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Duration

One year full-time, two years part-time

Application Deadline

Home fee payers 24 August 2025 | Overseas fee payers 1 July 2025

Location

St George's, University of London

UK, EU and non-EU (international)

citizens may apply

Start dates

8 September 2025

Please note: This course is subject to revalidation and aspects of the course content and delivery are likely to change as part of continuous improvement. If you apply for this course, we will contact you about any changes as soon as possible.

About this course

Global health is focussed on achieving health equity for all. It is a necessarily highly inter-disciplinary field, and our global health course will enable students to analyse the key global health challenges from a wide range of different academic and practical perspectives including gaining knowledge of historical events and processes that shape today’s problems.

Climate change, conflicts, and unjust healthcare provision are among the most urgent health challenges facing the population over the next decade. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), solving them will require a coordinated effort from the global health sector, policymakers, international agencies and communities. Could you be part of that solution?

If you are looking to make a real difference in the pursuit of health equity and global justice, our stimulating suite of postgraduate programmes will help you better understand global health issues, policy and practices in the 21st century.

Highly practical in nature, drawing on research and vocational experiences of our own faculty, nationally and internationally, and the many practitioners with whom we have links, this course will be of particular interest to those who already work or wish to pursue an internationally focused career in development, policy, education, research or humanitarian relief. This includes policymakers, doctors, other health professionals and anyone with a strong interest in governance, management, law, politics, economics, policy, science, anthropology, philosophy and ethics.

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Course overview

Significant socioeconomic and environmental changes, such as economic barriers in healthcare and climate change, have created a fresh set of global health challenges that pose significant risk to lives and livelihoods, and have exacerbated existing health inequalities and inequities – from the rapid spread of new infectious diseases like Covid-19 to the global financial burden of non-communicable diseases.

The World Economic Forum has estimated that just five of the chronic diseases – diabetes, mental illness, cancer, chronic respiratory and heart disease – will cost over $47 trillion by 2030. However, strong international commitment, coupled with new scientific and technological advances, presents a genuine opportunity to reduce the impact of these and other challenges, making now more than ever an exciting time to work in global health policy or practice.

Global health is a fascinating, broad and multidisciplinary field that is underpinned by the desire to improve people’s health and wellbeing worldwide, reduce inequality, inequity and health injustice, and protect communities from global threats, such as conflict, economic crises or preventable diseases which, as Covid-19 has demonstrated, do not respect national borders.

Core compulsory and elective modules will give you the skills and knowledge necessary to understand, interpret and help solve critical global health challenges. Students undertaking the MSc or MRes will also be required to complete modules that will prepare you to conduct a high-calibre research project.

Past research projects have covered the full spectrum of the discipline – from a clinical project to examine correlation between Covid-19 and HIV conducted here in the UK, for example, to assessment of mental health care provision in rural South Africa and an analysis of the narratives of women imprisoned in Afghanistan and Iraq.

We share our site with a major London teaching hospital which is both on the clinical frontline for a diverse local community and a centre of excellence for specialist conditions. You’ll study in a with like-minded individuals, mixing with the many different healthcare professionals you will go on to work alongside throughout your career.

Course highlights

  • Opportunity to spend up to four months (MSc) or eight months (MRes) on a research project working directly alongside high-calibre leading researchers, respected within their fields.

  • Our students have completed global health projects in many different locations around the world, including Cambodia and Sierra Leone

  • Learn numerous, valuable transferrable skills including critical appraisal, problem-solving, research techniques, utilising large data, numeracy, and presenting skills

  • Shared campus with St George’s Hospital, one of the largest teaching hospitals in the UK
Event

Postgraduate Open Evening

Join our Postgraduate Open Evening to discover our specialised health and science courses and unique hospital campus.

05 March 2025

“The Global Health course at St George’s is a remarkable opportunity that can inspire you to make a positive impact on the world. This course explores global health challenges from multiple perspectives, including biomedical, humanities, and ethics. You gain a deep understanding of the complex health challenges faced by communities across the globe and develop innovative solutions to address them.”

- Olivia Shaw-Lovell

Global Health MSc student

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“St George’s has been instrumental in developing my career. Although the course can be demanding, it is well worth all of the hard work. It has improved my confidence in my ability, and given me skills and tools that I can use for the rest of my career. I also met inspiring researchers, academics, and professionals, which I would never of had the opportunity to meet in my normal professional life.”

- Alice McKain

Global Health MSc alumna

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“I decided to do my intercalation at St George’s, especially for the MSc in Global Health, because of the specialist pathways available. I didn’t see many other courses providing that flexibility. I love this course so much. The discussions in modules and the support from the academics has made this year such an incredible experience. I completely recommend it!”

- Fejiro Okagbare

Intercalating Global Health MSc student

Please note: This course is subject to revalidation and aspects of the course content and delivery are likely to change as part of continuous improvement. If you apply for this course, we will contact you about any changes as soon as possible.

Entry criteria

To be considered for this course, you will need to:

  • meet the entry criteria
  • write a personal statement
  • provide two suitable references

Undergraduate degree or equivalent

You should have or be expected to achieve, a minimum of a second class degree (2:2). For healthcare graduates, a pass is required. All degrees must be awarded before 1 August on the year of entry.

We welcome applications from individuals from a range of backgrounds, including humanities, science and healthcare.

Alternative professional qualifications, or previous related experience, may be considered and we encourage you to apply. You will be expected to have experience of working in global health (e.g. for non-governmental organisations) and you may be required to submit supplementary details (e.g. transcripts).

Intercalating students

Applicants who do not have an undergraduate degree but are current medical students who have successfully completed 360 credits (or equivalent) including at least 120 credits at Level 6 (or equivalent) of their medical degree are also eligible to apply.

International qualifications

We accept equivalent qualifications gained in other countries and use UKNARIC to assess. Please see our International Student Support pages for more information.

If you have any questions, you can contact us at pgenquiries@sgul.ac.uk

English Language

This is a Group 1 course.

Full details can be found on our English Language requirements webpages.

Personal statement and references

You will be asked to outline your reasons for applying for the course in a brief personal statement on the application form. You will also need to provide two satisfactory references. See the ‘Apply’ tab for more information.

Join the Frontiers in Human Health summer school

The Frontiers in Human Health summer school offers you the opportunity to explore past, present and future approaches to tackling some of the world’s major health challenges.

Please note: this course is subject to revalidation and aspects of the course content and delivery are likely to change as part of continuous improvement. If you apply for this course, we will contact you about any changes as soon as possible.

Course structure

Course duration

  • MRes - one year full-time
  • MSc - one year full-time, two years part-time
  • PgDip - eight months full-time
  • PgCert - eight months part-time

MRes structure

To achieve the MRes (180 credits) you must complete three compulsory modules and a 120 credit research project.

MRes compulsory modules

  • Global Health Governance, Ethics and Law (30 credits)
  • Critical Appraisal (15 credits)
  • Research Methods (15 credits)
  • Research Project (120 credits)

MSc structure

To achieve the MSc (180 credits) you must complete the two compulsory modules, choose additional modules from a range of optional modules to the value of 60 credits, and complete a 60 credit research project.

MSc compulsory modules

  • Global Health Governance, Ethics and Law (30 credits)
  • Global Health Diseases (30 credits)
  • Research Project (60 credits)

MSc optional modules

  • Conflict and Crisis Medicine and Humanitarian Ethics (30 credits)
  • Comparative Health Systems (15 credits)
  • Transcultural Mental Health Humanities (30 credits)
  • Migration and Health (15 credits)
  • Gender and Sexuality in Global Health (15 credits)
  • Research Methods (15 credits)

PgDip structure

To achieve the Postgraduate Diploma (120 credits) you must complete the two compulsory modules and choose additional modules from a range of optional modules to the value of 60 credits.

PgDip compulsory modules

  • Global Health Governance, Ethics and Law (30 credits)
  • Global Health Diseases (30 credits)

PgDip optional modules

  • Conflict and Crisis Medicine and Humanitarian Ethics (30 credits)
  • Comparative Health Systems (15 credits)
  • Transcultural Mental Health Humanities (30 credits)
  • Migration and Health (15 credits)
  • Gender and Sexuality in Global Health (15 credits)

PgCert structure

To achieve the Postgraduate Certificate (60 credits) you must complete two compulsory modules.

PgCert optional modules

  • Global Health Governance, Ethics and Law (30 credits)
  • Global Health Diseases (30 credits)

Watch the Global Health Webinar from our Postgraduate Virtual Week.

Compulsory modules

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Critical Appraisal (15 credits)

This module prepares students to read and critically appraise literature that reports on studies conducted using various research methodologies.

Global Governance, Ethics and Law (30 credits)

Today all countries, and most especially low-income countries, are threatened by several significant global health challenges. The effects of globalization and global decision-making on issues that affect health may inform, or sometimes compromise, national health policies, strategies, and plans. Government leaders must not only address health problems within their borders, but those that come across their borders, for example specific diseases like HIV/AIDS, avian influenza, and Covid-19.

As our understanding of the multiple and wider determinants of health has dramatically expanded, exercising governmental responsibility for the human right to health on behalf of their populations calls for political commitment to the development of a national health policies that go beyond planning for the personal health care system. It is necessary to consider of political, economic, social, institutional, educational issues, and environment circumstances, among others, from a broader perspective. In addition, health inequities, and issues concerning access to, and the quality of health and health systems have moved centre stage in policy thinking. Now globally, nationally, and locally these “goods” are very unequally distributed.

The module will consider the origins and determinants of health in relation to development, and the international architecture, institutions, and mechanisms which for part of global health governance. It will consider key current issues such as health and foreign policy; health and diplomacy; governance for health and country level including international development assistance for health; and current global mechanism for the control of biological threats to health. The impacts of locally distributed products which are distributed globally, such as tobacco, alcohol and foodstuffs, and the activities of global businesses such as the global tobacco and pharmaceutical industries, will also be considered.

Issues relating global health governance to ethics and law are increasingly important and discussed. The module will introduce students to several relevant ethical and politico-philosophical approaches to the topic of global health, as well as the range of international instruments relevant to global health law. Using concepts and arguments drawn from the fields of political philosophy, moral philosophy, and international law and governance, the module also seeks to develop students’ ability to critically assess ethical and legal issues in global health.

The module will explore the role, functions and effectiveness of global organizations affecting health, such as the United Nations, intergovernmental organizations, NGOs, and the private business sectors, as well as multilateral and bilateral donors, and their interactions with national leadership. The role of regional and local governments, professionals, civil society, communities, and individuals will also be explored, as well as the impact of the global labour market that lead to movement of health professionals seeking better pay and working conditions from low to higher income countries.

Global Health Diseases (30 credits)

In today’s globalised world there is an urgent need to prioritize global disease management and control according to individual disease burden. High income countries are predominantly affected by non-communicable diseases (NCD) whereas Low- and Middle-Income Countries suffer from the dual burden of communicable diseases (CD) and NCDs, the latter being on the rise due to rising incomes in some countries and changing lifestyles. This module will enable students to understand key diseases that contribute significantly to overall mortality and morbidity across the globe.

The core of the module deals with aetiology, pathology, clinical manifestations, prevention and treatment. Each disease is discussed from a global perspective and addresses different geographical contexts when considering the disease. Other important aspects such as overviews of epidemiology, surveillance, data gathering and organization, global and national public health initiatives and the major organizations involved in disease control will also be presented.

Research Methods (15 credits)

This module covers research methods appropriate to researchers undertaking projects in areas from biomedical science to health services research. It is suitable for students registered on postgraduate diploma, MSc, MRes or MPhil/PhD courses which require them to conduct their own research.

This module is compulsory for the MRes and optional for the MSc.

Research Project (MSc 60 credits | MRes 120 credits)

You will conduct an independent research project in an area of interest to you. Dissertation projects will involve the assembly, analysis and interpretation of data. The project covers preparation and planning for the research as well as the analysis, discussion and presentation of the outcomes. You will be supervised by an experienced academic based at the university and, if you complete your research project abroad, will also receive local support. Previous projects have included a critical literature review of therapeutic mental health interventions in rural South Africa, for example, and a scoping review of how effective water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) interventions are in reducing stunted growth in lower middle income countries of Southeast Asia.

Optional modules

Depending on the amount of credits needed, you will choose from the list of optional modules below.

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Comparative Health Systems (15 credits)

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines a health care system as consisting of: ‘All organizations, people and actions whose primary intent is to promote, restore or maintain health. This includes efforts to influence determinants of health as well as more direct health-improving activities’ (WHO:2007). This is a necessarily simplified definition, but it does point to the complexity of Health System objectives, functions, and infrastructure. This module will focus on addressing the following series of questions and challenges that directly relate to the comparative analysis of health policy and health systems.

Conflict and Crisis Medicine and Humanitarian Ethics (30 credits)

Humanitarian responses in conflict settings play a pivotal role in addressing health needs that arise directly and indirectly due to the impact of war on health systems and infrastructure. The nature of a conflict also influences the physical and mental health of the population. Even though civilians should be protected during conflict, not all conflict settings are examples of armed conflict, and conflict is embedded within a socio-cultural and political context and affects all aspects of everyday life. We propose this module to address different forms of conflict and to critically examine ethical challenges during times of conflict and humanitarian action.

Humanitarian action must now respond to increasingly complex crises. Challenges faced by humanitarian workers, when working both nationally and internationally, are impacted by the changing nature of conflict, climate change, and disasters in a globalised world. In addition, humanitarian organisations are under pressure in terms of their values and roles in volatile political situations especially when they are structured by extreme religious ideology. The effects of humanitarian crisis are increasingly globalized, as seen in current trends of migration and forced displacement. Humanitarian health efforts involve cross-cultural endeavours and due to advancements in medical technologies, medical dilemmas are further fraught with ethical challenges. Human rights frameworks are applied against the backdrop of health injustice and vulnerable populations in conflicts and demand that humanitarian actors undertake roles in truth, peace, reconciliation, and justice efforts. This module exposes some of the most pressing questions about the fragility of the human condition; responding to human distress in extreme situations means that decisions are not always ideal. Ethical dilemmas faced by humanitarian health actors will be critically analysed drawing on case scenarios and on examples of their moral experience of the field.

Gender and Sexuality in Global Health (15 credits)

Social scientists, including anthropologists, understand gender as the meanings that society ascribes to particular biological or physical traits associated with being male or female. This module will explore how gender and sexuality are socially and culturally constructed, and how the ways that gender and sexuality are defined, understood and constrained has significant impact on how people experience their own bodies, identity and health, within their socio-cultural contexts. It will explore the ways that inequalities are produced and perpetuated by structures of power and explore what this means in relation to the provision of care. The anthropological lens on gender and sexuality, as well as health, provides a unique perspective on significant imperatives and interventions in the field of global health- to control women’s fertility and sexuality, to prevent and contain the spread of disease epidemics including HIV, and to categorise maleness and femaleness. Using some key concepts including embodiment, medicalisation, medical pluralism and structural violence, this module will explore some key controversies and challenges related to gender and sexuality in the field of global health. In each module session, concepts and the process of making meaning will be explored on multiple levels- from the most local and individual, the body, to national and global discourses that shape peoples’ identity, sexuality and wellbeing.

Migration and Health (15 credit)

This module is intended to provide students with an understanding of the growing field of migration and health in a contemporary global context. This module is designed for students wishing to understand the health needs of diverse migrant communities, the impact that the migration process has on health outcomes, and to explore the health inequalities experienced by some migrant groups, with a specific focus on infection.

The module will explore historical and contemporary global migration trends, theories and models of migration, and specific healthcare needs and priorities. Students will learn about global health and disease patterns in diverse migrant groups, their risk factors and vulnerabilities, and explore key policies and practices and international protection structures of relevance to migrant health in low- middle- and high-income countries. The module will explore migrants’ barriers and facilitators to health and vaccination systems, and make students aware of new research to design and deliver innovations to improve the health of these populations in the area of screening, vaccination, mental health, public health communications and data strengthening, and the role of participatory research.

In addition, the course will expose students to a range of key organisations and leaders in the field tasked with improving the health of mobile populations, including speakers from the UK Health Security Agency, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), and Doctors of the World. The module will provide students with the knowledge and skills to critically analyse and discuss migration as a social determinant of health, providing them with an understanding of the current evidence-base and emerging hot topics in this evolving field.

Transcultural Mental Health Humanities (30 credits)

The module offers a unique opportunity to address global mental health through viewing transcultural psychiatry from a humanities perspective and to challenge the dominance of a western medicalised way of categorising mental disorders. To achieve this, students will be exposed to different ways of exploring mental health from humanities-based approaches. Through diverse readings, presentations, film/ documentaries, case scenarios, and seminar discussions, students will be encouraged to consider the relationship between mental health and humanities in global contexts. To this end, the module offers a conscientious approach to the material such as texts and resources that students will engage with and will have a special focus on storytelling and trauma. For example, publications or representations of speech/art from exiled writers and narratives from health activists will be studied and critically analysed to critically consider both positive and negative aspects of mental health during adversity and trauma. The students will reflect and consider areas of mental health that they see as needing (further)recognition in global health discourses, with a heavy focus on nuanced and marginalized voices, and the role of narrative for bringing mental health injustice and human rights abuses to light for various organizations. The role of narrative in promoting mental health particularly in societies facing conflict, oppression, and lack of mental health care resources will also be analysed.

Students will be asked to become ‘advocates’ for a particular cause that they will argue is of vital importance for those engaging in global mental health. They will be asked to develop a way of addressing this issue from a humanities perspective, thus enhancing co-created methodologies, and lived experiences into narrative-based theoretical frameworks.

Optional modules are subject to availability. Read more information about our courses and university services terms and conditions.

Please note: this course is subject to revalidation and aspects of the course content and delivery are likely to change as part of continuous improvement. If you apply for this course, we will contact you about any changes as soon as possible.

Teaching and learning

At St George’s, you will benefit from working as part of a small, close-knit team. Students, clinicians and researchers work happily and effectively together, and you will be welcomed into our small specialist research community, with all the advantages that brings for personal input and development.

The nature of the Global Health discipline ensures that we attract a diverse student cohort each year, of different ages, stages of life and professionals from sectors as disparate as medicine and law, which students tell us makes the learning all the more interesting.

They also tell us they like the many opportunities to learn from people working directly and indirectly within the global health sector and humanitarian organisations. Where possible, we invite guest lecturers to share their experiences, capitalising on the in-house experts within our own faculty, St George’s Hospital and our extensive industry links. Previously, students have heard from a senior advisor at WHO, a Kenyan NGO, international lawyers and world-leading researchers in tuberculosis and malaria, to name just a few examples.

Teaching is delivered through a variety of methods including group lectures, tutor-led seminars, postgraduate masterclasses and workshops,. For example, in the Global Health Governance, Ethics and Law module, you will explore the impact of corruption in healthcare and examine the impact of various anti-corruption policies on health. You will also participate in self-directed study and wider reading, as well as individual and group practical sessions.

Personal and professional development is fostered through academic study, self-directed learning activities and the implementation of a research project under supervision. With opportunities in London and internationally, research projects (available for MSc and MRes students only) reflect the flexibility offered throughout the programme with the potential to study an exciting range of subject matter as part of a humanities, social science, laboratory or clinical project.

The course is designed to encourage you to become more self-directed in your studies and, in doing so, gain insight into your own learning styles, preparing you to take responsibility for your future learning and professional development. You will develop transferrable skills in critical thinking, communication skills, time management, planning and logistics and data analysis.

Our expertise

You’ll be taught by staff whose expertise covers ethics, law, philosophy, humanities, communicable and non-communicable diseases, clinical medicine, surgery, environmental epidemiology, social science, and public health. This includes, for example, an academic specialising in mental health, gender-based violence and conflict, and a veteran public health specialist formerly of the World Health Organization (WHO).

St George’s enjoys a global reputation as experts in population health, infection and immunity, and molecular and clinical sciences thanks to our world-class research. For the past two centuries, since historical pioneers such as Edward Jenner, whose groundbreaking work contributed to the eradication of smallpox, was based here, we have been at the forefront of developing new and innovative solutions to enhance the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of disease. More recently, our research has included a focus on tuberculosis, malaria, HIV in low and middle-income countries and Covid-19. A founder member of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC), we have been involved for over 25 years in measuring the burden of respiratory disease nationally and globally.

Assessment methods

All modules are assessed through written assignments and/or an oral presentation. They help you review published work critically, use appropriate experimental design, and analyse experimental data. They also enable you to develop scientific writing and presentation skills. Each module has a formative as well as a summative assessment. Feedback on the formative assessment will help you prepare for the summative assessment. 

Please note: this course is subject to revalidation and aspects of the course content and delivery are likely to change as part of continuous improvement. If you apply for this course, we will contact you about any changes as soon as possible.

Careers

Graduating with a master’s degree in Global Health from St George’s opens up a world of opportunities – quite literally. The breadth of practical experience and insight, coupled with the international connections you will make, prepare you to make impactful change and positively influence the health of people anywhere in the world.

Careers in global health are often divided into clinical and non-clinical with opportunities in both addressing issues of public or global health, or working in leadership, consultancy or research roles in either government or the private sector, as well as national and international agencies, such as WHO, Unicef or Save the Children, for example.

Career options include policy development, advocacy, health systems administration and management, education, research, community outreach, community healthcare planning, infectious disease management, programme planning and evaluation.

Depending on your interests , you will also be able to target the countries, individuals, initiatives or challenges you feel most passionately about. If you are undertaking the MSc or MRes you will also be equipped with practical research-based training and skills putting you in a good position to apply for a PhD, which some of our students choose to do.

Example career routes:

  • Academic institutions
  • Aid agencies
  • Civil service
  • Hospitals
  • Local or national government
  • National health services
  • National ministries of health
  • NGOs
  • Professional bodies
  • Third sector organisations
  • World Health Organization

Careers support for new graduates

Graduates from St George’s have access to support from the careers service for two years after graduation.

Please note: this course is subject to revalidation and aspects of the course content and delivery are likely to change as part of continuous improvement. If you apply for this course, we will contact you about any changes as soon as possible.

Facilities

Everything you need for success in the health and life sciences profession is here – from opportunities to learn from professionals working on the clinical frontline to cutting-edge laboratory facilities and bio-imaging technology.

We’re the UK’s only university dedicated to medical and health sciences education, training and research. We share our site with a major London teaching hospital. This means you’ll become part of a unique clinical and academic research community, mixing with the many different healthcare professionals you will go on to work alongside throughout your career.

Library and learning technology

Our library is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You’ll find silent, quiet and group learning spaces, as well as group discussion rooms.

We have a wide range of books, e-books, academic journals and other resources. You’ll also have access to online resources, such as the Canvas Virtual Learning Environment and our Hunter discovery service.

Need accessibility equipment? The library also loans noise-cancelling headphones, laptop stands, coloured overlays, desktop whiteboards, and more.

IT facilities

We have an extensive range of IT facilities, including:

  • 260 workstations in five computer suites, three of which are open 24 hours a day
  • 75 self-service laptops available
  • Free Wi-Fi covering the whole campus, including our halls of residence accommodation.

You can use these resources to access your course materials, discussion boards and feedback through Canvas.

Looking for a free space? Simply use our handy real-time computer locator.

Pathology museum

Our on-site Museum of Human Diseases houses a collection of over 2,000 pathological specimens, including those donated by Sir Benjamin Collins Brodie in 1843. This space is used for small group tutorials exploring the mechanisms of disease.

University of London

BLOOM@Senate House

As St George's is part of the University of London, you have access to BLOOM@Senate House, a unique space in the heart of Bloomsbury. Senate House offers a central London base which is particularly useful if you’re studying or living further out. The area has great transport links, making it easy to access from anywhere in London or further afield.

Senate House Library

Students can join the Senate House library free of charge. Your membership includes a 10-book borrowing allowance, access to all reading rooms and study areas, and on-site access to digital resources.

State-of-the-art facilities

Based in a major teaching hospital, our students are immersed in a professional clinical and research environment from day one. Read more about our state-of-the-art facilities.

Student support

From day one, you’ll become part of a community of staff and students of different ages, ethnicities, nationalities and backgrounds. Everyone you meet will have one thing in common – a passion for healthcare, science and medicine.

Whether you’re an existing healthcare professional, returning to education after a break or joining us after graduating from an undergraduate degree, we want to help you make the most of your time here. To do this, we offer a full range of academic support and student services.

Careers service

We offer 1:1 career guidance to undergraduate and postgraduate students at every stage of your professional development, from the start of your course through to graduation and beyond. As a student, you’ll also benefit from career development activities that are specifically tailored to your course.

What we offer:

  • Career guidance: We offer 30-minute 1:1 careers guidance sessions to support you in your career planning, build your confidence, and help you identify next steps on your career journey.
  • CV and application advice: We can review your applications with you, support you in presenting yourself to potential employers, tailor your applications to a particular role and help you stand out from your competition.
  • Practice interviews: Work on the content, structure, and delivery of your answers, whether that’s motivation questions, competency questions, role-specific questions or Maximum Medical Improvement (MMI).
  • Interactive workshops: Our career education workshops are tailored and delivered within courses. Topics may include understanding the graduate job market, learning through reflection on career decision-making, making successful applications and making an impact at interviews.
  • Careers fairs: These are opportunities to explore career paths in different areas and specialities, meet with employers, and have valuable conversations to inform your career thinking.
  • Online support: We offer specific information tailored to each course, plus general careers support and resources relevant to whatever your career choices and direction via our Canvas Virtual Learning Environment.

Cost of Living

We know that this may be a worrying time for our students and their families. Our Cost of Living Hub contains the latest information to our community affected by the rising cost of living. We provide students with various financial support, budgeting advice as well as employability options.

Disability support

If you require reasonable adjustments or disability services, you can find information on our disability information for students pages. For any further information please contact the disability adviser.

The Graduate School

Our Graduate School brings together postgraduate students from different disciplines, allowing you to support and learn from each other while expanding your professional networks.

The Graduate School works closely with our research institutes and provides opportunities for personal and professional development. You’ll also have access to a postgraduate common room where postgraduate students and early career researchers can study and socialise.

Induction programme

Our induction sets you up for your studies and helps you feel part of the University. As well as course-specific activities, we run an online ‘Get Started’ module which provides information about:

  • Social and enrichment activities
  • Student safety
  • Wellbeing and learning support
  • Study skills
  • Our library facilities
  • Careers and employability services

International student support

Our International Students Support service is part of the Student Life Centre and provides information on visas, settlement schemes, enrolment and more. To find out more, visit our EU and international support pages.

If you’re an international student, get in touch with the team as soon as you accept your offer via student.immigration@sgul.ac.uk.

Mental health support

St George’s has a confidential, free and impartial counselling service available to all students. You can also access services through our Student Life Centre and our online resources. This includes links to NHS resources, apps, podcasts and websites dedicated to mental health and wellbeing.

Personal academic tutor

When you start your course, we’ll allocate you a personal tutor. This is a member of the academic team who you’ll see regularly to monitor your progress and pick up any problems, both academic and personal. Even if they don’t have the answer, they’ll point you in the right direction towards the support you need.

Student Ambassador Scheme

Our Student Ambassadors support student recruitment events, widening participation activities such as Science Stars and schemes such as Unibuddy Reps. Our Student Ambassadors also help with one-off or less regular events and creating student generated content like blogs and videos.

Student Life Centre

Our Student Life Centre team can help you with every aspect of student life including:

  • Finances
  • Accommodation
  • Exams and assessment
  • Academic procedures
  • Admissions
  • International queries
  • Disability and wellbeing
  • Confidential counselling service

Your personal tutor can also signpost you to relevant support.

Students’ Union

St George's Students' Union (SU) is an independent organisation run by students for students. The SU runs a wide range of events and is home to the SU Bar and Shop, music room, dance studios and meeting rooms. The team also provides welfare support for all students, with an open-door policy.

Want to join a sports team? Eager to try something new? We encourage you to take part in the wide range of sports, social and cultural activities and events on offer. From fencing to hockey, yoga to hiking, we have over 100 clubs and societies so you can be sure to find something that will interest you.

Our popular ‘Mums and Dads’ buddy scheme is organised by the Students’ Union. Every first year has the choice of being assigned a ‘parent’ from the year above in their respective course. The returning student acts as a go to for advice about courses and university life.

Students with children

Juggling study and parenthood can be difficult, particularly if you’re taking a demanding medical or healthcare degree. Our Student Parents and Carers Empowered (SPACE) society is a group run by studying parents that meets monthly to support each other and discuss how to balance family life with studying. For more information, email the SPACE society.

Study+

We’re here to help you develop the academic skills you need to succeed and make the most of our library collections.

  • Sessions and tutorials on literature searches, keyword searches and using databases
  • Training materials for academic planning, reading and writing to develop key transferable skills
  • 1:1 meetings for a tailored approach to your academic support needs

Student support services

We have a full range of services available to support you during your time at St George's.

Please note: this course is subject to revalidation and aspects of the course content and delivery are likely to change as part of continuous improvement. If you apply for this course, we will contact you about any changes as soon as possible.

How to apply

Before beginning your application please check the entry criteria of the course you wish to study to ensure you meet the required standards.

Applications must be submitted through our online application system, which you can access below. Guidance on submitting an application can be found on our how to apply webpage.

Please note: we reserve the right to close for applications before the published closing date if our application numbers exceed expectation. Early applications are recommended.

Access our online application system

1. Select the relevant application link and create an account:

2. Once you've created an account, you will then be able to complete the application form and upload any relevant documents. You can save a partly completed form and return to it later. Please make sure you complete all sections. Please make sure that the information you provide is accurate, including the options you select in menus.

3. Add pgadmissions@sgul.ac.uk to your address book to ensure you do not miss any important emails from us.

4. When you have checked that your application is complete and accurate, click ‘submit’.

You can track your application through your online account.

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Guidance for completing your references

When completing your application, you will be asked to provide contact details of two referees. Please ensure these details are accurate. As soon as you have submitted your application, your referees will be contacted by the university asking them to upload a reference to your online application.

One must be a recent academic reference. The other should be either a second academic reference or a professional/employer reference. They should cover your suitability for the course and your academic ability.

Your referees should know you well enough, in an official capacity, to write about you and your suitability for higher education. We do not accept references from family, friends, partners, ex-partners or yourself.

We will send reminder emails to your referees but it is your responsibility to ensure that contact details are correct and referees are available to submit a reference. References should be uploaded within two weeks of making your application.

How to apply for a postgraduate course

Learn more about how to apply for postgraduate courses at St George's.

Please note: this course is subject to revalidation and aspects of the course content and delivery are likely to change as part of continuous improvement. If you apply for this course, we will contact you about any changes as soon as possible.

Fees and funding

In this tab you will find the financial information for this course of study, including details of financial support.

Tuition fees

2025 UK (Home)

  • Full-time MSc: £13,800
  • Part-time MSc (2 years): £7,200 per annum
  • Part-time PgCert: £5,000
  • Full-time PgDip: £9,400
  • Full-time MRes: £16,550

2025 International (including EU)

  • Full-time MSc: £26,450
  • Part-time MSc (2 years): £14,050 per annum
  • Part-time PgCert: £9,400
  • Full-time PgDip: £17,650
  • Full-time MRes: £28,650

Additional costs

The following table gives you an indication of additional costs associated with your course. These costs are not included in your tuition fees.

Item
Description

Study abroad

Tuition fees outlined above do not include costs associated with completing a project abroad.

Technology requirements

Find out more about technology requirements.

Funding your study

We have a range of funding opportunities available for students. You may be eligible for the following.

Postgraduate scholarships

We offer a number of scholarships for outstanding students wishing to study a postgraduate course with us.

Course director

Dr Carwyn Hooper

Reader in Global Health Ethics and Law
Head of the Graduate School

Dr Carwyn Hooper has degrees in medicine, philosophy and medical education. He also holds a PhD in law.

Dr Hooper has worked at St George's for over fifteen years and he has a number of different roles at the university. He is the Head of the Graduate School, the Head of Section for Humanities, Ethics, Law and Global Health, and the Course Director for the MSc in Global Health and MA in Medical Ethics, Law and Humanities. He is also the academic co-lead for the MRC funded Doctoral Training Partnership MRC DTP LID between St George's, University of London and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Dr Hooper is heavily involved in all aspects of teaching, assessment and curriculum development at St George's. As the Head of the Graduate School he plays a key role in assuring the quality of the postgraduate teaching provision at the university and he is responsible for enabling other academics to create innovative new postgraduate courses. As a Course Director he is responsible for leading a suite of postgraduate courses and as a module lead he is responsible for organising a range of undergraduate and postgraduate modules.

Dr Hooper’s primary research interests are in global health ethics and public health ethics. His PhD focused on personal responsibility for health. He has published on a wide variety of topics including the global regulation of tobacco, the ethical implications of HIV self-testing and the legality of detaining mental health patients.

Deputy course directors

Dr Alison Swartz

Senior Lecturer in Global Health

Dr Alison Swartz joined St Georges, University of London in August 2023. She is a medical anthropologist and one of two deputy course directors for the suite of offerings in Global Health (MSc, MRes, PgCert and PgDip). She leads several modules including the Research Project modules for the MSc (60 credits) and MRes (120 credits), co-leads the core module in Global Health Governance, Ethics and Law (30 credits), leads the Critical appraisal module for MRes students (15 credits) and offers an optional module in Gender and Sexuality in Global Health (15 credits).

Alison remains affiliated with her alma mater, the University of Cape Town, as a Senior Lecturer in the Division of Social and Behavioural Sciences in the School of Public Health and Family Medicine. Her research interests include adolescence, sexuality, gender and HIV, as well as qualitative explorations of the experiences of receiving and providing care. She has worked on a range of qualitative evidence syntheses that have contributed to WHO guidelines on task shifting for lay and community health workers, on abortion services and more recently on social accountability in family planning services. While much of her research is focused on South Africa and southern Africa, she has also collaborated on projects elsewhere in Africa, south and south East Asia and here in the UK.

Dr Ayesha Ahmad

Reader in Global Health Humanities

Dr Ayesha Ahmad holds a PhD in medical ethics and works to integrate ethics and the humanities into global health research and pedagogy. Her research expertise is in transcultural psychiatry and cross-cultural mental health. She particularly work in contexts of conflict and humanitarian crisis resulting from disasters including environmental change. Dr Ahmad develops trauma therapeutic interventions using traditional storytelling and has an ongoing research project in Kashmir (India) and Türkiye, in collaboration with Afghanistan, Tunisia, and South Africa, through Shaer Circle.

Dr Ahmad's specialisation is in psychological trauma and the ethical consequences of concepts that are used in mental health. She has developed both undergraduate and postgraduate courses in culture and mental health. In her work, Dr Ahmad critically explores the notion of land trauma, as it is juxtaposed with a medicalised and biomedical paradigm of a temporal understanding of post-traumatic stress disorder.

At St Georges University of London, Dr Ahmad has established a Global Health Humanities Hub to bring together scholars and students using humanities-based methodologies to approach and respond to global health inequities and injustice.

Dr Ahmad also works as an Expert Witness providing academic reports on asylum seeker cases related to war, mental health, and gender-based violence.

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Duration

One year full-time, two years part-time

Application Deadline

Home fee payers 24 August 2025 | Overseas fee payers 1 July 2025

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