Academic year 2020/21
We have taken guidance from our leading COVID-19 researchers on how the future of the pandemic may unfold, and with the safety and wellbeing of our students being our top priority, we have taken the following decisions:
Term 1: Teaching will be delivered wholly online.
As a School, we have a strong track record in delivering education at distance. Learning outcomes will be delivered through a combination of live lectures and seminars, scheduled to take students in different time zones into account, and will continue to provide access to the same resources and expertise as on campus.
Terms 2 and 3: Teaching will be delivered on campus and online.
This will mean that if you are unable or concerned about coming to London, you can continue and complete your degree at a distance. Alternatively, if you are able and willing to be in London from Term 2, you will be able to receive some teaching on campus. Courses requiring specialist facilities for practical or laboratory work are likely to be prioritised for access to the campus.
For more information about the academic year 2020-21, please check our COVID-19 advice for applicants and offer holders FAQs.
The programme
This programme provides ophthalmic professionals with the knowledge and skills required to reduce blindness and visual disability in their populations by developing an evidence-based public health approach for the control and management of blinding eye diseases. It enables students to contribute effectively at a local, national and international level in research, training and service delivery.
The training will enable students to develop a public health oriented approach to eye care services and the control of blindness in keeping with the objectives of Vision 2020: The Right to Sight.
They will acquire and apply skills in epidemiological and operational research, critical analysis of strategies for the control of major blinding eye diseases, in programme planning, management and evaluation; facilitate a personal development, so enabling individuals to contribute more fully to their countries’ and societies’ eye health; engage with local, national and international networks of health professionals and systems, for the prevention of blindness worldwide.
Further information on the International Centre for Eye Health (ICEH).
Duration: one year full time or split study over two years. Ways to study explained.
At the end of this programme students should be able to:
- describe the basic epidemiology of the major blinding eye diseases
- design and interpret studies to assess public health eye care needs using appropriate research methods
- critically appraise and select appropriate public health interventions for the major blinding eye diseases
- design a comprehensive eye care programme for appropriate preventive and therapeutic measures for a community
- develop the skills necessary for resource mobilisation, management and evaluation of local comprehensive eye care programmes and integration into health systems
- discuss the importance of disability in the global context, appraise the epidemiology of visual and impairment leading to disability and the impact of disability on people’s lives
The below structure outlines the proposed modules for this programme. Module specifications provide full details about the aims and objectives of each module, what you will study and how the module is assessed.
Term 1
All students take the following compulsory modules:
- Basic Epidemiology
- Basic Statistics for Public Health and Policy
- Epidemiological Methods Applied to Eye Diseases
- Introduction to Health Economics
- Foundations of Global Eye Health and Eye Care Programmes (formerly Public Health Programmes in Eye Care: Principles & Examples)
- Skills for Field Projects in Eye Care
Recommended optional modules can be taken after consultation with the programme director.
Term 2
All students take the following compulsory modules:
- Childhood Eye Disease and Ocular Infections
- Non-Communicable Eye Disease
- Implementing Eye Care: Skills and Resources
Additionally students take one optional module:
- Ethics, Public Health and Human Rights
- Global Disability & Health
- Reviewing the Literature
Term 3
All students take one optional module:
- Applying Public Health Principles in Developing Countries
- Principles and Practice of Public Health
- Proposal Development
Project Report
During the summer months (July - August), students complete a research project on an appropriate topic. Students undertaking projects overseas will require additional funding of about £1,500 to cover costs involved.
Please note: due to the unpredictable nature of the pandemic, we are not currently in a position to guarantee that overseas or field based projects will be possible or that London based laboratories will be accessible. Whilst we are hopeful that the situation will change before next summer, should it be the case that you are unable to travel overseas or access labs, you will be able to complete an alternative desk-based project allowing you to obtain your qualification within the original timeframe. Alternatively, you will be able to defer your project to the following year.
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.
A student must normally satisfy the London School of Hygiene & 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 Master's 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 registrable qualification appropriate to the course of study to be followed, in medicine, dentistry or veterinary studies
Applications with an appropriate technical qualification, or equivalent qualification and experience from overseas, are also welcomed.
Additionally for the MSc Public Health for Eye Care, students are expected to be health care professionals involved in eye care, or to have an appropriate technical qualification and work experience.
Any prospective student who does not meet the above minimum entry requirement, but who has 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 C
Please see our English Language Requirements FAQs for information
Scholarship Funding Application
Successful applicants for scholarship funding will usually have at least 3 years’ experience in delivering clinical eye care and will often have undertaken some research projects or be actively participating in community eye health work or have a significant role in planning services for the population they serve. Eye care programme managers or eye care researchers who do not have a clinical background may also be successful in applying for scholarships.
Intercalating Students
You will need the equivalent of a bachelor's degree to undertake an MSc. This will usually require you to have a BSc degree or have completed the first three years of your medical degree. More information on intercalating an MSc at the School
| Fees 2020/21 | |
|---|---|
| Home | £10,470 (Full-time) |
| £5,235 (Part-time) | |
| Overseas | £24,200 (Full-time) |
| £12,100 (Part-time) |
Please note that EU nationals will continue to benefit from home fee status and can access financial support for the 2020-21 academic year. Find out more.
Other sources of funding:
Graduates from this programme are expected and encouraged to enter into careers with ministries of health, universities and NGOs involved in developing health services to prevent blindness and improve vision.
Below you will find just a few of the positions and organisations that our graduates from this course have entered:
- Example job titles:
-
Paediatric Ophthalmologist
Community Ophthalmologist
Director Blindness Prevention Program
Medical Director
Eye Specialist - Example organisations:
-
The Lancet
United States Department of Health & Human Services
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
World Health Organisation
Business Without Borders
Al-Shifaa
University of Science and Technology
Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching & Referral Hospital
Civil Hospital
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 prior to submitting your application.
You can apply for up to two master's. Make sure to list them by order of preference as consideration will be given to your top choice first.
Application deadlines
All applicants are encouraged to apply as early as possible to ensure availability of a place and a timely decision on their application. This is particularly important for applicants with sponsorship deadlines.
We strongly advise that you apply early as popular programmes will close earlier than the stated deadline if they become full.
The final closing date for all taught Master’s applications for entry in the 2020/21 academic year is:
- Monday 31 August, 23:59 (BST).
Applicants will require to meet the conditions of their offer and provide all necessary documents by Monday 7 September, 23:59 (BST).
Application fee
A standard application fee of £50 applies to all face-to-face Master’s degree programmes and is payable upon application submission.
Tuition fee deposit
Applicants are required to respond to their Offer of Admissions 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.
Do you need a visa?
EEA Nationals
If you have EU nationality or you are from Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland, you do not need immigration permission to come to the UK. You can enter, study and work in the UK without restriction. If you have dual nationality, and you choose to come to the UK using your EEA or Swiss passport, you do not need immigration permission.
For useful guidance on EEA nationals in the UK, go to the UKCISA website.
Students from outside the EEA
All non-EEA nationals who want to study in the UK must hold immigration permission that allows you to study in the UK.
If you are coming to the School to study on a full time degree programme and you have no other immigration permission for the UK, you will need to apply for a Tier 4 Student visa. You can only apply for Tier 4 when your offer at the School is unconditional.
If you already hold a Tier 4 visa for a different institution, you will probably have to apply for a Tier 4 visa for the School before you can start studying with us.