Program Overview

MSc Global Public Health

The MSc Global Public Health is a postgraduate course that challenges students to investigate the complex links between population health and the wider economic, social, political, environmental, and commercial determinants that shape human and planetary health in the globalized world.

Overview

The course is based in the School of Health and Social Care at the University of Essex and is designed to equip students with the academic knowledge and skillset to analyze the impact of structural forms of discrimination, including racism and colonialism, on global health. Students will develop a comprehensive and critical understanding of the factors that determine health, decision-making, and priority setting in global health, as well as the governance of health and its effects at individual, societal, national, and global levels.

Course Structure

The course is taught over two years on a part-time basis and consists of a combination of interactive lectures and intensive seminars with practitioners and leading experts. Students can choose to follow one of two specialist pathways: 'Policy and Systems' or 'Intersectional Inequalities and Determinants'.

Entry Requirements

• A 2:2 honours degree, or international equivalent, in a medical, health, social care, or social sciences discipline.
• Alternatively, a 2:2 degree, or equivalent, in one of the following subjects: Biology, Biomedical Sciences, Biotechnology, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Food Science and Technology, Law, Medical Laboratory Science, or Microbiology.
• Applicants with a 3rd class degree, or a 2:2 degree in any other discipline, will be considered on a case-by-case basis and may need to demonstrate at least one year's relevant experience in the field of health policy and systems, the development sector, or in the broad field of public health.

International and EU Entry Requirements

The University of Essex accepts a wide range of qualifications from applicants studying in the EU and other countries. International students are advised to contact the University for information on the qualifications that are accepted.

English Language Requirements

IELTS 6.5 overall with a minimum component score of 5.5. If students do not meet the IELTS requirements, they may be able to complete a pre-sessional English pathway that enables them to start their course without retaking IELTS.

Fees and Funding

• Home/UK fee: Ł5,513 per year
• International fee: Ł11,938 per year
• Fees will increase for each academic year of study.
• There may be scholarships, bursaries, or discounts available to help with the cost of the course.

Teaching

Students can expect to have approximately 6-8 hours of taught hours per week across the two terms of each academic year of study. In the final term, there are fewer contact hours as students are expected to be working on their dissertation.

Dissertation

The dissertation is a research project that students structure and lead, offering the opportunity for in-depth study and analysis of a topic relevant to Global Public Health. Dissertations may take the form of a literature review, quantitative or qualitative analysis of secondary or primary data, or a health policy analysis.

Specialist Facilities

The School of Health and Social Care is located in the Kimmy Eldridge building at the Colchester campus, offering excellent physical and online resources, including libraries, computer labs, datasets, archives, and other research materials.

Your Future

This course will prepare students to evaluate and support the development and implementation of evidence-informed and rights-oriented local, national, and global public health policies and programs. It is likely to be of interest to those already working in or keen to develop a career in public health policy and practice, the health and social care sector, the humanitarian sector, the development sector, or academia.