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Health Economics and Decision Science MSc

London, Bloomsbury

The UCL MSc in Health Economics and Decision Science spans the disciplines of Economics, Epidemiology, and Statistics, providing students with outstanding theoretical foundations and the ability to solve applied real-world problems. This degree offers a unique multidisciplinary environment for people aiming to tackle global health challenges using advanced quantitative techniques.

UK students International students
Study mode
UK tuition fees (2024/25)
£17,300
£8,650
Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.
Overseas tuition fees (2024/25)
£31,100
£15,550
Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.
Duration
1 calendar year
2 calendar years
5 calendar years
Programme starts
September 2024
Applications accepted
Applicants who require a visa: 16 Oct 2023 – 28 Jun 2024
Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Applicants who do not require a visa: 16 Oct 2023 – 30 Aug 2024
Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Applications will be reviewed in batches. The outcome of applications will be released according to the following timeline: Oct– Dec applicants: End of Feb Jan – Feb applicants: Early Apr March applicants: End of May

Apply for this course

Entry requirements

A minimum of an upper second-class UK Bachelor's degree or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard in economics, statistics, mathematics or a related quantitative field such as epidemiology, engineering or physics.

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.

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


The MSc in Health Economics and Decision Science integrates economics and statistics as applied to health and health care. Students are provided with rigorous, and world-leading foundation skills in health economics and decision science via the completion of core modules, and can gain an advanced level of specialisation by choosing optional modules that further their own special interest areas in the economics of health and health care.

In addition to developing their subject knowledge and skills, students are also provided with opportunities to work collaboratively with others, as well as to lead their own research. All students will graduate with an advanced understanding of how the political, economic, and physical context of health systems frames the application of health economics and decision science to strengthen health systems and achieve equity in health outcomes.

Who this course is for

This programme is intended for applicants with a suitable qualification (see entry requirements) in economics, statistics, mathematics, or a related quantitative field such as epidemiology, engineering, or physics. Candidates with a background in medicine or allied health sciences may be considered if they can demonstrate quantitative proficiency in mathematics and/or statistics at the degree level.

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

What this course will give you

UCL offers a highly multidisciplinary environment in which to study health economics and decision science. The teaching team for this programme comprises economists, statisticians, epidemiologists, mathematicians, and public health doctors, among others. As a world-leading university, we research, publish, and consult on the topics we teach. Our strong links to industry, policy, and academia enhance the relevance of our teaching and the employment opportunities of our graduates.

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

The foundation of your career

As the global population grows and ages, so too does the challenge of providing equitable access to cost-effective healthcare. This MSc has been developed to fill a gap in training and skills in higher education, to embrace the multidisciplinary nature of health economics and decision science and provide you with a solid theoretical foundation - while allowing you to choose specific pathways within which you can focus on either more advanced modelling or advanced applied economics.

Employability

Thanks to longstanding strong links to industry and demand for skills in this area, graduates of this programme have the relevant skills and knowledge for a career within the pharmaceutical industry, local or national government departments, international organisations, think tanks, consultancies, or in academia, among other opportunities such as: the Ministry of Health, Office of Health Economics, UCL, Oxford University, King's College London, Frontier Economics, FIECON, IQVIA, and Evidera.

Networking

The UCL Institute for Global Health 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 which bring together research being done across our three sites and lunchtime lectures featuring the research of the UCL Institute for Global Health staff and doctoral candidates. From 2023, academic staff will be hosting a series of events for students in order to provide informal spaces to discuss ideas, research, and provide career advice.

Teaching and learning

Teaching will be delivered using a wide range of methods including classroom teaching, peer-led seminars, online lectures and practical exercises, moderated debates, group exercises, and reading and writing tasks.

Assessments vary from written examinations to essays, portfolios, coursework, reports, and oral presentations.

Classes take place during business hours. Modules are delivered as blocks of study. The duration of modules ranges from two to eleven weeks.

Core modules are normally taught over five or ten weeks, with 2-4 of lectures and 1-2 hours of tutorials/seminars per week. Optional modules are usually 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).

Modules

For full-time students, you will undertake modules to the value of 180 credits, comprising eight taught modules worth 15 credits each and a substantive piece of student-led research that will carry 60 credits. You must undertake five compulsory modules and three optional modules. Students without an Economics undergraduate degree are required to take the Introductory Microeconomics for Health (GLBH0029) module from the optional modules list.

Upon successful completion of 180 credits within 1 academic year, you will be awarded an MSc in Health Economics and Decision Science.

Students who are reading for this programme part-time are advised to take 90 credits each in their first and second year of study. Students are encouraged to get in touch with one of the Course Directors to discuss their module choices before finalising their selection.

We recommend that students take modules in the following order to ensure that all pre-requisites are met or that threshold knowledge is consolidated before taking advanced modules:

  • Introductory Microeconomics for Health (GLBH0029) followed by Microeconomics for Health (GLBH0030) if you do not have an Economics degree
  • Microeconomics for Health (GLBH0030) and Econometrics for Health (GLBH0028) followed by Health Economics (ECON0069)
  • Statistics for Health Economics (STAT0039) followed by Bayesian Methods in Health Economics (STAT0019) and/or Medical Statistics 2 (STAT0015) for students starting from AY2021/22
  • Economic Evaluation in Health Care (GLBH0022) followed by Modelling for Decision Science (GLBH0031)
  • Dissertation module (GLBH0032) is required to be taken in their final year.

Students are encouraged to reach out to one of the Course Directors or Teaching Administrator for module selection advice before finalising their selection.

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 Health Economics and Decision Science.

Placement

A number of students will have the opportunity to undertake an industry placement over the summer. This will not be assessed as part of the programme and access to placements is voluntary and based on open competition.

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 and Wellbeing team.

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students
Fee description Full-time Part-time
Tuition fees (2024/25) £17,300 £8,650
Tuition fees (2024/25) £31,100 £15,550

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

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

All applicants may apply for the IGH Postgraduate Bursaries.

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: 31 May 20214
Value: £38,000 towards fees, accommodation and living costs (1 year)
Criteria Based on both academic merit and financial need
Eligibility: EU, Overseas

Commonwealth Shared Scholarship Scheme (CSSS)

Deadline: 14 December 2023
Value: Full fees, flights, stipend, and other allowances (1 year)
Criteria Based on both academic merit and financial need
Eligibility: EU, Overseas

Dr Keith Travel Bursary

Value: Varies ()
Criteria Based on academic merit
Eligibility: UK, 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.

In addition to the generic application criteria, applicants to this programme are required to write a 500 word-long dissertation research proposal. Please ensure that the proposal outlines the intended research question, includes a set of objectives, describes the methods you intend to use and suggests where you might find your evidence or data.  You might find it helpful to look at abstracts from open access journal articles to assist you with this task. However, be careful not to copy their wording as this would be considered plagiarism. During your time at UCL you will receive help in refining your topic and you may be able to change your topic if you have new ideas.

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

  • why you want to study Health Economics and Decision Science at graduate level
  • why you want to study Health Economics and Decision Science 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.

We reserve the right to close application early if the programme is full. Applicants are recommended to submit applications early.  

Target Application Results Releasing Timeline

Oct– Dec applicants: End of Feb

Jan – Feb applicants: Early Apr

March applicants: End of May

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: 2024-2025

Apply for this course

Got questions? Get in touch

Institute for Global Health
Institute for Global Health

igh.heds.information@ucl.ac.uk

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