MSc Global Public Health and Policy - scholarships and bursaries available to those eligible

During this specialist master's course, you’ll study urgent and important public health challenges facing societies across the globe. By focusing on the root causes of disease, ill health and injury, you’ll explore how impactful policy can improve lives at community and population level.

You’ll develop your understanding of how geopolitical, social and natural factors may combine to result in situations that cause short and long-term threats to people’s health and wellbeing. These may include global climate change; war and conflict; health inequities; poverty, lifestyle, and access to amenities and services.

Once you've gained the core knowledge needed, you'll critically assess the intersection of policymaking and epidemiology. You’ll evaluate how major policies can counteract the effects of key public health challenges, and how to improve and adapt policies and interventions to mitigate future risks. You’ll do this in the context of real-world case studies across topics like:

• managing infectious diseases and vaccine uptake
• contemporary and historic pandemics, including COVID-19
• obesity and nutrition
• tobacco and alcohol use and abuse

Upon successful completion of this course, you’ll have developed the required knowledge and skills to develop, critique and adapt evidence-based public health policy to suit different contexts, countries and regions of the world. You will also have acquired the practical, analytical and evaluative skills to enable you to take up careers in a wide range of public health settings.

This course is informed by the UK Faculty of Public Health Diplomate Examination (DFPH), so it will help to prepare you for these exams. 

Complete your studies with a real-world project

The course culminates with either a dissertation or a consultancy project. Both give you the opportunity to apply your newly acquired knowledge to a specific area of public health that interests you or is relevant to your career aspirations.

Consultancy projects are a practical alternative to a dissertation. They give you the chance to work on a project with an external organisation, using the skills and knowledge you’ll gain during your studies. You’ll conduct appropriate research, analyse data and share your solution as a written report and presentation.

You'll work either alone or as part of a group with one of our external partners*. These span the public health industry, both in the UK and overseas. Previous students have completed projects with organisations like Healthwatch and Public Health Wales.

A dissertation gives you the opportunity to methodically explore an area of public health you're interested in and demonstrate your research skills. You will be assigned a supervisor from within our academic team to support you throughout your dissertation.

* Consultancy project numbers are limited each year. You'll receive support from us throughout your application. If you’re unable to secure a suitable project, you can instead complete a dissertation.

Graduate prospects

With a strong grounding in public health and health policy, as well as practical research skills, you'll be well equipped to respond to public health challenges in range of sectors and contexts.

You could go on to work as an epidemiologist, health scientist, public health advisor or practitioner, field consultant, global health educator, policy analyst, environmental health practitioner or NGO aid worker; or advance to doctoral study in a number of areas related to health and policy.

Previous students have gone on to pursue further training in medicine and secured roles within the NHS.

Scholarships and bursaries

You could be considered for a bursary or scholarship to help you study at Bath.

Find out more about funding options

Apply now

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