StudyQA — Master: Public Health — Imperial College London

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This programme provides a comprehensive introduction to public health for students intending to practice in public health or related fields. It offers a cutting edge knowledge and skills base for both non-medical and medically qualified students.

It is particularly suited to students who wish to pursue a career in public health research or public health management based on quantitative analytical skills.The course has two streams, the General MPH and the Global Health stream, as well as optional modules, allowing students to tailor their studies to their interests.

The course is studied full-time over 12 months from the start of October to mid-September.

Important note: this MPH requires dedicated full-time study for the entire calendar year (i.e. all 12 months) including the summer months. Attendance from Monday to Friday each week is required. It is expected that students will attend allclasses.

The teaching format will generally include:

a number of lectures on the topic
tutor-directed practical or discussion sessions
guest seminar presentations
lunchtime journal clubs
self-directed learning

For the taught part of the course, students will spend most days per week at St Mary’s Campus, Paddington but may also have teaching at Imperial College Business School, South Kensington Campus and at Dept of Primary Care and Public Health, Charing Cross Campus in Hammersmith.

Students will have taught classes on Monday to Friday each week of Terms 1 and 2. Classes are not usually scheduled on Wednesday afternoons but students are encouraged to make use of a professional development and transferable skills programme. There is also a professional skills development course in Health Systems offered on Wednesday afternoons by the WHO Collaborating Centre for Public Health Education and Training. Global Health stream students have priority in attending the course, but General stream students may also attend, depending on availability.

Students conduct their dissertation projects on a full-time basis from May to September.

Global Health Stream

The Global Health stream is embedded within the existing Master of Public Health (MPH) and shares a number of core and optional modules. In addition it has specific modules dedicated to outlining current global health challenges and insights into innovative responses to meet these challenges, within the context of a complex global political and economic environment. Emphasis will be placed on teaching rigorous quantitative and qualitative research methods. The MPH (GH) links to the already successful BSc in Medical Sciences with Global Health in the School of Public Health.

Term 1

Intensive, compulsory taught modules focus on core concepts and techniques in modern epidemiology, biostatistics and public health. Topics covered include:

Statistical thinking and data analysis
Principles and methods of epidemiology
Research Skills
Infectious disease epidemiology OR Global health challenges (for Global Health stream)
Chronic disease epidemiology and the burden of disease

All the above modules consist of a mixture of lectures, computer practical sessions using a range of software, journal clubs and discussion groups.

MPH students will also study core public health modules:

Health improvement OR Global health challenges (for Global health stream)
Global health

There are additional sessions scheduled throughout Term 1 for the development of professional skills, study skills and careers guidance.

Term 2

A mixture of core public health and health management modules and optional modules allow students to develop a broader understanding of the basis for intervening to improve health, prevent disease and develop health services . Modules are:

Core:

Public health in action OR Global health governance (Global Health stream)
Health economics
Health systems, policy and financing
Improving health services OR Global health innovations (Global Health stream)
Health protection OR Global health innovations (Global Health stream)
Social science and public health

Options:

The genetics and evolution of infectious diseases
Social epidemiology
Exposure assessment
eHealth
Term 3

Individual research projects are carried out from May to September under supervision.

Projects may be carried out in collaboration with NHS organisations, external companies or government agencies providing the project, facilities and day-to-day supervisory arrangements have been agreed in advance with the course organisers.

Projects are expected to take 4 months, with a member of Imperial College academic staff assigned to advise and monitor the student's progress.

Candidates will normally be expected to hold a good first degree in a science subject (at least an upper second) or a medical degree from a UK university or an equivalent qualification if obtained outside the UK. Suitable candidates are likely to be those with a background in:

medicine
health sciences
biological sciences
environmental sciences

Mature applicants with relevant academic or professional experience will also be considered.

Important note: the English language requirement for entry to the MPH is higher than the minimum standard set by many other programmes in Imperial College. Please see details below:

First Degree: If you have a first degree taught in English within the following countries then you meet the English requirement automatically: Australia, Canada, Guyana, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, United Kingdom, United States of America, West Indies. This applies only to degrees that were awarded by a university in the relevant country.
Master's Degree: Candidates whose first degree was not taught in English but who have then successfully completed a one-year MSc (or equivalent) course at a University in one of the above countries are also exempt.
GCSE, IGCSE, GCE ‘O’ Level or equivalent: Grade B in English Language.
West African Examinations Council (WAEC): Grades 1-4 in English Language.
Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE): Grade B.
IELTS (Academic): A minimum overall score of 7, with minimum score of 6.5 in any element.

Imperial College considers IELTS scores to be valid for 2 years. Scores must be valid at the beginning of your studies at Imperial College, should your application be successful.

Global Health stream

Applicants can elect to study for the broader title of MPH without reference to a specialisation or choose to graduate with a global health speciality: MPH (GH). As with the existing MPH, the Global Health stream is looking to recruit high quality students. The stream has a limited number of places and securing a place on the course is expected to be highly competitive. Students with international work experience will provide a valuable contribution to the course environment and therefore work experience in a low- or middle-Income country setting is desirable.

The Global Health stream carries the same minimum entry requirements as the MPH. Given the statistics and epidemiology core courses in Term 1 suitable candidates are likely to have a basic grounding in maths or statistics, either at AS Level standard, as a component of their undergraduate degree or equivalent.

If you wish to apply for the Global Health stream please tell us why you want to be considered for this pathway in your supporting statement on the MPH application form.

Applicants should use the first sentence of their statement to indicate their stream preference.

Dean's Master's Scholarships

Home/EU Students

Full tuition fees and a stipend of £17,000
5 places are available

Overseas Students

Full tuition fees and a stipend of £17,000
4 places are available

Stipends will be paid in monthly instalments, subject to satisfactory progression. Awardees on courses which last more than a year will have their £17,000 stipend spread over the full lengh of the degree.

The Faculty offers a wide range of Master's degree courses, as well as PG Certificates and Diplomas, and all students will belong to the Graduate School, which provides a comprehensive Transferable Skills Programme.

For any queries not covered here, please email James Osborne (PGT Administrator, Faculty of Medicine) at james.osborne@imperial.ac.uk.

Please note that there may be other scholarships offered by Schools, Institutes and Departments that make up the Faculty of Medicine. These are separate from the Dean's and Faculty Master's Scholarships described here and entail a different application process.

Eligibility

General Eligibility

These awards are open to all students who have made an application to the Faculty of Medicine by 30 April 2015 for admission to study for a full time or part time Master's course* at Imperial College London, starting in October 2015 (*or PG Cert for a course where that is the only route to the higher degree).

Please note that these awards can only be given to students who are studying a course run by the Faculty of Medicine. For a full list of these courses, please see our Master's Degree page.

It is not essential for applicants to have already received an offer of a place on a course, but the initial course application must be made before applying for a scholarship.

Residence Eligibility

Applications are accepted from talented candidates from Imperial College London, the UK and worldwide. There are no restrictions on nationality.

Academic Eligibility

Candidates are expected to be able to provide evidence of outstanding academic ability. This will usually mean being among the highest achievers in their undergraduate cohort and in receipt of, or due to receive, a first class UK Honours degree or equivalent.
An applicant who does not meet this requirement (e.g. holds a second class undergraduate degree, is a health professional who did not undertake a degree course, or is from a non-traditional background*), will be considered if they are able to demonstrate that they have outstanding academic potential and substantial experience relevant to their chosen subject area. This should be included in the Personal Statement section of the application form. (*Those applicants without a degree will be required, where available, to pass a Special Qualifying Examination to gain entry to the chosen course).
Candidates with degrees from overseas institutions are strongly urged to determine if their scores/grades are equivalent to the relevant eligibility criteria.
Candidates who already have a postgraduate qualification should justify their request to have an additional postgraduate course funded by the faculty. This should be included in the Personal Statement section of the application form.
Candidates who wish to apply for a Master's course which starts as a PG Cert or PG Dip will only be considered if they are committed to completing the course to Master's level.
Scholarships awarded based on predicted grades will be conditional upon final results.

How to Apply
In order to be considered for the Dean's Master's Scholarships, potential candidates will need to have first applied for a place on a Master's course in the Faculty of Medicine. It is not essential to wait for an offer of a place to be made, but the initial course application must be made before submitting a scholarship application. To apply for a Master's course, please use our online admission system.

Once the application for the course has been submitted, those who wish to apply for a scholarship should complete our online form (Note: the Scholarship award panel will assess candidates on their scholarship application form NOT their course application, so make sure all key information is included in your scholarship application). The form will need to be completed in a single session, so please have the following information prepared:

Personal statement (not more than 1000 words).
Details of qualifications, achievements, awards, relevant experience and publications.
The title/s of the course/s which you have applied for.

Shortlisting will take place in May 2015. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to interviews which are currently scheduled for the week commencing Monday 8 June 2015. All interviews will take place via Skype between 9.00 and 17.00 BST. The scholarship application form includes a question regarding your country of residence in June 2015. We will use this information to identify your time zone and try to tailor your interview time accordingly, although we cannot guarantee that the slot allocated to you will be convenient for your time zone.

All candidates will be informed of the decision by the end of June 2015.

References

We will use the references that you provide as part of your course application process. Please do not send references to us directly as we will be unable to accept them. It is not essential that we receive your references in time to consider your scholarship application, although their absence may weaken your application. It is therefore recommended that you contact your referees directly to ask that they respond to your course application reference request before Friday 8 May 2015 (one week after scholarship applications close).

Terms and conditions

When applying for Faculty of Medicine Master's Degree Scholarships, candidates must agree to Imperial's terms and conditions regarding scholarships and bursaries.

Please note, the following conditions override the standard Imperial terms and conditions:

Both part time and full time students are eligible to apply.
An offer of a place is not required before applying, but candidates must first apply for a Master's course run by the Faculty of Medicine before applying for a scholarship.
Candidates who do not apply through the online form will not be considered for the Dean's Master's Scholarships.
Successful applicants who receive a Dean's Master's Scholarship will not be allowed to accept any other form of scholarship or bursary provided by Imperial College London for study during the 2015/16 academic year.
Scholarship stipends will be paid in monthly instalments over the length of the course, subject to satisfactory progress. Students on courses which are part time or start as a PG Cert will have their stipend paid in equal monthly instalments over the full length of the course.
Awardees will be required to participate in a small number of promotional activities during the course of their studies and allow their image to be used by Imperial for publicity purposes. Such activities may include (but are not limited to) attending special events and producing occassional print or web copy.