Program Overview

MSc Health Policy, Planning and Financing

The MSc Health Policy, Planning and Financing is a joint programme offered by the London School of Economics (LSE) and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM). This programme equips students to critically analyse and design health policies for impactful contributions to health systems.

Overview

The programme enables students to devise appropriate health policy responses and make valuable contributions to local, national, or international health services and systems. Students will benefit from the expertise, resources, and networks available at both institutions.

What You'll Learn

• Critically understand a diverse range of international and national health policies, including current and emerging trends.
• Gain knowledge of selected topics related to the study of health policy, planning, and financing, such as epidemiology, health economics, and social sciences.
• Develop skills in applying conceptual and theoretical knowledge using a multidisciplinary approach to formulate, design, implement, evaluate, and appraise health policies and plans.
• Know how to assess and communicate empirical evidence, including critically appraising debates relevant to issues of health policy.
• Grow your research and presentation skills, including the ability to plan and carry out a literature search to evaluate research findings.

Entry Requirements

You must satisfy the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine general entrance requirements and the additional programme-specific entrance requirements to be considered for admission.

Programme Content

You'll take the LSE course Financing Health Care, and one compulsory choice between two options at LSHTM. In addition, you'll choose courses from a range of possible combinations at both LSE and LSHTM. Finally, you'll complete a 10,000-word dissertation on any topic in the field.

Key Information

• Study Mode/Programme Availability: Home full-time students (12 months), Home part-time students (24 months), Overseas full-time students (12 months).
• Academic Year: 2026/27.
• Start Date: 28 September 2026.
• Location: Houghton Street (LSE), Keppel Street (LSHTM), London.
• Application Deadline: None – rolling admissions. However, please note the funding deadlines.

Why Study with Us

Discover more about our students and department. The programme is ideal for anyone interested in understanding policy making for health services from a nuanced position, to make effective decisions in the delivery of health services in low-, middle-, and high-income settings.

Fees and Funding

The table of fees shows the latest tuition fees for all programmes. You're charged a fee for your programme, which covers registration and examination fees payable to the School, lectures, classes, and individual supervision.

Learning and Assessment

• How You Learn: Contact hours and independent study. Teaching methods include lectures, classes, seminars, or workshops.
• How You're Assessed: All taught courses are required to include formative coursework which is unassessed. Summative assessment may be conducted during the course or by final examination at the end of the course.

Graduate Destinations

Career destinations after graduation are wide and varied, reflecting the diverse international mix and multi-disciplinary nature of the Health Policy, Planning, and Financing class. Graduates from the programme are typically employed by national governments, international organisations, research/management consultancy, industry, and the voluntary sector.

Related Programmes

• MSc Global Health Policy
• MSc International Health Policy
• MSc International Health Policy (Health Economics)
• MSc Health Data Science
• MSc Health and International Development
• Master of Public Administration
• Master of Public Policy

About LSE

The London School of Economics and Political Science is a world-leading centre for research and teaching in the social sciences. Our research feeds into our multidisciplinary teaching, with an emphasis on health and social care policy, health economics, and management. We offer a range of postgraduate master’s programmes and our MPhil/PhD programme. Students learn about healthcare systems around the world and develop skills that can be applied in many different contexts. Our goal is to prepare the healthcare leaders of tomorrow for challenging and rewarding careers.