The University of Edinburgh – College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine
Global Health Studies (Online Learning) PgCert (ICL), PgProfDev
Online
Postgraduate Certificate
DURATION
3 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
21 Aug 2026
EARLIEST START DATE
14 Sep 2026
TUITION FEES
STUDY FORMAT
Distance Learning
* tuition fees are invoiced at the course level at the point of enrolment; there is no fixed annual payment
Key Summary
About: The Global Health Studies program, offered by Imperial College London (ICL), provides an opportunity to explore health issues on a global scale through online learning.
This Postgraduate Certificate (PgCert) and Postgraduate Professional Development (PgProfDev) focus on critical global health challenges, enabling you to analyze, evaluate, and contribute to health solutions.
Career Outcomes: Graduates may pursue careers in global health policy, research, non-profit organizations, and international health agencies.
The skills and knowledge gained can lead to roles in public health, healthcare management, and health advocacy, enhancing your impact on health outcomes worldwide.
Are you passionate about health, equity and sustainability on a global scale? The Global Health Studies programme at the University of Edinburgh offers a flexible and fully online route for you to explore the most pressing issues affecting human, animal, and environmental health worldwide.
This part-time Postgraduate Certificate is designed for professionals and graduates from diverse backgrounds, including:
- healthcare
- veterinary science
- environmental science
- public health
- international development
Whether you want to deepen your understanding, shift career direction, or build towards a masters-level qualification, this programme provides a student-centred, interdisciplinary learning experience.
You will have the freedom to tailor your studies by choosing from a wide selection of specialist courses linked to global health. Topics may include:
- global disease landscapes
- animal health
- biodiversity
- ecology and conservation
- water and sanitation
- climate change
The flexible structure allows you to complete the certificate in 12 to 36 months, and there is no requirement to study modules in a set order, making it ideal if you are balancing work and study.
Our Global Health Studies programme is rooted in real-world relevance and delivered by experienced academics engaged in cutting-edge research. You will join a diverse international community of learners and participate in online discussions that encourage collaborative learning and global perspectives. Whether you are looking to build your expertise in global health governance, One Health, or sustainable development, you will find modules that align with your personal and professional goals.
Postgraduate Certificate
A postgraduate certificate is a recognised academic qualification. You must take 60 credits of courses from a wide list of options.
There are no compulsory aspects to complete, and the 60 credits may be combined from any of the offered courses.
You will complete the programme through an intermittent study pattern, meaning you have between 12 and 36 months to complete your certificate qualification.
Postgraduate Professional Development
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 Postgraduate Certificate.
You may take a maximum of 50 credits worth of courses over two years through our PPD scheme; these are invoiced per course. These lead to a University of Edinburgh postgraduate award of academic credit.
Alternatively, after one year, you can choose to transfer your credits and continue on to studying towards a higher award on a related Masters, Postgraduate Diploma, or Postgraduate Certificate programme.
PPD courses have various start dates throughout the year.
If you do opt to transfer credits to another programme, 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.
Programme benefits
- Flexible online structure with tailored course selection.
- Interdisciplinary approach with real-world relevance.
- Option to study through PPD.
- Delivered by a globally recognised university with expertise in online education.
By the end of the programme, you will be able to:
- Understand global health challenges: demonstrate critical awareness of the social, environmental and economic factors that shape global health and inequalities.
- Apply interdisciplinary knowledge: integrate perspectives from public health, veterinary science and environmental studies, to analyse complex health issues.
- Communicate effectively: present complex ideas and arguments clearly to diverse audiences, including academic peers, professionals, policymakers and the public.
- Develop skills for further study or practice: build independent learning, research and critical thinking skills that support career development or progression to further postgraduate study.
Graduates go on to enhance their careers in:
- international health organisations
- government agencies
- non-governmental organisations (NGOs)
- global research institutions
With a qualification from a world-leading university and proven expertise in online education, you will be well-equipped to make an impact in the evolving global health landscape.
Further study
After completing this programme, you may wish to consider applying for a PhD or other research programme.
On the Global Health Studies (Online Learning) programme, you will explore a wide range of topics that influence health worldwide. You will examine the complex links between human, animal and environmental health, with options to study global disease challenges, such as:
- public health policy
- biodiversity
- food security
- sanitation
- climate change
The programme is modular, offering a flexible student-centred approach to the choice of courses studied. You may select your courses from a wide list of both 10 and 20 credit options based on your interests and career goals. You will engage with real-world case studies and join a diverse international learning community, gaining interdisciplinary skills to address global health issues in practice.
Option courses
You will choose 60 credits from a wide range of option courses 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.
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
Study options
There are two exit points for the Global Health Studies programme:
- Postgraduate Certificate qualification
- Postgraduate Professional Development (PPD)
How online learning works
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.
Time commitment
This programme is designed to be fully flexible to fit around your schedule. 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.