- Welcome Week
View your 2026 Welcome Week timetable here.
The aim of Welcome Week is to help you settle into studying at LSHTM and living in London. It is an opportunity to get to know each other and meet key members of staff. You will also find out about the School, the MSc Public Health programme, the various support services and learning and study skills sessions which are available. There will be plenty of time for you to ask questions as you embark on your studies with us.
We strongly recommend that new part-time students make arrangements to participate in as much of Welcome Week as possible, although we recognise that you may have restrictions on your time.
By the end of the week, we hope that you will feel prepared for and excited about the year ahead.
- Tutor Groups and Student Profile Form (to be completed before start of Welcome Week)
You will be assigned to one of five tutor groups, each led by a Programme Director (PD) who is responsible for oversight of your Programme. You will also be allocated a personal tutor, a dedicated member of academic staff, with whom you can discuss your module options and progress. To facilitate the allocations of tutors, please complete the online student profile form as soon as possible and definitely before you register in September. You will meet your personal tutor regularly throughout your studies.
- Overview of the MSc
Term 1 consists of ten weeks of teaching plus one week in the middle of the term when there is no formal teaching (reading week). Reading week is a time for private study. It is also a time for you to consider which modules to take in Terms 2 & 3.
Term 2 consists of a further ten weeks of teaching plus a reading week in the middle of the term.
Term 3 starts after the Easter break and comprises of five weeks of teaching (which takes place during the second half of the week) and your independent research project.
During term time there will be other meetings to attend such as those with your tutor group and your personal tutor.
Term dates for the academic session 2026/27 are available here.
- Term 1
Full-time students
Full-time students are required to take six modules in Term 1. Four of these modules, the ‘common core’, are compulsory.
- Basic Statistics for Public Health & Policy
- Basic Epidemiology
- Issues in Public Health
- Principles of Social Research
You choose your fifth and sixth Term 1 modules from the following five:
- Introduction to Health Economics
- Foundations for Health Promotion
- Health Services
- Health Policy, Process and Power
- Environment, Health & Sustainable Development
It is important to remember that modules in Terms 2 and 3 often build on those in Term 1. For example, if you wish to take the more advanced health economics modules offered in Term 2, you will need to have taken Introduction to Health Economics in Term 1.
More information will be provided in the run-up to Welcome Week to help you with your module choices, and during Welcome Week you will have the opportunity to discuss this with the Programme Directors and your personal tutor. Additional information is also available on the main MSc Public Health pages.
Split-study students
Split-study students attend the programme full-time in Term 1 and have the same module requirements and options in Term 1 as full-time students registering in September 2026. You can then take your ‘split’ at an appropriate point any time after that. You will return at the same point one year later to complete the MSc programme full-time. For example, you may complete the first term, decide to take the split during the winter break and then return at the beginning of Term 2 the following academic year to complete the rest of the programme. Or you may complete Term 1 and the first half of Term 2, then return the following academic year to take the rest of Term 2 and Term 3, and complete the summer project.
- First year part-time students (first registering in September 2026)
We recognise that part-time students may have work commitments and you may need to inform your employer which days you need to participate in lectures, seminars and other individual and group activities. This will depend on the modules you elect to take over the two years of study.
Part-time students first registering in September 2026 will take three 10 credit Term 1 modules in their first year and two 15 credit modules in their second year. Further information about the 15 credit Term 1 modules being run from September 2027 will be provided to part-time students in Welcome Week.
Part-time students first registering in September 2026 are expected to take Basic Statistics for Public Health & Policy (Monday morning) and Basic Epidemiology (Tuesday morning) and one of the following four modules:
Introduction to Health Economics (Monday afternoons)
Issues in Public Health (Tuesday afternoons)
Foundations for Health Promotion (Thursday mornings)
Principles of Social Research (Thursday afternoons)
You might wish to choose Introduction to Health Economics or Issues in Public Health so that you only have to be present at the LSHTM on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Choosing Foundations for Health Promotion or Principles of Social Research will require you to be on site three days per week during Term 1.
It is important to remember that modules in Terms 2 and 3 often build on those in Term 1. For example, if in Year 1 you wish to take the more advanced health economics modules offered in Term 2, you will need to have taken Introduction to Health Economics in Term 1 of your first year.
All part-time students are encouraged to begin working on their summer project proposal in the first year of study.
As a part-time student, one of the most important things to recognise is that you are expected to commit between 15 and 20 hours per week to the MSc. This time will comprise of lectures, seminars, group work, and private study. You are strongly advised to only take the part-time option if you can commit this much time to your studies. If you have any specific questions before the start of term, please feel free to contact us at [email protected].
- Returning part-time students
We look forward to seeing you in September for your second year of study. You are welcome to attend as much or as little of Welcome Week as you wish. New students greatly appreciate meeting second-year students at the tutor group meetings during Welcome Week.
When you return in September, you will be registered for the same stream as in your first year, and you will have the same personal tutor (where possible). During the coming academic year, you will need to ensure you complete all of the compulsory teaching modules. You will also need to set aside time for your summer project, especially if you did not submit your ethics application form during your first year. Should you not be able to return in September as planned, please let us know as soon as possible.
If you need any assistance or information before term starts, please get in touch with your personal tutor, Programme Director, or Programme Administrator.
- Term 1 timetable
AM/PM Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday AM Basic Statistics for Public Health & Policy* Basic Epidemiology* Environment, Health & Sustainable Development~ Foundations for Health Promotion Health Services~ PM Introduction to Health Economics Issues in Public Health* Health Policy, Process & Power~ Principles of Social Research* * Compulsory modules for full-time and split study students registering in September 2026
~Not available to part-time students in their first year- Terms 2 and 3
The Timetable for Terms 2 and 3 is different in structure from Term 1. The week is divided into two time periods – 09:30 Monday to 12:45 on Wednesday (the C1 and D1 timetable slots) and 14:00 Wednesday to 17:15 on Friday (the C2 and D2 timetable slots). Teaching in Term 3 takes place in the latter half of the week.
So a typical C1 module will have a time slot that runs from Monday morning to Wednesday lunchtime. The amount of time spent attending lectures and seminars and undertaking private study will vary between modules. For example, some C1 modules may have a lecture and group work session on Monday and Tuesday mornings, with Monday and Tuesday afternoons and Wednesday morning devoted to seminars, group work or private study.
Students also have the option of taking up to two Term 2 modules via distance learning, giving you a little more flexibility (Note: there are some restrictions to taking distance learning modules for students on a visa).
- Pre-arrival/ Welcome Week Writing Check
Most students do not get individual feedback on their academic writing until the beginning of Term 2, when they get the marks and feedback for their Term 1 assessments. To provide some personalised feedback on your writing before your assessments, we ask all students to take part in a ‘Writing Check’.
The purpose of this exercise is to identify students, early in the academic year, who could benefit from support to improve their academic writing in English. Support can be offered through an English for Academic Purposes programme which is available to students across LSHTM.
Please choose ONE of the questions below and write an essay of no more than 500 words. It should be appropriately referenced. We expect between 3-5 references (with no more than five). You should not use AI when writing your essay. The topic can be anything relevant to Public Health.
“Advances in technology are a force for good in Public Health. Discuss”
or
“Discuss a major challenge facing Public Health in the 21st century”
The essay should be typed, and please put your name on it.
Your personal tutor will then provide you with feedback on:
- Grammar and sentence structure - more marks can be gained with fewer words through clearer writing.
- Your writing style (issues like the use of colloquialisms, overly long sentences, passive voice, paraphrasing).
- Appropriate use of citations and the referencing of all external sources.
The exercise is informal, and your personal tutor will take responsibility for giving you feedback early in the Term.
You can prepare this essay before the start of term. We will give you instructions on how to submit it when you arrive at the School.
- Reading list
You are not required to buy or read any particular books before the MSc begins. However, you may wish to read around subjects that you are unfamiliar with. Below is a selection of texts which may provide you with useful background reading before the programme starts.
In each section, the books listed provide a basic introduction to the subject area. If you are new to a particular subject area, e.g. health economics, you may benefit from reading the introductory text from the recommended list. Although these are not necessarily books that will form the basis of teaching during the MSc, we hope you find the list a useful resource throughout the year.
You may also find the books in the Understanding Public Health Series written by LSHTM Staff helpful. You will be able to access many of these books online from the library.
- General background reading
Kawachi, I., Lang, I. and Ricciardi, W. (eds). (2020) Oxford Handbook of Public Health Practice, 4th Edition, Oxford: Oxford Medical Handbooks
Watson, K., Yates, J., and Gillam, S. (2023) Essential Public Health: Theory and Practice, 3rd Edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
- Basic Epidemiology
Webb, P., Bain C., and Pirozzo, S. Essential Epidemiology: An Introduction for Students and Health Professionals. Cambridge University Press. [2nd, 3rd, or 4th Edition]
- Basic Statistics
Petrie, A. and Sabin, C. (2019) Medical Statistics at a Glance, 4th Edition. Wiley-Blackwell
Petrie, A. and Sabin, C. (2013) Medical Statistics at a Glance Workbook. Wiley-Blackwell
Kirkwood, B. and Sterne, J. (2003) Essential Medical Statistics, 2nd Edition. Blackwell
- Issues in Public Health
Krentel, A. and McKee, M. (eds). (2022) Issues in Public Health: Challenges for the 21st Century, 3rd Edition. London: Open University Press
- Principles of Social Research
Durand, M. A. and Chantler, T. (2014) Principles of Social Research. McGraw-Hill Education
- Environment and Health
Hutchinson, E. and Kovats, S. (eds). (2016) Environment, Health and Sustainable Development, 2nd Edition. Open University Press
Frumkin, H.(ed). (2016) Environmental health: from global to local, 3rd Edition. Jossey-Bass
- Health Economics
Guinness, L. and Wiseman, V. (2011). Introduction to Health Economics (Understanding Public Health), 2nd Edition. Maidenhead: Open University Press
- Health Policy, Process & Power
Buse, K., Mays, N., Colombini, M., Fraser, A., Khan, M., and Walls, H. (2023) Making Health Policy, 3rd Edition. McGraw-Hill UK Higher Education
- Health Promotion
Cross, R. and Woodall, J. (eds). (2024) Green & Tones' Health Promotion Planning & Strategies 5th Edition. Sage.
Cragg, L., Davies, M. and Macdowall, W. (eds). (2013) Health Promotion Theory (Understanding Public Health), 2nd Edition. Maidenhead: Open University Press.
Nutland, W. and Cragg, L. (eds). (2015) Health Promotion Practice (Understanding Public Health), 2nd Edition. Maidenhead: Open University Press.
- Health Services
Gurol-Urganci, I., Campbell, F., and Black, N. (2017) Understanding Health Services. McGraw-Hill Education
- Health Services Management
Girei, E. (2017) Decolonising management knowledge: A reflexive journey as practitioner and researcher in Uganda. Management Learning, 48(4), 453-470
Minzberg, H. (2017) Managing the Myths of Health Care. Berrett-Koehle
Wiley, K. & Berry, F. (2018) ‘Compassionate Bureaucracy: Assuming the Burden of Policy Implementation’ Nonprofit & Voluntary Sector Quarterly Vol 47 (4S) ps 55S-75S
- Further information
After you register you will have access to the MSc Public Health Programme Handbook. This contains comprehensive information about LSHTM and MSc Public Health. In the meantime, if you have any queries then please email us at [email protected]
We look forward to meeting you in September.
Matt Egan, Ford Hickson, Wendy Macdowall, Dalya Marks and Sandra Mounier-Jack
MSc Public Health Programme Directors
Page last updated August 2026