MSt in Population Health Sciences

The MSt in Population Health Sciences (PHS) is jointly run by the Department of Public Health and Primary Care, the MRC Epidemiology Unit and the MRC Biostatistics Unit, with contributions from colleagues across the University. The MSt PHS is a part-time postgraduate master's course that includes the academic disciplines of epidemiology, global health, health data science, infectious diseases, public health, and primary care research.

The course is open to graduates and other qualified candidates (see entry requirements) who wish to pursue a research, practice or leadership career in population health sciences.

The course of study for the MSt in Population Health Sciences (PHS) consists of eleven taught modules and a dissertation. The MSt in PHS is a two-year part-time master's degree of the University of Cambridge. It can also be taken as an MPhil in Population Health Sciences which is a one-year full-time master's degree of the University of Cambridge.

Students study five core modules and subsequently select at least six additional modules, either following a designated pathway in one of the named specialisation themes (epidemiology, global health, health data science, infectious diseases, public health, and primary care research) or following a more personalised pathway. Students also complete a dissertation of no more than 15,000 words.

Applicants should note that due to pre-requisites and dependencies, and constraints of timetabling, the pathways followed by part-time students will be dependent on which of the specialisation themes they are following. An indication of how the modules can be spread over 2 years for each specialisation theme is provided in documentation on the website.

The overall aim of the programme is to provide course participants with the necessary knowledge and skills to serve as a foundation for a career in population health sciences in academic, practice or other settings. Students will receive basic training in the core research methods used in the related academic disciplines of epidemiology, global health, health data science, infectious diseases, public health, and primary care research, and will then be given the opportunity to further specialise in their chosen area of interest. The course will teach students how to critique and design population health studies, and will give them the opportunity to carry out focused research under close supervision. Ultimately, we expect our postgraduates to contribute to the study and improvement of population health.

Learning outcomes

All postgraduates of the programme should be able to:

1. Critically appraise and evaluate the design, analysis and interpretation of population health studies

2. Identify and synthesise relevant published research literature

3. Select, devise and develop appropriate study designs and data collection methods for population health research

4. Select appropriate measures to describe and analyse the health status of populations and variations within populations

5. Collect, manage and conduct appropriate analyses of data relevant to population health using contemporary research tools

6. Apply relevant theories to practical settings

7. Assess risks to population health at a variety of levels

8. Design and evaluate the impact of interventions on population health

9. Understand the functioning of organizations and regulatory frameworks relevant to work in population health science

10. Appreciate the inherent uncertainty of research in population health disciplines and the challenges of working with conflicting viewpoints and complexity

11. Marshall and critically evaluate evidence from a wide range of sources to help advance population health

12. Identify a researchable problem and define an appropriate research question

13. Develop and implement a research protocol, critically interpret findings and identify implications for research, policy and practice

14. Effectively communicate population health principles and research to a range of stakeholders both verbally and in writing

5. Network and collaborate effectively with diverse members of interdisciplinary teams

16. Effectively use computational tools related to these learning outcomes

17. Develop competitive proposals to support population health research

18. Analyse and shape one’s own practice to reflect and apply these learning objectives to sustainably improve population health

Find out more

There are additional theme-specific aims and learning outcomes for students who choose to follow one of our six specialisation themes which can be found on the course website - www.phs.masters.cam.ac.uk 

More information on the individual specialisation themes can be found: www.phs.masters.cam.ac.uk/course-content/specialisation-themes/ 

Expected academic standard

Applicants for this course will normally have achieved a UK 2.i honours degree or overseas equivalent.

There is provision to accept non-standard applicants who do not satisfy the standard academic criterion. Such applicants must produce evidence of relevant and equivalent experience and their suitability for the course.

Applicants will usually have undergraduate experience in quantitative science or a degree in a health-related area, although other relevant experience will also be considered.

We also expect clear interest in Population Health Sciences (PHS), clear commitment to a career in PHS, and a clear understanding of the contribution of the MPhil/MSt to applicants’ future career ambitions.

Students without the standard university requirements but with clinical degrees or appropriate and compensatory professional experience may be considered via our non-standard applicant route.

Mathematical skills at the level of an excellent A-level student are a minimum requirement for applicants to the Health Data Science (HDS) theme. Nevertheless, we expect that most applicants will have a mathematical training that is more advanced than A-level. Applicants only satisfying the minimum mathematical requirement will have an undergraduate degree in a field relevant to the course. Some aptitude for and experience of computer programming is highly desirable for HDS applicants.

Language requirement

Language requirements for this course are as per the table below:

• IELTS Academic: Overall band score of 7.0 (with a minimum of 7.0 in each individual component, or 6.5 in Reading)
• CAE: Grade A or B (with at least 193 in each individual element) plus a language centre assessment.
• CPE: Grade A, B, or C (with at least 200 in each individual element).
• TOEFL iBIT: Overall score of at least 100 with no element below 25

HDRUK funded scholarships are available to UK candidates following the Health Data Science theme. These scholarships are awarded at the discretion of the course admissions committee to cover between 50% and 100% of tuition fees and living costs. Applicants for the HDS stream will automatically be considered for these scholarships.

Departmental scholarships are also available for selected students following other themes.

Applicants will automatically be considered for these scholarships. Applications submitted prior to the funding deadline will automatically be entered into the Cambridge University Postgraduate Funding competition. 

Applicants will usually have undergraduate experience in quantitative science or a degree in a health-related area, although other relevant experience will also be considered.

We also expect clear interest in Population Health Sciences (PHS), clear commitment to a career in PHS, and a clear understanding of the contribution of the MPhil/MSt to applicants’ future career ambitions.

Students without the standard university requirements but with clinical degrees or appropriate and compensatory professional experience may be considered via our non-standard applicant route.

Mathematical skills at the level of an excellent A-level student are a minimum requirement for applicants to the Health Data Science (HDS) theme. Nevertheless, we expect that most applicants will have a mathematical training that is more advanced than A-level. Applicants only satisfying the minimum mathematical requirement will have an undergraduate degree in a field relevant to the course. Some aptitude for and experience of computer programming is highly desirable for HDS applicants.

International students would normally apply for the full-time MPhil in Population Health Sciences, a one-year full-time master's degree at the University of Cambridge. If you would like to apply for the MSt and do not normally live in the UK, please include information in your application explaining the reasons you are considering part-time study. If you do not already have UK immigration permission that would allow study, this MSt can be supported under the part-time student visa route, but this has a number of restriction including no work in the UK or the ability to bring dependant family members. Further information about the student visa for part-time study can be found on the International Students website.

Further information and advice for applicants can be found here.