one, you will be introduced to the most recent and pressing issues defining global health in Concepts and Controversies in Global Health, alongside the study of Research Methods and Evidence for Global Health, Health Systems in a Global Context, and Power and Politics in Global Health. These four compulsory modules provide a foundation for the MSc and expose you to the different conceptual frameworks used by global health practitioners to understand and assess the causes and consequences of poor health outcomes globally.

Terms 2 and 3 provide an opportunity to take the concepts learned in term one and further refine your study with a focus on a more specific area. You can choose from a diverse range of optional modules, which offer the possibility to tailor the programme to your own interests and prepare for your final Dissertation Project.

Alongside your taught modules, you will work on your Dissertation Project throughout terms 2 and 3. This project is an opportunity to complete an independent piece of scholarship with guidance from an expert supervisor, and can be a literature review, an original piece of research (including primary data collection or secondary data analysis), or an action plan. The flexibility in the dissertation project offers yet another opportunity to tailor the MSc to your specific areas of interest within global health.   

Programme structure (Part-time)

Over the course of 2 years students must take 60 credits of compulsory modules, 60 credits of optional modules and 60 credits MSc Dissertation

In year 1, students 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, students 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.

Programme Structure (Modular/flexible)

Over the course of up to five years students 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 programme and students can take modules as they fit in their timetable.

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 is subject to change.

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. Upon successful completion of 120 credits, you will be awarded a PG Dip in Global Health and Development.

Accessibility

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble accessable.co.uk. Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support & Wellbeing team.

Visit us

All open days and events

Online - Open day

Graduate Open Events: MSc Health Economics and Decision Science

Listen to our virtual graduate open event to learn more about our MSc Health Economics and Decision Science programme, meet our programme leads and hear the answers to the questions you may have about studying at the UCL Institute for Global Health.

Watch on demand event

Online - Open day

Graduate Open Events: MSc Applied Infectious Disease Epidemiology

Listen to our virtual graduate open event to learn more about our MSc Applied Infectious Disease Epidemiology programme, meet our programme leads and hear the answers to the questions you may have about studying at the UCL Institute for Global Health.

Watch on demand event

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students
Fee description Full-time Part-time
Tuition fees (2022/23) £12,900 £6,450
Tuition fees (2022/23) £26,600 £13,300

Programme fees 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

There may be additional costs for students undertaking primary data collection or secondary data analysis as part of the dissertation. Additional costs may include travelling, accommodation, translation services, etc. The department offers several competitive travel bursaries each year to cover some of these costs.  

For more information on additional costs for prospective students please go to our estimated cost of essential expenditure at Accommodation and living costs.

Funding your studies

Find here information about bursaries and scholarships offered by the Institute for Global Health https://www.ucl.ac.uk/global-health/study/fees-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)

Applications for this scholarship are now closed for 2021/22
Value: Full fees, flights, stipend, and other allowances (1 year)
Criteria Based on both academic merit and financial need
Eligibility: EU, 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 and £115 for paper 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 the demands of this challenging programme
  • why you want to study Global Health and Development at UCL
  • what particularly attracts you to this 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.

Please note that you may submit applications for a maximum of two graduate programmes in any application cycle.

Got questions? Get in touch

Institute for Global Health Department
Institute for Global Health Department

igh.prospective@ucl.ac.uk

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