This stream provides a foundation for the understanding of health economics as applied in the wider context of health services research. It therefore brings together core teaching on economics as applied to health and health care, but also exposes the student to the wider related academic disciplines of importance in understanding the interaction of economics and global health, such as epidemiology, public health and policy analysis.
The stream is aimed at anyone - with or without any previous training in economics - who is interested in working as a health economist in an academic or professional capacity across high-, middle- and low-income countries.
Click here to watch a video about health economics at the School
" Students and staff are always willing to share their personal experiences creating a truly stimulating learning environment. Faruk Abu from Nigeria studied the MSc Public Health (Health Economics). - Full profile
Objectives
By the end of this stream students should be able to demonstrate ability to apply knowledge of the core disciplines of public health, consisting of statistics; epidemiology; health economics; and social research, to real health problems. In addition, students will be able to:
- Demonstrate advanced knowledge and understanding of the principles and methods of economic evaluation
- Demonstrate advanced knowledge of health economic methods applied to health policy or decision analysis
- Identify, assess and critically synthesise relevant evidence from health economic research literature
- Select and apply appropriate, ethical and feasible study designs to answer questions in health care and health economic research
- Show competence, both written and verbal, in communicating research evidence.
Programme specification - showing which elements of the course support and achieve the specific objectives.
Term 1
Students take a total of six modules as follows:
Compulsory Modules: students intending to follow this stream must take Health Services, in addition to the Public Health common core: Basic Statistics for Public Health & Policy; Basic Epidemiology; Introduction to Health Economics; and Principles of Social Research, plus one of the following:
Recommended modules: Issues in Public Health; Health Promotion Theory, Environment, Health & Sustainable Development; or Health Policy, Process & Power. In addition students may attend the following non-assessed modules: Introduction to Computing, and the Public Health Lecture Series.
Terms 2 and 3
Students take a total of six modules, one from each timetable slot. Where only one module is shown this is Compulsory.
C1: Health Care Evaluation.
C2: Economic Analysis for Health Policy; Health Impact & Decision Analysis.
D1: Economic Evaluation.
D2: Reviewing the Literature.
E: Modelling and the Dynamics of Infectious Diseases; Proposal Development; Analytical Models for Decision Making; Health Systems.
Further details for the course modules can be found here.
Please see the MSc Public Health overview page for further details.
Entrance Requirements
A student must normally satisfy the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine general entrance requirements and the additional programme specific entrance requirements as follows:
The normal minimum entrance qualification for registration at the School on a Masters programme is at least one of the following:
• a second-class honours degree of a UK university, or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard, in a subject appropriate to that of the course of study to be followed
• a registerable qualification appropriate to the course of study to be followed, in medicine, dentistry or veterinary studies
Additional preferred requirement for the MSc Public Health:
• preference will be given to applicants with relevant work experience
Applications with an appropriate technical qualification, or equivalent qualification and experience from overseas, are also welcomed.
Any student who does not meet the minimum entry requirement above but who has relevant professional experience may still be eligible for admission. They should contact the Registry who can assess their eligibility to apply.
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.
