MSc Health and International Development

This MSc will help you to understand the complex relationships between health and inequality, in and across low- and middle-income countries. It explores the key issues and inter-relationships that exist between health, global politics, and international development.

Many of the challenges faced by international development policymakers are related to global health issues, and this programme will provide you with the skills needed to help address and overcome these challenges.

Uniquely situated in a world-leading university specialising in social sciences, the programme will support you to evaluate multi-disciplinary evidence on a range of global health issues and interventions. You’ll also apply this evidence to policy analysis. Topics include population health, sexual and reproductive health, health in crises, infectious diseases, chronic diseases and beyond. Our courses reflect contemporary and emerging health and development issues, including pandemics, conflict and humanitarian crises and labour shortages.

The experience you’ll gain from studying the MSc in Health and International Development will enable you to understand how health, poverty and inequality interact. Critical perspectives encourage interrogation of taken-for-granted principles and practices.

As a flexible programme, you’re able to shape your studies to your own needs and interests. If you want to gain experience of consulting work, there is a guaranteed option of undertaking a course in Consultancy in International Development for an external client. Other optional courses include: Poverty; Advocacy, Campaigning and Grassroots Activism, Information Communication Technologies and Socio-economic Development, Evaluation in Health, Development and Public Policy; African Development; Migration; and Economic Development Policy, to name a few. Students who choose to concentrate their electives and dissertation in a certain topic area may elect to have a specialism in "African Development", "Population Studies" or "Applied Development Economics".

Additional extra-curricular optional activities on the programme typically include careers-focused networking events, and a UK-based weekend residential programme focused on health and development.

The MSc welcomes full- and part-time students, including those who want to combine work with study. The programme also welcomes applications from intercalating medical students from all countries.

For those who plan to do the MSc Health and International Development with a Population Studies specialism, nominations may be made to the Population Investigation Committee (PIC) Masters Studentship Scheme in Population Studies.

Extensive background reading is not essential, but the following are some introductory texts that you may wish to look at before commencing the programme.

• P Farmer, J Y Kim, A Kleinman and M Basilico Reimagining global health: an introduction (Univ of California Press 2013).
• T Dyson Population and Development: the demographic transition (Zed, 2010)
• M Merson, R E Black and A Mills Global health: diseases, programs, systems and policies (Jones & Bartlett Learning 2012)
• Deaton, The Great Escape: Health, Wealth and the Origins of Inequality (Princeton University Press, 2013).
• A Sen, Development as Freedom (Anchor, 1999).

Students who choose to concentrate their electives and dissertation in a certain topic area may elect to have a specialism in "African Development”, “Population Studies” or "Applied Development Economics" attached to their degree certificate and transcripts. To obtain the specialism indication, students must meet the criteria below.

African Development: students must take African Development (DV418) and African Political Economy (DV435). Further to this, their dissertation topic must be approved as being appropriate for this specialism.

Population Studies: students must take two courses from the following: Global Health Challenges: Epidemics, Disease, and Public Health Response (DV444); Population Analysis: Methods and Models (MY476); and Population, Health and Development: Evidence and Projections (DV456). Further to this, their dissertation topic must be approved as being appropriate for this specialism.

Applied Development Economics: students must take three courses from the following: Economic Development Policy I (DV490); Economic Development Policy II (DV491); Economic Development Policy III (DV492); and Foundations of Applied Econometrics for Economic Development Policy (DV494).

If no such election is made, the degree certificate will state “Health and International Development” without further specification.

Formed in 1990, our department provides a focus for postgraduate teaching and research on the processes of social, political and economic development and change.

We’re proud of LSE’s reputation as one of the top universities in the world for development studies. Our academics and researchers explore the causes of poverty, social exclusion, economic stagnation, humanitarian crises and human security. We look at why and how some late developing countries have succeeded in overcoming these problems while others have not or have seen their progress derailed by disasters and conflicts.

Currently, we offer six taught MSc programmes and a stimulating research programme – with research projects across Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East.

Teaching staff, who have considerable experience living and working in the developing world, engage in policy-relevant research and consultancy with international development agencies and non-government organisations. Research within the department spans several broad themes.

Our study programmes attract talented students from all over the world. Graduates find rewarding careers in a wide variety of government, non-government, UN, academic and private-sector organisations.

Department of International Development

We welcome applications from all suitably qualified prospective students. At LSE, we want to recruit students with the best academic merit, potential and motivation, irrespective of background.

We carefully consider each application and take into account all the information included on your application form, such as your:

• academic achievement (including predicted and achieved grades)
• statement of academic purpose
• two academic references
• CV.

See further information on supporting documents.

You may need to provide evidence of your English language proficiency. See our English language requirements.

Please note: The policy on intercalating onto the MSc Health and International Development programme is:

• students on a US medical degree are always qualified to apply
• students who will have completed no more than two years of a UK medical degree on beginning a prospective MSc at LSE are not typically qualified to apply
• students who will have completed at least three years of a UK medical degree on beginning a prospective MSc at LSE are qualified to apply
• students on non-UK/US medical degrees should contact Graduate Admissions in the first instance.

Intercalating medical students should apply in the usual way, but:

• in the "Qualifications pending" section, when inputting information about your medical degree, choose the latest date of completion you can enter
• in the statement of academic purpose, explain that you'll be intercalating, or upload an additional document with this information
• ask your chosen referees to also confirm in their references that you'll be intercalating.

Applications for this programme are considered on a rolling basis. This means that applications will close once the programme is full.

There is no fixed deadline. However, if you’d like to be considered for any funding opportunities, you must submit your application (and all supporting documents) by the funding deadline. See the fees and funding section below for more details.

For this programme, the tuition fee is different for home and overseas students depending on their fee status.

For this programme, the tuition fee is different for home and overseas students depending on their fee status.

This programme is assessed using a combination of coursework, written examinations and a dissertation. An indication of the formative coursework and summative assessment for each course can be found in the relevant course guide.

Students in the department come from a wide range of international and professional backgrounds. Graduates from the Department of International Development go on to work for a wide range of employers including NGOs, INGOs, government, the private sector and research institutions.

Further information on graduate destinations for this programme

From CV workshops through to careers fairs, LSE offers lots of information and support to help you make that all-important step from education into work.

Many of the UK’s top employers give careers presentations at the School during the year and there are numerous workshops covering topics such as job hunting, managing interviews, writing a cover letter and using LinkedIn.

See LSE Careers for further details.