MSc in Global Health Systems Theory and Policy

This programme considers how the principles and practice of effective and fair public health care can inform health policy and health care systems in national and local settings. An important focus of the programme will be the theoretical and practical principles of solidarity in health care systems. The programme analyses the principles of health systems, and makes global linkages to social, political, economic, and cultural issues in individual countries and themes. Students will gain an understanding of competition and trade law and regulation and its application to public health care. This programme is of particular interest to medical and clinical practitioners, civil servants, public health practitioners, social and political scientists, lab scientists, and NGO workers.

High quality primary health care and public health systems form the cornerstone of an efficient, effective, and equitable health system. Many countries (whether low-, middle- or high-income) are seeking to shift from a secondary care led, disease-oriented and ‘reactive’ healthcare system to one characterised by a strong primary care sector offering ‘proactive’, whole-patient care through measures such as patient education, prevention, early diagnosis, support for self-care, risk factor and chronic disease management, and systematic gate-keeping to the secondary care sector.

This vision for developing public health and primary care is widely held (eg, it is prominent in World Health Organization strategic plans and is a strong theme in the new healthcare strategy in the USA), but it depends critically on capacity-building to produce the research leaders, educators, policy-makers and change agents who are integral to this process.

Through the knowledge and analytic skills they have gained, students can address the challenges facing public health and public policy more generally across a range of contexts. Their ability to plan and develop services and advocate for them will be greatly enhanced, and their effectiveness in delivering health care and public services will be increased. Strong emphasis is placed on research methods and analytic techniques for practical application or further research, and research methods are integrated into many modules.

The broad approach provides the context for collaborative interdisciplinary work. The programme will be led the Centre for Primary Care & Public Health in collaboration with the School of Law, and the School of Business & Management.

Why study Global Health Systems Theory and Policy at Queen Mary?

There are a number of distinct features about the course which include: an emphasis on the social determinants of health; a focus on the interface between politics and policy; a concern for social justice; and stress upon primary care acting as a platform for effective public health action.

The offers an opportunity to develop a pronounced multi-disciplinary analysis that includes sociology, anthropology, economics, law, geography as well as public health medicine. You will therefore learn from a truly multidisciplinary programme, which will give you a genuinely broad education and wide perspective.

Furthermore, the Barts and London School of Medicine and Dentistry is comprised of two renowned and prestigious teaching hospitals: St Bartholomew’s and The Royal London. Both continue to make an outstanding contribution to modern medicine and together have been consistently ranked among the top five in the UK for medicine.

The Global Public Health Unit combines the local and the global in a stimulating and challenging research and teaching environment – we have strong links to the NHS, local authorities, third-sector organisations, policymakers in the UK and elsewhere, and leading international figures in global health.

We integrate different types of teaching delivery including small group seminars and participation in public health conferences. We have collaborations with other universities and organisations from around the world to aid research, teaching, policy development, and community engagement, and we encourage students to get involved in both our local and international work.