This course aims to offer a broad training in the theories and methods of demography and the population sciences and their application to global health, social welfare and economic development. Emphasis is placed on studies of social, cultural and economic determinants and consequences of population change.
Funding is available for this course. Please click here for further information.
This is Europe's only graduate course in demography with an emphasis on health. It is designed for those interested in acquiring a technical understanding of this subject and also of the interaction of health and population determinants such as sexual relations, childbearing and life expectancy.
The course teaches research skills which are highly valued in the job market generally and are welcomed in a wide variety of research fields. The teaching draws on several related disciplines within the School and because of the modular approach can be adapted (within reason) to suit different needs. The course is recognised by both the MRC and ESRC as providing high quality research training and a small number of scholarships from these bodies (including 1+3 scholarships) are available to UK or EU residents. These are advertised each year with the School scholarships information.
Graduates have careers in NGOs, public health, reproductive health programmes, health services research, policy, planning and academic fields.
The Selwyn-Clarke Prize is awarded for the best project of the year.
Course Duration
Full-time for one year or part-time over two years. Students taking the course over two years can choose to attend part-time throughout both years (this involves attending the School at least two days each week during term-time) or by split study.
Students taking the course by split study over two years attend full-time for part of Year 1, and then undertake the remainder of the course in Year 2. The split can occur anytime between the Christmas break and the end of the formal teaching in May, by prior arrangement with the Course Director. With split study, Paper 1 of the formal exams may be taken at the end of Year 1 or at the end of Year 2. Paper 2 must be taken at the end of Year 2. Interested applicants should indicate their choice of study mode on the application form.
" My education at the LSHTM has not only given me a strong demographic and public health foundation but has also fuelled my passion for demography and enabled me with the tools to do independent demographic research. Sara Yeatman from the USA studied the MSc Demography & Health - Full profile
Objectives
By the end of this course students should be able to: demonstrate advanced knowledge and understanding of scientific, evidence-based approaches to the study of population issues; critically assess and apply these approaches to inform development, health and population programmes; formulate research questions and use demographic and health data, and appropriate methods of analysis, to address them; identify causes and consequences of population change and relate these to underlying population dynamics; demonstrate advanced knowledge and understanding of demographic behaviour in social, economic and policy contexts; critically assess and apply findings of population studies to health and social policy, and demonstrate advanced knowledge and understanding of major population trends, including historical trends, in developed and developing countries.
Programme specifications - showing which of the various elements of the Course support and achieve each of these specific Objectives.
Term 1
Students take the following compulsory modules: Demographic Methods; Epidemiology; Population Studies; Principles of Social Research; Statistics For Epidemiology and Population Health.
Terms 2 and 3
Students take one module from each timetable slot. One module (in D2) is compulsory. Students are expected to take modules related to demography for at least two of their other four choices.
C1: Research Design and Analysis; Health Care Evaluation; Designing Disease Control Programmes in Developing Countries. N.B. The first option is strongly recommended.
C2: Family Planning Programmes; Statistical Methods in Epidemiology; Conflict and Health; Design and Analysis of Epidemiological Studies.
D1: Population, Poverty and Environment; Social Epidemiology; Spatial Epidemiology; Current Issues in Safe Motherhood and Perinatal Health; Sociological Approaches to Health; Epidemiology of Non-Communicable Diseases; Modelling and the Dynamics
of Infectious Diseases.
D2: Population Dynamics and Projections.
E: AIDS; Analysing Survey and Population Data; Advanced Statistical Methods in Epidemiology; Proposal Development.
Further details for the course modules can be found here.
Project Report
Students complete a research project to enable them to acquire personal experience of the process of contributing to knowledge in any of the fields covered by the course. Acceptable types of project are: data analysis; a project proposal; an original literature or policy review.
Students normally remain in London for the preparation of their project report. Exceptionally, and only if appropriate, part of the project period may be spent away from the School, whether in the UK or abroad. Arrangements for this must be discussed and agreed with the Course Director.
Entrance Requirements
Applicants must normally satisfy LSHTM's general entrance requirements and additional programme specific entrance requirements to be considered for admission. Applications must be submitted in accordance with the procedures and deadlines given in the web-based or printed prospectus.
• The normal minimum entrance qualification for registration is at least a second-class Honours degree of a UK university, or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard, or a registerable qualification in medicine, dentistry or veterinary studies appropriate to the programme. Applications with an appropriate technical qualification, or equivalent qualification and experience from overseas, are also welcomed.
• Any prospective student who does not meet the above minimum entry requirement, but who has relevant professional experience, may still be eligible for admission. The Registry can advise on eligibility to apply in such cases.
Application for London-based Study
Application for Masters degrees in London must be made using the School's MSc Application Forms.
Application for Research degrees (MPhil/PhD or DrPH) and for occasional research study in London must be made using the School's Research Application Forms.
Instructions on how to complete these forms and an outline of the application process are available with the relevant Application Forms.
The MSc and Research Application Packs are also available from: The Registry, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT, United Kingdom. Telephone: +44 (0) 20 7299 4646 Fax: +44 (0) 20 7299 4656 E-mail: registry@lshtm.ac.uk).
Masters Courses
Applicants wishing to be considered for School scholarships are advised to apply by 1 March 2012. Please note that this is not a closing date. Although we accept applications all year round, other applicants are also advised to apply before this date as courses can become full rapidly. While early application is encouraged, late applications are always considered until all places on the course have been filled. All applicants should be able to start the course on the first day of the academic year, 24 September 2012.
All Masters courses are offered on a part-time basis over two years. Students interested in part-time study should contact the appropriate Course Organiser, via the Registry, to discuss course requirements and likely timetables, and should read the Masters degree information.
There are two ways of undertaking part-time study:
1) attending part-time throughout the two years: Students need to be available for up to four or five half days every week for 27 weeks per year. Evidence may be required to prove that applicants are able to commit this minimum period of time to their study
2) attending full-time for modules in the first two terms in Year 1 (September-March), and undertaking third term modules, exams and project in Year 2 (April - September). Such an option may be attractive to applicants who are unable to be released from employment for a continuous twelve-month period. This option is called split study.
All courses commence on 24 September 2012 and last one year for full-time study or two years for part-time study.
