Paediatrics and Child Health Global Child Health

This comprehensive programme is intended for paediatricians and related professionals interested in global child health. UCL is uniquely positioned to offer this new pathway, which combines teaching at both the UCL Institute of Child Health, with its strong links to Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children and the UCL Institute for Global Health.

The Global Child Health pathway aims to provide an opportunity for medical graduates, and graduates from related fields, to study global issues in child health. Students build an awareness of current and future developments in paediatric medicine and global child health and gain the skills necessary to critically appraise practice and policy, and undertake independent research if the full MSc is taken.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits.

The programme consists of three core modules (45 credits), five optional modules (75 credits) and a dissertation/report (60 credits).

A Postgraduate Diploma (120 credits, full-time nine months, flexible two to five years) is offered.

A Postgraduate Certificate (60 credits, one year part-time, flexible one to two years) is offered.

Core modules

• Concepts and Controversies in Global Health or Essentials of International Child Health*
• Evidence-based Child Health
• Research Methods and Statistics
• *Whichever module is not taken as core may be taken as an option

Optional modules include

• Students choose five modules from a list which includes the following:
• Children in Difficult Circumstances
• Conflict, Humanitarianism and Health
• Child Development, Inclusive Approaches in Global Contexts
• Disability and Development
• Ethnicity, Migration and Health
• Economic Evaluation in Health Care
• Health Management, Planning and Programme Design
• International Child Mental Health
• Immunisation and Communicable Diseases
• Investigations and Management in Paediatric Gastroenterology
• Key Principles of Health Economics
• Leadership and Professional Development
• Molecular and Genetic Basis of Paediatrics
• Nutrition and Public Health
• Perinatal Epidemiology and Newborn Care
• Principles and Practice in Paediatric Gastroenterology
• Social Determinants of Health
• Sexual Health: Designing Sexual and Reproductive Health Programmes in Low and Middle Income Countries
• Safeguarding and Children in Society

Dissertation/report

All MSc students undertake an independent research project which culminates in a dissertation of 10,000 words.

Teaching and learning

The programme combines lectures, seminars, tutorials and research project supervision. Assessment is through a combination of multiple choice questions and short answer question examinations, essays, posters, presentations, reflective portfolios, critical appraisal of literature and the dissertation, including an oral presentation.

Applicants should have a keen interest in paediatrics or child health. Non-medically qualified applicants should normally have a minimum of an upper second-class UK Bachelor's degree or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard, and appropriate specialist experience of working in hospitals, child health or public health services for children and families.