2025/26 entry
MSc International Public Health
About this course
Study for an International Public Health Masters at LJMU. This course offers a broad-based understanding of health and its social and environmental determinants.
- Study at LJMU's world renowned Public Health Institute
- Develop a broad-based understanding of health and its social and environmental determinants
- Follow a curriculum informed by key international strategies, the Sustainable Development Goals and Social Determinants of Health
- Benefit from support and guidance for placement learning opportunities
An improvement in population health is increasingly recognised internationally as a key element of economic and social development and nowhere more urgently than in low and middle income countries. The focus of this programme is to develop the public health approach relevant to these countries, often referred to as low resource settings.
Many of our students come from countries with the so-called double burden of disease. Whilst still fighting infectious diseases, they are also now increasingly faced with a growth in non-communicable diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure and strokes.
This is not a clinical course; it is a course which aims to enhance your capacity to identify and measure the risk factors linked to these diseases and explore alternative strategic responses to them. This means improving public health knowledge and research-based skills
The Public Health Institute provides an excellent applied setting in which to do this.
The programme will enhance your capacity to improve the health of the populations you serve and reduce health inequality. It will also develop your critical, analytical, research, collaborative working and evaluation skills - all key requirements in the dynamic public health sector.
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Shraddha's story
Shraddha Manandhar from Nepal moved to Liverpool to study for her Masters in International Public Health.
"Having gained my undergraduate degree in Kathmandu, I didn't really know what to ex...
Fees and funding
There are many ways to fund postgraduate study for home and international students
Fees
The fees quoted at the top of this page cover registration, tuition, supervision, assessment and examinations as well as:
- library membership with access to printed, multimedia and digital resources
- access to programme-appropriate software
- library and student IT support
- free on-campus wifi via eduroam
Additional costs
Although not all of the following are compulsory/relevant, you should keep in mind the costs of:
- accommodation and living expenditure
- books (should you wish to have your own copies)
- printing, photocopying and stationery
- PC/laptop (should you prefer to purchase your own for independent study and online learning activities)
- mobile phone/tablet (to access online services)
- field trips (travel and activity costs)
- placements (travel expenses and living costs)
- student visas (international students only)
- study abroad opportunities (travel costs, accommodation, visas and immunisations)
- academic conferences (travel costs)
- professional-body membership
- graduation (gown hire etc)
Funding
There are many ways to fund postgraduate study for home and international students. From loans to International Scholarships and subject-specific funding, you’ll find all of the information you need on our specialist postgraduate funding pages.
Please be aware that the UK’s departure from the EU may affect your tuition fees. Learn more about your fee status and which tuition fees are relevant to you.
Employability
Further your career prospects
LJMU has an excellent employability record with 96% (HESA 2018) of our postgraduates in work or further study six months after graduation. Our applied learning techniques and strong industry connections ensure our students are fully prepared for the workplace on graduation and understand how to apply their knowledge in a real world context.
As a graduate of this course you will probably go on to take up a role improving the health and wellbeing of individuals, communities and populations. The majority of our international students return to their home country to work in government or NGO health sectors. You may, however, choose to advance your research career or undertake further study to PhD level.
The student experience
Discover life as a postgraduate student at LJMU.
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Course modules
Discover the building blocks of your programme
This course is currently undergoing its scheduled programme review, which may impact the advertised modules. Programme review is a standard part of the University’s approach to quality assurance and enhancement, enabling us to ensure that our courses remain up to date and maintain their high standard and relevancy.
Once the review is completed, this course website page will be updated to reflect any approved changes to the advertised course. These approved changes will also be communicated to those who apply for the course to ensure they wish to proceed with their application.
Your programme is made up of a number of core modules which are part of the course framework. Some programmes also have optional modules that can be selected to enhance your learning in certain areas and many feature a dissertation, extended report or research project to demonstrate your advanced learning.
Core modules
Public Health: Policy and Practice
20 credits
This module introduces concepts and theories within the field of public health. It:
- enhances your knowledge and understanding of population-based health issues and public health response in light of policy and practice
- enables you to examine health inequalities
- enables you to identify local, national and international health-related strategies
Research Methods
20 credits
This module encourages you to develop your skills as a potential producer of research, as well as your ability to systematically evaluate research outcomes from a variety of sources. It:
- provides a critical knowledge base of the philosophical foundations of public health research
- enables you to develop expertise in qualitative and quantitative data analysis
- prepares you to carry out empirical and literature-based research
Dissertation
60 credits
The dissertation module offers you an opportunity to explore in-depth an area of personal or professional interest that relates to your programme of study. In doing this, you will expand your research skills and apply what you have learned in the earlier modules to your research project. It enables to:
- develop your skills necessary to plan and execute a research project that is relevant to your area of study
- effectively communicate research outcomes to an appropriate audience
You can choose your own topic and methodology, though this should be relevant to public health and ideally to your route specialism. You can choose to write up as a full dissertation or as a journal style article (which comes with a viva).
Public Health Epidemiology, Intelligence and Health Protection
20 credits
Epidemiology, Health Intelligence and Health Protection are core public health disciplines that share some key approaches and methods. Epidemiological and health surveillance methods provide essential data which are used to determine suitable health protection strategies. This module will explore these three key areas and the relationships between them and apply them to a number of key issues from a global context.
International Health and Development
20 credits
This module explores the idea of international health and human development. Through it, you will examine both the determinants of health, and aspects of health system development. It evaluates a number of international strategies aimed at health for all and explores the role of primary health care as a means to achieve Universal Health Coverage, and appraises local level health improvement and community engagement strategies.
Global Health
20 credits
This module examines public health risk at the global level and in the context of globalisation. It explores the key processes of globalisation, such as economic, political, cultural and technological and how they impact the health of populations and their environments. Health risks, such as Tobacco, Alcohol and Diet are identified and their global level strategic responses are evaluated.
Optional Modules
Addictions: Policy and Interventions
20 credits
This module enhances your knowledge and understanding of addictions policy objectives, enabling you to critically assess the effectiveness of the interventions. It enables you to:
- identify core addiction policies and strategies from a UK and international perspective and assess how these are developed and put into operation
- examine how personal and structural forces impact on addiction and assess if these are related to policy objectives
- evaluate policies and interventions designed to improve addiction outcomes
Work Related Learning
20 credits
This module aims to enable you to work practically and develop public health knowledge and skills pertinent to practical settings.
Independent Study
20 credits
You will work with your tutor to select and agree an area of public health to investigate. The topic will need to be different and not linked to any other module you are taking, but must sit within the broad public health discipline/subject area. In the past, topics have addressed issues such as: Working in partnership to improve mental health; Smoke Free initiatives; and reviewing research governance procedures.
You will present a substantial plan of work to be agreed by the module leader, and embark on a review of the literature. The research and library support officer will be available to help guide you if needed, and it may be appropriate to liaise with tutors outside of the module who have relevant specialist knowledge pertaining to your area of interest. Where relevant students can seek support outside of PHI if the topic is related to a nursing or midwifery concern in public health for example.
Violence and Public Health
20 credits
This module critically examines a range of key issues relating to violence and health from international, national and local perspectives. It demonstrates the need for an interdisciplinary public health approach when addressing the causes of violence, building prevention control strategies, and promoting safety. It enables you to understand and develop strategies to control violence.
Teaching
An insight into teaching on your course
Study hours
Full-time students attend university for teaching on two full days (Tuesday and Wednesday). Part-time students normally attend one day a week: Tuesday in the first year of study and Wednesday in the second year.
Teaching methods
You will learn via lectures, tutorials and workshop related activity. The programme requires a significant amount of independent learning through the library, off campus and the virtual learning environment.
On joining the course you will be appointed a personal tutor who will provide academic and pastoral support. You will also have at least one supervisor for the duration of your dissertation module.
Applied learning
This programme enables you to gain work related experience in an applied health setting including the Public Health Institute, LocalNGOs/charity sector and local authority. Research can also be undertaken in collaboration with these sectors through negotiated agreement.
Many students conduct their research project in applied health settings such as the NHS and charity sectors. As such, your studies enable you to build real experience in the working environment and create professional relationships outside of the university setting.
Assessment
How learning is monitored on your programme
To cater for the wide-ranging content of our courses and the varied learning preferences of our students, we offer a range of assessment methods on each programme.
Written exams, essays, reports, posters, oral presentations and the dissertation module form the assessment focus for this Masters in International Public Health.
Course tutors
Our staff are committed to the highest standards of teaching and learning
Dr Ivan Gee
Programme Leader
Having worked at LJMU for the past 25 years, Rose has extensive experience in developing and managing academic programmes. The focus of her work is on curriculum development, teaching and supervision. Specialist teaching areas include international health, globalisation and public health policy. Rose is also an experienced PhD supervisor. Her research interests include: participatory methodology, obesity, maternal health, health system development and ageing. She is particularly interested in the international dimensions of these areas and is currently supervising a study on the development of public health knowledge and skills in Cambodia.
Teaching, research supervision and scholarly activity are the most rewarding aspects of my position. Whilst I enjoy developing and refining academic programmes and managing an enthusiastic programme team; teaching students and watching them develop and graduate is the most satisfying area of my role.
School facilities
What you can expect from your School
The Public Health Institute is located in the City Campus where you'll find the Avril Robarts Library, IT Zones, high quality teaching facilities and lecture theatres plus a range of cafes and social spaces.
Entry requirements
You will need:
Qualification requirements
Undergraduate degree
- a good honours degree in a health or social science-related discipline
Alternative qualifications considered
- equivalent professional qualifications and experience
International requirements
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IELTS
- IELTS 6.5 (minimum 5.5 in each component)
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Other international requirements
- International students applying to study a full-time taught Masters, MRes, MPhil or PhD at LJMU should check if they require an Academic Approval Scheme or ATAS certificate
- International students entering on a Tier 4 visa cannot study part-time.
Further information
- Extra Requirements
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RPL
- RPL is accepted on this programme
Application and selection
Securing your place at LJMU
To apply for this programme, you are required to complete an LJMU online application form. You will need to provide details of previous qualifications and a personal statement outlining why you wish to study this programme.
The University reserves the right to withdraw or make alterations to a course and facilities if necessary; this may be because such changes are deemed to be beneficial to students, are minor in nature and unlikely to impact negatively upon students or become necessary due to circumstances beyond the control of the University. Where this does happen, the University operates a policy of consultation, advice and support to all enrolled students affected by the proposed change to their course or module.