Title:	Key Concepts, Practice and Methods in Global Health and Development (Formerly “Core Course in Global Health”)
Country:	United Kingdom
Institution:	UK - Institute for Global Health and Development, Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh
Course coordinator:	Ibrahim Bou Orm
Date start:	2025-09-15
Date end:	2025-12-12
About duration and dates:	Number of weeks: 12 weeks (including 1 ‘reading week’) Application deadline:early May for non-UK applicants and early August for UK applicants. Although there is no formal deadline, we recommend that students allow adequate time for processing short-term visas
Classification:	core course
Mode of delivery:	Face to face
Course location: Institute for Global Health and Development, Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, EH21 6UU Scotland Tel. 44 131 474 0000 Fax. 44 131 474 0001 http://www.qmu.ac.uk/iihd/ tropEd representative: Paul Kadetz (PKadetz@qmu.ac.uk)
ECTS credit points:	20 ECTS credits
SIT: How many hours for the 3 modules of the core course in total: 600 Hours Type of activity Brief description Number of hours Scheduled (contact time) Seminars and tutorials 75 Independent (asynchronous self-study) Directed learning activities including micro-lectures, set reading, group discussion, digital content and formative / summative assignments 375 Independent (asynchronous self-study) Self-directed learning 150 Total 600
Language:	English
Description: Core courses introduce students to the fundamentals of international health as stated in the following aims. By the end of the core course students should be able to… · - critical reflection on the collection, analysis and appraisal of qualitative and quantitative data relevant for the improvement of health and health care equity. - identify and analyse interrelated determinants of health and major health concerns of populations in a trans-disciplinary perspective in low- and middle-income settings and on global level. - propose sustainable improvements of health systems addressing inequities and considering diverse intercultural settings as well as social, legal and ethical responsibilities. - describe the role, decision-making process and impact of global health policy actors. - collaborate and clearly communicate in a multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural setting.
Focus or specific features: Strongly guided by the social and health sciences, this uniquely transdisciplinary IGHD core course has a strong emphasis on the analysis of social and structural determinants of health and the development of health systems. We also analyse health policies throughout the course and relate these to global public health issues across the core course. Student-engaged learning is employed. Note: Please contact IGHD for the specific dates for class-based activities. Elective modules (Semester 2) - subject to the number of students enrolled.
Assessment Procedures: Module 1: Key Concepts in Health and Development Component % of mark Type Brief description Volume (word limit / duration / size) Individ. or Group *Formative Assessment Brief homework assessments and Quizzes Indiv Summative Assessment 1 30% Coursework Concept map + explanation of map§ Concept map + explanation (750 Words) Individ 2 70% Coursework Critical case study 2500 Individ *Formative feedback will be provided in seminars using class discussions and exercises and will include peer feedback. Online quizzes will also be used. §Concept Map: A diagram that uses nodes (typically circles, boxes, or ovals) to represent concepts and lines or arrows (often labeled with connecting phrases) to show how those concepts relate to each other. Module 2: Key Methods in Health and Development Component % of mark Type Brief description Volume (word limit / duration / size) Individ or Group *Formative Assessments Data Collection practice and Quizzes Indiv and Group Summative Assessments 1 100% Coursework A research plan for a real-world health or development issue 3000 Indiv *Formative feedback will be provided in seminars (e.g. class discussions) and through an activity that builds skills leading to the summative assignment. Module 3: Key Practice in Health and Development Component % of Type Brief description Volume (word limit / duration / size) Indivi or Group *Formative Assessments Mapping Exercise Complex systems analysis mapping factors → drug resistant TB Group Summative Assessments 1 Coursework Oral Presentation Assessing a healthcare strategy or policy 6 Minutes Indiv 2 Coursework Case study analysis of strategy/policy 2500 Indiv *Formative feedback will be provided in seminars using class discussions and exercises and will include peer feedback. Note: All assessments will be identified by matriculation number only and will be marked anonymously. To pass each module of the core course a student must achieve an overall mark of 50% with a minimum mark of 40% in each individual assessment component. Students who do not pass any module are allowed up to three more opportunities to retake the assessment and pass. However, any assessment re-sit that is passed is capped at a mark of 50%, regardless of the actual mark.
Content: Module 1: Key Concepts in Health and Development The overall aim of this module is to develop students’ critical understanding of key concepts and frameworks in global and public health and development, enabling analytical engagement with metrics, models, and real-world challenges covering the following content: 1. Foundations of health and development: key concepts, definitions, and historical trajectories 2. Metrics and measures: assessing health, development, and inequality 3. Theoretical and ethical frameworks: development theories, health equity, and rights-based approaches 4. Systems and policy models: vertical vs. horizontal programmes, systems thinking, governance 5. Social and structural determinants of health: power, place, gender, and intersectionality 6. Global challenges and responses: case-based analysis of crises, interventions, and policy debates Module 2: Key Methods in Health and Development The overall aim of this module is to introduce students to different methodological approaches in order to develop research skills in public health, global health and development covering the following content: 1. Foundations of research in health and development: purposes, contexts, and knowledge hierarchies 2. Epistemological and theoretical perspectives (e.g., positivism, interpretivism, critical and decolonial approaches) 3. Research design and strategy: choosing between qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods 4. Core methods and tools for data collection (e.g., surveys, interviews, focus groups, observational methods, participatory approaches) 5. Critical appraisal of research: validity, reliability, trustworthiness, rigor. 6. Ethics and integrity in research: power, positionality, consent, and global standards 7. Evidence for policy and practice: knowledge translation and use in health and development decision-making 8. Working with data: sampling, data management, and basic data analysis principles 9. Designing a research plan: integrating theory, method, ethics, and context Module 3: Key Practice in Health and Development The overall aim of this module is to provide students with a critical understanding of core practice in global health and development covering the following content: 1. Overview of practical and analytical approaches in global health and development. 2. Application of systems thinking to analyse complex health and development challenges. 3. Critical assessment of health systems and policies across diverse settings. 4. Integration of inclusivity, equity, and sustainability into policy and practice. 5. Use of evidence to evaluate strategies and interventions. 6. Exploration of global and local influences on health governance and development outcomes. 7. Evaluation of community-led approaches and participatory methods in health and development. 8. Development of skills in policy analysis through case-based and collaborative learning.
Methods: Learning is structured through: Micro-lectures (~ 20%), Group discussions, interactive workshops, and peer-led activities (~15%) Policy analysis and hands-on research exercises, fostering analytical, research and reflective skills all taught through case studies to examine complex global health issues (~65%).
Prerequisites: The course is open to health and social science professionals and students with a relevant undergraduate degree. Proven proficiency in spoken and written English to IELTS level of an overall score of 6.5 with no component less than 5.5; or for the TOEFL iBT an overall score of 80 with no component less than 17. Relevant work experience is desirable, preferably within a low-, middle-income or transitional setting. Please note that UK visa regulations are changing and students may need to apply for a student visa when entering the UK. Students should check for the latest UK Student Visa requirements.
Attendance: Up to 30 students; there is no nominal limit to the number of tropEd students. A minimum of 8 enrolled students is required for the course to run.
Selection: Selection carried out by IGHD admissions committee in line with QMU postgraduate admissions requirements. If all requirements are fulfilled selection is made on a first come first served basis. Criteria include: ● Relevant undergraduate degree in a related subject area or professional qualification in a related areas (recognised for professional body membership and equivalent in academic terms to an honours degree) or a qualification in a related area from a professional institution ● IELTS overall 6.5 with no component less than 5.5; TOEFL iBT an overall score of 80 with no component less than 17. ● Personal statement that clearly explains motivation to study global health and development, ideally based in previous or current experience ● Clearly stated intention or commitment to work in global health. Relevant work experience is desirable, preferably within a low, middle income or transitional setting
Fees: Home students: £1,145 per each credit module x 3 modules in core course = £3,435 total for core course International students: £2,540 per each credit module x 3 modules= £7,620 total for core course
Scholarships: QMU Bursary and Commonwealth Scholarships offered to full-time QMU students. There are no scholarships for visiting TropEd students nor for individual modules.
Major changes since initial accreditation: The programme leader has changed a number of times since the last accreditation. We are also currently going through our periodic 5-year Course Review and Validation. As part of this we have redesigned our Core Course around 3 modules: Key Concepts, Key Practice and Key Methods in Global Health and Development. We are running these modules in parallel (rather than consecutively) over 12 teaching weeks (rather than 4 weeks for each individually) to provide a more scaffolded and integrated teaching and learning journey.
Student evaluation: Students were generally very pleased with the modules and overall were positive about the approachability and engagement of lecturers but found the format of 1 module per month very intensive.
Lessons learned: Spreading out the core modules over the entire semester affords students more time to master the material. The core modules now offer a more comprehensive and current understanding of public and global health to better prepare students for the advanced modules.
tropEd accreditation: Accredited in 1998 in Berlin, re-accredited May 2006, re-accredited in January 2010, April 2015 and June 2020 (online GA/Hamburg). Re-accredited in June 2025 in Heidelberg. This accreditation is valid until June 2030.
Remarks: Birn, A.E., Pillay, Y. and Holtz, T.H., 2017. Textbook of Global Health. 4th ed. New York: Oxford University Press. Buse, K., Mays, N., & Walt, G. (2012). Making Health Policy (2nd ed.). McGraw-Hill/Open University Press. Camfield, L. (ed.), 2014. Methodological Challenges and New Approaches to Research in International Development. London: Palgrave Macmillan. Fathalla, M.F. and Fathalla, M.M.F., 2004. A practical guide for health researchers. WHO Regional Publications, Eastern Mediterranean Series, No. 30. Cairo: World Health Organization, Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean. Fukuda-Parr, S. and Shiva Kumar, A.K., 2009. Readings in Human Development. 2nd ed. New Delhi: Oxford University Press. Lee, K., Buse, K. and Fustukian, S. (eds)., 2002. Health policy in a globalising world. Cambridge University Press. Merson, M.H., Black, R.E. & Mills, A.J., 2018. Global Health: Diseases, Programs, Systems, and Policies. 4th ed. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Email Address:	PKadetz@qmu.ac.uk
Date Of Record Creation:	2012-01-19 22:12:12 (W3C-DTF)
Date Of Record Release:	2012-01-20 04:30:16 (W3C-DTF)
Date Record Checked:	2019-07-16 (W3C-DTF)
Date Last Modified:	2025-07-10 07:45:33 (W3C-DTF)