MSc

Global Health

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Are you keen to engage with contemporary issues, and global themes and challenges? The Covid-19 pandemic has swung an international spotlight on the importance of solving critical global health challenges. Our dynamic, interdisciplinary course draws on a range of academic fields of study in the social and clinical sciences to understand the policy and practice of global health to meet such challenges.

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Course overview

The programme provides the opportunity to develop the skills and knowledge which are transferable for applications for careers working with global communities both nationally and internationally.

On this 1-year full-time or 2-years part-time course, you study a range of modules based on relevant theoretical topics and practical experiences. Mandatory level 7 modules include: Defining Concepts, Determinants of Health, Project Planning for Sustainable Global Health, Research and Evaluation in Global Health, and a Dissertation.

As you progress through the course, programme content moves from the broad issues of global health to become more focused on a topic that you have chosen to explore in depth through project planning and fieldwork. Assessment is through written assignments on module topics, and a final semester/year project dissertation.

Your learning takes place online through a combination of lectures and seminars, small group work, and guided independent study. You will have a supervisor/tutor to support you with your studies and you are encouraged to continue to gain practical experience of global health either in the UK or abroad.

You are likely to be a professional practitioner in health care, social care and wellbeing currently in employment related to global health project work or engaged as a volunteer in this area. You will be encouraged (although you are not required) to keep up these arrangements as far as possible during your studies.

Where students do not already have their own connections, we would seek to explore any opportunities (optional) there may be to work with contacts of the University’s Centre for Global Health.

Our An Introduction to Global Health Short Course is an online course that has been created to give an introduction to health in the global context, with 5-10 hours of online, self-paced study. It outlines ways to achieve a sustainable world and good health for all.

What you need to know

Course start date

September

Location

Distance learning

Course length

  • 1 year full-time
  • 2 years part-time

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Typical offer

A first or second-class honours degree

Fees

From £9,250 pa

Course features

  • Study alongside global health practitioners from around the world on this distance learning course
  • Gain knowledge and skills to work as part of an interdisciplinary team in global health
  • Learn from an experienced and approachable teaching team with wide ranging backgrounds
  • Excellent networks and practitioners with extensive experience of working internationally
  • Make a difference to health where human need is great and available resources are limited

Course details

Suitable for applicants from:

UK, EU, World

Learning and teaching

Start date:

September

Distance learning available:

This course is offered as distance learning only.

Full-time students will be required to attend live, interactive sessions for a total of four hours a week. Part-time students will be required to attend for a total of two hours a week. In addition, in their own time students will need to engage with reading and practical tasks in order to prepare for these taught sessions.

Assessment

A wide variety of assessment types are used. These include written assignments (including essays and case studies); presentations (including oral and poster presentations); projects; and research proposals. Students also complete a substantial independent research project.

Our validated courses may adopt a range of means of assessing your learning. An indicative, and not necessarily comprehensive, list of assessment types you might encounter includes essays, portfolios, supervised independent work, presentations, written exams, or practical performances.

We ensure all students have an equal opportunity to achieve module learning outcomes. As such, where appropriate and necessary, students with recognised disabilities may have alternative assignments set that continue to test how successfully they have met the module's learning outcomes.

Further details on assessment types used on the course you are interested in can be found by attending an open evening or contacting our teaching staff.

Feedback

We are committed to providing timely and appropriate feedback to you on your academic progress and achievement in order to enable you to reflect on your progress and plan your academic and skills development effectively. You are also encouraged to seek additional feedback from your course tutors.

Further information

For more information about our regulations for this course, please see our Academic Regulations, Policies and Procedures section.

Modules

Please note the modules listed are correct at the time of publishing. The University cannot guarantee the availability of all modules listed and modules may be subject to change. The University will notify applicants of any changes made to the core modules listed. For further information please refer to winchester.ac.uk/termsandconditions

Modules

Defining Concepts

This module serves as an induction to the course and the principles, nature of content and processes which are valued on the programme. It outlines the contemporary and historical meanings of relevant concepts including global development, health, and wellbeing, and sustainability. It reviews current models of health and development including neo-liberalism, capitalism, and neo-colonialism. It considers the role of international organisations and their policies in global health and development.  Students prepare for taught sessions by reading and undertaking practical activities. Taught sessions are online and interactive with small group discussion and debate. The contribution of case study research will be covered and identification of a contemporary, significant case study to serve as an educationally useful study-platform.

Determinants of Health

The module introduces course participants to what determines global health and wellbeing. It outlines the social and physical determinants of health and the forms of knowledge and expertise that underpin global health. It examines both the scientific and social science perspectives and considers how both can contribute to and support sustainable change. It discusses the practice of global health and some of the challenges inherent in this practice including for example, cross cultural working, human rights issues and national policies, structures, and the human players. It reviews the way in which professionals learn and develop their practice and the basics of research and evaluation. Taught sessions are interactive with small group discussion and debate. Students are asked to prepare for taught sessions by reading and undertaking practical activities.

Project Planning for Sustainable Global Health

In this module the students revisit content from semester one, now from a very practical perspective. It explores the project life cycle and covers the fundamentals including planning and scheduling, communication, teamwork, resource management, project risk management and project reviews. This module considers some of the ethics and key responsibilities of project planning and management in global health including the achievement of sustainability. Students will carry out a planning exercise to create a global health project to effect change that either reflects their current work, or one that anticipates future employment. They will be allocated to a learning set that will meet (through distance learning) weekly to present their emerging plans, and hear constructive, yet critical, comment from their learning set colleagues. It is ensured that the themes of the module are covered through skilled facilitation of the learning set.

Research and Evaluation in Global Health

This module enables students to consolidate their understanding of the nature of global health research and evaluation, including ontology and epistemology, methodology and ethics. The focus is on the student's own developing practice as a global health practitioner and frames this in terms of practitioner research. The module covers the key skills and techniques to be able to carry out research including searching the literature, developing research questions, selecting appropriate data collection techniques, and negotiating access to settings and participants. Statistical data analysis and various forms of qualitative data analysis will also be incorporated in the module along with the presentation of results. Taught sessions are preceded by reading and some practical tasks, for example undertaking a short survey or interview. Teaching is interactive and based around small group discussion online.

Dissertation

The dissertation is the culmination of a student's studies on the programme. This is demonstrated through an empirical, independent study situated in the student’s own global health work context. It allows an aspect of the student’s practice to be examined through research in significant depth, and the findings of the study to be communicated effectively in scholarly writing, building on their learning over the year(s) of study. Students are encouraged to disseminate their results more widely through conference presentation and publication in impactful peer review journals. In this way students will make a significant contribution to the field. The student is supported in this module by tutor supervision and through peer feedback.

Entry requirements

A first or second-class honours degree

Normally a first or second-class Honours degree or professional experience in the area of study. 

Personal computing requirements

Due to the Distance Learning deliverance of the course there are minimum personal computing requirements. Please see the Distance Learning Policy.

Course enquiries and applications


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International points required

If English is not your first language you require IELTS 6.5 (including 5.5 in academic writing) or equivalent.

If you are living outside of the UK or Europe, you can find out more about how to join this course by emailing our International Recruitment Team at International@winchester.ac.uk.

Applications need to be submitted before the published deadline on our website. Late applications can be accepted throughout the remainder of the application year, for more information see our How to Apply section. 

2024/2025 Course Tuition Fees 

  UK / Channel Islands /
Isle of Man / Republic of Ireland

International

Full-time £9,250 £10,725
Part-time £4,625 £5,363
Total £9,250 £10,725

Additional tuition fee information

If you are a UK student starting your degree in January / September 2024, the first year will cost you £9,250**.

If finance is a worry for you, we are here to help. Take a look at the range of support we have on offer. This is a great investment you are making in your future, so make sure you know what is on offer to support you.

**The University of Winchester will charge the maximum approved tuition fee per year.

Additional costs

As one of our students all of your teaching and assessments are included in your tuition fees, including, lectures/guest lectures and tutorials, seminars, laboratory sessions and specialist teaching facilities. You will also have access to a wide range of student support and IT services.

There might be additional costs you may encounter whilst studying. The following highlights the mandatory and optional costs for this course:

Mandatory

Printing and Binding

The University is pleased to offer our students a free printing allowance of £20 each academic year. This will print around 500 A4 mono pages. If students wish to print more, printer credit can be topped up by the student. The University and Student Union are champions of sustainability and we ask all our students to consider the environmental impact before printing. This printing allowance can only be accessed on campus.

SCHOLARSHIPS, BURSARIES AND AWARDS

We have a variety of scholarship and bursaries available to support you financially with the cost of your course. To see if you’re eligible, please see our Scholarships and Awards section.

CAREER PROSPECTS

Graduates of the MSc Global Health programme can go on to pursue careers or advance their existing career in charities, intergovernmental organisations (e.g. United Nations), NGOs, and consultancies in the UK and abroad with roles in aid and development, general/project management, community and/or business development, campaigning, advocacy, fundraising, service improvement, policy analysis and development, evaluation and research, and health promotion.

Alternatively, you may choose to take your studies further to a higher degree such as doctoral studies.

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