Ageing populations, shifting fertility rates, migration, growing inequalities - these are the demographic forces driving today’s global headlines. Population dynamics affect every aspect of our world, from political stability and climate impact to economies, health, and family life. As the data landscape continues to evolve, new avenues for digital demographic research are emerging. Expert demographers are crucial for generating the population insights that shape global trends and for driving innovation in demographic data science with tangible, real-world benefits.
Join our online MSc Demography and Health to study population dynamics and their interaction with global health. This is an intensive online programme that can be taken either full time (one year) or built to work alongside your employment part-time over two years. You’ll learn to analyse processes that govern and interact with population change, including reproductive behaviour and social relationships, exposure to health risks, economic growth, and climate change.
This programme is also available on campus.
What you will learn
- Learn demographic methods and theory, including population projections; dynamics of fertility, mortality and migration; data science and analytics; life-course research and survival analysis
- Learn to present results of analyses through written and oral presentations
- Take a critical, interdisciplinary approach to the study of population change and its interactions with wider social, political and environmental change
- Discover how we can use evidence-based approaches to develop and evaluate population programmes
- Formulate critical, policy-relevant, research questions and use demographic and health data to address them
- Develop practical skills through student-led seminars, data analysis tasks and mini-research projects
Understand how to analyse and exploit emerging data sources to unravel contemporary population dynamics and their interactions with social, economic and environmental change. You will also learn how to conduct demographic research in situations where data are lacking. Our Population Studies Group has expertise pioneering demographic methods where data are scarce or unreliable in a wide variety of settings.
You’ll be taught by demographers, social scientists, and reproductive health specialists and you will be welcomed into a dynamic research group who are committed to demography training. Hear about their specialist research on everything from improving mortality data collection in pandemics, to evolutionary and anthropological demography, to the relationship between violence and fertility, as well as from a range of external speakers working in the population field.
With a choice of modules, you’ll be able to shape your study to suit your interests. Perhaps you’ll find a passion for population projections under different scenarios. Or maybe you’ll be interested in critically appraising population policies or studying how population interacts with climate change. Your research project will give you a chance to examine an area in more depth. Past students have explored topics such as the demographic impact of climate change in the Gambia, migration from Mexico, spatial analysis of infant mortality in Victorian London, sexual and reproductive health in Tanzania, and interactions between ageing and employment in the UK.
Who is it for?
Social and political scientists, mathematicians, geographers – this course is perfect for anyone interested in population and its relation to health and wider social and environmental change. You might be a professional working in government or for an NGO where demographic skills are in high demand. Or you might have just finished your undergraduate degree and want to pursue an MSc which will equip you to contribute solutions to some of today’s most pressing global challenges.
Demography & Health graduates are in great demand. Some move into policy and practice, implementing population analytics and critical thinking for Governments, international organisations and NGOs. Others launch their careers in academia, contributing to deeper understandings of population change. You’ll graduate with a range of analytical and critical skills that are essential on the world stage, and with an MSc which has a global reputation in this field. You’ll find our graduates working in rewarding roles at UN organisations, government statistics offices, NGOs, think tanks and WHO.
Mode of Delivery
Lectures and practicals for this online programme will be delivered during the UK timezone, on weekdays, usually between 09.00-17.00.
The programme will be delivered wholly online, with no in-person attendance. There will be a mix of live and interactive activities (synchronous learning) as well as recorded or self-directed study (asynchronous learning). Examples of synchronous learning are live online lectures, group discussions and seminars. Asynchronous learning includes pre-recorded lectures, independent reading and activities.
Duration
The programme is 12 months full-time or 24 months part-time; it is also available for split-study over two years.
Full-time (12 months): Full-time students are expected to study approximately 40 hours per week including about 12-20 hours of synchronous learning per week (3-5 hours in any one day) during the teaching term, depending on the modules chosen. Live synchronous lectures and class sessions usually take place Monday-Friday between 9:00-17:00 UK time. Students are also required to attend all live sessions and group work and undertake self-led study each week.
Part-time (24 months): Students can study part-time by studying for two or three days per week during the teaching term, and spreading all the modules required to complete a master’s programme over two years. There are no evening or weekend classes. Depending on module selection, students may be required to attend for different days in each term. Part-time students are expected to study approximately 20 hours per week including about 6-10 hours of synchronous learning per week (3-5 hours each study day) during the teaching term, depending on the selected modules.
Split study (24 months): Students taking the programme by split-study undertake full-time study for a minimum of one term in Year 1, before then breaking for 12 months and returning to undertake the remainder of the programme in Year 2, resuming on a full-time basis. The proposed date for the split must be agreed with the programme director.
Caroline Hempleman
MSc Demography & Health
The below structure outlines the proposed modules for this programme. Programme and module specifications provide full details about the aims and objectives of each module, what you will study and how the module is assessed.
- Structure of the year
Term 1 (September - December) consists of ten teaching weeks for AB1 slot modules, plus one Reading Week* in the middle of the term. Followed by the Winter break.
Term 2 (January - March) consists of a further ten weeks of teaching for C and D slot modules, plus a Reading Week in the middle of the term. C modules are taught in five half-week blocks before Reading Week. D modules are taught in five half-week blocks after Reading Week. Followed by the Spring break.
Term 3 (April - September) consists of five weeks of teaching for E slot modules, taught in half-week blocks, and the project report.
*Reading Week is a week during term where no formal teaching takes place. It is a time for private study, preparing for assessments or attending study/computer skills workshops. There are two Reading Weeks at LSHTM: one in November and the other in February.
- Term 1
Students take the following compulsory AB1 modules:
- Basic Epidemiology
- Demographic Methods
- Population Studies
- Statistics for Epidemiology & Population Health
- PHM 104: Principles of Social Research (by Distance Learning)*
*PHM104 is a Distance Learning module which is taught wholly via directed self-study through online materials in a virtual learning environment.
- Terms 2 and 3
Students take a total of five study modules, one from each timetable slot (C1, C2, D1, D2, E).
C1 slot
- Research Design & Analysis
- Gender and Reproductive Rights
C2 slot
- Population, Poverty and Environment
- Family Planning Programmes
D1 slot
- Planetary Health in Practice
- Current Issues in Maternal and Perinatal Health
- Programme Monitoring and Implementation Research
D2 slot
- Population Dynamics & Projections
E slot
- Analysing Survey & Population Data
- Project report
During the summer months (June - August), students complete a research project for submission by early September. This is an opportunity to apply the demographic skills and knowledge acquired through the programme in an independent research project, with supervision from a member of staff.
MSc Demography & Health students usually undertake original data analysis on a demographic topic, but there are also options to develop a project proposal or to write an original literature or policy review.
Changes to the programme
LSHTM will seek to deliver this programme in accordance with the description set out on this programme page. However, there may be situations in which it is desirable or necessary for LSHTM to make changes in course provision, either before or after registration. For further information, please see our page on changes to courses.
Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
LSHTM offers a wide range of standalone modules for those looking for continued professional development and wishing to develop their networks, knowledge and skills in a particular area without the full commitment of an MSc. Explore intensive individual modules.
| Fees 2026/27 | Master's | |
|---|---|---|
| All students | Full-time | £23,100 |
| Part-time | £11,550 |
*Mobile users, scroll right to view fees
In order to be admitted to an LSHTM master's degree programme, an applicant must:
- hold either a first degree at Second Class Honours (2:2) standard in a relevant discipline, or a degree in medicine recognised by the UK General Medical Council (GMC) for the purposes of practising medicine in the UK, or another degree of equivalent standard awarded by an overseas institution recognised by UK ENIC or the GMC.
or
- hold a professional qualification appropriate to the programme of study to be followed obtained by written examinations and judged by LSHTM to be equivalent to a Second Class Honours (2:2) degree or above.
or
- have relevant professional experience or training which is judged by LSHTM to be equivalent to a Second Class Honours (2:2) degree or above.
If you have not previously studied in the UK, you can check our guide to international equivalent qualifications for our master's degrees.
Additional requirements for the MSc Demography & Health are:
- evidence of numeracy skills
Relevant subjects for the MSc Demography & Health include social sciences (e.g. anthropology, demography, development, economics, geography, international relations, politics, sociology) and sciences (e.g. mathematics, statistics, biology, medicine, nursing, midwifery). Other qualifications will be considered subject to evidence of sufficient quantitative exposure (please make this evidence clear within the application).
Applicants who do not meet the minimum entry requirement, but who have relevant professional experience may still be eligible for admission. Qualifications and experience will be assessed from the application.
English language requirements
If English is not your first language, you will need to meet these requirements: Band B.
Some applicants may be exempt if they have previously studied in English or meet other specified criteria. Please see our English language requirements for details.
It is possible to apply without English language test results however the results of a test may be listed as a condition of an offer of admission.
The running of this programme in the 2026-27 academic year will depend on sufficient student enrolment to ensure a high-quality academic and student experience (normally a minimum of around five students). |
Applications should be made online and will only be considered once you have provided all required information and supporting documentation.
Please also read LSHTM's Admissions policies (pdf) prior to submitting your application.
You can apply for up to two master's programmes. Make sure to list them by order of preference as consideration will be given to your top choice first.
Please ensure you pay careful attention to the content of your personal statement, as we do not invite applicants to interview for this programme, so the clarity and relevance of the information you can provide is of considerable importance to us. We would like to know your experiences in the relevant field(s), your reasons for applying to our programme, what you hope to gain from the training we offer, and how you intend to use the knowledge and skills you acquired to further your career and contribute to improving health.
Application fee
A standard non-refundable application fee of £50 applies to all taught Master’s degree programmes and is payable upon application submission. The application fee also applies to PG Diplomas and PG Certificates where appropriate. Income generated from the application fee is shared between scholarships and the student hardship funds.
Application deadline
The final closing date for all taught online Master’s applications for entry in the 2026/27 academic year is:
- Monday 31 August 2026 at 23:59 UK time for all UK, Irish and non-Student visa students
Tuition fee deposit
Applicants are required to respond to their Offer of Admission and pay the £500 deposit within 28 days of receipt, or their place will be released and the offer automatically declined. The deposit is deductible from tuition fees upon full registration with LSHTM. Applicants in receipt of a full scholarship will not be required to pay the deposit.
Graduates from this programme enter a diverse range of positions in public health, research, NGOs, health programmes, health services, government, policy and planning.
Employability
On average, 90% of our master's graduates from the 2019/20-2022/23 cohorts were in employment or undertaking further studies 15 months after graduation (Graduate Outcomes Surveys, 2020-2023).
Careers at LSHTM
In this video, LSHTM students share why they chose public health and reflect on their studies, student experience and future career goals.
Graduates from this programme enter a diverse range of positions in public health, academic research of a very wide nature, NGOs, reproductive health programmes, health services, government statistical offices, policy and planning.
Below you will find just a few of the positions and organisations that our graduates from this course have entered:
- Example job titles:
Academic Researcher
Lecturer
Government Research or Policy Analyst
Research Scientist
Project Officer
International Technical Advisor
Market Research Consultant
Editor
Data Analyst
Epidemiologist
Evaluation Officer
Health Policy Adviser
Scientific Officer
Programme Officer
Senior Data Manager- Example organisations:
United Nations Population Fund
UNAIDS
Médecins Sans Frontiers
Institute for Health Metrics Evaluation
Mary Stopes International
Population Council
Guttmacher Institute
Kenya Medical Research institute (KEMRI)
World Health Organisation
Universities in many countries
Central and Local Government
National Statistical Offices in various countries
Public Health England
International Planned Parenthood Organization
Malawi Epidemiology and Intervention Research Unit
NHS England
British Medical Journal
Population Services International
International Organization for Migration
LSHTM Alumni
LSHTM’s alumni community includes over 35,000 graduates across more than 190 countries. It offers a lifelong connection to LSHTM and to each other.
We are proud of our global alumni network, which includes many notable members, such as:
- Tedros Adhanom, the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), who completed his MSc in Immunology of Infectious Diseases
- Karina Rando, the Minister of Public Health in Uruguay, studied MSc Public Health – Health Economics stream
- Christopher Whitty, Chief Medical Officer for England and Chief Medical Adviser to UK Government, studied MSc Epidemiology.
- Vanessa Bradford Kerry, founder of the non-profit Seed Global Health, director of the Program in Global Public Policy and Social Change at Harvard Medical School, and Special Envoy for Climate Change and Health for the World Health Organization (WHO), studied the MSc in Health Policy, Planning and Financing
- Career support - the LSHTM Careers Service provide a range of services from 1-1 appointments to events and workshops.
- Alumni blogs - did you know LSHTM has over 35,500 alumni in more than 190 countries.
- International alumni chapters - find an LSHTM network of alumni near you from our over 30 chapters.