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Contact information
- Dr Stephen Jivraj
- Programme Director
- bscpopulationhealth@ucl.ac.uk
- +44 (0)20 7679 1721
Population Health BSc
This ground breaking interdisciplinary programme provides a grounding in the different social science disciplines used to study population health, preparing you for research and professional practice in the health sector and beyond.
Covid-19 programme updates
Due to COVID-19, there may have been updates to this programme for the 2020 academic year. Where there has been an update, these are indicated with a red alert and a link which will provide further information.
Key Information
Programme starts
September 2020
- UCAS code
- Duration
-
Full-time: 3 years
- Application deadline
- 15 January 2020
- Location
- London, Bloomsbury
Entry requirements
A Levels
- Grades
- ABB
- Subjects
- No specific subjects.
- At least two A level subjects should be taken from UCL's list of preferred A level subjects.
- GCSEs
- English Language at grade C or 5, plus Mathematics or Statistics at grade C or 5. For UK-based students, a grade C or 5 or equivalent in a foreign language (other than Ancient Greek, Biblical Hebrew or Latin) is required. UCL provides opportunities to meet the foreign language requirement following enrolment, further details at: www.ucl.ac.uk/ug-reqs
Contextual offer
- Grades
- BBB (more about contextual offers)
- Subjects
- No specific subjects.
- GCSEs
- English Language at grade C or 5, plus Mathematics or Statistics at grade C or 5. For UK-based students, a grade C or 5 or equivalent in a foreign language (other than Ancient Greek, Biblical Hebrew or Latin) is required. UCL provides opportunities to meet the foreign language requirement following enrolment, further details at: www.ucl.ac.uk/ug-reqs
IB Diploma
- Points
- 34
- Subjects
- A score of 16 points in three higher level subjects, with no score lower than 5.
Contextual offer
- Points
- 32 (more about contextual offers)
- Subjects
- A score of 15 points in three higher level subjects, with no score lower than 5.
UK applicants qualifications
For entry requirements with other UK qualifications accepted by UCL, choose your qualification from the list below:
Equivalent qualification
BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma (QCF) or BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (RQF - teaching from 2016) with Distinction, Distinction, Distinction.
Pass in Access to HE Diploma, with a minimum of 28 credits awarded with Merit in the Level 3 units.
D3,M1,M1 in three Cambridge Pre-U Principal Subjects
ABB at Advanced Highers (or A,B at Advanced Higher and B,B,B at Higher)
Successful completion of the WBQ Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate plus 2 GCE A-Levels at grades ABB.
International applications
In addition to A level and International Baccalaureate, UCL considers a wide range of international qualifications for entry to its undergraduate degree programmes.
English language requirements
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. Information about the evidence required, acceptable qualifications and test providers can be found on our English language requirements page.
The English language level for this programme is: Good (Advanced for GCSE/IGCSE)
A variety of English language programmes are offered at the UCL Centre for Languages & International Education.
Degree benefits
World-leading researchers will immerse you through the social, economic and demographic distribution of health and disease, and show you how to analyse big data to address health inequalities.
Provide you with the opportunity to develop transferable skills that are prized by graduate employers, from international NGOs to local start ups.
Select between a data science pathway and a core population health pathway.
Specialise in the element of population health that interest you most, including genomics, child health, population ageing, health psychology, qualitative methods, and health economics.
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Degree structure
In each year of your degree you will take a number of individual modules, normally valued at 15 or 30 credits, adding up to a total of 120 credits for the year. Modules are assessed in the academic year in which they are taken. The balance of compulsory and optional modules varies from programme to programme and year to year. A 30-credit module is considered equivalent to 15 credits in the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS).
In each year of your degree you will take a number of individual modules, normally valued at 15 or 30 credits, adding up to a total of 120 credits for the year. Modules are assessed in the academic year in which they are taken. The balance of compulsory and optional modules varies from programme to programme and year to year. A 30-credit module is considered equivalent to 15 credits in the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS).
Through progression from year to year, the programme provides increased opportunity for specialisation in population health.
Compulsory modules in years one and two provide breadth and depth in understanding how global health and disease are measured and analysed.
You will receive applied statistical training in all years, bringing UCL’s unparalleled data access and understanding of theory together in a hands-on learning environment.
Modules
An indicative guide to the structure of this programme, year by year.
Core or compulsory module(s)
Epidemiological Transition
Measuring Population Health
Research Methods in Population Health
Social Determinants of Health
Optional modules
Introduction to Quantitative Research Methods
Principles of Social Science Research
Perspectives on Global Health
Statistics for Population Health (*This module is suspended for 2020-21)
Core or compulsory module(s)
Acute and Chronic Infectious Diseases
Data Analysis
Health Demography
The Life Course
Frontiers of Knowledge in Population Health
Optional modules
You will select at least one of the following optional modules:
Health and Behaviour
Social Theory
Qualitative Research Methods
In addition, students will be able to choose a module from other UCL departments.
Core or compulsory module(s)
Advanced Topics in Data Analysis
Causal Analysis: Observational Data
Population Health dissertation
Optional modules
You will select 60 credits of optional modules from the following:
Population Ageing
Genomics, Health and Society
Health Economics
Health Psychology
Child and Adolescent Public Health
Study Abroad
In addition, students will be able to choose from a wide range of modules in other UCL departments.
Covid-19 module updates
Due to COVID-19, there may be updates to the modules for your chosen programme of study this year. Some modules may not be available or may need to be moved to a later term or year of study. We have included these updates below:
The Life Course (IEHC0030) will be available in year 1.
These updates are relevant for 2020-21 academic year only. The full list of modules will be available in the module catalogue from late August. From the first week of September, you will be invited to complete module selection from Portico, our student record system.
There may need to be additional updates or changes to modules during the academic year to allow for new guidance from the UK Government and Public Health England. Your department shall keep you updated of these changes as they become available.
Your learning
Teaching will be delivered through lectures, problem-based seminars, practical computer laboratory classes, group working and through UCL's virtual learning environment. Students will be able to access materials online, where they will also be able to interact with programme tutors and fellow students.
Covid-19 practical component updates
Due to COVID-19, there may be changes to the availability of the practical components for your chosen programme.
Any updates relate only to the 20/21 academic year and may not apply to all students across the programme depending on your year of study.
Your department will keep you updated if the practical component of your programme is able to occur and/or any alternative options available.
There may need to be additional updates or changes to the practical component during the academic year to allow for new guidance from the UK Government and/or Public Health England. Your department shall keep you updated of these changes as they become available.
Covid-19 contact hours on campus
In Term One, while campus will be open, all the learning activity for the core content of your modules will take place online – including lectures, tutorials, seminars and assessments. By “core content” we mean everything you need to learn to complete the module successfully.
In addition to these online contact hours, we will be offering some face-to-face educational activities for students on campus, and we will provide alternative online activities for those students unable to join us on campus. These activities, which will include contact with academic staff, will be relevant to your programme of study may include seminars, academic and employability skills workshops, small-group or individual tutorials, lab and practice-based teaching.
UK Government safety guidelines will limit the amount of ‘in person’ activity we can offer and while it will vary from programme to programme, is likely to be no more than 1-2 hours per week. This will vary across departments, particularly if your programme includes laboratory/practical/studio/workshop sessions. You will be updated with more specific details as they are available and your timetable will indicate which sessions will be on campus and which will be available online.
Communicating further Covid-19 mitigation plans
We are continuing to follow UK Government guidance, as well as the expertise of our researchers, including specialists in health, education, human behaviour and infection prevention, to make sure UCL is as safe as possible during the COVID-19 pandemic. If it becomes necessary to make further changes to your programme as a result of new guidance/regulations, UCL and your department will communicate these as soon as this becomes clear. We will keep you up-to-date with our plans throughout term one, so you have the information you need to be able to take decisions that are right for your circumstances. Please ensure that you keep in touch with your department by regularly checking your UCL emails, Moodle courses, the Coronavirus FAQs for Students page and any UCL online groups or social media you follow.
Assessment
Assessment takes place via various methods including examinations, practical exercises, essays, individual and group presentations and a dissertation in the final year of study. The weight given to each method will vary to ensure manageable workloads throughout the programme. Modules are assessed in the academic year in which they are taken.
Covid-19 assessment updates
There may be changes to the format of assessments for modules in this programme due to COVID-19. These will be summarised for each module on the module catalogue from 17 August 2020.
If any changes to assessments need to be made during the academic year due to updates in government guidance, these will be communicated to you as soon as possible from your department.
Detailed course descriptions are available on the department website: Population Health BSc.
Careers
On graduation, you will be empowered with the knowledge and skills to anticipate and address the social, economic and healthcare needs of the future, from the local to the global whilst also being prepared for the graduate labour market more broadly.
BSc Population Health graduate have been successful in employability in a wide range of sectors. Our graduates are working in public health, private health consultancy, legal services, financial services and education. Some have undertaken postgraduate study in epidemiology, international healthcare management, management studies, and gender studies.
UCL is committed to helping you get the best start after graduation. Read more about how UCL Careers and UCL Innovation and Enterprise can help you find employment or learn about entrepreneurship.
UCL is commited to helping you get the best start after graduation. Read more about how UCL Careers and UCL Innovation and Enterprise can help you find employment or learn about entrepreneurship.
Student view
“Studying Population Health has allowed me to have a deeper understanding of the factors that affect health beyond the medical realm. In particular, I have enjoyed learning about the control of infectious disease via modern mortality regimes. ”Sangeeta Das - Population Health BSc First Year
Fees and funding
Tuition fees
The fees indicated are for undergraduate entry in the 2020/21 academic year. The UK/EU fees shown are for the first year of the programme at UCL only. Fees for future years may be subject to an inflationary increase. The Overseas fees shown are the fees that will be charged to 2020/21 entrants for each year of study on the programme, unless otherwise indicated below.
- UK/EU students
- £9,250 (2020/21)
- Overseas students
- £25,500 (2020/21)
Full details of UCL's tuition fees, tuition fee policy and potential increases to fees can be found on the UCL Students website.
Additional costs
If you are concerned by potential additional costs for books, equipment, etc. on this programme, please get in touch with the relevant departmental contact (details given on this page).
Funding
Various funding options are available, including student loans, scholarships and bursaries. UK students whose household income falls below a certain level may also be eligible for a non-repayable bursary or for certain scholarships. Please see the Fees and funding pages for more details.
Departmental scholarships
Funding opportunities relevant to the department may appear in this section when they are available. Please check carefully or confirm with the programme contact to ensure they apply to this degree programme.
The Scholarships and Funding website lists scholarships and funding schemes available to UCL students. These may be open to all students, or restricted to specific nationalities, regions or academic department.
Application and next steps
Your application
The programme will require students to demonstrate critical reasoning and independent decision-making to address complicated problems in population health. You should be interested in exploring pertinent issues including health inequalities, ageing populations and expanding health economies. You will be required to show how you can work effectively when working independently and as part of a group to meet challenging deadlines for course assessment.
How to apply
Application for admission should be made through UCAS (the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service). Applicants currently at school or college will be provided with advice on the process; however, applicants who have left school or who are based outside the United Kingdom may obtain information directly from UCAS.
Application deadline: 15 January 2020
Selection
We realise that applicants may write their UCAS personal statement about an interest in subject(s) in other departments or institutions. For that reason, we invite you to write a statement outlining your interest in population health, in addition to the main UCAS personal statement. This can be sent to undergraduate-admissions@ucl.ac.uk and should include your UCAS application number.
If you fulfil our entry criteria and are resident in the UK, you will be invited to a taster day. Here you can meet staff, ask questions and discuss the programme. If you are resident outside the UK you will be invited to a Skype discussion.
For further information on UCL's selection process see: Selection of students.
Page last modified on 11 August 2020