MSc Global Public Health

Society the world over is faced with mounting public health challenges, from pandemics to forced displacement, to rapidly depleting planetary resources. The COVID-19 pandemic has further exposed the complex links between population health, and the wider economic, social, political, environmental, and commercial determinants that shape human and planetary health in the globalised world we inhabit. Our MSc Global Public Health will challenge you to investigate these intersecting issues, critically appraise health and public policies, and engage in innovative research to drive forward change that contributes to a more equitable, sustainable, and healthy future.

Globally, most nations have committed to the international human rights framework and the UN Sustainable Development Agenda pledge to “leave no one behind”. However, progress on these promises requires an understanding of the root causes of mounting global inequity as well as the role intersecting crises play in driving increased inequity and distracting from the necessity of structural reform. Developing a deeper understanding of interlinkages will help you develop a foundation from which you'll explore the increasingly political role of multinational corporations and other powerful actors (such as charitable foundations) in influencing global and national decision-making. This course will equip you with the academic knowledge and skillset to analyse the impact of structural forms of discrimination including racism and colonialism, both in the UK and internationally, so that you can contribute to addressing the roots of the ensuing social injustice this discrimination perpetuates.

Through a combination of interactive lectures and intensive seminars with practitioners and leading experts, this course will help you develop a comprehensive and critical understanding of:

• what factors determine our health;
• what drives decision-making and priority setting in global health?
• who governs health, how (i.e. policies and mechanisms) and with what effects at individual, societal, national, and global levels;
• how people, illnesses, and drugs/ therapies travel in a globalised world? How these movements relate to the movement of capital and trade?
• how wider inequalities (based on class, gender, sexuality among others) and systems of oppression interact to shape people's life chances and ability to thrive?
• And importantly, what skills, approaches, interventions, actions can help resist the detrimental forces that undermine health and well-being and realise the promises of “health for all” and “leave no one behind” to achieve fairer, equitable, and healthier societies?

You'll benefit from the opportunity to pursue this course through one of two specialist pathways. Each pathway will share some core modules but allow flexibility for you to select modules that are in line with your interests and employment. You can either opt to follow our ‘Policy and Systems' pathway which has been designed with an emphasis on preparing you for entering the workforce with strong evidence-based research and planning skills, or our ‘Intersectional Inequalities and Determinants' pathway which will advance your interdisciplinary skills in examining and tackling inequalities in the distribution of determinants of health and diseases.

The School of Health and Social Care is proud to work closely with our Service User Reference Group (SURG). SURG is made up of service users, carers, and volunteers who generously share their first-hand experiences of health and social care. We work collaboratively with SURG to design our courses to ensure that we truly are putting the needs of patients and clients at the heart of what we do. SURG are involved as part of our course application processes and often form part of our interview panels. This helps us to be confident that we are selecting the right applicants for the course and their future careers. SURG members also support the delivery of our teaching sessions and research activity, which means you'll benefit from an insight into their lived experiences of living with a diagnosis, health condition, or circumstance. You'll find that not only does your clinical knowledge expand, but your empathy, compassion and ability to advocate develops also.

Our expert staff

Essex is home to wide-ranging methodological, disciplinary, and subject area expertise. The degree will be located in the Interdisciplinary Research and Practice Division within the School of Health and Social Care. It will draw on eminent scholars from diverse subject areas within the School and across, including the renowned Human Rights Centre, the Law Faculty, and the ISER institute. You will also benefit from the dynamic networks of academic, policy, and practitioner communities that our staff work closely with, in the UK, Europe, and internationally.

Equality, social justice, and social activism are part of the DNA of the School of Health and Social Care here at the University of Essex. The course both builds on and extends these values offering distinct opportunities to contribute to these goals.

Dr Valentina Iemmi and Dr Alex Kaley direct our MSc Global Public Health programme. Dr Alex Kaley directs our January start cohorts, and Dr Valentina Iemmi directs our October start cohorts.

Valentina's research focuses on global mental health policy. Her work investigates governance, analysing why and how global actors support mental health worldwide and how they can improve their collective responses. She uses innovative and rigorous multi-methods at global level, primarily qualitative (interviews and documentary analyses) and also quantitative (country-level panel data linkage and analyses). She uses multi-disciplinary approaches, primarily health policy and international relations, and also psychology, public policy, and economics. Her most recent work explored a particular group of actors in the global mental health system: external actors investing in mental health in low- and middle-income countries. She is currently examining the global mental health governance structure and the prioritisation of mental health at global level.

Alex is a qualitative researcher with research interests in the health and social inequalities experienced by disabled people – as well as innovations in health and social care to address these inequalities. Recent work is examining the intersections of disability and gender, and reproductive health and rights. In exploring these issues, Alex has developed expertise in the use of creative and participatory methodologies to elicit the views and experiences of people who may be considered marginalised or whose narratives often go unheard. She is particularly interested in developing innovative and creative methods to elicit ‘unspeakable' health experiences – including for people who are nonverbal, or for those seeking to explore or describe a particular experience or life event that is difficult to express in words.

This programme was established by Professor Kapilashrami, an Interdisciplinary social scientist of international repute with expertise in health policy and systems research, and a particular interest in the interface between equity, rights, and social justice. Professor Kapilashrami has longstanding experience in the academia and working with civil society and policy makers. Her current work focuses on advancing intersectionality, conceptually and empirically, to examine and address health inequalities and structural determinants of health (including migration).

Dr Valentina Iemmi and Dr Alex Kaley will be joined by other leading experts in the University (including Professor Anuj Kapilashrami, Professor Reza Majdzadeh, Dr Sarita Panday , Dr Milagros Ruiz , Professor Ewen Speed, Professor Fay Crawford, Professor Andrew Bateman) and beyond with speakers representing diverse sectors and geographies.

Specialist facilities

The School of Health and Social Care is located at two sites; in the Kimmy Eldridge building at our Colchester campus and in the Gateway Building at our Southend campus.

We offer excellent physical and online resources in terms of libraries, computer labs, datasets, archives, and other research materials.

Your future

This course will prepare you to evaluate and support the development and implementation of evidence-informed and rights-oriented local, national and global public health policies and programmes. It, therefore, is likely to be of interest to you if you are already working in or are keen to develop a career in: public health policy and practice; the health and social care sector; the humanitarian sector; the development sector, and academia.

UK entry requirements

We will consider applicants with a 2:2 honours degree, or international equivalent, in a medical, health, social care or social sciences discipline.

Applicants with a 3rd class degree, or a 2:2 degree in any other discipline, will be considered where they can demonstrate at least 1 year's relevant experience in the field of health policy and systems, or in the development sector working on health and care issues, or in a healthcare setting. This will be assessed based on information provided at the application stage (for example, in a CV, reference, or other proofs of employment).

English language requirements

If you do not meet our IELTS requirements then you may be able to complete a pre-sessional English pathway that enables you to start your course without retaking IELTS.

Course structure

Our research-led teaching is continually evolving to address the latest challenges and breakthroughs in the field. The following modules are based on the current course structure and may change in response to new curriculum developments and innovation.

We understand that deciding where and what to study is a very important decision for you. We'll make all reasonable efforts to provide you with the courses, services and facilities as described on our website and in line with your contract with us. However, if we need to make material changes, for example due to significant disruption, we'll let our applicants and students know as soon as possible.

Our research-led teaching is continually evolving to address the latest challenges and breakthroughs in the field. The course content is therefore reviewed on an annual basis to ensure our courses remain up-to-date so modules listed are subject to change.

We understand that deciding where and what to study is a very important decision for you. We'll make all reasonable efforts to provide you with the courses, services and facilities as described on our website and in line with your contract with us. However, if we need to make material changes, for example due to significant disruption, we'll let our applicants and students know as soon as possible.

Teaching

On this programme students can expect to have approximately 12-14 hours of taught hours per week across all three times. In term 1 teaching takes place three days per week, with two days dedicated to independent study, but this can vary. In term 2 students have the opportunity to undertake some optional modules, some of which are taught intensively during a whole week Monday-Friday. In the third term, there are fewer contact hours as students are expected to be working on their dissertation.