Skip to main content
King's College London
You are viewing a course in < Policy and society
Undergraduate degree

Global Health & Social Medicine BA

UCAS code: L511, L513 (with a year abroad)

Key information

Course type:
Single honours
Delivery mode:
Classroom
Study mode:
Full time
Required A-level:
AAB
Duration:
Three years full-time or four years with a year abroad
Application status:
Open
Start date:
September 2022
Application deadline:
26 January 2022
Optional study abroad
Optional internships
Apply via UCAS

Our Global Health & Social Medicine BA offers a unique and exciting course with the opportunity to study abroad for a year and aims to train a new generation of leaders who want to make a difference in the world. The course is designed for those who wish to understand the social determinants of health and illness in a global context, and to recognise and evaluate the range of medical and healthcare approaches. Whether you want to promote responsible biomedical research, address global health inequities or ensure fairness across generations, you are required to consider numerous perspectives in order to succeed, fostering thinking across disciplines and national boundaries.

Key benefits

  • All applicants of our full time BSc or BA are eligible for a £9,250 scholarship opportunity, including UK, EU and Overseas students. The scholarship will be awarded through assessment of academic performance. We welcome applications from students able to demonstrate their potential to succeed on their chosen programme. For undergraduate UK applicants, the university will use contextual information to gain a more complete picture of their individual and educational context.
  • We offer excellent opportunities to study social aspects of health and medicine in a multi-disciplinary context with close collaboration between the social sciences, life sciences and biomedicine.
  • The chance to combine high-level social science with an introduction to the main areas of biomedical knowledge and the implications for clinical practice.
  • Taught by internationally renowned academics and clinicians with a strong focus on transdisciplinary education in key areas of health, disease and medicine.
Katya-GHSM

“It’s intellectually stimulating, combining theory with practical application and is taught by leading members of the Global Health field in the heart of London.”

Katya, Global Health & Social Medicine

The degree course is delivered across two campuses – the Strand Campus and the Waterloo Campus. Both are close to the River Thames, with facilities offered by the University easily available and also the cultural attractions of the South Bank and Covent Garden close by. The library and computing facilities are readily accessible together with the opportunity to use the University of London library at Senate House.

Course Aims

  • Modern society recognises the importance of health and has created supportive healthcare systems to maintain welfare and to tackle diseases. These systems are not only ‘medical’, such as training and certifying doctors, networks of general practitioners, hospitals and specialised clinics. They are also ‘social’, covering the provision of clean water, food and sanitation, the design of accommodation, education in child development and the promotion of health and hygiene.
  • The Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Global Health and Social Medicine is a degree course that creates unique opportunities for you to learn about Global Health and Social Medicine from the perspective of a range of disciplines including sociology and anthropology, law and bioethics, psychology and economics.
  • This course will provide you with intellectual skills, practical knowledge and research techniques required for independent critical thinking and analysis.

Base campuses

strand-quad
Strand Campus

Located on the north bank of the River Thames, the Strand Campus houses King's College London's arts and sciences faculties.

waterloo-banner
Waterloo Campus

Waterloo campus is home of the Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing & Midwifery and facilities for other faculties

Special features

Optional study abroad
Optional internships

Awarding Institutions

kcl logo

King's College London and Affiliates

Regulating bodies

King's is regulated by the Office for Students

Subject requirements

Required subjects:
None
Preferred subjects:
None

A-Levels

Required grades:
AAB

Please note that A-level General Studies, Critical Thinking, Thinking Skills and Global Perspectives are not accepted by King's as one of your A levels.

Notes: If you are taking linear A-levels in England, you will be required to pass the practical endorsement in all Science subjects. This is with the exception of private candidates who are unable to take the practical component. We do not consider the EPQ at any point of the assessment process.

Contextual A-Level information

BBB Please note that A-level General Studies, Critical Thinking, Thinking Skills and Global Perspectives are not accepted by King's as one of your A levels. Notes: If you are taking linear A-levels in England, you will be required to pass the practical endorsement in all Science subjects. This is with the exception of private candidates who are unable to take the practical component. We do not consider the EPQ at any point of the assessment process.

International Baccalaureate

35 points including 665 at Higher Level.

Notes: The total point score of 35 includes TOK/EE.

Contextual International Baccalaureate information

32 points including 555 at Higher Level. Notes: The total point score of 32 includes TOK/EE.

Alternative accepted qualifications

Standard requirements

International applicants

Equivalent International qualifications

Course specific subject requirements are indicated in subject requirements above

English language requirements

English language band: B

Selection process

Application deadline: 26th January 2022 - 18:00 GMT

 

Contextual consideration

We make contextual offers for this programme, which can be found in the entry requirements. As part of the assessment process, we take into account contextual information to gain a more complete picture of each application. More information can be found on the Contextualised admissions website.

Deferrals

Applications can be submitted for deferred entry by choosing the appropriate year of entry on the UCAS application.

If your circumstances change and, therefore, you need to request a deferral after an offer has been made, then we can generally permit these for this programme. However, each deferral request will be considered on a case-by-case basis and we reserve the right to decline any post-offer deferral request. Requests should be submitted via a message on King’s Apply with an explanation of the reason for making the request.

Please note, second deferral requests will only be considered where the request is due to extreme unforeseen extenuating circumstances, for example, health reasons. We are unable to permit deferral requests that go beyond two years and you would need to apply again. This is with the exception of deferrals which are due to military/national service.

Foundation courses

Applicants studying Foundation Year programmes in the UK are welcome to apply for this programme. Foundation programmes from other universities and further education providers in the UK are considered on a case-by-case basis. Whether or not we can consider a particular foundation year as suitable for study at King's depends on the content of the syllabus and modules studied. In the past we have accepted foundation programmes from a number of other institutions.

We are unable to accept Foundation programmes that are integrated as part of a main degree at another institution. These may be called Year 0 or Integrated Foundations. We are also unable to accept non-UK Foundation courses.

Once you have submitted an application, the Admissions Office may contact you via King's Apply to ask for further details on your qualification, such as a list of modules and course specifications.

The King's International Foundation Programme has guaranteed pathways available for progression onto our King's undergraduate degree programmes, and information can be found on the website.

Graduates

Our general entry requirements are based on A-level or equivalent. However, where an applicant is completing/has completed a degree, we are able to consider the degree study as part of the assessment of the application.

Generally, we would consider a minimum of a UK Bachelor degree with a 2:1 grade profile (or overseas equivalent) as meeting the entry requirements for our undergraduate degrees. However, those who have achieved/are predicted a high 2:1 or a First may be considered more competitive.

Once you have submitted an application, the Admissions Office may contact you via King's Apply to ask for further details on your degree study.

Personal Statement

Your personal statement is one of the many factors in the overall assessment of your application, and is your opportunity to introduce yourself to the university and inform us of your commitment to the programme and how the programme fits into your career plans, as well as any work experience or extracurricular activities you have done.

Resits

We are able to consider applicants who have retaken or are retaking their qualifications.

Transfers

We are able to consider applications for transfer into Year 2 of this programme. Please see our Transferring to King’s website for more information.

Help for international applicants

International Foundation Year

If you don't have a suitable qualification for direct entry to a UK university, we can help with our Foundation year courses.

Pre-sessional courses

If you have an offer from King's, but English isn't your first language, we have courses to help you.

Teaching methods - what to expect

Lectures
Seminars
Small Group Tutorials

Hear from some of our students about why they chose to study Global Health & Social Medicine at King's. 

All applicants of our full time BSc or BA are eligible for the £9,000 scholarship opportunity, including UK, EU and Overseas students. 

Teaching style

We will use a delivery method that will ensure students have a rich, exciting experience from the start. Face to face teaching will be complemented and supported with innovative technology so that students also experience elements of digital learning and assessment.

You will be taught through a combination of lectures, seminars and small group tutorials. In Year 1 and 2 you will spend 13% of time in scheduled learning and teaching activities and 87% of time in guided independent study. In the final year, 11% of time will be scheduled learning and teaching activities and 89% in guided independent study. You will be assigned a personal tutor who will provide support and guidance for your studies.

Typically, one credit equates to 10 hours of work.

Assessment

  • Coursework
  • Examinations
  • Presentations

You will be assessed through a range of techniques including examinations, coursework and tutorial participation. In Year 1, 5% of assessment will be by written exams and 95% of assessment by coursework. In Year 2 and 3, 29% of assessment will be by written exams and 71% by coursework.

Structure

This is a three-year degree course in which you will take a combination of required and optional modules to total 360 credits. Students will have the option to apply to study abroad for a year, which would extend the programme to a four-year degree course if they are successful

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.

Please note that modules with a practical component will be capped due to educational requirements, which may mean that we cannot guarantee a place to all students who elect to study this module.

Employability

This degree course equips you with the transferable skills of research, analysis and critical thinking, a skill set that’s highly valued and sought after by employers.

Our graduates enter a wide range of professions within the health services, public health, government and NGOs in the UK and elsewhere; as well as in the commercial, medical and health sectors. A significant proportion proceed into higher professional or academic qualifications, often pursuing postgraduate degrees at King’s.

With the job market becoming ever more competitive, it has been reported that King’s offers its graduates the best job prospects of any London or Russell Group university, with an employment rate of 95.2 per cent, an increase of 2.6 per cent on last year.

The data, compiled by The Careers Group, University of London, is based on institutional Employment Performance Indicators (EPI) for full-time, first degree, UK domiciled graduates in work or further study.

King’s has the highest EPI in the Russell Group and the largest increase in benchmark performance from 2009-10 figures. The results also place King’s third overall in the UK as reported in The Telegraph’s ‘Top 10 universities for getting a job’. Robert Hall, Director of Library Services & Employability, said: ‘This is testament to the commitment the university is making to ensuring that our students develop the right skills to succeed in the workplace.’

Tuition Fees

Full time tuition fees UK:

The UK tuition fee for the 2022-2023 academic year is currently £9,250 per year. This is based on the UK Government’s cap.

Full time tuition fees International:

The International tuition fee for the 2022-2023 academic year is £21,840 per year.

Please note that the International tuition fee is subject to annual increases in subsequent years of study, in line with King’s terms and conditions.

All International applicants to Undergraduate programmes are required to pay a deposit of £2,000 against their first year’s tuition fee. This deposit is payable when you firmly accept an unconditional offer to study with us, and will be offset against your tuition fees when you join King’s.

If you choose the study abroad option with one of King’s partner universities, you will not be charged tuition fees by the host university (although some partners do charge a small administration fee for applying). King’s will continue to invoice for a proportion of King's tuition fees. You should also budget to pay for the associated subsistence costs, such as travel, visas, accommodation and food as well as any vaccination/immunisations required by the country to which you are travelling.   Please see the Study Abroad web pages for details of the relevant partner universities and detailed information on the fees that apply under the Course Essentials tab.

Additional Costs

In addition to your tuition costs, you can also expect to pay for:

  • Books if you choose to buy your own copies
  • Clothing for optional course related events and competitions
  • Society membership fees, library fees and fines
  • Printing course handouts, personal photocopies
  • Stationery
  • Graduation costs
  • Travel costs for travel around London and between campuses

Funding

The degree course is delivered across two campuses – the Strand Campus and the Waterloo Campus. Both are close to the River Thames, with facilities offered by the University easily available and also the cultural attractions of the South Bank and Covent Garden close by. The library and computing facilities are readily accessible together with the opportunity to use the University of London library at Senate House.

Course Aims

  • Modern society recognises the importance of health and has created supportive healthcare systems to maintain welfare and to tackle diseases. These systems are not only ‘medical’, such as training and certifying doctors, networks of general practitioners, hospitals and specialised clinics. They are also ‘social’, covering the provision of clean water, food and sanitation, the design of accommodation, education in child development and the promotion of health and hygiene.
  • The Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Global Health and Social Medicine is a degree course that creates unique opportunities for you to learn about Global Health and Social Medicine from the perspective of a range of disciplines including sociology and anthropology, law and bioethics, psychology and economics.
  • This course will provide you with intellectual skills, practical knowledge and research techniques required for independent critical thinking and analysis.

Base campuses

strand-quad
Strand Campus

Located on the north bank of the River Thames, the Strand Campus houses King's College London's arts and sciences faculties.

waterloo-banner
Waterloo Campus

Waterloo campus is home of the Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing & Midwifery and facilities for other faculties

Special features

Optional study abroad
Optional internships

Awarding Institutions

kcl logo

King's College London and Affiliates

Regulating bodies

King's is regulated by the Office for Students

Subject requirements

Required subjects:
None
Preferred subjects:
None

A-Levels

Required grades:
AAB

Please note that A-level General Studies, Critical Thinking, Thinking Skills and Global Perspectives are not accepted by King's as one of your A levels.

Notes: If you are taking linear A-levels in England, you will be required to pass the practical endorsement in all Science subjects. This is with the exception of private candidates who are unable to take the practical component. We do not consider the EPQ at any point of the assessment process.

Contextual A-Level information

BBB Please note that A-level General Studies, Critical Thinking, Thinking Skills and Global Perspectives are not accepted by King's as one of your A levels. Notes: If you are taking linear A-levels in England, you will be required to pass the practical endorsement in all Science subjects. This is with the exception of private candidates who are unable to take the practical component. We do not consider the EPQ at any point of the assessment process.

International Baccalaureate

35 points including 665 at Higher Level.

Notes: The total point score of 35 includes TOK/EE.

Contextual International Baccalaureate information

32 points including 555 at Higher Level. Notes: The total point score of 32 includes TOK/EE.

Alternative accepted qualifications

Standard requirements

International applicants

Equivalent International qualifications

Course specific subject requirements are indicated in subject requirements above

English language requirements

English language band: B

Selection process

Application deadline: 26th January 2022 - 18:00 GMT

 

Contextual consideration

We make contextual offers for this programme, which can be found in the entry requirements. As part of the assessment process, we take into account contextual information to gain a more complete picture of each application. More information can be found on the Contextualised admissions website.

Deferrals

Applications can be submitted for deferred entry by choosing the appropriate year of entry on the UCAS application.

If your circumstances change and, therefore, you need to request a deferral after an offer has been made, then we can generally permit these for this programme. However, each deferral request will be considered on a case-by-case basis and we reserve the right to decline any post-offer deferral request. Requests should be submitted via a message on King’s Apply with an explanation of the reason for making the request.

Please note, second deferral requests will only be considered where the request is due to extreme unforeseen extenuating circumstances, for example, health reasons. We are unable to permit deferral requests that go beyond two years and you would need to apply again. This is with the exception of deferrals which are due to military/national service.

Foundation courses

Applicants studying Foundation Year programmes in the UK are welcome to apply for this programme. Foundation programmes from other universities and further education providers in the UK are considered on a case-by-case basis. Whether or not we can consider a particular foundation year as suitable for study at King's depends on the content of the syllabus and modules studied. In the past we have accepted foundation programmes from a number of other institutions.

We are unable to accept Foundation programmes that are integrated as part of a main degree at another institution. These may be called Year 0 or Integrated Foundations. We are also unable to accept non-UK Foundation courses.

Once you have submitted an application, the Admissions Office may contact you via King's Apply to ask for further details on your qualification, such as a list of modules and course specifications.

The King's International Foundation Programme has guaranteed pathways available for progression onto our King's undergraduate degree programmes, and information can be found on the website.

Graduates

Our general entry requirements are based on A-level or equivalent. However, where an applicant is completing/has completed a degree, we are able to consider the degree study as part of the assessment of the application.

Generally, we would consider a minimum of a UK Bachelor degree with a 2:1 grade profile (or overseas equivalent) as meeting the entry requirements for our undergraduate degrees. However, those who have achieved/are predicted a high 2:1 or a First may be considered more competitive.

Once you have submitted an application, the Admissions Office may contact you via King's Apply to ask for further details on your degree study.

Personal Statement

Your personal statement is one of the many factors in the overall assessment of your application, and is your opportunity to introduce yourself to the university and inform us of your commitment to the programme and how the programme fits into your career plans, as well as any work experience or extracurricular activities you have done.

Resits

We are able to consider applicants who have retaken or are retaking their qualifications.

Transfers

We are able to consider applications for transfer into Year 2 of this programme. Please see our Transferring to King’s website for more information.

Help for international applicants

International Foundation Year

If you don't have a suitable qualification for direct entry to a UK university, we can help with our Foundation year courses.

Pre-sessional courses

If you have an offer from King's, but English isn't your first language, we have courses to help you.

Teaching methods - what to expect

Lectures
Seminars
Small Group Tutorials

Hear from some of our students about why they chose to study Global Health & Social Medicine at King's. 

All applicants of our full time BSc or BA are eligible for the £9,000 scholarship opportunity, including UK, EU and Overseas students. 

Teaching style

We will use a delivery method that will ensure students have a rich, exciting experience from the start. Face to face teaching will be complemented and supported with innovative technology so that students also experience elements of digital learning and assessment.

You will be taught through a combination of lectures, seminars and small group tutorials. In Year 1 and 2 you will spend 13% of time in scheduled learning and teaching activities and 87% of time in guided independent study. In the final year, 11% of time will be scheduled learning and teaching activities and 89% in guided independent study. You will be assigned a personal tutor who will provide support and guidance for your studies.

Typically, one credit equates to 10 hours of work.

Assessment

  • Coursework
  • Examinations
  • Presentations

You will be assessed through a range of techniques including examinations, coursework and tutorial participation. In Year 1, 5% of assessment will be by written exams and 95% of assessment by coursework. In Year 2 and 3, 29% of assessment will be by written exams and 71% by coursework.

Structure

This is a three-year degree course in which you will take a combination of required and optional modules to total 360 credits. Students will have the option to apply to study abroad for a year, which would extend the programme to a four-year degree course if they are successful

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.

Please note that modules with a practical component will be capped due to educational requirements, which may mean that we cannot guarantee a place to all students who elect to study this module.

Employability

This degree course equips you with the transferable skills of research, analysis and critical thinking, a skill set that’s highly valued and sought after by employers.

Our graduates enter a wide range of professions within the health services, public health, government and NGOs in the UK and elsewhere; as well as in the commercial, medical and health sectors. A significant proportion proceed into higher professional or academic qualifications, often pursuing postgraduate degrees at King’s.

With the job market becoming ever more competitive, it has been reported that King’s offers its graduates the best job prospects of any London or Russell Group university, with an employment rate of 95.2 per cent, an increase of 2.6 per cent on last year.

The data, compiled by The Careers Group, University of London, is based on institutional Employment Performance Indicators (EPI) for full-time, first degree, UK domiciled graduates in work or further study.

King’s has the highest EPI in the Russell Group and the largest increase in benchmark performance from 2009-10 figures. The results also place King’s third overall in the UK as reported in The Telegraph’s ‘Top 10 universities for getting a job’. Robert Hall, Director of Library Services & Employability, said: ‘This is testament to the commitment the university is making to ensuring that our students develop the right skills to succeed in the workplace.’

Tuition Fees

Full time tuition fees UK:

The UK tuition fee for the 2022-2023 academic year is currently £9,250 per year. This is based on the UK Government’s cap.

Full time tuition fees International:

The International tuition fee for the 2022-2023 academic year is £21,840 per year.

Please note that the International tuition fee is subject to annual increases in subsequent years of study, in line with King’s terms and conditions.

All International applicants to Undergraduate programmes are required to pay a deposit of £2,000 against their first year’s tuition fee. This deposit is payable when you firmly accept an unconditional offer to study with us, and will be offset against your tuition fees when you join King’s.

If you choose the study abroad option with one of King’s partner universities, you will not be charged tuition fees by the host university (although some partners do charge a small administration fee for applying). King’s will continue to invoice for a proportion of King's tuition fees. You should also budget to pay for the associated subsistence costs, such as travel, visas, accommodation and food as well as any vaccination/immunisations required by the country to which you are travelling.   Please see the Study Abroad web pages for details of the relevant partner universities and detailed information on the fees that apply under the Course Essentials tab.

Additional Costs

In addition to your tuition costs, you can also expect to pay for:

  • Books if you choose to buy your own copies
  • Clothing for optional course related events and competitions
  • Society membership fees, library fees and fines
  • Printing course handouts, personal photocopies
  • Stationery
  • Graduation costs
  • Travel costs for travel around London and between campuses

Funding

Key information

Course type:
Single honours
Delivery mode:
Classroom
Study mode:
Full time
Required A-level:
AAB
Duration:
Three years full-time or four years with a year abroad
Application status:
Open
Start date:
September 2022
Application deadline:
26 January 2022
Optional study abroad
Optional internships
Apply via UCAS

Related departments

Open days and events

Chat with current students and King's staff to find out about the courses we offer, life at King's and ask any questions you may have.

Explore more

Accommodation

Take a look at our comfortable, safe residences to suit your budget, located close to King's teaching campuses.

Campus life

Art, food, music, shopping – you'll never find yourself with nothing to do in the world's most vibrant city.

Life in London

Information about living in London, including events, budgeting and expenses, travel and safety.

Student support

During your time at King's College London, a range of academic and personal support and guidance is available to you.