In these rapidly changing times, preventing disease, improving our health, and reducing health inequality will depend on a broad range of people and expertise. Our MSc in Public Health reflects this, offering an unparalleled number of specialised modules designed to help you become a catalyst for change in your area of interest.
Over one year (full-time) or two years (part-time), you’ll gain a strong grasp on the core disciplines of public health. Your faculty leaders, who are active researchers in their fields, have all the experience needed to help you succeed in the specialist studies for your chosen career path.
What you will learn
- Gain a comprehensive understanding of the wider determinants of health and the breadth of factors that undermine its foundation
- Develop critical thinking skills to confidently analyse evidence, question assumptions, and shape innovative approaches
- Learn how to systematically approach problems and navigate through possible solutions and theories with assurance
When you study MSc Public Health, you’ll join around 200 students from diverse academic and professional backgrounds. In our collaborative classes, you’ll share knowledge and experience that enriches your learning with tangible examples of the many disciplines involved in improving public health.
You’ll also have access to our 13 cross-institution School Centres where you can engage with a network of academics and researchers working together to address diverse global health challenges.
Who is it for?
Perhaps you’re already working in public health and need to strengthen your epidemiology skills to get to the next stage of your career. Maybe you’ve been working in an underfunded health service and want to move into policy where you can better drive the changes needed. Or maybe you’ve witnessed the rise in preventable illnesses and you’re keen to progress to a position where you can serve the population more effectively.
This course is open to a wide range of graduates. Ideally, applicants will have professional experience in a health-related setting, and use insights from this to tailor the course to meet career goals. You might also like to join us for intercalated study. Whichever specialism you choose, you’ll graduate with an MSc that’s internationally recognised as a qualification of excellence in the area of public health.
Outstanding flexibility and breadth of choice
Our MSc Public Health combines a strong core foundation with a highly flexible elective structure, offering more choice than many public health master’s programmes across Europe.
In Term 1 you will complete four compulsory modules and choose two additional modules from a curated set of five options. In Terms 2 and 3, you then build on this foundation by selecting five further modules from a broad range of recommended electives. This breadth of choice enables you to pursue specialist interests and develop expertise in areas such as health economics, epidemiology, research methods, health promotion or management.
In addition to the MSc Public Health, other programmes at LSHTM may be relevant to students with an interest in public health and applicants should review the pages of other courses as follows: (i) MSc Public Health for Global Practice - for those with an interest in low-income countries; (ii) MSc Health Policy, Planning & Financing - for applicants with a particular interest in Health Policy; (iii) MSc Nutrition for Global Health - for those with an interest in nutrition.
Students
Approximately 150-200 students study the MSc Public Health each year.
Duration
One year full-time; part-time or split-study over two years. Ways to study explained.
Intercalating study
Find out about intercalating this programme.
Related courses
Find out about our public health distance learning programmes.
Public Health
Watch Programme Directors Shakoor Hajat and Dalya Marks talk about the programme.
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
All students complete the Public Health common core, consisting of four compulsory AB1 modules:
- Basic Epidemiology
- Basic Statistics for Public Health & Policy
- Issues in Public Health
- Principles of Social Research
All students take two additional modules, selected from the following:
- Environment, Health & Sustainable Development
- Foundations for Health Promotion
- Health Policy, Process & Power
- Health Services
- Introduction to Health Economics
- Terms 2 and 3
During Terms 2 and 3 all students will take a total of five study modules, one from each timetable slot.
C1 slot
- Economic Evaluation
- Health Care Evaluation
- Health Promotion Approaches and Methods
- Research Design & Analysis
- Sociological Approaches to Health
- Study Design: Writing a Study Proposal
C2 slot
- Alcohol, Tobacco and other Drugs
- Conflict & Health
- Design & Analysis of Epidemiological Studies
- Health Systems
- Qualitative Methodologies
- Statistical Methods in Epidemiology
D1 slot
- Applied Communicable Disease Control
- Economic Analysis for Health Policy
- Epidemiology of Non-Communicable Diseases
- Evaluation of Public Health Interventions
- Medical Anthropology and Public Health
- Organisational Management
- Social Epidemiology
D2 slot
- Analytical Models for Decision-Making
- Design and Evaluation of Mental Health Programmes
- Environmental Epidemiology
- Epidemiology & Control of Communicable Diseases
- Ethics, Public Health & Human Rights
- Globalisation & Health
- Nutrition Related Chronic Diseases
- Reviewing the Literature
- Sexual Health
E slot
- Advanced Methods in Statistical Epidemiology
- Applying Public Health Principles
- Health Services Leadership
- Integrating Module: Health Promotion
- Principles and Practice of Public Health
- Project report
In addition, all students prepare a project report during the summer months (July - August), for submission by early September.
Please note: Should it be the case that you are unable to travel overseas or access laboratories in order to complete your project, you will be able to complete an alternative desk-based project allowing you to obtain your qualification within the original time frame. 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.
| Fees 2026/27 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Home | Full-time | £13,580 |
| Part-time | £6,790 | |
| EU/Overseas | Full-time | £31,450 |
| Part-time | £15,720 |
*Mobile users, scroll right to view fees
Sources of funding:
In order to be admitted to the MSc Public Health, an applicant must:
- hold either a first degree at Upper Second Class Honours (2:1) 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 an Upper Second Class Honours (2:1) degree or above.
or
- applicants with a 2:2 degree will also be considered if they have sufficient relevant professional experience or training in the field (sufficient, relevant work experience would typically mean at least two years working in a field allied to public health) - we would encourage such applicants to contact the Programme Directors to discuss their suitability before applying.
If you have not previously studied in the UK, you can check our guide to international equivalent qualifications for our master's degrees.
Applicants with relevant work experience will be given preference. This includes both paid and voluntary work, internships etc.
Applicants will need to provide some evidence of ability in mathematics, post-16 year education. This could include:
- "A" level or a higher school certificate
- a module within an undergraduate degree (such as quantitative methods, epidemiology or statistics)
- statistics studied as part of a general research methods course
- an online biostatistics short course
Any undergraduate degree subject at Upper Second Class Honours (2:1) standard can be acceptable with a demonstrable commitment to public health.
The personal statement should address at least the following: why do you wish to study MSc Public Health at LSHTM? How does it fit into your career objectives? What will you contribute as a student on the MSc Public Health programme?
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.
Intercalating students
You will need the equivalent of a bachelor's degree to undertake a master's degree. 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 a Master's at LSHTM.
Access and widening participation
At LSHTM we are committed to ensuring that excellent students feel encouraged to apply for a course of study with us. We have introduced an innovative contextual admissions system that is designed to support those students who have faced the greatest barriers to their learning. More information on widening participation at LSHTM.
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 dates for all Master’s applications for entry in the 2026/27 academic year is:
- Sunday 26 July 2026 at 23:59 UK time for all students requiring a Student visa
- Monday 31 August 2026 at 23:59 UK time for all UK, Irish and non-Student visa students
Tuition fee deposit
All applicants must respond to their offer of admission within 28 days 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.
- Home students: £500 non-refundable deposit, payable within 28 days of the offer date
- Overseas students: £2,000 non-refundable deposit
- Offers made before 31 January 2026: deposit due by 1 March 2026
- Offers made from 1 February 2026 onwards: deposit due within 28 days of the offer date.
Do you need a visa?
Please visit our Visa & Immigration pages for advice and guidance.
Important notice for nationals/citizens of Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar or Sudan: If you require a UK student visa, the government has introduced a “visa brake”. As a result, LSHTM is currently unable to sponsor student visas for applicants from these countries.
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).
Hear from a MSc Public Health alumni
Urvashi shares how studying the MSc at LSHTM helped shape her journey in global health and public policy.
Employers and job titles examples for this programme
As a top-ranked institution for public health, our graduates' knowledge, skills and qualities are in demand in the field. Our graduates go on to various roles with a wide range of employers. Below you will find just a few of the positions and organisations that our graduates from this programme have entered:
- Example job titles:
Academic Researcher
Clinical Fellow in Medicine
Clinical Trials Assistant
Data analyst
Director and Health Impact Assessment Consultant
Doctor and Senior Health Officer
Ebola Emergency Response Manager
Epidemiologist
Health Improvement Leader
Health Policy Officer
Health Promotions Specialist
Monitoring and Evaluation Associate
Policy Adviser
Project Manager
Senior Executive for Service Planning and Care Integration
Short term Consultant, World Health Organisation
Wellcome Trust Clinical PhD Fellow
Health Economist- Example organisations:
Association for Young People's Health
BioGen
Cancer Research UK
Department of Health
GlaxoSmithKline
Health Protection Agency
International HIV/AIDS Alliance
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Johnson & Johnson
KPMG
Malaria Consortium
Marie Stopes International
Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders)
Public Health England
NHS England
World Health Organization
United Nations (UN)
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
- 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.