MSc Public Health (Health Services Research stream) London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM)

This stream draws on a wide range of disciplines that enable students to develop knowledge, understanding and capability in various scientific methods and fields of study relevant to health services research. It is aimed at those who plan a career in this field from high-, middle- and low-income countries.

By the end of this stream students will be able to demonstrate ability to apply knowledge of the core disciplines of public health, consisting of statistics; epidemiology; health economics; and social research, to real health problems. In addition, students will be able to:

• understand the strengths and weaknesses of different study designs
• identify, assess and synthesise evidence from research literature
• select and apply appropriate, ethical and feasible study designs to answer questions in health services and health systems research
• show competence in critically evaluating and communicating research evidence
• understand the relationship between research evidence and policy/practice

Graduates from this stream go on to pursue careers in research (including further study at doctoral levels) and in health services, government ministries and non-governmental organisations.

Entry requirements

In order to be admitted to the MSc Public Health, an applicant must:

• hold either a first degree at Upper Second Class Honours (2:1) standard in a relevant discipline, or a degree in medicine recognised by the UK General Medical Council (GMC) for the purposes of practising medicine in the UK, or another degree of equivalent standard awarded by an overseas institution recognised by UK ENIC or the GMC.

or

• hold a professional qualification appropriate to the programme of study to be followed obtained by written examinations and judged by LSHTM to be equivalent to an Upper Second Class Honours (2:1) degree or above.

or

• have relevant professional experience or training which is judged by LSHTM to be equivalent to an Upper Second Class Honours (2:1) degree or above.

If you have not previously studied in the UK, you can check our guide to international equivalent qualifications for our master's degrees.

Applicants with relevant work experience will be given preference. This include both paid and voluntary work, internships etc.

Applicants will need to provide some evidence of ability in mathematics, post-16 year education. This could include:

• "A" level or a higher school certificate
• a module within an undergraduate degree (such as quantitative methods, epidemiology or statistics)
• statistics studied as part of a general research methods course

Any undergraduate degree subject at Upper Second Class Honours (2:1) standard can be acceptable with a demonstrable commitment to public health experience.

Applicants who do not meet the minimum entry requirement, but who have relevant professional experience may still be eligible for admission. Qualifications and experience will be assessed from the application.

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• Admissions FAQs

English language requirements

If English is not your first language, you will need to meet these requirements: Band B

Please see our English language requirements for more information.

Intercalating Students

You will need the equivalent of a bachelor's degree to undertake an MSc. This will usually require you to have a BSc degree or have completed the first three years of your medical degree. More information on intercalating an MSc at the School.

Access and widening participation

At LSHTM we are committed to ensuring that students from all backgrounds feel encouraged to apply to study with us. To that end, we have introduced an innovative contextual admissions system that is designed to consider any barriers applicants may have faced and take account of the circumstances in which their grades have been achieved, rather than relying on results alone. More information on widening participation at LSHTM.