International Health and Tropical Medicine MSc

University of Oxford

The MSc in International Health and Tropical Medicine is a full-time one-year multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary programme examining major challenges to the health of populations in resource-limited contexts. The course is embedded within the Oxford Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine.

The course aims to develop your:

• capacity to lead and work in multidisciplinary teams to tackle health challenges in resource-limited settings;
• ability to apply an ethical approach to address inequities;
• foundational skills in research techniques applied in the analysis of global health challenges;
• capacity to critically appraise evidence in global health;
• skills and practical experience in research.

Course structure

Core modules

The first term will consist of topics on research methods, an overview of major global health challenges, and topics related to the research and practice of global health.

Core modules include:

• Paradigms and Tools for Global Health (including epidemiology, statistics, finance, R and reproducible research, health economics, qualitative and mixed methods)
• Challenges and Change in International Health
• Global Health Research and Practice.

Options

During the second term, in addition to some continued core content, students select two of the following six module options for further study:

• Development, Environment and Health
• Health Innovation and Entrepreneurship
• International Development and Health
• Introduction to Mathematical Modelling for Infectious Diseases
• Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health
• Vaccinology.

Placement project and dissertation

The third term will involve a funded eight-week placement with a global health project in a resource limited setting. Projects represent the range of subjects covered in the course. The department will have a series of projects to choose from each year, hosted by partners in various geographic regions.

This research project will form the basis of a 10,000-word dissertation to be submitted six weeks after return from placement.

Leadership, communication and management training

In addition to the core curriculum, you will benefit from leadership and communication training including:

• Preparation of policy briefs to be presented at the Houses of Parliament
• Debate training and a public debate at the Oxford Union
• Leadership training and team building workshops
• Media training
• Negotiation workshops
• Stakeholder management workshops.

Moreover, a series of sessions will be organised with senior, internationally-recognised figures in global health. Sessions will be outside the structure of lectures and seminars for core modules, intended to provide stimulating materials to integrate global health thinking and perspectives.

You will also have the opportunity to attend research seminars across the University.

A series of career events will be made available throughout the year and skills-building activities integrated in the curriculum to support various trajectories.

Cohort-oriented teaching and group-based learning

Students on the course are expected to become engaged members of their cohort by actively participating in all classroom sessions, group work activities and cohort exercises. The teaching programme, by design, relies on collaboration. Peer and self-directed learning are key elements of our cohort-based teaching. The overall collective orientation of the course is deliberately design to contribute to the students’ professional development.