Global Public Health and Policy MSc

Gain a deeper understanding of the major public health threats faced by humanity. You’ll learn how to design, test and implement interventions to tackle them.<br/><br/>During this specialist masters course, you’ll study urgent and important public health challenges facing societies across the globe. By focusing on the root causes of disease, ill health and injury, you’ll explore how impactful policy can improve lives at community and population level.<br/><br/>You’ll develop your understanding of how geopolitical, social and natural factors may combine to result in situations that cause short and long-term threats to people’s health and wellbeing. These may include global climate change; war and conflict; health inequities; poverty, lifestyle, and access to amenities and services.<br/><br/>**Address the big public health challenges**<br/><br/>Once youve gained the core knowledge needed, youll critically assess the intersection of policymaking and epidemiology. You’ll evaluate how major policies can counteract the effects of key public health challenges, and how to improve and adapt policies and interventions to mitigate future risks. You’ll do this in the context of real-world case studies across topics like:<br/><br/><br/>- managing infectious diseases and vaccine uptake<br/><br/><br/>- contemporary and historic pandemics, including COVID-19<br/><br/><br/>- obesity and nutrition<br/><br/><br/>- tobacco and alcohol use and abuse<br/><br/><br/>Upon successful completion of this course, you’ll have developed the required knowledge and skills to develop, critique and adapt evidence-based public health policy to suit different contexts, countries and regions of the world. You will also have acquired the practical, analytical and evaluative skills to enable you to take up careers in a wide range of public health settings.<br/><br/>This course is informed by the UK Faculty of Public Health Diplomate Examination (DFPH), so it will help to prepare you for these exams. <br/><br/>**Learn from experts in public health**<br/><br/>This course is taught by real-world public health experts, whose knowledge, expertise and industry connections span a range of public health and policy making areas.<br/><br/>Many are current practitioners in the field and have worked on significant projects like the UK’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.<br/><br/>**Complete your studies with a real-world project**<br/><br/>The course ends with either a dissertation or a consultancy project. Both give you the opportunity to apply your newly acquired knowledge to a specific area of public health that interests you or is relevant to your career plans.<br/><br/>Consultancy projects are a practical alternative to a dissertation. They give you the chance to work on a project with an external organisation, using the skills and knowledge you’ll gain during your studies. You’ll conduct appropriate research, analyse data and share your solution as a written report and presentation.<br/><br/>Youll work either alone or as part of a group with one of our external partners*. These span the public health industry, both in the UK and overseas. Previous students have completed projects with organisations like Healthwatch and Public Health Wales.<br/><br/>A dissertation gives you the opportunity to methodically explore an area of public health youre interested in and demonstrate your research skills. You will be assigned a supervisor from within our academic team to support you throughout your dissertation.<br/><br/><br/>* Consultancy project numbers are limited each year. Youll receive support from us throughout your application. If you cannot secure a suitable project, you can instead complete a dissertation.<br/><br/><br/>**Graduate prospects**<br/><br/>With a strong grounding in public health and health policy, as well as practical research skills, youll be well equipped to respond to public health challenges in a range of sectors and contexts.<br/><br/>You could go on to work as an epidemiologist, health scientist, public health advisor or practitioner, field consultant, global health educator, policy analyst, environmental health practitioner or NGO aid worker.