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Global Health & Social Justice MSc

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Our Global Health & Social Justice course is a unique study pathway that combines anthropology, philosophy, sociology and science technology studies. Covering topics such as inequalities in preventable mortality, disability, climate change, reproductive rights, pandemic preparedness and access to health care across countries, it will help you to develop advanced skills in the critical analysis and possible solutions for global health inequalities. 

The course information sheet is a printable version of the information on this web page, which you can download here.


 Key benefits

  • You will learn to think critically and independently about fundamental issues in Global Health & Social Justice and the interaction between them.
  • Opportunities to study central issues in global health including health measurements, global institutions and governance, social determinants of health, global health ethics, philanthrocapitalism, evidence-based medicine, and health economics.
  • Internationally recognised faculty from across disciplines, including global public health, sociology, anthropology, geography, gerontology, philosophy and political science.
  • Interdepartmental study course offers a diverse and exciting range of research options.

Key information

Application status Open

Duration 1 year FT, 2 years PT

Study mode Full-time, Part-time

Credit value 180

Course leaders

Dr Sridhar Venkatapuram and Dr Ann Kelly

Further details

Course contact for further information

Postgraduate Admissions Team, Admissions Office
tel: +44 (0)20 7848 2979
fax: +44 (0)20 7848 7200 

 

Course contact form Postgraduate admissions

Awarding institution King's College London

Faculty Faculty of Social Science & Public Policy

Department Department of Global Health & Social Medicine

Locations

 

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Course detail

Description

The Global Health & Social Justice course will provide you with a demanding study pathway covering dynamic topics within global health. You will explore major issues and debates, as well as develop the capacity for critically assessing the scientific research and practices aiming to address global health inequalities.  You with also cover the fundamental aspects relating to philosophical debates about social justice and health equity.

The course offers you flexibility with the choice to study either full or part-time. You will explore a range of required modules such as Designing Quantitative and Qualitative Research, Foundations in Global Health and Social Medicine, Critical Global Health and also Global Health Ethics, plus a range of further required and optional modules depending on your choice of pathways.

Course purpose

The MSc in Global Health & Social Justice is ideal for anyone wishing to develop a rigorous understanding of the dynamic field of global health; it is suitable for health professionals, policy makers, philanthropists, those who work in governmental and non-governmental organizations, and potential PhD students and academics.

It provides access to the major issues and debates in global health, develops capacity for critically assessing the scientific research and practices aiming to address global health inequalities.  It also grounds students in the philosophical debates about social justice and health equity.

 

Further literature

https://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/apply/enquiry-form.aspx  

Course format and assessment

Teaching

We will teach you through a combination of lectures and seminars, and you will typically have 15 hours of this per 15-credit module over a 10 week term. We also expect you to undertake 135 hours of independent study for each module. The dissertation module will typically have 6 half-hour supervisory sessions and 3 x 2-hour workshops, we also expect you to undertake 591 hours of independent study. Typically, one credit equates to 10 hours of work.

Assessment

The department assesses students on a combination of essays, written examinations, oral presentations and the dissertation. The nature of assessment varies by module.

Extra information

See what our students say, here.

Structure

Year 1

Courses are divided into modules, and students on this course take modules totalling 180 credits.

King’s College London reviews the modules offered on a regular basis to provide up-to-date, innovative and relevant programmes of study. Therefore, modules offered may change. We suggest you keep an eye on the course finder on our website for updates.

You may opt to take an additional Internship module which will increase your total credit to 200 for the degree.

Required Modules

Courses are divided into modules, and students on this course normally take modules totalling 180-200 credits.

You are required to take the following modules:

You are also required to take one of the following methods modules:

Optional Modules

In addition, you are required to take 30 credits from a range of optional modules that may typically include:

Part-time students will be expected to take Critical Global Health, Global Health Ethics and one research methods module in year 1, with the remaining required and optional modules taken in year 2. Part time students attend the dissertation workshops and submit a dissertation proposal in Year 1 with the dissertation being submitted at the end of Year 2

King’s College London reviews the modules offered on a regular basis to provide up-to-date, innovative and relevant programmes of study. Therefore, modules offered may change. We suggest you keep an eye on the course finder on our website for updates.

Entry requirements & how to apply

Global Health and Social Justice Entry requirements
Minimum UK requirements 2:1

UK honours degree of 2:1 standard. If an applicant possesses an undergraduate degree below 2:1 standard, subsequent postgraduate qualifications may be taken into account. Also desirable is evidence of active engagement in relevant activities and attentive concern for the issues of global health and social justice demonstrated by voluntary work, travel, reading and otherwise following current national and international issues.

In order to meet the academic entry requirements for this programme you should have a minimum 2:1 undergraduate degree with a final mark of at least 60% or above in the UK marking scheme. If you are still studying you should be achieving an average of at least 60% or above in the UK marking scheme.
International requirements   Visit our admissions webpages to view our International entry requirements.
English Language requirements Band B Visit our admissions webpages to view our English language entry requirements.

 

Application procedure

Applications must be made online using King’s online application portal apply.kcl.ac.uk and a non-refundable application fee of £60 applies.

Your application will be assessed by the Admissions Tutor. You may be invited to be interviewed. We may interview non-UK candidates by telephone and may ask applicants to write an essay. We will only assess complete uploaded applications with supporting documents. Please see our website for more details.

Personal statement and supporting information

You will be asked to submit the following documents in order for your application to be considered:

GH&SJ checklist
Personal Statement Yes The personal statement should be approximately three to four paragraphs, and no more than one page. This should explain why you are interested in the programme applied for, and could include, for example, details of your motivation and aptitude, your relevant experience and skills, and any other information that would be useful for us in assessing your application. In general terms, we look for candidates who demonstrate a strong interest in the programme, are committed to academic study at postgraduate level, and demonstrate the potential to do well in an academic environment with advanced interdisciplinary study.
Previous Academic Study Yes A copy (or copies) of your official academic transcript(s), showing the subjects studied and marks obtained. If you have already completed your degree, copies of your official degree certificate will also be required. Applicants with academic documents issued in a language other than English, will need to submit both the original and official translation of their documents.
References Yes Two references are required with at least one academic. Professional references will be accepted if you have completed your qualifications over five years ago.
Other Optional  Applicants may wish to include a CV (Resume) or evidence of professional registration as part of their application.

 

Application closing date

We recommend that you submit your application as soon as possible.  Our first application deadline is the 29 March 2019.  Applications will remain open if places are available and programmes will be closed as soon as they are full.  

Help and support

If you don't have a suitable qualification for direct entry to a UK university, or if English isn't your first language, our academic preparation courses can help you get ready for study in the UK.

Preparation courses

Fees and funding

  • Full time Home/EU fees: £9,990 per year (2019/20)
  • Full time overseas fees: £21,300 per year (2019/20)
  • Part time Home/EU fees: £4,995 per year (2019/20)
  • Part time overseas fees: £10,650 per year (2019/20)

Students starting their programme in 2019/20 who are eligible to pay EU fees will pay the same rate of tuition fees as UK students. This will apply for the duration of their programme, but may be subject to change by the UK Government for subsequent cohorts from 2020/21.

These tuition fees may be subject to additional increases in subsequent years of study, in line with King’s terms and conditions.

Deposit

When you receive an offer for this course you will be required to pay a non-refundable deposit to secure your place. The deposit will be credited towards your total fee payment.

The UK/EU deposit is £500.

The INTERNATIONAL deposit is £2,000. 

  • If you receive an offer on or before 31st March 2019, payment is due by 27th April 2019.
  • If you receive an offer between 1st April 2019 and 30th June 2019, payment is due within one month of receiving the offer.
  • If you receive an offer between 1st July 2019 and 31st July 2019, payment is due within two weeks of receiving the offer.
  • If you receive an offer on or after 1st August 2019, payment is due within one week of receiving the offer.

If you are a current King’s student in receipt of the King's Living Bursary you are not required to pay a deposit to secure your place on the programme. Please note, this will not change the total fees payable for your chosen programme.

Additional costs/expenses

In addition to the costs above, you can also expect to pay for: 

  • Books if you choose to buy your own copies 
  • Clothing for optional course related events and competitions 
  • Library fees and fines 
  • Personal photocopies 
  • Printing course handouts 
  • Society membership fees 
  • Stationery 
  • Graduation costs
  • Travel costs for travel around London and between campuses 
  • Travel costs to your place of internship should you take that module

Please visit our web pages on fees and funding for more information.

Financial help and support

Visit the fees and funding webpages to find out more about bursaries, scholarships, grants, tuition fees, living expenses, student loans and other financial help available at King's.

Career prospects

Graduates from this course have gone on to the following destintations:
  • community outreach and engagement 
  • public health policy analyst
  • Lancet editorial staff 
  • Executive Director NGO 

Career destinations

Ministries of Health and other government agencies, NGOs; health professionals, policy makers; research organisations; business, and teaching.

Read more about what our students do after they graduate here.

Testimonials

Verere

Verere

"I would recommend this course to anyone who has a passion for change and also wants to be challenged to develop their skills and expand their knowledge in global health. At King’s, you will be getting a chance to learn from some of the most amazing, supportive and academically relevant minds behind the teaching and research staff of the entire department of social science and public policy."

Michelle

Michelle

"I had been wanting to study Gerontology for some time before I actually began the programme at King's. I was a senior nurse and was keen to deepen my understanding of older people, having worked in that field all my nursing career.  Completing the course gave me the confidence to articulate the needs of older people, something I find I have to do frequently! A highlight of the course was meeting so many like-minded people and not having to defend the needs of those aged over 65 years."

Next steps

Upcoming events

Nov 21 Taster Day: Midwifery (BSc)
Nov 21 Postgraduate open evening - health taught courses
Nov 27 Postgraduate open evening - arts and sciences taught courses

Full list of student events

View our postgraduate guide

Learn more about postgraduate degree programmes at King's. Download or view our guide in PDF format.

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