Health, Technology and Public Policy MPA

London, Bloomsbury

The Health, Technology and Public Policy MPA brings together critical concepts that enable you to understand the impact of health technologies and health innovations. Taught at UCL by established health, technology and policy experts and practitioners, this programme gives future decision-makers in the public, private, and not-for-profit sectors the skills and knowledge needed to influence public policy to make healthcare better for all.

UK students International students
Study mode
UK tuition fees (2024/25)
£25,900
£12,950
Overseas tuition fees (2024/25)
£34,400
£17,200
Duration
1 calendar year
2 calendar years
Programme starts
September 2024
Applications accepted
Applicants who require a visa: 16 Oct 2023 – 31 May 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

Entry requirements

A minimum of an upper second-class Bachelor's degree from a UK university in a relevant discipline or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard. Students are encouraged (but are not required) to have work experience prior to enrolling on this programme.

The English language level for this programme is: Level 4

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

Health technologies and public policy tools can protect, strengthen and prepare countries to deal with emerging and persistent health challenges. Yet the successful implementation of these technologies and tools relies on a deep understanding of the ethical, scientific, policy, social and economic implications of their development and use. This MPA programme focuses on the public policy and public administration implications of health technologies (and vice-versa) enabling you to navigate the dynamic interface between health technologies, health innovations, health systems and public policy.

Taught at a global top 10 university (QS World University Rankings 2023), this programme is run by UCL Science, Technology, Engineering and Public Policy (STEaPP) – a department founded on the principal that science, technology and engineering expertise are vital to tackling today’s most pressing global challenges. Throughout this programme, you will learn how to mobilise science, technology and engineering through policy. You will understand options for regulating fast-changing technology, get to grips with the role of technology in delivering healthcare, and develop the diplomacy to navigate stakeholder concerns and engage with the health sector, as well as science, technology, engineering and public audiences. A week-long policymaking scenario activity and a nine-month project on a policy challenge with a real-world client provide invaluable hands-on experience to cement this.

An applied degree that is unique among the health-related postgraduate programmes at UCL through its multidisciplinary, experiential learning approach, the Health, Technology and Public Policy MPA will enable you to shape health delivery systems in the current context of rapid technological and epidemiological change.

Who this course is for

This programme is for professionals at any stage of their career, who have an interest in working on issues that can impact health, health technologies and public policy. The MPA has relevance in the private sector, the public sector, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and development agencies. The degree is also suitable for academics seeking to advance their cross-disciplinary understanding of health, technology and public policy.

What this course will give you

This MPA brings theories and concepts together with real-world case studies from the past and present day. The focus of learning on this degree is through inquiry, and you will apply and interrogate different concepts and tools in relation to scenarios that span health, technology and public policy. You’ll develop the skills that science-policy practitioners need to cope with the complexities of governance today, understanding the challenges faced by policymakers in establishing, sustaining, and reconfiguring healthcare services.

Both the scenario activities and the major project provide compelling opportunities to consolidate knowledge, work on actual policy issues with a real organisation, and build career-enhancing relationships with our broad range of international partners. Furthermore, the programme is taught by transdisciplinary experts from UCL STEaPP and across UCL, who have vast global experience in academia, plus public, private and civil society sectors that work on health, technology and public policy.

Many of our MPA candidates see the real-world impact of their work while studying with us, including publication in peer-reviewed journals and working with policymakers.

The foundation of your career

As a graduate of this programme, you will have the skills needed to work in any organisation that brings together science with policy. In particular, you will have a solid ability to evaluate and apply science, technology and engineering knowledge for public policy and decision-making concerning healthcare systems. Graduates will have the ability to thrive in legislative, regulatory or policy analysis work. Strong communication skills to engage on interdisciplinary topics with a variety of stakeholders are beneficial for a number of sectors and workplaces.

Graduates of this degree are suited to work in health-related and allied international development organisations, government departments, supranational and global agencies, corporate regulatory affairs departments, in advocacy groups, think tanks or consultancy firms. The fast-paced nature of this field means there are opportunities for further academic research too.

Employability

When you graduate from the Health, Technology and Public Policy MPA, you will bring a unique breadth of in-demand and transferable skills to future employers.

As well as rigorous analytical, evaluation and communication skills, you will be able to champion co-design processes to explore and deliver the best solutions for all. You will have the skills to execute policy appraisals and critically reflect on different analytical methods. You will also be able to digest and translate large quantities of scientific and technical research into public policy and decision-making contexts. In addition, all graduates from this programme have the ability to build effective networks, engage with diverse stakeholder groups and employ problem-solving skills to a range of real-world problems.

The special focus of this MPA on combining tools from science, technology, engineering and public policy mean you will be well-equipped to shape and drive decision-making wherever you go to seek employment.

Networking

You will have access to various networking opportunities including: participation in STEaPP's Health Research Cluster; participation in relevant departmental and faculty seminars; leveraging our location to facilitate exposure visits to health facilities, policy organisations and industry; and opportunities for co-publishing with faculty and other cohort members.

Teaching and learning

The programme combines practice-oriented classroom teaching methods with scenario-based learning, enabling you to engage with real-world policy challenges that matter to you personally. Taught sessions are comprised of lecture-style content, class discussions and group activities. These sessions are highly interactive and draw on experiential learning to develop students' competence and confidence to apply the module content within real-world contexts. These scenarios and simulations are designed to help you consolidate your knowledge, develop essential practical skills and text your understanding of principles — preparing you to be an influential policy actor.

The MPA is highly interdisciplinary and brings together students from a range of backgrounds to tackle complex policy challenges. The teaching approach provided by STEaPP is both experiential and applied, focusing on developing candidates’ skills and responsibility for building justice and equity in chosen domains. The MPA programmes are professional degrees, that will allow candidates to build not only competencies and knowledge but networks that will be of tremendous value throughout their careers.

The programmes combine practice-oriented classroom teaching methods with scenario-based learning, enabling candidates to engage with real-world policy challenges that matter to them personally. These scenarios and simulations are designed to help candidates consolidate their knowledge, develop essential practical skills and test their understanding of principles – preparing candidates to be an influential policy actor.

Candidates will be assessed primarily through a series of problem-oriented projects (including both presentational components and submitted materials), complemented by short written assignments, scenarios and simulations. The final project will include a longer written report, often for or with a professional partner organisation.

Content for this programme is delivered through lectures, workshops and practical classes. Contact time takes a variety of forms, including lectures, seminars, tutorials, scenario-based learning, office hours (where staff are available for consultation), email, videoconference, or other media, and situations where feedback on assessed work is given (one-to-one or in a group). This is supplemented by self-directed learning to build up knowledge and skills, as well as projects to put learning into real-world practice.

Each module has a credit value that indicates the average learning hours you will spend on the required content. One credit typically equates to 10 hours of learning, which includes all contact time, self-directed study, and assessment.

The contact time for each of your 15 credit taught modules will typically include 22-30 hours of teaching activity (classroom based and/or online) over the term of its delivery, with the balance then comprised of self-directed learning and working on your assessments. You will have ongoing contact with teaching staff via each module’s online discussion forum, which is typically used for discussing and clarifying concepts or assessment matters, and will have the opportunity to access additional support via regular office hours with module leaders and programme directors.

Your project module is a 60-credit individual or group project, and will include regular contact with your project academic supervisor(s) and partner organisation, who will guide and support you throughout your project. You will dedicate most of your time on this module to carrying out research in connection with your project and writing up your final report.

Modules

The programme consists of eight 15 credit modules (three of which are common across the MPA suite of programmes, two are route specific and three are elective choices from other STEaPP modules). Students may choose either an MPA group project or the MPA individual project as their final 60 credit module.

You will study four modules in term one and four in term two. Term three and Summer are designated for the MPA group project and the MPA individual project.

The part-time version of the MPA follows the same structure as the full-time programme but with credits of study in each year.

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 MPA in Health, Technology and Public Policy.

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.

Online - Open day

Graduate Open Events: STEaPP MPA

Do you want to lead change, and help to change the world for the better? Join us at our MPA Virtual Open Event to learn about our MPA programmes, which will provide you with the skills needed to work at the interface between science, technology, engineering and public policy.

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students
Fee description Full-time Part-time
Tuition fees (2024/25) £25,900 £12,950
Tuition fees (2024/25) £34,400 £17,200

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 are no additional costs associated with the programme.

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

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

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 assessing your application, the MPA Admissions Panel are particularly looking to understand:

  • why you want to study health, technology and public policy at graduate level
  • what particularly attracts you to the programme at UCL
  • how your academic and professional background and interests meet the demands of this challenging programme
  • where you would like to go professionally with your degree and how the MPA fits with your career goals.
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 (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

UCL is regulated by the Office for Students.