Master of Global Health (Ghent et al) KU Leuven

Practical information

The Advanced Master of Global Health is jointly organized by the five Flemish Universities in Belgium: Ghent University, Antwerp University, University of Leuven, University of Brussels, and Hasselt University. Classes will be taught in Ghent, Antwerp, and Leuven. All places are easily accessible by public transport and students will be given access to student facilities on the three campuses.

Please consult our website for recent information on this program.

Structure of the Advanced Master of Global Health

Central courses

In the first year, the program is organized around two key themes.

• Semester I goes ‘Global’, providing students with the knowledge and insights into global health challenges and their determinants, as well as the global health policy and normative frameworks (Courses: 'Global Health Challenges' and 'Global Health Governance and Leadership).
• Semester II investigates the ‘Local’, teaching students about the instruments that governments can use to formulate a local answer to global health challenges (Courses: 'Health Care Systems' and 'Health Promotion and Disease Prevention). Several transversal courses run throughout the first three semesters. In these courses, students are instructed in 'Essential Skills in Global Health' (including complexity theory, systems thinking, and evidence synthesis), and 'Research Methods in Global Health' (including key methodological insights relevant to global health).

Elective courses

Semester III and IV are the ‘focal’ semesters, in which students will specialize in specific Global Health Challenges – either focusing on ‘Global Health Policies and Programmes’ or on ‘Research Methods in Global Health’ by selecting a number of electives courses offered by the five partner institutions.

Internship

In the second year, students will do an internship of 10 weeks. The aim of the internship is to put Global Health thinking into practice, to acquire skills and practical knowledge, and to get a better view of the Global Health domain, including the various actors, specializations, and career opportunities that this encompasses.

Master’s thesis

The master’s thesis is a paper/dissertation in which the student independently develops a research project. The student carries out a scientific study in an independent and creative way with regard to a topic concerning Global Health. The master thesis can be seen as the endpoint of the program, in which the acquired knowledge, academic, and domain-specific skills, and competencies are used to independently develop a research project and to bring it to a successful conclusion.