Program Overview
The Public Health Policy (By Research) at The University of Edinburgh is a MSc programme in Medicine & Health Sciences over 12 months, delivered On-campus. This programme equips graduates with advanced knowledge and practical skills for professional and academic careers in the field.
Students gain a rigorous grounding in both the theoretical foundations and applied dimensions of medicine & health sciences. The programme combines coursework, research components, and practical projects that develop critical thinking, problem-solving, and specialist expertise relevant to industry and research needs.
Graduates of the Public Health Policy (By Research) programme are well-prepared for careers in academia, industry, government, and the private sector across United Kingdom and internationally. The programme provides an internationally recognised qualification within the Bologna higher education framework.
Key Program Features
- Duration: 12 months
- Language of instruction: English
- Study mode: On-campus
- Tuition: EUR 13,937 (Tuition (Year)) — International students; EUR 6,054 (Tuition (Year)) — EU/EEA students
- Location: Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Career Opportunities
Graduates of the Public Health Policy (By Research) programme are prepared for diverse careers in medicine & health sciences:
- Healthcare Professional
- Clinical Researcher
- Health Policy Analyst
- Public Health Specialist
- Medical Writer
- Healthcare Manager
Program Curriculum
You will study a number of compulsory and option courses and complete a dissertation to be awarded a Master of Public Health. The Masters degree programme (a total of 180 credits) is divided into two semesters with a dissertation following at the end of the year.
| Semester 1 | September - December |
| Semester 2 | January - April |
| Dissertation | May - August |
All students study the compulsory courses (80 credits) and undertake a dissertation (60 credits).
The remaining 40 credits, needed for an MPH award, are then accumulated by your choice from a wide range of option courses. You may also acquire up to 30 credits from other relevant schools within the University, subject to the approval of the course organiser within that school and the MPH Programme Co-Directors.
Dissertation
You will undertake a dissertation project between May and August. For your dissertation, you will be supervised by a member of staff with expertise in your area of interest.
The 60-credit dissertation course is designed to further develop your academic skills and ability to use scientific theory either in a research study or applied to public health practice.
It is also designed to further develop your understanding of the processes and planning involved in undertaking research on a particular public health issue. This will develop your scientific and reflective written communication skills.
Compulsory courses
Taught courses run over either five or ten weeks, in five-week blocks. There is a week between blocks for you to work on assignments.
Option courses
Although we endeavour to provide a wide range of option courses to choose from, these can be subject to change or cancellation at short notice. Places on option courses can be limited, due to course capacity and timetabling constraints. It may not be possible to guarantee every offer holder their top choice of option courses.
Find courses for this programme
Find out what courses you can study on this programme and how each of them are taught and assessed.
The courses on offer may change from year to year, but the course information will give you an idea of what to expect on this programme.
Full-time
We link to the latest information available. This may be for a previous academic year and should be considered indicative.
Admission Requirements
Academic Requirements
You need the following GPA score:
Applicants for graduate programs must have the equivalent of a bachelor\xe2\x80\x99s degree with a minimum GPA equivalent to Upper Second Class on the UK Honour scale. Admitted applicants typically have an undergraduate GPA of or better on the UK Honour scale. No exam grade should be lower than 4.5 (European grade scale) or D (American grade scale).
Your GPA (Grade Point Average) is calculated using the grades that you received in each course, and is determined by the points assigned to each grade (e.g. for the US grading scale from A-F).
A UK 2:1 honours degree or its international equivalent.
English language requirements
All applicants must have one of the following qualifications as evidence of their English language ability:
an undergraduate or masters degree, that was taught and assessed in English in a majority English speaking country as defined by UK Visas and Immigration
- IELTS: total 7.0 (at least 6.0 in each module)
- TOEFL-iBT: total 100 (at least 20 in each module)
- PTE(A): total 67 (at least 56 in each of the "Communicative Skills" sections)
- CAE and CPE: total 185 (at least 169 in each module)
- Trinity ISE: ISE III with a pass in all four components
Tuition & Financial Information
Tuition Fee
EUR 13,937 (Tuition (Year)) — International students; EUR 6,054 (Tuition (Year)) — EU/EEA students
Tuition fees: EUR 13,937 (Tuition (Year)) — International students; EUR 6,054 (Tuition (Year)) — EU/EEA students
Financial Aid & Scholarships
Contact The University of Edinburgh directly for scholarship, grant, and financial aid information for this programme. Many European universities offer merit-based and need-based funding for international and domestic students.
About The University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh
Edinburgh, United Kingdom
University of Edinburgh (Universitas Academica Edinburgensis) is a historic and globally respected public research university in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK, founded in 1583, making it one of the...
University Profile- Application Deadline 12 December 2025
- Start Date 12 December 2025
- Language English
- Duration 12 months