Global Health and Infectious Diseases (Online Learning) MSc, PgDip (ICL), PgCert (ICL), PgCert, PgDip, PgProfDev

Level: Postgraduate taught

Subject: Medicine

Year of entry: 2026

Study options

Mode of study

Online learning

Part-time intermittent study
  • PgProfDev | 2 years | Start date: multiple dates
  • MSc | 6 years | Start date: September 2026
  • PgCert (ICL) | 2 years | Start date: September 2026
  • PgDip (ICL) | 4 years | Start date: September 2026
Part-time
  • MSc | 3 years | Start date: September 2026
  • PgCert | 1 year | Start date: September 2026
  • PgDip | 2 years | Start date: September 2026

Key facts

School

Edinburgh Medical School

College

College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine

Programme website
Accreditation

Not available

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About the degree programme

If you are looking to advance your career in global health or change direction while deepening your understanding of infectious disease threats, the Global Health and Infectious Diseases (Online Learning) programme from the University of Edinburgh offers a flexible, world-class opportunity to do so.

This interdisciplinary programme is designed for professionals working in a range of fields relating to medicine, veterinary science, public health, research and development. This part-time and fully online MSc equips you with the knowledge and skills needed to address the complex global burden of infectious diseases. 

This interdisciplinary programme will help you make a real impact, whether your focus is on:

  • One health
  • disease control
  • health inequity
  • health policy
  • disease surveillance
  • epidemiology
  • sustainable development

You will study part-time, with a commitment to sequential study over three terms in Years 1 and 2, before undertaking the research phase of the degree in Year 3.

The programme also offers alternative entry points, including a Postgraduate Certificate, Postgraduate Diploma, and a Professional Development route. Whatever your pathway, you will be supported by world-class academics, an international peer network, and tailored online learning tools.

Study options

Part-time

This is a part-time programme. You can exit at the end of:

  • Year 1 with a Postgraduate Certificate
  • Year 2 for a Postgraduate Diploma
  • Year 3 with a Master of Science degree

Intermittent Learning (ICL)

The programme is also available for intermittent learners. This differs from the part-time structure as you have up to six years to complete the MSc. Further, there is no assumption of sequential study. You inform the programme teams of the courses you wish to study, and enrolment is made following this instruction. Invoices are generated with each course enrolment.

While this study pattern does introduce more flexibility, courses are available based on the academic timetable, and the timetable and assessment deadline are fixed. The compulsory elements of our exit awards must be met, although the order in which these courses are taken is no longer fixed.

Postgraduate Professional Development (PPD)

Postgraduate Professional Development (PPD) is aimed at working professionals who want to advance their knowledge through a postgraduate-level course(s), without the time or financial commitment of a full Masters, Postgraduate Diploma, or Postgraduate Certificate.

You may take a maximum of 50 credits worth of courses over two years through our PPD scheme. These lead to a University of Edinburgh postgraduate award of academic credit.

Alternatively, after one year of taking courses, you can choose to transfer your credits and continue on to studying towards a higher award on a Masters, Postgraduate Diploma or Postgraduate Certificate programme.

Although PPD courses have various start dates throughout a year, you may only start a Masters, Postgraduate Diploma, or Postgraduate Certificate programme in the month of September. Any time spent studying PPD will be deducted from the amount of time you will have left to complete a Masters, Postgraduate Diploma, or Postgraduate Certificate programme.

Please contact the programme team for more information about available courses and course start dates.

Programme benefits

  • Fully online, flexible format
  • Interdisciplinary One Health approach
  • Exploring Global Health through the lens of infectious disease
  • Choose from a broad choice of option courses for specialisation
  • Complete a career-aligned dissertation with real-world impact
  • Learn from a dedicated teaching team

I wanted a programme that would enable me to move into a public health advisory role and get a global perspective on health care. It really relates to the job I am in but it will also help me move forward. 

Natalia Casey Global Health and Infectious Diseases, graduated 2021
Natalia Casey, Global Health and Infectious Diseases online masters, graduated 2021

Tuition fees

Tuition fees by award and duration

Tuition fees for full-time and part-time options are listed for one academic year.

Part-time intermittent study
Part-time

Graduate discount

If you are a University of Edinburgh graduate, you will be eligible for a 10% discount on your tuition fees for this programme. You may also be eligible if you were a visiting undergraduate student.

Find out how to receive your graduate discount

Deposit

You do not have to pay a deposit to secure your place on this programme.

Funding opportunities

Funding for postgraduate study is different to undergraduate study, and many students need to combine funding sources to pay for their studies.

Most students use a combination of the following funding to pay their tuition fees and living costs:

  • borrowing money
    • taking out a loan
    • family support
  • personal savings
  • income from work
  • employer sponsorship
  • scholarships

Explore sources of funding for postgraduate study

The University of Edinburgh offers a small number of scholarships to outstanding candidates. These are very competitive. We publish data on the success rate for scholarship applications to help you understand the level of demand.

Scholarship application success rates

Other funding opportunities

Online Learning Scholarships

Mastercard Foundation Scholarships 

Mastercard Foundation Scholarships are available for this programme. The postgraduate study scholarships for the 2026/27 academic year will accept applications from 1 October 2025 at 10am until 7 November 2025 at 5pm (UK Time). Applicants must be citizens of an African country and residents in an African country. Applications from refugees and displaced people who have left their African home country to live elsewhere on the continent are also welcome.

Mastercard Foundation Postgraduate Scholarships

If the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program is the only scholarship you are interested in applying for at the University of Edinburgh, please apply for the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program scholarship first. 

If you receive a scholarship offer from the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program, you can then apply for the academic programme.

If you live in the UK, you may be eligible for a postgraduate loan for online study from one of the UK’s governments.

If you intend to apply for a UK government loan you should apply for the 3-year Masters option.

View details: UK government loans

Search for other funding opportunities

You can find scholarships, bursaries and other funding you might be eligible for on our Scholarships and Student Funding site.

Postgraduate funding opportunities

These entry requirements are for the 2026-27 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2027-28 academic year will be published on 1 Oct 2026.

Qualifications

A UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent. A biomedical, medical, public health, veterinary or relevant bioscience topic is particularly suitable for this degree programme, but entry is not restricted to these topics.

We may also consider your application if your degree is in an unrelated discipline but you have relevant work experience; please contact us to check before you apply. You may be admitted to Certificate level only in the first instance.

International qualifications

To find international equivalent qualifications, select where you studied from the country or region list.

English language requirements

You must prove that your English language abilities are at a high enough level to study this degree programme.

This is the case for all applicants, including UK nationals.

You can meet our English language requirements with one of the following:

  • an English language test
  • a degree that was taught and assessed in English
  • certain professional qualifications

English language tests we accept

We accept any of the following English language tests, at the specified grade or higher:

  • IELTS Academic: total 6.5 with at least 6.0 in each component. We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
  • TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 92 with at least 20 in each component We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
  • C1 Advanced (CAE) / C2 Proficiency (CPE): total 176 with at least 169 in each component.
  • Trinity ISE: ISE II with distinctions in all four components.
  • Oxford ELLT: total 7 with at least 6 in each component.
  • Oxford Test of English Advanced: total 145 with at least 135 in each component.
How old your English language tests can be
Tests no more than two years old

The following English language tests must be no more than two years old on the 1st of the month in which your programme starts, regardless of your nationality:

  • IELTS Academic
  • TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition)
  • Trinity ISE
  • Oxford ELLT
  • Oxford Test of English Advanced
Tests no more than three and a half years old

All other English language tests must be no more than three and a half years old on the 1st of the month in which your programme starts, regardless of your nationality.   

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English-speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration.

UKVI list of majority English speaking countries

We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English-speaking countries (non-MESC).

Approved universities in non-MESC

How old your degree can be

If you are not a national of a majority English-speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old on the 1st of the month in which your programme starts.

This time limit does not apply to your degree if you are a national of a majority English-speaking country.

Find out more about our English language requirements

Find out about other English language qualifications we accept, including professional qualifications.

English language requirements

What you will study

This programme focuses on global health through the lens of infectious diseases. By the end of the MSc in Global Health and Infectious Diseases, you will have gained a comprehensive understanding of how infectious diseases impact health systems, societies, and global development.

You will explore key topics, such as:

  • epidemiology
  • global health policy
  • climate change
  • emerging diseases
  • zoonoses
  • sustainable approaches to global health
  • maternal and child health
  • disease surveillance

Through compulsory and option modules, you will develop:

  • critical thinking
  • innovative approaches
  • data analysis
  • academic writing
  • project management skills

The final dissertation allows you to apply your learning to a real-world issue aligned with your interests, local context or career. This programme equips you to contribute meaningfully to international global health, research, and policy.

Year 1 (Postgraduate Certificate)

Year 1 of the programme aims to develop your knowledge of key issues in global health. During this year, you will build skills to critically evaluate research and develop your understanding of global health as it relates to infectious diseases. 

You will be introduced to a wide range of resources that provide evidence and context for the influence of infectious diseases on every facet of our daily lives. We will work with you to develop your communication skills, critical analysis skills and build confidence in academic writing and discourse.

You will take courses, such as:

  • Global Health: Fundamentals
  • Understanding Infectious Diseases
  • Applied Epidemiology and Public Health

Interaction between students, course organisers and tutors will build critical scientific analysis skills that provide a foundation for future work and study.

Year 2 (Postgraduate Diploma)

In Year 2, you can tailor your learning to specialise in your own areas of interest. We offer a range of 5-week option courses, providing you with the opportunity to specialise.

You will choose 60 credits from a range that may include:

  • An introduction to vaccinology
  • Climate change and infectious disease
  • Emerging infectious diseases
  • Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and spatial data analysis
  • Neglected tropical diseases
  • Newborn and child health
  • Project management of development aid
  • Reproductive and maternal health
  • Sexually transmitted infections
  • Technological advances in diagnostics
  • The nexus of food security and global health
  • Travel medicine and infectious diseases
  • Water and Sanitation
  • Zoonotic disease
  • Zoonotic diseases in a global setting

Option course availability is subject to annual academic review and demand.

Year 3 (Master of Science)

Year 3 gives you the opportunity to research original and creative responses to a challenge of your choosing in the form of a dissertation project. You will conduct a written reflective element of 10,000 to 15,000 words.

Many students choose projects that are directly linked to their current professional work, and may go on to publish their findings or utilise these in their own career development.

Compulsory courses

Year 1 of this programme is compulsory, and all elements must be completed to secure an exit award in Global Health and Infectious Diseases.

If you wish to study for a postgraduate certificate with more flexibility, please see the Global Health Studies postgraduate certificate.

PgCert Global Health Studies

Option courses

All courses offered in Year 2 are option courses. There is a wide range of option courses that enable you to develop subject-specific expertise.

For example, our option course in Project Management of Development Aid will enhance your leadership and management skills, while courses in Geographic Information System (GIS) and spatial data analysis will significantly enhance your ability to analyse and present data, skills that are vital in addressing the challenges of infectious diseases and global health.

Our portfolio also enables you to place an emphasis on specific subject pathways to tailor your learning in areas, such as:

  • sexual and reproductive health
  • the ecological consequence and impact on sustainability of infectious diseases
  • global challenges of infectious diseases in an environment of climatic variation

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.

Part-time intermittent study
Part-time

We link to the latest information available. This may be for a previous academic year and should be considered indicative.

Teaching and assessment

Teaching

You will learn through:

  • weekly materials
  • recommended reading
  • organised discussions with other learners, tutors, and course organisers
  • group assignments
  • independent study and reflection

You will have opportunities to connect regularly with your course organiser and programme team to address concerns and monitor progress.

The group assignments and online discussions with your peers will expose you to different perspectives and new ways of thinking about a problem or topic.

It has been challenging combining work and studying but the knowledge that I have gained for the last two years has been tremendous. It has been immense from the tutors in the form of class lectures, to self directed learning and interaction with course peers over online discussions.

Teniola Lawanson Global Health and Infectious Diseases (Online learning), graduated 2020

Assessment

Assessment is varied to enhance the development of different transferable skills, innovative approaches and methods of communication. All courses provide support and detailed information about the assessment process and assessment dates are clearly provided at the start of each course. 

Examples of assessment include:

  • recorded presentations
  • essays
  • group discussions
  • grant proposals
  • peer review

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of the Global Health and Infectious Diseases MSc, you will be able to:

  • Demonstrate extensive detailed critical knowledge in global health and infectious diseases informed by evidence based learning.
  • Apply knowledge, skills, understanding and research in a wide and often unpredictable variety of global health contexts.
  • Develop and evaluate original and creative solutions to problems and issues faced in response to the infectious disease challenges in global health.
  • Communicate, using appropriate methods, to a range of audiences with different levels of knowledge/expertise.
  • Work in peer relationships to critically reflect on relevant experiences and build on and address these within a scientific context.

Support for your studies

You will have access to a range of support services if you need them throughout your degree.

We will assign you to a student adviser, and this should be the first person to contact if you need help. They can guide you to other University service teams depending on what support you need.  

How we support you

Our academic staff

Teaching is delivered by a dedicated academic team with a focus on interdisciplinary working and innovative thinking about complex global health problems. You will be supported and encouraged in your own individual growth and intellectual academic development.

Meet our programme team

How online learning works

Studying online allows flexibility in where and when you choose to study and means you can work at your own pace.

Online programmes are delivered through the University's Virtual Learning Environment, LEARN. Our award-winning, online learning technology is fully interactive, and enables you to communicate with our highly qualified teaching staff from the comfort of your own home or workplace.

Our online students not only have access to the University of Edinburgh’s excellent resources, but also become part of a supportive online community, bringing together students and tutors from around the world.

Watch our video to see how online learning works.

Time commitment

This programme is designed to be flexible, although aligned with our academic calendar. Core information is provided in advance to help with time management, enabling you to balance your other commitments and priorities with those of your programeme of study.

You can study in your own time and access all your learning resources, such as reading lists, discussion forms and slides from anywhere in the world.  

If there are live online sessions, you can watch a recording later in the virtual learning environment at a time convenient to you.    

Typically, you will need to dedicate around 10 to 20 hours per week to your programme although managing this is up to you. This may also vary from course to course, and the time commitment may increase when assignments are due.  

See 'Find courses' in Programme details for more information about study time commitment

Equipment and software needs

To study this online programme, you will need access to:   

  • a computer or laptop  
  • the internet  
  • the latest version of a web browser  

As an online student, you will have access to a range of software you can download to help you complete your coursework, including Microsoft Office 365. 

IT support is available if you have technical difficulties.  

IT and computing help

Support for online students

Online community

Although the programme involves independent study, you will also have the opportunity to become part of a supportive online community, bringing together students and tutors from all over the world. One of the most important aspects of successful online study is the ongoing support and sharing of information achieved through interactive discussions and input from expert tutors.

Career opportunities

This programme has been designed to help you fulfil leadership roles in international and national organisations that manage health and disease issues. A number of students have also raised their academic profiles through the publication and dissemination of their final year research.

You will develop an extensive knowledge of global health and infectious diseases informed by scientific research, and learn to apply this knowledge in a wide and often unpredictable variety of global health contexts.

In addition to having more confidence in their role and boosting career prospects, many of our graduates find that these skills have significantly enhanced their ability to communicate and influence public policy and decision makers.

Further study

After completing this programme, you may wish to consider applying for a PhD or other research programme.

Applying for research degrees

Moving on to a PhD (advice from the University's Careers Service)

Graduate profiles

Each year, we recruit students from a wide range of professions from around the world, providing you with an insight into the challenges and solutions of health care systems in other countries. Our graduates find these insights invaluable in developing their understanding of global health, and identifying new ways to address common challenges.  

In these short films, students talk about the ways in which the programme complements their work as professionals in their respective fields, and the programme's global, interdisciplinary approach. 

John Amaka, a Global Health and Infectious Diseases alumnus who graduated in 2023, explains what he enjoyed about the Global Health and Infectious Diseases programme and studying online.

Careers Service

Our Careers Service can help you to fully develop your potential and achieve your future goals. 

The Careers Service supports you not only while you are studying at the University, but also for up to two years after you finish your studies. 

With the Careers Service, you can: 

  • access digital resources to help you understand your skills and strengths
  • try different types of experiences and reflect on how and what you develop
  • get help finding work, including part-time jobs, vacation work, internships and graduate jobs
  • attend careers events and practice interviews
  • get information and advice to help you make informed decisions 

Visit the Careers Service website 

How to apply

You apply online for this programme. After you read the application guidance, select your preferred programme, then choose 'Start your application' to begin.

If you are considering applying to more than one programme, you should be aware that we cannot consider more than 5 applications from the same applicant.

When to apply

Programme start date Application deadline
14 September 2026 21 August 2026

We encourage you to apply as soon as possible so that we have enough time to process your application. This is particularly important if you are also applying for funding. Applications may close earlier than published deadlines if there is exceptionally high demand.

For an application to be reviewed, it must be a complete application by the application deadline with all supporting documentation uploaded, including references and transcripts.

If you already have evidence that you meet the English language entry requirements, such as via an approved English language test, please upload this evidence at the time of your application. If you have not already met your English language requirements, please upload that evidence as soon as you have it.

Application fee

There is no fee to apply to this programme.

What you need to apply

As part of your online application, you will need to provide: 

You will also need to submit some or all of the following supporting documents:

When you start your application, you will be able to see the full list of documents you need to provide.

References

You must submit one reference with your application.

Apply

Select the award, duration and delivery mode you want to study. Then select the start date you want to apply for.

After you apply

Once you have applied for this programme, you will be able to track the progress of your application and accept or decline any offers.

Checking the status of your application

We will notify you by email once we have made a decision. Due to the large number of applications we receive, it might take a while until you hear from us.

Receiving our decision

What to do if you receive an offer:

What our students say

I was surprised at the level of community I felt during the first two years of studying – it was much more than I expected for an online course. The emphasis on discussion board engagement and the group work projects really helped with this. Studying online allowed me the opportunity to undertake the course in a manner which worked around work and family commitments.

Sophie Moseley Global Health and Infectious Diseases (Online Learning), graduated 2025

General enquiries

Postgraduate Admissions Office

College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine

CMVM College Office

Usher Institute, Usher Building, The University of Edinburgh

5-7 Little France Road, Edinburgh BioQuarter – Gate 3

Edinburgh

EH16 4UX

futurestudents@ed.ac.uk
Phone:+44 (0)131 651 7998

Academic contact

Dr Kim Picozzi

Programme Joint Director

  • Edinburgh Medical School
  • College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine
  • University of Edinburgh

Contact details

Address

Central Campus
Old Medical School
Teviot Place
Doorway 3
Edinburgh
EH8 9AG

Dr Jenna Fyfe

Programme Joint Director

  • Edinburgh Medical School
  • College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine
  • University of Edinburgh

Contact details

Address

Central Campus
Old Medical School
Teviot Place
Doorway 3
Edinburgh
EH8 9AG

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