Global Master of Public Health (GMPH)

For the Global Master’s in Public Health, we’ve redesigned the high quality and multidisciplinary on-campus curriculum for the online environment. To this end the Global Master of Public Health aims to provide a comprehensive grounding in public health for students who wish to pursue or advance careers in public health practice, management and/or research at local, national and/or international levels.

This online and part-time degree offers cutting-edge knowledge and skills based on the principles and methods of public health within a creative and supportive, fully-online learning environment. The programme has a special focus on the development of quantitative analytical skills for public health, epidemiology and health services research. ‎

Yes, graduates will earn the same Master of Public Health award as students in the on-campus programme.

*Note that this is a UK-based degree. Students seeking specifically to be a public health physician in the US should seek an alternative US-accredited programme.‎

The online and on-campus programme will suit different learners in different ways. Whilst both offer a Master of Public Health, the online programme is purely online and is offered for either two or three years, part-time. The on-campus programme is taught in London, over one year and is full-time. Both programmes are highly competitive and we encourage you to apply for the programme that best suits your needs in the first instance. It may not be possible to switch between the two programs if all the places have been filled.‎

You will be required to take either two or three specialisations per term, depending on enrolment option, which run in parallel, so in total you should allocate roughly 18-24 hours a week to the degree programme. The majority of this time will be independent study- watching videos, reading core material, participating in discussion forums, and completing quizzes and peer reviews, though you can also expect to participate in weekly webinars, office hours, and Q&A sessions too. These will be scheduled in advance to help you plan your study time around your other commitments. There will be key assessment deadlines and dates that you will work to throughout.‎

The core aims and outcomes of this degree align with the European standards laid out by the Agency for Public Health Education Accreditation. This sets us apart from courses in countries such as the US and Canada, where accreditation requirements are not suitable for a UK based programme. Whilst this degree is not accredited by any particular agency or professional body, we have been able to design, develop and deliver an innovative and comprehensive public health curriculum which responds to the most recent developments in public health – including our own research discoveries - as our curriculum is unrestricted by specific criteria. ‎

In public health, the focus is on populations and communities rather than individual patients. There are a number of career options in research, public or government services or voluntary organisations and non-governmental organisations. Starting from a common core, students may develop into roles ranging from public health analysts, health services researchers, communicable disease control consultants, environmental epidemiologists, health policy advisors or directors of public health.‎

Each academic year is divided into three terms. For the two-year Masters programme, you will study three specialisations per term. During the three-year Masters programme you will study two specialisations per term. By the end of both you will have completed eight core specialisations, including a research portfolio and choose four optional specialisations. To enrol on the three-year Masters programme, you will first need to enrol and complete the Postgraduate Certificate and Postgraduate Diploma programmes.‎

The Master’s level programmes are delivered and structured over either two years or three years, with three terms per academic year.

You can either:

• enrol on the two year Master’s programme as a standalone pathway, where you will study three specialisations per term (approx. 16-24 hours study time per week over 2 years), or;
• build to the Master’s qualification over three years (approx. 12-18 hours per week). ‎

It is not possible to transfer credits into the programme. You will need to meet the entry requirements of the programme and complete it in full in order to be awarded a Master of Public Health.‎

Yes. There will be regular office hours with programme team staff and Faculty members. Outside of this there will be scheduled sessions and webinars where you will have access to Faculty staff who will instruct and support your learning.‎

Yes, under the guidance of faculty advisors, you will be working with groups of fellow learners engaged in similar projects as you.‎

Yes, many of your instructors will be the same leaders from academic fields such as statistics, epidemiology, and health services research that lecture on campus. ‎

This programme is fully online and involves no on-campus attendance at all. It will be taught fully online via the Coursera learning platform and allow learners to flexibly study around their own commitments, like employment, family, hobbies etc. The programme is designed in a way to allow learners to independently study for the majority of the program, watching teaching sessions and returning to them around their daily schedule. There will be live and scheduled sessions, or group based work which require pre-organised attendance and engagement throughout. Assessments will also have deadlines and require learners to engage and submit when stated. ‎

If you have any questions about the programme or admissions then please contact a member of the School of Public Health Team via gmph-queries@imperial.ac.uk. ‎

• Core specialisations will focus on building core skills and knowledge in epidemiology, the spread and prevention of disease, statistical analysis and modelling, public health practice and global health challenges. The degree has 12 core specialisations across the two years. You can either enrol on the two year Master’s programme as a standalone pathway, where you will study three specialisations per term (approx. 16-24 hours study time per week over 2 years), or build to the Master’s qualification over three years (approx. 12-18 hours per week). Complete 12 core specialisations over three years, including a research portfolio and four optional specialisations. Each year will provide its own standalone qualification (PG Certificate in year 1; PG Diploma in year 2). After each year you will have the choice to leave with the qualification or continue studying.
• Students will also be able to build a degree that best suits their interests, through the selection of 4 elective specialisations (out of choice of 8), allowing students to focus their efforts on those areas of study of most importance to them and their future careers.
• All students will be required to complete a substantive research output, across a number of core research specialisations that make up the research portfolio, which accounts for a third of the course. During the first half of the portfolio, students will learn key knowledge and skills required to design, plan, conduct, analyse and disseminate research in public health through three taught specialisations (research portfolio 1 – 3). Within these specialisations students will start to develop their own research in a fully supported learning environment.
• In the second half, they will finish their research portfolio, which will lead to a draft paper (academic or policy), blog and dissemination plan. In this way students will be supported throughout their project and will enjoy a consistent level of supervision and structured learning. ‎

Students will be able to build a degree that best suits their interests, through the selection of 4 elective specialisations (out of a choice of 8), allowing students to focus their efforts on those areas of study of most importance to them and their future careers. These specialisations include: Global Health Innovations, Infectious Disease Modelling, Quality Improvement in Healthcare, Advanced Statistics, Participatory Methods in Public Health, Social Epidemiology for Public Health, Digital Health and Health Data Sciences. ‎

The degree programme requires you to study 3 specialisations a term. For the first term this will be 3 core specialisations, and for the subsequent terms this will be 2 core and 1 elective choice. Term three of the final (second) year will require you to undertake the final research portfolio specialisation only. ‎

In total the programme requires you to take 12 core specialisations and choose 4 specialisations from the 8 elective choices available. ‎

The specialisations are scheduled to take place each term according to a fixed schedule.‎

No. The GMPH does not currently offer internships or placements within the degree programme structure.‎

• Normally a minimum 2.1 UK Bachelor’s Degree with Honours in a science subject or MBBS degree (or a comparable qualification recognised by the College).
• Suitable applicants are likely to be those with a background in: medicine, health sciences, biological sciences or environmental sciences.
• Mature applicants with relevant academic or professional experience will also be considered.
• English Proficiency requirements are set at the Higher requirement with an IELTS score of 7.0 overall (minimum 6.5 in all elements). ‎

Suitable applicants are likely to be those with a background in medicine, health sciences, biological sciences or environmental sciences. Mature applicants with relevant academic or professional experience will also be considered. However, some students come from different backgrounds and we will consider applicants who do not come from a medical or scientific background.‎

For UK Students

• Our minimum requirement is a 2.1 degree in science subject or an MBBS medical degree. Suitable applicants are likely to be those with a background in medicine, health sciences, biological sciences or environmental sciences.
• Mature applicants with relevant academic or professional experience will also be considered.
• The academic requirement above is for applicants who hold or who are working towards a UK qualification.

For International Students

• We also accept a wide variety of international qualifications. For guidance see our Country Index though please note that the standards listed here are the minimum for entry to the College.

If you have any questions about admissions and the standard required for the qualification you hold or are currently studying then please contact a member of the School of Public Health Admissions Team via gmph-queries@imperial.ac.uk ‎

• Applications will be considered for the program based on the entry requirements, which will need to be met, but also the strength of their supporting statement including detail on their proposed research proposal, plus other work, research or relevant experience.
• Master’s level study is a progression from undergraduate work and is usually more specialised, interdisciplinary, or orientated to a specific profession. It is more intellectually demanding and challenging than undergraduate study. Students sometimes fail to appreciate the intense and demanding nature of Master's level programmes. There is no gradual introduction – the pace is fierce from the outset and it does not subside until the end. This requires a commitment to a sustained period of intensive work right from the start. In addition:
  • the pace of lecturing is likely to be significantly faster
  • you will be expected to undertake more directed background reading during the course
  • you will be expected to arrive at solutions for yourself
• For this reason the College requires a high academic standard of those seeking admission. International students, in particular, should also recognise the need to be proficient in English at the start of the course, hence the College's English language requirement. ‎

Work experience is not essential but will be considered as part of the review process. Applications will be considered for the programme based on the entry requirements, which will need to be met, but also the strength of the supporting statement plus other work, research or relevant experience.‎

Imperial have an application processing fee for MSc and MRes courses to help cover some of the administrative and staffing costs associated with processing the large volume of applications that Imperial receives. This fee will be £80.

Imperial will waive the fee for any applicant – Home or Overseas – who demonstrates that they are experiencing financial hardship. Please see Imperial's website for further information. ‎

You will need to apply online directly with Imperial College London by registering and applying for the programme via https://imperialuk.elluciancrmrecruit.com/Apply/

Submitting evidence
• To show how you qualify for the programme you are applying for, you will need to provide information about the higher qualifications you have achieved or which you’re currently studying.
• All Imperial applicants must also show that they have a sufficiently good level of written and spoken English to meet the demands of our challenging academic environment. Find out more about our English language requirements for postgraduate study.
• We can process your application more quickly if you upload scanned copies of the academic transcripts and certificates for the higher education qualifications you already hold when you apply.
• If you receive an offer we may ask you to provide evidence of your previous qualifications as part of the conditions of your offer. Where this applies, you must send the original physical documents by post (https://www.imperial.ac.uk/study/pg/apply/after-you-apply/conditions/).

References
• You will need to provide the names of two people who can provide an academic reference in support of your application. An academic reference could be from, for example:
Your personal tutor,
Your thesis supervisor, or
Your line manager in a research group

• One academic and one relevant professional reference may be acceptable – contact the relevant Admissions team for confirmation before you apply (https://www.imperial.ac.uk/study/pg/apply/contact/).

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There are some School of Public Health Scholarships available for the programme, which applicants will need to apply for separately and via the Imperial College webpages. These scholarships are not needs based but are competitive and made on the scholarship application submitted.

Once students enrol and join the degree programme, if they experience financial difficulties, they can contact the Imperial College Student Financial Support Team. ‎

Yes, multiple courses and specialisations from the Global MPH degree are available as open courses for you to try on Coursera before enrolling in the degree. If you complete an open course and enroll in the degree later, you work will count towards your degree. Check the list of open courses.‎

All candidates must demonstrate a minimum level of English language proficiency for admission to the College. For admission to this course, you must achieve the higher College requirement in the appropriate English language qualification. For details of the minimum grades required to achieve this requirement, please see the English language requirements for postgraduate applicants.

English Proficiency requirements are set at the Higher requirement with an IELTS score of 7.0 overall (minimum 6.5 in all elements).‎

The application portal will allow you to submit all transcripts and documents needed.‎

The academic requirement above is for applicants who hold or who are working towards a UK qualification. We also accept a wide variety of international qualifications. For guidance see our Country Index though please note that the standards listed here are the minimum for entry to the College. If you have any questions about admissions and the standard required for the qualification you hold or are currently studying then please contact the relevant admissions team. ‎