This stream provides students with a broad knowledge and understanding of the concepts and methods used in studying health services and systems. Health Services Research is research that seeks to improve the quality, organisation and financing of health services. Its concern extends from the care of individuals through health care organisations to national and global health policies. This stream includes a large research component enabling students to develop their methodological skills.
" The MSc course exposed me to a wide range of research topics and broadened my skill base all of which will be extremely valuable in the years ahead. Kathryn Duckett from UK has studied the MSc in Public Health - Health Services Research stream. - 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:
- understand the strengths and weaknesses of different study designs
- identify, assess and synthesise evidence from research literature
- select and apply appropriate, ethical and feasible study designs to answer questions in health services and health systems research
- show competence in critically evaluating and communicating research evidence
- understand the relationship between research evidence and policy/practice.
Programme specification - showing which of the various elements of the course support and achieve each of these specific objectives.
Term 1
Students take the four compulsory modules constituting the Public Health common core: Basic Epidemiology; Basic Statistics for Public Health & Policy; Introduction to Health Economics; and Principles of Social Research. In addition, students intending to follow this stream must take Health Services. The remaining module can be selected from Environment, Health & Sustainable Development; Health Policy, Process & Power; Health Promotion Theory; or Issues in Public Health.
Terms 2 and 3
Students take a total of six study modules, one from each timetable slot. The list below shows recommended modules. Where only one study module is shown this is compulsory.
C1: Health Care Evaluation.
C2: Design & Analysis of Epidemiological Studies; Economic Analysis for Health Policy; Health Impact & Decision Analysis; Qualitative Methodologies; Statistical Methods in Epidemiology. .
D1: Economic Evaluation; Environmental Epidimiology; Medical Anthropology in Public Health; Social Epidemiology.
D2: Reviewing the Literature.
E: Proposal Development; Advanced Statistical Methods in Epidemiology; Analysing Survey & Population Data; Analytical Models for Decision Making; Health Systems; History & Health; Sociological Approaches to Health.
Further details for the course modules can be found here.
Project Report
Each student will undertake a research project. This may begin during two of the compulsory modules in Terms 2 & 3 (Reviewing the Literature and Proposal Development) and continues full-time after the written examinations in June.
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.
