Program Overview

Master of Medical Sciences in Global Health Delivery

The Master of Medical Sciences in Global Health Delivery (MMSc-GHD) program is designed for mid-career professionals with experience in global health settings. The program focuses on health care delivery in resource-limited settings and requires a mentored project, resulting in a publishable paper or grant proposal.

Overview

• The MMSc-GHD program is a residential program that requires students to complete courses in Boston during year 1, conduct research at their sites, and then return to Boston to analyze their thesis data, write their thesis paper, and present their thesis results.
• The program is based on a five-month mentored field project and offers courses on epidemiological methods, social medicine, and ethics.
• The focus of the program is on how to deliver excellent care to populations in resource-limited settings, such as Haiti, Liberia, Malawi, the Navajo Nation, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, and others.

Admission Criteria

• The prerequisites for the MMSc-GHD program are an undergraduate degree and two years of experience in health care delivery in a resource-limited setting.
• A clinical degree is not required to apply to the program, but many applicants have attained a clinical degree.
• The admissions committee considers how well an applicant's experience, research interests, and future plans match the purpose of the program.

Program Details

• The program is an intensive program requiring a significant time commitment, equivalent to 80% of a full-time program.
• Students who are eligible to work in the US may choose to work during the program, but must ensure that they complete all requirements for the MMSc-GHD program in good time.
• The program cannot assist students in finding employment nor make any special allowances for students who choose to work while completing the program.

Research Areas

• The MMSc-GHD program focuses on health care delivery in resource-limited settings, including:
  • Epidemiological methods
  • Social medicine
  • Ethics
  • Global health delivery
  • Health care delivery in resource-limited settings

Tuition Fees

• A budget/Cost of Attendance for the program is available on the Harvard Medical School Masters Cost of Attendance page.

Scholarships and Fellowships

• There is very limited scholarship funding available directly through the Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, and funding cannot be guaranteed to any accepted student.
• Potential applicants are urged to research other potential opportunities, such as:
  • The Fulbright Program
  • The HMS Financial Aid office offers loan options for U.S. citizens and international students.

Program Schedule

• The program schedule is available on the "apply to the MMSc in Global Health Delivery program" page.

Part-time Option

• A part-time option is available for the MMSc-GHD program, but only for U.S. citizens due to U.S. visa laws.

Transfer Credits

• Harvard schools do not allow credit used to complete one program to count toward credits required for another program.
• Most Harvard schools do not allow students to transfer credits from programs at other schools, even those within Harvard.

STEM Program

• The MMSc-GHD program has a CIP code of 26.0509 Infectious Disease and Global Health and is therefore considered a program on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).
• Eligible graduates who are not US citizens can apply for the STEM extension of 2 years of work eligibility in the US after post-completion OPT, which means a graduate may work up to 3 years in the US after graduation.