Public Health (MSc, Postgraduate Diploma & Postgraduate Certificate)
Is this course for me?
The MSc in Public Health provides you with the knowledge and skills to address diverse public health issues in low, middle and high income settings. The diverse curriculum allows you to opt for a broad range of knowledge or to concentrate on specialised areas. The four streams on offer include a general Public Health stream and three specialist streams:
- Environment and Health
- Health Promotion
- Health Services Management
Applicants to these courses come from diverse backgrounds. Many are health professionals working at a service or policy level, while others wish to obtain public health skills that they can apply to their work in development, community services, government, research or teaching.
Course aims
By the end of this course, you will gain:
- the knowledge and skills to contribute to the health of populations, communities and disadvantaged groups.
-
the ability to apply the core disciplines of public health (statistics, epidemiology, health
economics and social research) to real world health problems. - a deeper understanding of public health issues and an academic qualification that will enhance your career development in health-related fields.
Course summary
| You study | Study period | Cost (2012-2013) | |
| MSc | EITHER 14 modules OR 11 modules plus a project report | 2-5 years | £11,400 |
| Postgraduate Diploma | 8 modules | 2-5 years | £9,010 |
| Postgraduate Certificate | 4 modules | 1-5 years | £6,610 |
| Individual modules | Studying individual modules is an ideal option if you wish to update your professional knowledge or sample the programme. The fee is £1,575 per module (or £1,050 for PHM1 modules only). | ||
Prestige
The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) is the leading postgraduate medical institution in Europe in the subjects of public health and tropical medicine.
Excellent support
Comprehensive study materials include textbooks, paper-based readings and exercises, and CD-ROMs (for some modules). There is email tutorial support and group discussions through web-based and email conferencing facilities.
Summary of key dates
| Application deadline | 30 June | ||
| Registration deadline | 31 August | ||
| Course starts | October | ||
| Examinations take place | June | ||
The Postgraduate Certificate consists of the four compulsory core modules
(PHM101, PHM102, PHM103, PHM104) plus 2 further PHM1 modules.
The Postgraduate Diploma consists of the four compulsory core modules, 2 further PHM1 modules, plus 4 elective modules (at least 2 must be taken from selection group PH2, the remainder chosen from the selection groups listed below).
The MSc consists of the four compulsory core modules, 1 stream-specific PHM1 module, 1 further PHM1 module, 1 stream-specific PHM2 module, plus EITHER 7 elective modules OR 4 elective modules and a project report (at least 3 of the elective modules must be taken from
selection group PHM2, the remainder chosen from the list below).
Key to streams
There are four streams to the MSc:
· E&H - Environment & Health
· HP - Health Promotion
· HSM - Health Services Management
· Gen - General stream
To gain an MSc with a particular stream, you must complete the relevant compulsory modules for that stream. These are marked C in the table below. Modules marked R are recommended for that stream. A module marked O is optional.
- E&H
- HP
- HSM
- Gen
Four compulsory core modules
-
- C
- C
- C
- C
-
- C
- C
- C
- C
-
- C
- C
- C
- C
-
- C
- C
- C
- C
- E&H
- HP
- HSM
- Gen
Additional PHM1 core modules
-
- R
- O
- O
- C
-
- C
- O
- O
- O
-
- O
- C
- O
- O
-
- O
- O
- C
- O
-
- O
- R
- R
- R
- E&H
- HP
- HSM
- Gen
Elective modules
-
- O
- O
- R
- O
-
- R
- R
- O
- R
-
- O
- O
- R
- O
-
- O
- O
- O
- R
-
- R
- O
- O
- O
-
- C
- R
- O
- R
-
- O
- R
- R
- R
-
- O
- O
- R
- O
-
- R
- R
- O
- R
-
- O
- O
- R
- O
-
- R
- R
- O
- O
-
- O
- O
- C
- R
-
- R
- C
- O
- R
-
- O
- R
- O
- R
-
- R
- R
- O
- R
-
- O
- R
- O
- R
- E&H
- HP
- HSM
- Gen
Project
-
- O
- O
- O
- O
Elective modules from group EPM2
Elective modules from group IDM2
Elective modules from group IDM3
Elective modules from group IDM5
Notes:
- All PHM1 modules successfully completed will be assigned 10 credits each; all PHM2 modules will be assigned 15 credits each; the project report will be assigned 45 credits.
- At the discretion of the Examiners, students who have been examined in and have passed three PHM1 modules may be permitted to proceed to elective module studies.
- For Postgraduate Diploma/MSc students, credit for up to two modules studied at LSHTM (blended learning) may be allowed in place of one or two of the above elective modules, subject to module restrictions. An additional fee will be payable.
- Note that restrictions and prerequisites may apply to some of the modules.
How you study
You study independently, at a time and pace that suits you (subject to some course-specific deadlines), using the comprehensive study materials provided, with learning support from our academic staff.
We know that if you have a full-time job, family or other commitments, and wish to study at a distance, you will have many calls on your time. We therefore allow you between 1-5 years in which to complete the Postgraduate Certificate, and between 2-5 years in which to complete the Postgraduate Diploma or the MSc.
The study year runs from the beginning of October through to the June exams, during which time tutorial support is available. Students carrying out projects are assigned personal supervisors to support their project work throughout the summer.
The support you receive
- a web-based conferencing system allows you to pose questions and engage in academic discussions with tutors and fellow students
- teaching staff provide written, personalised feedback and advice on assignments
- you can communicate with other distance learning students, either individually or by setting up your own learning support groups.
Study materials
You receive your study materials after you register. Study materials may include Subject guides, Readers, Textbooks, CD-ROMs/additional computer software (e.g. Stata), Past examination papers and Examiners’ reports, and Handbooks. You also have access to the school’s online library resources.
Fees
The fees given below refer to the 2011-2012 academic year and are subject to annual review. Fees may be paid in one of two ways: EITHER, on registration, a single payment covering the registration fee and all module fees. OR pay the registration fee, plus the fee for each module you are taking in your first year. Then, in subsequent years, you pay the fee for each new module you take.
| 2012-2013 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Registration fee | £ 1,050 | |
| Fee per core module | £ 930 | |
| Fee per elective module | £ 600 | |
| Fee for final project | £ 1,790 | |
| Fee per individual module | £ 1,105 | |
| TOTAL Postgraduate Certificate | £ 6,610 | |
| TOTAL Postgraduate Diploma | £ 9,010 | |
| TOTAL MSc | £ 11,400 | |
|
ConvertGBP x 1 | ||
Note: the University reserves the right to amend previously announced fees, if necessary.
How you pay your fees
All fees must be paid in pounds sterling, which may be paid either by a credit card (Visa, Mastercard, Maestro, Electron or JCB) OR by banker's draft, cheque or UK postal order, made payable to 'The University of London' and crossed 'a/c payee'.
Other costs
Besides the fees payable to the University, you should also budget for the fee levied by your local examination centre to cover their costs (if you do not sit your exams in London).
Assessment
Assessment varies from module to module but will include a combination of unseen written papers and written assignments. Details are given in the module specifications.
Examinations take place once a year in June (please note: it is not possible to hold examinations
at other times of year). These are normally held in a student’s country of residence. We have examination centres in over 190 countries worldwide (for details please visit our Assessment and Examinations Section.
They are arranged mainly through Ministries of Education or the British Council. Students taking examinations outside London will need to pay a fee to their local examination centre. Please note that if you fail an examination at the first entry you will be allowed one further attempt.
Academic Requirements
A second class honours degree or the equivalent, in a subject appropriate to the course, from a university or other institution acceptable to the University of London; and a minimum of one year’s relevant work experience. Students who do not satisfy the above requirements may still be admitted at the discretion of the School on the basis of their academic qualifications, work experience and references.
Language Requirements
For awards at FHEQ level 7, students must provide satisfactory evidence showing that they have passed within the previous three years a test of proficiency in English at the following minimum level:
- IELTS with an overall grade of at least 6.5 with a minimum of 6 in each sub test; or
- TOEFL with a score of 600 of 250 on the computerised test plus a Test of Written English (TWE of at least 4.5); or
- a test of proficiency in English language from the prescribed list published by the University.
Where an applicant does not meet the prescribed English language proficiency requirements but believes that they can demonstrate the requisite proficiency for admission the University may, at its discretion, consider the application.
Note: Some programmes will require greater proficiency in English language; these requirements will be reflected in the relevant programme regulations.
Computer Requirements
Online access and general computer requirements
As one of our students you need to have regular access to a computer and the internet; this may be for accessing the Student Portal, downloading course materials from the Virtual Learning Environment, and accessing resources from the Online Library. You will also need to have access to appropriate software, for example, a PDF reader and suitable hardware capacity on your computer, e.g. for document storage. Additional requirements include that you have JavaScript and cookies enabled to access particular online systems, for example, the Student Portal.
Supported Browsers include:
Internet Explorer 7+
Firefox 5+
Chrome 13+
Screen resolution (recommended)
1024 x 768 or greater
Certain programmes may have their own specific requirements, please refer to the relevant Regulations.
LSHTM - Health
The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) is the University of London's major resource for postgraduate teaching and research in public health and tropical medicine, as well as the leading postgraduate medical institution in these subjects in Europe. It has an international standing with a staff that has unique multidisciplinary and international experience.
This course has been designed by staff within the Department of Public Health and Policy. This Department, which has a staff of about 150, carries out research in environmental factors and health, health policy, health promotion, and health services. The disciplines represented include medicine, epidemiology, nursing, pharmacy, statistics, operational research, history, economics, sociology, psychology and anthropology. In addition to the main activities in research and teaching, staff in the Department provide advice, consultancy and information on a wide range of public health and health care policy issues.
Academic leaders
Ros Plowman - RGN, BA, MSc, PhD.
Rosalind Plowman originally trained as a nurse following which she worked in a variety of clinical settings. She then studied for a BA in Human Sciences at Oxford University and an MSc in Health Planning and Financing at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and the London School of Economics. On completion of her MSc she was appointed project co-ordinator of a study which assessed the economic burden of hospital acquired infections and this became the basis of her PhD thesis which focused on the economic burden of infections occurring in surgical patients. Rosalind’s research interests include the economics of infection and the costs and benefits of selected infection control activities. Rosalind became involved with the LSHTM distance-learning programme in November 2001 and is currently the Course Director for the Public Health distance learning course.
Cathy Zimmerman - BA, MA, MSc, PhD.
Cathy Zimmerman is a senior staff member of the Gender, Violence & Health Centre, which is part of the Social and Mathematical Epidemiology group (SaME) at LSHTM. She specialises in migration and health and conducted the first multi-country survey on women in post-trafficking service settings in Europe, in addition to multi-site research on female asylum-seekers, violence and health in Europe. She is a co-author of the WHO Ethical and Safety Recommendations for Interviewing Trafficked Women and a co-editor of Caring for trafficked persons. Guidance for Healthcare Providers. Dr. Zimmerman has worked with LSHTM’s Public Health Distance Learning course since its launch in 2005. She lectures at LSHTM on ethics, gender and health, and social epidemiology, and supervises Ph.D. and Masters Degree students. Previously, she lived and worked in Cambodia, where she founded a local non-governmental organisation against domestic violence and carried out qualitative and quantitative research on partner violence.
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Academic Inspiration: MSc Public Health
Dr.Val Curtis Director at The Hygiene Centre at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, University of London speaks about improving public health through promoting hand washing in Asia and Africa.