Applied Infectious Disease Epidemiology MSc

UCL (University College London)

Infectious disease epidemiology is the study of how infections spread, how they cause ill-health in populations and how they can be controlled. Epidemiologists help track, analyse and combat infectious diseases, preventing outbreaks and improving healthcare strategies. Through this work, they save millions of lives. This one-year Master’s degree draws upon the expertise of UCL's world-leading researchers in both infectious diseases, and in epidemiological methods for the prevention and control of infectious diseases. Epidemiology – the study of patterns and causes of diseases in human populations – is the underpinning science for clinical and public health research. Infectious disease epidemiologists integrate understanding across biology, society, and the environment to help control infections, addressing important global health challenges. This MSc aims to train the future leaders in infectious disease epidemiology to make meaningful contributions to public health. You will learn how to design and conduct epidemiological investigations, and how to analyse and critically interpret data to identify patterns and associations through studying the effects of antimicrobial resistance, climate change, changes in the vectors that transmit infections, population movement, and access to and uptake of interventions such as vaccines. You will learn how to apply this learning to mitigate the global health impact of infections. This MSc will equip you with core skills and understanding of epidemiology, statistics, and data science, alongside learning about host and pathogen biology and broader social, economic, and cultural influences on infectious diseases. You will tailor your MSc course to your own needs and interests, choosing optional modules such as climate change, disease modelling, global eradication of viruses, health economics, digital health, and evaluation of public health interventions, among others. This course is suitable for applicants from a wide variety of undergraduate degree backgrounds, including biology, maths and statistics, medicine, social sciences and related disciplines. We welcome students from many professional backgrounds, including researchers, healthcare professionals, vets, public health and development practitioners. Students come from all over the world, as well as the UK. This diversity increases opportunities to learn from other students' experiences and perspectives.

Population Health Sciences