Demography & Health (MSc)

This is Europe's only graduate programme in demography with an emphasis on health and social epidemiology, and is designed for those interested in acquiring a technical understanding of the structure and dynamics of population change, its causes and consequences. The curriculum includes advanced training in the theories and methods of the population sciences, statistics, epidemiology, and research methods.

The course teaches research skills which are highly valued in the job market generally and are welcomed in a wide variety of research fields. The teaching draws on several related disciplines within the School and the modular approach can be adapted (within reason) to suit different needs.

The course is recognised by both the MRC and ESRC as providing high quality research training and a small number of scholarships from these bodies (including 1+3 scholarships) are available to UK or EU residents. These are advertised each year with the School scholarships information.

Graduates have careers in public health, academic research of a very wide nature, NGOs, reproductive health programmes, health services, government statistical offices, policy and planning. The Selwyn-Clarke Prize is awarded for the best project of the year.

- Full programme specification (pdf) (https://www.lshtm.ac.uk/files/dh_progspec.pdf)

- Intercalating this course (https://www.lshtm.ac.uk/study/courses/ways-study/intercalating-study-masters-degree)

Visit the website https://www.lshtm.ac.uk/study/masters/demography-health

Objectives

By the end of this course students should be able to:

- demonstrate advanced knowledge and understanding of scientific, evidence-based approaches to the study of population issues

- critically assess and apply these approaches to inform development, health and population programmes

- formulate research questions and use demographic and health data, and appropriate methods of analysis, to address them

- identify causes and consequences of population change and relate these to underlying population dynamics

- demonstrate advanced knowledge and understanding of demographic behaviour in social, economic and policy contexts

- critically assess and apply findings of population studies to health and social policy

- demonstrate advanced knowledge and understanding of major population trends, including historical trends, in developed and developing countries

Structure

Term 1:

Students take the following compulsory modules:

- Demographic Methods

- Basic Epidemiology

- Population Studies

- Principles of Social Research

- Statistics for Epidemiology and Population Health

Terms 2 and 3:

Students take a total of five study modules, one module from each timetable slot (Slot 1, Slot 2 etc.). Students are expected to take modules related to demography for at least two of their other four choices.

*Recommended modules

- Slot 1:

Research Design & Analysis*

Designing Disease Control Programmes in Developing Countries

Health Care Evaluation

Sociological Approaches to Health

- Slot 2:

Family Planning Programmes*

Population, Poverty and Environment*

Conflict and Health

Design and Analysis of Epidemiological Studies

Statistical Methods in Epidemiology

- Slot 3:

Social Epidemiology*

Current Issues in Safe Motherhood & Perinatal Health

Epidemiology of Non-Communicable Diseases

Medical Anthropology and Public Health

Modelling & the Dynamics of Infectious Diseases

Spatial Epidemiology in Public Health

- Slot 4:

Population Dynamics & Projections (compulsory)

- Slot 5:

AIDS*

Analysing Survey & Population Data*

Advanced Statistical Methods in Epidemiology

Proposal Development

Further details for the course modules - https://www.lshtm.ac.uk/study/masters/demography-health#structure

Project Report:

During the summer months (July - August), students complete a research project to enable them to acquire personal experience of the process of contributing to knowledge in any of the fields covered by the course, for submission by early September. Acceptable types of project are: data analysis; a project proposal; an original literature or policy review.

Students normally remain in London for the preparation of their project report. Exceptionally, and only if appropriate, part of the project period may be spent away from the School, whether in the UK or abroad. Arrangements for this must be discussed and agreed with the Course Director.

Find out how to apply here - http://www.lshtm.ac.uk/study/masters/msdh.html#sixth

Visit the Demography & Health (MSc) page on the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine website for more details!