MSc Environment and Human Health

Entry requirements

Normally a minimum 2.2 Honours degree (or equivalent) in a relevant discipline.  A personal statement, detailing your reasons for seeking to undertake this subject, will be required. Relevant clinical or professional experience may be taken into consideration as evidence of equivalency.

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Course content

This exciting programme, which you can join either in person on the Penryn campus or online depending on your preference, is ideal for graduates who are planning or already undertaking a career within public health, health promotion, environmental health and protection, occupational health and related diverse research and practice fields.

Our students come from a variety of backgrounds and the programme has been designed to enable you to enact meaningful change in any setting. The course connects strongly to the world-leading research of the European Centre for Environment and Human Health, covering key theories, concepts and evidence on issues such as:

• The health impacts of global environmental change
• The social determinants of health and health inequalities
• The complex relationships that exist between human health and the environment
• The potential of using natural environments to improve human health and wellbeing

Specialisms

At MSc level, the core award is the MSc in Environment and Human Health. Depending on the specific modules taken, and dissertation topic selected, students may opt to receive one of the following named awards:

• MSc Environment and Human Health (Global Health)
• MSc Environment and Human Health (Pandemics)

These specialisms are only available at the MSc level, and are subject to the availability of option modules delivered by other University of Exeter programmes.

Your eligibility for the particular award will be confirmed by the final Assessment Progression and Awarding Committee (APAC) on the basis of the modules that have been completed. In order to graduate with a particular named award in parentheses, you will need to select the appropriate specified option modules detailed below, and notify the programme support team accordingly. Otherwise the award name will be MSc in Environment and Human Health. 

Programme Structure

The programme is divided into units of study called ‘modules’ which are assigned a number of ‘credits’. The credit rating of a module is proportional to the total workload, with one credit being nominally equivalent to 10 hours of work, a 15 credit module being equivalent to 150 hours of work and a full Masters degree being equivalent to approximately 1,800 hours of work. Therefore, for applicants who are working full time (or close to full-time), we recommend applying to complete the Masters degree over 2 or 3 years rather than 1 year.

To gain a Masters qualification, you will need to complete 180 credits at level 7.

It is also possible to exit with a PGDip after completing 120 credits of taught modules. The list of modules below shows which are compulsory.

MSc Environment and Human Health timetable 2023-2024 (PDF)

Please note: these timetables are draft and subject to change. If you would like further information please contact the programme leads: Dr Sarah Bell, Dr Lewis Elliott or Dr Becca Lovell.

The last contact day and assessment deadline for the programme will be earlier than the actual end date of your registration with the University, to allow a period of time at the end of your active studies for further support and mitigation, if needed

Modules

The modules we outline here provide examples of what you can expect to learn on this degree course based on recent academic teaching. The precise modules available to you in future years may vary depending on staff availability and research interests, new topics of study, timetabling and student demand.

Specialisms

MSc Environment & Human Health (Global Health)

Specialising in Global Health gives you the opportunity to focus on the environment and human health topics affecting the world today. The optional module Planetary Health (HPDM122) will introduce you to medical sociology, environment and human health, social epidemiology and global health. You will learn how health in its widest sense and health and environmental inequalities are created, and the potential strategies for addressing them more effectively. Using an interdisciplinary approach you will study a range of topics which may include global obesity rates, corporate and economic determinants of health, healthy diets and planetary boundaries, nature-connectedness and wellbeing.

Your dissertation project provides the opportunity to complete detailed research into an area of global health according to your own interests or career ambitions.

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Fees

2024/25 entry

UK fees per year:

• MSc (1 year): £11,600
• MSc (2 years): £5,800
• MSc (3 years): £3,900
• PG Dip (2 years part time): £3,900
• PG Cert (1 year): £3,900
• Standalone module per 15-credit module: £1,100

International fees per year:

• MSc (1 year): £27,500
• MSc (2 years): £13,750
• MSc (3 years): £9,250
• PG Dip (2 years): £9,250
• PG Cert (1 year): £9,250
• Standalone module per 15-credit module: £2,500

Fee information 

Fees can normally be paid by two termly instalments and may be paid online. You will also be required to pay a tuition fee deposit to secure your offer of a place, unless you qualify for exemption. 

Scholarships

We invest heavily in scholarships for talented prospective Masters students. This includes over £5 million in scholarships for international students, such as our Global Excellence Scholarships*.

For more information on scholarships, please visit our scholarships and bursaries page.

^{*Selected programmes only. Please see the Terms and Conditions for each scheme for further details.}

Funding and Scholarships

UK government postgraduate loan scheme

Postgraduate loans of up to £12,167 are now available for Masters degrees. Find out more about eligibility and how to apply.

Funding

There are various funding opportunities available including the Medical School's Global excellence scholarships.
For more information visit our  Masters funding page.

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Teaching and research

Our purpose is to deliver transformative education that will help tackle health challenges of national and global importance.

Learning and teaching

The taught modules of this programme are delivered in the Autumn and Spring terms (optional modules taken from other programmes may be taught in Summer term). During this time you will also be helped to develop a dissertation project to be completed in the Summer term and through to the end of August. We encourage students to develop their project alongside existing European Centre activities and/or in conjunction with partner organisations. Part time students may be able to develop dissertation projects within their workplace settings if appropriate.

Taught modules are delivered either in person on the Penryn Campus or online using a mixture of synchronous (‘live’) and asynchronous online sessions and materials. For online delivery we will use standard platforms such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and the University of Exeter Electronic Learning Environment (ELE). You will therefore need to have sufficient computing and internet access to be able to engage with the programme using these technologies, with the support of the programme team, the Exeter Digital Hub and related support services.

Teaching and learning methods

All material is designed for Masters level and will involve a mix of live (in person or online depending on your choice for joining the programme) and pre-recorded online lectures, seminars, small group work and guided independent study. Within modules there is considerable scope for you to direct your learning towards fields of particular interest, especially through your choice of dissertation project and in your studies to develop assessed pieces of work.

Locally based students are eligible to undertake other in-person option modules offered through other programmes on the Penryn campus where this is feasible. Meetings with academic tutors and/or other students can also occur in-person on campus where students are based in the local area.

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Careers

Graduates of the programme are well placed to move into a range of rapidly developing professions in environment and human health. Some examples include:

• Public Health
• Health Promotion
• Environmental Health and Protection
• Occupational Health and workplace wellbeing
• Social enterprises and SME businesses innovating in environment and human health

The programme also prepares you for further research and some graduates may want to go on to PhD study with the European Centre or elsewhere.

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