The Master of Science in Global Health provides you with the necessary knowledge and skills to manage these complexities by giving you a sound theoretical basis, mixed with applied classes and a work placement. Together, this training package prepares you to become a catalyst for change as a global health professional.

Main course units

In the first year, the programme is organised around two key themes. The first term goes ‘Global’, providing students with the knowledge on and insights into global health challenges and their determinants, as well as the global health policy and normative frameworks (course units: 'Global Health Challenges' and 'Global Health Governance and Leadership'). The second term investigates the ‘Local’, teaching students about the instruments that governments can use to formulate a local answer to global health challenges (course units: 'Health Systems' and 'Health Promotion and Disease Prevention'). Several transversal course units run throughout the first three terms. In these course units students are instructed in 'Essential Skills in Global Health' (including complexity theory, systems thinking and evidence synthesis), and 'Research Methods in Global Health' (including key methodological insights relevant to global health).

Electives

The third and fourth term are the so-called  ‘focal’ terms, during which students will specialise in a specific global health challenge – either focusing on ‘Global Health Policies and Programmes’ or on ‘Research Methods in Global Health’ by selecting a number of electives offered by the five partner institutions.

Internship

In the second year students will do a ten-week internship. The aim of the internship is to put global health thinking into practice, to acquire skills and practical knowledge, and to get a better view of the global health domain, including the various actors, specialisations and career opportunities.

Master's dissertation

The Master’s dissertation is a paper/dissertation in which the student develops a research project independently. Students carry out a scientific study in an independent and creative way on a topic related to global health. The Master’s dissertation is the culmination of the programme, in which students apply their acquired knowledge, academic and domain-specific skills and competencies to develop a research project independently, and to bring it to a successful conclusion.

Practical Information

The Master in Global Health is organised jointly by the five Flemish Universities in Belgium: Ghent University, the University of Antwerp, KU Leuven, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, and Hasselt University. Classes will be taught in Ghent, Antwerp and Leuven. All venues are accessible by public transport and students will be given access to student facilities on the three campuses.

Students graduating from our ‘Global Health Policy and Programmes’ option will be more oriented towards governmental institutions, international organisations, development agencies, non-governmental organisations or lobbying and advocacy. Those graduating from our ‘Research Methods in Global Health’ option will focus more on national and international research institutions working in fields related to global health.