Top skills you’ll develop on a Global Public Health MSc

The global pandemic has highlighted more than ever the critical role of public health workers and policy makers throughout the world, as well as the harsh reality of health inequalities driven by different social, political, economic and ecological factors.

On this MSc, you will develop specialist skills and knowledge to join those helping to solve global public health issues. You’ll also graduate with a broad range of transferrable, essential skills useful in almost any profession.

Recent times have demonstrated only too well that health problems can quickly spread across borders and continents, and that the effects are often worse in countries and regions already affected by crises driven by famine, conflict, poverty, under development, over population and more.

This comes at a time when the demand for health professionals is higher than ever before. By 2030, the World Health Organisation (WHO) projects a worldwide workforce shortfall of about 15 million health-care workers, with potentially fatal consequences.

If you are seeking to launch or progress a career in public health, our flexible two-year MSc Global Public Health focuses on the social determinants of health, health governance and the impact of political policy.

Taught fully online by leading academics and practitioners, you’ll develop a strategic understanding of contemporary health issues in order to prevent future health failures. You’ll gain a wide range of specialist and general skills that will boost your lifelong career prospects.

Understand the impact of global health issues

Broadening your understanding of epidemiology (human disease), human health and health care systems, you will examine the ethical, political, societal and cultural dilemmas that arise in global public health – from poverty, distribution of power or resource conflicts, to the pace of technological change and wealth.

You’ll learn how to conduct health policy analysis, interpreting the results of commonly used statistical techniques and routine morbidity and mortality measures. This will equip you with the specialist skills and knowledge needed to work effectively in multi-disciplinary teams and professionals engaged in health improvement.

You’ll have the confidence to speak up and contribute to health policy and health service delivery at a local, national, and international level, and in governmental and international bodies and NGOs.

Queen Mary Online's MSc in Global Public Health can be studied part-time over two years, without the need to take a career break:

Adopt a global health perspective

Touching on the disciplines of international relations, politics, jurisprudence, globalisation, and global governance as they relate to global health, you will expand your knowledge of health inequalities, health systems, health policy and governance in countries throughout the world.

You’ll gain a deeper insight into the global sustainable development goals and how agencies are tackling health inequalities, such as lower life expectancy or predisposition to certain illnesses, from an individual, community, national and international perspective.

Learning as part of a diverse, international student body, you’ll gain a greater global perspective of health, and the cultural intelligence to understand and interact with people and organisations from different backgrounds.

Master qualitative and quantitative health research methods

Research methods are integrated into most core modules, providing multiple opportunities to develop and apply ethical health research, using existing evidence and new research findings to develop, evaluate, and maintain effective and appropriate health services for populations.

This is excellent preparation for PhD study and equips you with a raft of critical thinking and analytical skills that will be attractive to future employers. For example, accessing health literature from various sources, you will be able to appraise and summarise complex, multidisciplinary information.

You will learn how to structure a compelling argument and effectively present, discuss and debate solutions to international public health problems. In doing so, you’ll also develop your written and verbal communication skills, able to tailor your approach for technical and non-technical audiences.

Improve your ability to work with and lead others

Studying this online course will automatically enhance your own personal and professional development, building a range of ‘soft’ skills over and above the specialist skills and knowledge you’ll be taught.

The nature of online study requires lots of self-discipline and self-motivation, the building blocks for a strong work ethic. You also need good organisation skills, able to keep track of assignment deadlines and balance your time effectively, particularly if you continue to work full-time or have family commitments.

You will regularly interact and engage with lecturers and fellow students, participating in group discussion and group projects. This gives you more experience of working as part of a team, developing communication skills, including your ability to listen, negotiate and lead discussion. More importantly, you will build a network of colleagues – and friends – that can last a lifetime.

Ready to take the next step?

You can start the Queen Mary Online Global Public Health MSc in May or September. Before you submit your application, please contact one of our course advisers so they can guide you through the process: