Master of Science (MSc) in Global Health

The country exposure course covers approximately nine weeks and is divided into the following parts:

• 2½ weeks of preparation in Denmark
• approximately 5 weeks of field work outside of Denmark
• 1½ week of working on the project report in Denmark

2½ weeks of preparation

The preparation for the country exposure course takes place in Copenhagen. Lectures, presentations, and group work around specific cases, will prepare you in applied research methodologies, building on previous courses.

Approximately 5 weeks of country exposure

During the field study, you will gain practical experience related to the use of the research methods taught in Copenhagen. You will obtain valuable information regarding environmental and public health services, disease patterns, and other issues related to the country or region of the host institution.

You will visit field sites and receive lectures and supervision by local as well as accompanying staff. You will be working in groups as well as individually, collecting and analysing data, and start writing your project report.

1½ weeks of working on the project report

Upon returning to Copenhagen, you will continue working on your data analysis and project report. You will present your findings to your peers and receive feedback on your work by fellow students and supervisors, before writing up the final project report.

Expenses

The teaching, supervision, and other academic activities taking place as part of the country exposure course – both in Copenhagen and abroad – is covered as part of the programme.

However, students bear the expenses connected with travel, insurance, vaccinations, food, and lodging for the field trip. These expenses depend on the destination, as the travel to a destination in Europe will be less expensive than going outside of Europe.

Below you find examples of previous country exposures. The destinations will vary.

Article: Country exposure in Poland and Tanzania

Video: Impressions from Country Exposure in Warszawa

Video: Impressions from Country Exposure in Katmandu

Impressions from Country Exposure in Tanzania

After completing the compulsory courses and country exposure course, you specialise your global health studies within one of the five following study tracks:

1. Policy, Financing and Health Care Systems
2. Disease Burden, Challenges and Changes
3. E-health and ICT in Health
4. Disaster Risk Management
5. Generalist track

During your first year of studies, there will be workshops and seminars about the different study tracks, helping you to decide in which of the tracks you wish to specialise.

During your third semester, you can do an internship as part of your chosen study track.

An internship provides a unique opportunity to gain experience and put the knowledge, skills and competences acquired in the course of your studies into practice in a real-life work context.

It is up to you to identify and decide on the topic and kind of organisation and setting you would like to try out.

You can find inspiration and information about opportunities via the links below.

Course description: 10 ECTS Internship

Course description: 15 ECTS Internship

Internship Opportunities

Elective courses can be taken at the University of Copenhagen or at other institutions in Denmark or abroad. Elective courses can also be combined with an internship.

The programme offers a variety of elective courses in cooperation with other programmes at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, for instance, the Master of Disaster Management.

It is possible to study abroad during your degree, and your third semester is best suited for it. Alternatively, you can choose to write part of your thesis abroad. It is also possible to take a summer course as an alternative to an elective.

Why Study Abroad?

A main objective of studying abroad is to further widen your academic knowledge and network. You are also likely to benefit socially and culturally.
It is a good idea to seek advice from lecturers and the student guidance when planning your studies abroad to find out where to go and how to structure your academic programme. Your lecturers may have academic inputs, international contacts and may be able to provide you with references which can prove useful.

Exchange Agreements

The University of Copenhagen has an extensive number of exchange agreements with universities world wide.

Information about partner universities specific to Global Health is available through the International Relations Office at Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences.
 

Student Mobility at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences

You write your thesis during your fourth semester (30 ECTS). The thesis is the culmination of your studies and must reflect the skills and competencies, which you have acquired during the programme. 

At the beginning of the second semester, you will start considering the topic of your thesis as part of your study track plan.

The thesis must:

• Be relevant to global health problems
• Have a clear problem definition and clear objective(s)
• Be based on relevant and clearly described materials and methods
• Present its results in a clear and balanced form
• Present a balanced discussion of materials, methods and results, and relate this to other relevant literature within the field.

Globally, there is a great inequality in health status and this inequality is a barrier for development. Better health provides economic development, quality of life, and safety.

The health status of populations and individuals is increasingly dependent on processes at a global level:

• Increased physical mobility; voluntarily (e.g. in the form of increased travel) and involuntarily (e.g. in connection with disasters and conflicts) resulting in new distribution patterns of infectious diseases.
• Urbanization and increasing population sizes, which causes increased pressure on existing resources, including water, forests, and farmland.
• Social mobility; disease patterns are changing rapidly in low and middle income countries in the context of the economic and climatic development. This requires adaptation of health systems and educational institutions.
• Intensified over-national cooperation is increasingly affecting the national political and economic framework. For example, regarding food production and food security, trade and distribution of medicines.

Additionally, a rapid development is occurring in technologies for prevention and treatment; creating new opportunities for health, including medical tourism and distant diagnosis and treatment.

Upon completion of the Global Health programme, you will possess skills in collecting, processing, and evaluating global health related data, using a range of information- and communication-technology tools and databases. 

You will possess complex problem solving skills, which enables you to address particular questions and issues of global health in depth.

As a graduate, you will be able to:

• Design, carry out, and co-ordinate scientifically valid and focused research.
• Evaluate the effects of evidence-based interventions.
• Evaluate, validate, and disseminate existing data to advance knowledge in a particular problem area or issue.
• Advise on, and formulate effective responses to complex practice and policy issues.
• Communicate your knowledge and findings to a wide range of audiences using different media and strategies.
• Independently plan, communicate, and realise new innovative initiatives and sustainable strategies to improve health, and prevent and control diseases.
• Initiate, sustain, and supervise effective cross-disciplinary team work.
• Assume responsibility for continuous professional development.
• Promote equity, justice, and dignity via your professional practice.
• Implement procedures for managing health partnerships with integrity and respect.

Depending on your interests and specialisation, the MSc in Global Health programme can lead your career in many directions and to jobs in different sectors.

Examples of relevant workplaces at home and abroad include:

• Bilateral and multilateral development agencies
• NGOs
• Consulting firms
• Pharmaceutical and medical companies
• The food industry
• Government bodies and public authorities
• Higher education and research Institutions
• Patient organisations
• Health facilities
• Donor and funding agencies

Jobs and Internships