Full-time: one yearPart-time: two years
Full-time: £10,800 *
Part-time: £5,400 per year *
Full-time: £16,830 *
Part-time: £8,415 per year *
Northampton Square
City’s MSc Health Policy is the ideal route for graduates looking to start, change or develop their career within the health policy field. It combines an international focus and academic rigour with the development of practical, transferable skills that can be applied in a wide range of real-world health policy, planning and management settings.
We welcome applications from graduates (UK or international) from any academic discipline. The course is suitable for established professionals from a wide range of backgrounds, including:
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Health and health care policy are at the top of the political agenda around the world. People are living longer, consumers are expecting more from their health services and chronic illnesses are becoming prevalent. Medical technology is advancing rapidly, creating ever-increasing demand for the latest treatments.
Health policy affects and is affected by all of these factors. It aims to meet the growing challenges facing health systems by providing answers to such questions as:
City’s MSc in Health Policy gives you the knowledge and tools you need to understand, analyse and influence the health policy process, and to operate within an increasingly complex policy environment.
You will analyse the social, political and economic factors that affect policy at a local, national and international level. You will explore how and where policy is made, and who the key players are; and learn how to present your ideas clearly and persuasively to a range of influential stakeholders to bring about change.
“Policy making, in health as elsewhere, is a political process. Everyone has an agenda. On the MSc Health Policy you'll learn how to navigate your way through this complex, fast-moving and highly politicised environment, and to develop your powers of analysis and persuasion to bring about real change that benefits patients and wider society."
Course Director, Dr Justin Needle
To apply for this course, you must have:
Don’t meet the entry requirements? INTO City, University of London offers a range of academic and English language programmes to help prepare you for study at City, University of London. You’ll learn from experienced teachers in a dedicated international study centre.
These programmes are designed for international students who do not meet the required academic and English language requirements for direct entry. To prepare for this degree course, learn more about the Graduate Diploma in Social Sciences and the Arts, and the Graduate Diploma in Economics
City works in partnership with Kaplan International College (KIC) London to provide preparatory courses for international students. Pre Masters courses at KIC London offer comprehensive support to students wishing to complete their postgraduate study at City. Progression to this degree is guaranteed if you complete the KIC London Pre-Masters course at the required level.
If your first language is not English, the following qualification is required:
Don’t meet the English language requirements? INTO City, University of London offers English language programmes to help prepare you for study at university.
If you are not from the European Economic Area / Switzerland and you are coming to study in the UK, you may need to apply for a visa or entry clearance to come to the UK to study.
The way that you apply may vary depending on the length of your course. There are different rules for:
For more information see our main Visa page.
Applications for September 2020/21 are now open:
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)
If you have previously completed credits from a Masters level qualification that can be matched to credits on the programme qualification you would like to apply for, then you may be eligible for RPL or RP(E)L.
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL): “where credit is awarded for learning derived from study at this or another institution which has previously been assessed and/or awarded credit”.
Recognition of Prior Experiential learning (RP(E)L): “where credit is awarded for learning derived from the candidate’s life experience which has not previously been assessed and/or awarded credit.”
For more information on the policy, the maximum credits permitted and how to apply, please see the Guidance on Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).
If you have any queries about the process, please contact the Postgraduate team: .
+44 (0)20 7040 5000
pghealth@city.ac.uk
*Fees in each subsequent year of study (where applicable) will be subject to an annual increase of 2%. We will confirm any change to the annual tuition fee to you in writing prior to you commencing each subsequent year of study (where applicable).
A non-refundable deposit of £500 is required when accepting your offer in order to secure your place.
The School of Health Sciences believes that exceptional academic and clinical performance should be recognised and rewarded. We have several scholarships available for students starting on our courses this September and January.
Introduced by programme director Dr. Justin Needle, this short film will tell you more about the programme and the opportunities it opens up to graduates looking to develop their career within the international health policy field.
You will have the opportunity to do a placement, but it is not a formal requirement of the course. We encourage you to create your own. One recent student worked within the refugee camp in Calais alongside the NGO Doctors of the World as part of her dissertation research on refugee access to health care.
As part of the University of London you can also become a member of Senate House Library for free with your student ID card.
We offer a variety of accommodation options and support services for postgraduate students.
Read more about our postgraduate halls.
Our Accommodation Service can also help you find private accommodation.
We offer a free language course for City, University of London students.
Course timetables are normally available from July and can be accessed from our timetabling pages. These pages also provide timetables for the current academic year, though this information should be viewed as indicative and details may vary from year to year.
Please note that all academic timetables are subject to change.
We offer an extensive support network during your time here at City, University of London – from Learning Support (including disability support) and counselling to financial and career advice – leaving you free to enjoy every opportunity campus life has to offer.
Find out more about the different types of student support available.
You will learn through a mix of lectures, class discussions and seminars, student presentations, case study analysis, interactive computer-based exercises, a virtual learning environment (Moodle) and self-directed reading.
Lecturers are drawn from City's Schools of Health Sciences and Arts and Social Sciences. A number of distinguished external honorary and guest lecturers have also taught on the programme, including:
City has an international reputation for academic excellence in the areas of health and food policy, health services research, health management, health economics and executive leadership across a broad range of professional disciplines. You will learn from and alongside colleagues who aim to influence health policy and lead health-related initiatives.
Modules are assessed through a combination of written coursework, group work and examination. The assessments reflect the learning objectives of the modules.
You will take five core taught modules, which cover the main topics and issues within health policy, the health policy process, the principles of policy analysis, and research methods.
You will also choose two or three further elective modules covering a range of related areas, including public health, global health and health management and leadership.
* The core module HRM020 covers basic research skills and enables you to perform entry-level statistics. It forms the first part of the 30-credit module HRM001 Introduction to Research Methods and Applied Data Analysis, which goes on to cover more advanced research skills. If you choose to take HRM001, this will replace the core module HRM020.
** A maximum of two Public Health (PHM) modules (PHM001, PHM003, PHM004) may be chosen as electives, depending on module capacity.
Alternatively, you can take modules from this Masters degree as standalone CPPD (Continuing Personal and Professional Development) courses. In this case, course costs might vary. For further information please click on the CPPD links below each module.
You will also write a final health policy-related dissertation, on a topic of your choice, of between 12,000 and 15,000 words.
Recent dissertation topics have included:
The programme specification contains more information on how the course is organised, the requirements for progression for each part and credits required for awards.
Because health and health care are such high priorities for both the public and policy makers, health policy specialists will continue to be in high demand. Therefore, if you are working or want to work within any health-related organisation in the public, private or third sectors, this course will help you develop the key transferable skills you need to succeed.
Graduates of the MSc Health Policy have gone on to a variety of policy, campaigning/advocacy and research roles within the public sector such as:
Find out more about City and all our postgraduate degree programmes.
