Public Health (International) MPH

Course overview

Our course is designed to provide health professionals with an advanced understanding of global health needs and how to strengthen health systems and services, in order to achieve universal health coverage.

Join a global community of professionals working to improve the provision of healthcare and address modern global health challenges.

• Learn in an international learning environment, with fellow professionals from a range of countries and areas of expertise.
• Work with leading experts in international health.
• Tailor your course to align your own skills to your own interests with a choice of optional modules.
• Develop the skills and knowledge to further your career in international and national health systems and organisations.

Through the one-year Master of Public Health [International] course, you will be able to apply public health and research competence through your dissertation project. The dissertation is designed to strengthen your ability to work independently on a topical public health issue from an international and national context and offers you the opportunity to build on theoretical learning and research methods.

Make an Impact

Through our course, you’ll learn about effective solutions to combat modern global health challenges. You’ll benefit from the real-world knowledge and experience of our expert staff, as you prepare to join the global professional community to improve healthcare provision, with a focus on low and middle-income countries and contexts.

The course provides the opportunity to take part in a study visit to Geneva, attending workshops and meetings with the World Health Organisation various and other health-related UN and other international organisations.

The course is delivered by the Nuffield Centre for International Health and Development, based in the Leeds Institute of Health Sciences.

You can also study this subject at Postgraduate Diploma (9 months) or Postgraduate Certificate (4 months) level.

Please contact the programme lead if you need further advice on which course would be best for you.

Watch our recent student webinar recording below to find out more.

Course details

This course has two streams, meaning you can choose the one that best suits your professional goals:

• Stream A - a focus on public health interventions and services.
• Stream B - a focus on health policy and health systems.

You’ll also be able to select from a wide range of modules to further customise your course. The taught compulsory modules lay firm foundations for your learning throughout the course:

• Introduction to Global and Public Health – introduces global health issues, public health strategies and health systems for Universal Health Coverage.
• Health Systems Research Methods – looks at how to plan research, choose research methods, evaluate findings and present results.
• Master of Public Health International: Dissertation – apply public health and research competence to a topical public health issue from an international and national context. Your dissertation is the culmination of the MPH[I] course.
• Principles of Public Health (Stream A) – analyses public health problems from a multidisciplinary perspective, dissects and explores how to strengthen existing and to build new health services, programmes and related management systems in order to improve the health of populations and communities.
• Principles of Health Management (Stream B) – planning and policy – analyses types of policies and management systems in the health sector with particular focus on the changing roles of the government.

The MPH(I) also includes a wide range of optional modules which allows you to focus your study to match your interests and experience. Optional modules are currently being reviewed for the programme and there is potential for optional module choices to change.

At Leeds you’ll have the opportunity to take part in a study visit to Geneva, attending workshops and meetings with the United Nations (UN) and other international health organisations. In the past organisations have included:

• World Health Organisation.
• UNAIDS.
• UN High Commission for Refugees.
• United Nations High Commission for Human Rights.
• International Labour Organisation.
• International Federation of Red Cross and Crescent Societies.
• Médecins Sans Frontières.
• GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance.

The dissertation you write in your final semester gives you space for in-depth examination of an area of public health that’s relevant to your work and career aspirations.

Course structure

The list shown below represents typical modules/components studied and may change from time to time. Read more in our terms and conditions.

For more information and a full list of typical modules available on this course, please read Public Health (International) MPH in the course catalogue

Learning and teaching

Under the guidance of our academic staff, who've all worked in low-and middle-income countries, you'll develop core skills and knowledge from day one. You’ll build on your learning with your chosen modules in specialist fields of public health, policy, planning and management. In addition, your dissertation gives you the opportunity to plan, initiate, execute and complete a substantial piece of independent research, with support and guidance from academics with substantial expertise on the subject of studies.

The course introduces essential learning skills for postgraduate level study, with particular emphasis on the challenges facing those returning to study. A reflective learning approach will form the basis of career-long independent learning and continued professional development.

You’ll learn through a mixture of lectures, seminars, group work, workshops, tutorials and case studies.
You will learn in an international and diverse classroom environment, with students from different countries and academic staff with lived and work experiences outside the UK. You will contribute to an active learning environment, which invites you to reflect on and share your own experiences while learning from others.

Some study sessions use the University's computer resources, with support to enhance your competence in the use of information technology. You'll have access to our Virtual Learning Environment, which inlcudes teaching materials and resources to help you prepare for you assignments and research.

You’ll be able to use University facilities for independent study, such as computing facilities and the Health Sciences library, with its extensive collection of online journals. You will also have access to the newly refurbished Worsley Building with new teaching spaces and a social space specifically for post-graduate students.

On this course, you’ll be taught by our expert academics, from lecturers through to professors. You may also be taught by industry professionals with years of experience, as well as trained postgraduate researchers, connecting you to some of the brightest minds on campus.

Assessment

You are assessed by using a range of assessments. Examples include essays, group and individual presentations, reflective logs, posters, development of programme plans, policy briefs, analysis of research papers, research project reports, oral and written examinations and a dissertation.

This range of coursework develops your academic skills and supports your future career. They are designed to assess your understanding and application of international health and also help you develop essential workplace skills, including analysing and synthesising contemporary research-based knowledge and presenting evidenced-based thinking in a coherent manner in a variety of formats.

Collaborative work is also an important part of the course. You will be encouraged to work and interact with academic staff and classmates and develop teamwork skills.

Your research can also have potential real-world impact. A number of our students have gone to publish work that has been carried out as part of their course.

Applying

Entry requirements

This course provides health and related professionals with the ability to improve public health, essential health care and preventive interventions, and strengthen health services and systems in local and global contexts. You will interact with staff and fellow professionals from a range of countries and areas of expertise.

In order to be accepted onto the MPH program, an applicant must:

a) hold a Second Class Honours degree or above in medicine, health, social sciences, or other relevant disciplines together with a minimum of one-year (full-time) relevant experience in health or related sectors either in private, public or non government organisations, such as NGOs and charitable organisations.

OR

b) hold a professional diploma in health or other relevant disciplines, together with five years of relevant experience in health or related sectors either in private public or non-government organisations, such as charitable organisations. In addition:

Work experience is preferred to be in a low or middle-income country. These include working as doctors, dentists, pharmacists, nurses, midwives, district health officers, community nurses or midwives, environmental health officers, health education and health promotion, and working in health management, administration, or health promotion. Our alumni include people with different backgrounds, e.g. health economics, anthropology, social sciences, journalism and media whose work focused on health. If you are not sure about the relevance of your experience, please contact us.

Please note that this is a very popular programme. If we receive a significant number of applications, and we are unable to process applications within our 6-week turnaround time, we may have to temporarily suspend the receipt of new applications until we are able to meet our turnaround target.

English language requirements

IELTS 6.5 overall, with no less than 6.0 in all components. For other English qualifications, read English language equivalent qualifications.

Improve your English

International students who do not meet the English language requirements for this programme may be able to study our postgraduate pre-sessional English course, to help improve your English language level.

This pre-sessional course is designed with a progression route to your degree programme and you’ll learn academic English in the context of your subject area. To find out more, read Language for Science (6 weeks) and Language for Science: General Science (10 weeks). 

We also offer online pre-sessionals alongside our on-campus pre-sessionals. Find out more about our six week online pre-sessional.

You can also study pre-sessionals for longer periods – read about our postgraduate pre-sessional English courses.

How to apply

The deadline for applications is 31 July 2025.

All applicants for taught postgraduate courses should apply online. Applicants can track the application at each stage of the process through the applicant portal and it is recommended that they check the portal regularly for updates.

Please see the guidance for applicants which highlights what we are looking for in your application here.

Work Experience - CV/Resume

CVs are mandatory. Applicants must upload their CV upon submission of their application, which must contain details of their work experience.

On application, you must demonstrate the following in your personal statement:

• Work experience in relation to public health in low or middle-income countries.
• Your reasons for selecting the programme and how these relate to your learning expectations and career plan

Reference Letter

One reference must be supplied at the point of application that can indicate your relevant work experience such as: health service or developing health system in a low-middle income country. The reference should be provided on a headed document with either a stamp from the institution or an electronic signature.

Supporting Statement

You are recommended to use this form to fill in your supporting statement and upload this with your application. You can see an example statement here.

Strong supporting statements include:

• Personal reflections integrated with information about previous work and academic experiences.
• How the course will contribute to future career goals
• Evidence that you have engaged with and understood the course's learning objectives, or some of the modules in the course. This information is available on Coursefinder and The Nuffield Centre’s website.

The statement may indicate a desire to return to your home country to work in the public health system or to seek employment at national, regional, and international organizations.

The following are some common reasons for rejecting supporting statements:

• Addressing some but not all four essential questions will be rejected.
• A lack of connection between your statement and your work experience. Please note that your statement should reflect how your work experience qualifies you to study this course, as well as what else you need to learn in the course.
• Not expressing interest in the MPH course specifically. Generally, it is not helpful to state general goals such as "I would like to live in Leeds, or I am interested in studying in the UK, etc."
• Low-quality supporting statements that contain several distracting proofreading errors (such as mentioning the wrong university or course) will be rejected.

The ‘Apply’ link at the top of this page will take you to information on applying for taught programmes and to the University's online application system.

If you're unsure about the application process, contact the admissions team for help.

International students

Our courses welcome students from around the world from a diverse range of backgrounds. International postgraduate students in the UK are now able to apply for a further two-year VISA to stay in the UK after completing their studies. Find out more.

Read about visas, immigration and other information in International students. We recommend that international students apply as early as possible to ensure that they have time to apply for their visa.

Admissions policy

School of Medicine Taught Postgraduate Policy 2025

This course is taught by

School of Medicine

Contact us

School of Medicine Postgraduate Admissions

Email: pgmed-admissions@leeds.ac.uk
Telephone:

Fees

UK: £12,750 (Total)

International: £29,250 (Total)

Finding funds to study at the Nuffield Centre

If you would like to find out more information about scholarships at the Nuffield Centre, you can discover the relevant postgraduate funding options here.

Read more about paying fees and charges.

For fees information for international taught postgraduate students, read Masters fees.

Additional cost information

Fees for the optional one-week study tour

The cost of the optional one-week tour to Geneva (see Course overview) is not included in the course fees.

Students who choose the study tour as an optional module pay approximately £575. Students who attend the study tour for their professional devleopment pay approximately £750. These fees include travel and accommodation.

As these costs are only approximations, The Nuffield Centre shares information about these fees in offer letters and during the first semester of the course.

Other costs associated with visas (such as visa handling and transport to the visa centre in Manchester), meals in Geneva and any other personal costs are not included in the fees above.

Fees for dissertation fieldwork overseas

While doing the dissertation, you have the option of doing primary data collection fieldwork overseas in a low- and middle-income country. The costs associated with this fieldwork depends on your dissertation and interests, and is not included in the course fees.

There may be additional costs related to your course or programme of study, or related to being a student at the University of Leeds. Read more on our living costs and budgeting page.

Scholarships and financial support

If you are interested in studying at the Nuffield Centre for International Health and Development, you can access relevant information about postgraduate funding and funders here.

If you are offered an unconditional offer on our MPH course you may also be eligible for the JJ/WBGSP scholarship. You must fulfill the following criteria:

• Hold a bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) earned at least 3 years prior to the MPH application deadline date
• Hold 3 years or more of paid professional work experience in public health
• Be a national of an eligible developing country
• Not hold dual citizenship of a developed country

If you are eligible for the JJ/WBGSP scholarship, you will be nominated by the programme team and relevant information will be sent to you. You will then need to submit a separate application to JJ/WBGSP.

If you wish to be considered for the JJ/WBGSP scholarship, please submit your application by Friday 1 March 2024. You can still apply to the course after this date, but you will not be considered for the scholarship.

You can also search our Scholarship Directory and Masters funding overview.

Other funding options

Studying in the School of Medicine at Leeds is an amazing opportunity, but we know that the cost can be difficult for many people to meet. If you are keen to join us, a range of funding opportunities are available.

Career opportunities

97% of our recent Public Health graduates feel they've taken meaningful next steps since university.

These include careers in:

• The World Health Organisation
• Ministries of Health
• international organisations
• civil society organisations
• universities
• consulting firms
• private health providers

The Nuffield Centre for International Health and Development has taught international health and development programmes at Leeds for over 30 years and has a large alumni network of:

• public health specialists
• health systems experts
• health managers
• senior planners across the globe

A number of alumni have also pulished their work in world-leading global public health journals. Read more about our alumni.

Careers support

This course is designed to build your skills and competencies in the global public health field and enhance your employability. It will expose you to essential skills required for a global public health career, including developing research proposals, preparing policy briefs, critically appraising research to propose evidence-based recommendations, planning, monitoring and evaluating health plans and projects, and more.

During the course, you can learn about career opportunities by attending seminars from global public health leaders, researchers, and practitioners. You will also hear of career opportunities during The Geneva study tour of international organisations.

At the end of your course, you will be advised on any available job opportunities in international health, which help many alumni find suitable jobs soon after completion.

We encourage you to prepare for your career from day one. That’s one of the reasons Leeds graduates are so sought after by employers.

The Careers Centre and staff in your faculty provide a range of help and advice to help you plan your career and make well-informed decisions along the way, even after you graduate. Find out more about Careers support.