Programme Structure

This is a three-year online programme with the option of graduating after one year with a postgraduate certificate; two years with a postgraduate diploma; three years with a masters.

Part-time study

Our flexible study options allow you to choose how to arrange your studies around your working life.

Year One (PG Certificate)

Year-one courses include:

Global Health: Fundamentals
Understanding Infectious Diseases

You can also choose from the following two options:

a single course in Applied Epidemiology and Public Health
a course each in Global Citizenship and Globalisation of Health

Year 2 (PG Diploma)

In year-two you will choose sixty credits from a range of courses that includes:

An introduction to vaccinology
Emerging infectious diseases
Global citizenship
Global health: mortality
Globalisation and health
Introduction to GIS and spatial data analysis
Neglected tropical diseases
Newborn and child health
Project managing development aid
Public health systems in high, low and middle income countries
Reproductive and maternal health
Sexually transmitted infections
Technological advances in diagnostics
The communication of disease control
The Nexus of Food Security and Global Health
Travel medicine and infectious diseases
Water and Sanitation
Zoonotic disease
Zoonotic diseases in a global setting

Year 3 (MSc)

In year-three you will conduct a written reflective element of 10,000-15,000 words.

Intermittent study

If you would prefer a more flexible approach to your studies, you can choose intermittent study. With this option you will have up to 6, 4 and 2 years to complete the MSc, Diploma, or Certificate stages of the programme.

The standard programme structure is still maintained in terms of the progression requirement. However, you can tailor your education to fit more closely with commitments in both your private and professional life. If you choose to study this programme on a part-time intermittent basis, you also pay your tuition fees on a course-by-course basis rather than paying for the entire programme at the outset.

Intermittent students apply to become a student of the University of Edinburgh at the beginning of the academic calendar, however they are not required to complete the first year courses in any particular order and can begin their studies in September, January or April. Commitment to a particular course is required just seven days before its start date.

Individual courses are available throughout the year according to the programme timetable. It is important to organise your studies so that the dissertation year can be committed to as a 12-month piece of work, as it is not possible to elongate the time permitted for this piece of work beyond the standard pattern of delivery.

Postgraduate Professional Development

Postgraduate Professional Development (PPD) is aimed at working professionals who want to advance their knowledge through a postgraduate-level course(s), without the time or financial commitment of a full Masters, Postgraduate Diploma or Postgraduate Certificate.

You may take a maximum of 50 credits worth of courses over two years through our PPD scheme. This leads to a University of Edinburgh postgraduate award of academic credit. Alternatively, after one year of taking courses you can choose to transfer your credits and continue studying towards a higher award on a Masters, Postgraduate Diploma or Postgraduate Certificate programme.

Although PPD courses have various start dates throughout a year you may only start a Masters, Postgraduate Diploma, or Postgraduate Certificate programme in the month of September. Any time spent studying PPD will be deducted from the amount of time you will have left to complete a Masters, Postgraduate Diploma or Postgraduate Certificate programme.

Students who would consider studying one of these courses can do so by applying at least one week prior to the start date of the course.

I wanted a programme that would enable me to move into a public health advisory role and get a global perspective on health care. It really relates to the job I am in but it will also help me move forward.