This course aims to develop critical analysis of issues within health policy, planning and financing and to enable students to devise appropriate health policy responses. Students come from a wide range of backgrounds. This is a joint programme provided by the School and the London School of Economics & Political Science (LSE). The course provides training relevant to countries at all levels of development, although participants are able to specialise.

Graduates enter careers in global health and national health policy and planning, research, advisory or advocacy roles in governments and international agencies.

Duration: one year year full-time or part-time over two years. Modes of study explained.

Full programme specification (pdf)

Objectives

By the end of this course students should be able to:

• demonstrate knowledge and understanding of a diverse range of global and national health policies, including current and emerging trends and also of disciplines relevant to the study of health policy, planning and financing (epidemiology, health economics and other social sciences)
• apply their knowledge and skills using a multidisciplinary approach to formulate, implement and evaluate health policies and plans
• demonstrate written and verbal competence in communicating empirical evidence and in consolidating and critically appraising debates relevant to issues of health policy and health financing
• demonstrate competence in key research and presentation skills, such as undertaking a literature search, a critical review of published literature or to evaluate research findings

Structure

Term 1

All students take compulsory modules as follows:

• Financing Health Care (LSE)
• Health Services OR Health Policy Planning and Financing

Students must then take one additional module from each institution:

• LSE: Health Economics; Pharmaceutical Economics; Foundations of Health Policy
• LSHTM: Health Policy, Process and Power; Basic Epidemiology; Issues in Public Health

Term 2

Students take four modules from LSE and the School:

• For modules to be taken at LSE, any restrictions will be included in the programme specification, and may be adjusted by LSE
• For modules to be taken at the School, any restrictions will be included in the programme specification, and may be adjusted by the School

It will not normally be possible to take other School modules except as a 'special case' choice requiring formal approval by the Course Director and Departmental Taught Course Director. Students may make a maximum of one such choice within the degree.

In all cases, each student's full set of module choices must be approved by the Course Directors at LSE and the School in order to confirm that students' choices fit with their stated career aims and form a coherent set of modules for the MSc. Students must also meet the entrance requirements for each particular module. Guidance will be provided in the course handbook, to outline the key differences between recommended modules and provide comments where relevant on optional modules - to help both students and tutors differentiate between and make module choices most appropriately.

Project Report

During the summer months (July - August), students complete a written research project on a topic selected in consultation with their tutor, for submission by early September.