MSc International Health Policy

London School of Economics and Political Science, University of London

In the MSc International Health Policy programme, you analyse current and emerging health care problems and the range of health policies being developed to address them through the application of health policy and economic principles. You also learn to analyse health systems from an international and comparative perspective.

The programme offers an international perspective on health policy and covers a variety of primarily high income and emerging countries. Among your professors are specialists in health policy, health economics, public health, social care, European health care reform, and behavioural public policy.

Students come from across the globe and from a variety of backgrounds, including politics, law, economics, medicine and science, creating a truly diverse and international cohort. The programme prepares you for a career in a range of fields, including in health care administration, health care management, government departments or agencies, health insurance organisations, management consultancy, international organisations, a variety of NGOs, the pharmaceutical and medical device sectors, the wider commercial health sector and for a career in research or for further study.

Through your individual courses you will master health care financing models, how to measure health systems performance, health policy and politics, health economics, and pharmaceutical economics and policy, among others. When writing your dissertation, you can explore a topic of particular interest to you. Your dissertation can be written as part of an internship with a major international or governmental organisation, private company, NGO or academic institution.

Teaching methods

LSE is internationally recognised for its teaching and research and therefore employs a rich variety of teaching staff with a range of experience and status. Courses may be taught by individual members of faculty, such as lecturers, senior lecturers, readers, associate professors and professors. Many departments now also employ guest teachers and visiting members of staff, LSE teaching fellows and graduate teaching assistants who are usually doctoral research students and in the majority of cases, teach on undergraduate courses only.

Assessment

All taught courses are required to include formative coursework which is unassessed. It is designed to help prepare you for summative assessment which counts towards the course mark and to the degree award. LSE uses a range of formative assessment, such as essays, problem sets, case studies, reports, quizzes, mock exams and many others. Summative assessment may be conducted during the course or by final examination at the end of the course.

Careers

Professional destinations after completing the degree include consultancies, pharmaceutical companies, health services, international organisations, government departments and agencies and NGOs, as well as employment in research or further study for a PhD.