Intercalated Global Public Health BSc (Intercal)

Program Overview

---

Our intercalated BSc in Global Public Health gives students already taking a medical degree the chance to achieve an additional degree in this specialist field in just one year.

Technology and medical science promise improvements to human health. But today’s global health crises and growing inequality remind us that the root causes of good health lie in political, social, legal and economic systems.

We’ll equip you with the knowledge and analytical skills to understand the causes of ill health and consider better policy options. You’ll develop an evidence base from which to advocate on behalf of your patients and communities.

You’ll be taught by academics who are leaders in their field – public health, law, sociology, geography, economics, social policy and clinical medicine – and influential in policy developments in the UK and internationally.

Our teaching emphasises research methods and analytical techniques. Option modules allow you to specialise in areas including gender and sexuality, health systems, and globalisation.

You may also be interested in our MSc Global Public Health and Policy, which is available to study as an intercalated degree after Year 3 of your MBBS Medicine or BDS Dentistry programme.

Find out more at our Intercalated Degrees Fair in January.

Q&As and fair

Join our Q&A sessions or fair to discover more about intercalating at Queen Mary.

Program Outline

Structure

You can start your one-year intercalated Global Public Health BSc after the second, third or fourth years of your MBBS, BDS or BVetMed.

Year 1

---

Year 1

---

Semester 1: All students take four compulsory modules

Epidemiology and Statistics

Health Inequalities and Social Determinants of Health

Health Systems, Policy, and Practice

Research Methods

---

Semester 2: Students write an 8,000 word dissertation and choose two elective modules from

Anthropology and Global Health

Gender, Sexuality and Health

Global Health, Governance and Law

Globalisation and Contemporary Medical Ethics

Health Systems Theory, Policy and Political Economy

Human Rights and Public Health

Planetary Health and Health Policy

Public Health Nutrition

A Life-course Approach to Sexual and Reproductive Health

Medicines and Pharmaceutical Markets

Please note that all modules are subject to change.

---

An intercalated degree will broaden your studies as you gain an additional qualification.

It will also:

strengthen your application if you wish to take the highly competitive academic Foundation Year route into clinical research or education and teaching

help you to progress into postgraduate training within your chosen speciality

develop your scientific awareness, with an opportunity to carry out original research

allow you to experience your chosen field and be sure it’s right for you.

---

Teaching

---

Teaching and learning

Our intercalated students study alongside MSc students. Teaching is through lectures and small-group seminars, giving you the opportunity to develop debating and advocacy skills, and to share insights and experiences with students from around the world.

---

Assessment

You will have one exam for the Epidemiology and Statistics module. The other modules will be assessed through a combination of written assignments and presentations. The programme places a strong emphasis on developing your writing skills.

---

Resources and facilities

The School offers excellent on-campus resources to aid your studies, including:

lecture theatres, seminar rooms, cafés, computer labs, study and social spaces at Whitechapel and Mile End campuses

extensive library facilities – the Queen Mary libraries at Mile End and Whitechapel campuses, large medical archives at The Royal London and Barts hospitals, and access to the University of London library at Senate House.

---

Careers

Your BSc will be an advantage if you later apply for postgraduate training in public health. Your understanding of the wider causes of ill health will be of benefit within all areas of medicine.