MSc Health, Community and Development

About the MSc programme

Teaching is research led and among the current wide range of interests are cultural psychology, discourse and communication, health, collective action, community development, social inequalities, social change, social representations, the media, organisational psychology, resistance to change, risk communication, racism and multiculturalism, sexuality, gender and social identities.

We will consider applicants with a good first degree in any discipline and a considered interest in the area covered by the programme. Relevant professional experience would also be desirable, though not essential.

This programme explores the role of community participation and small scale collective action in public health and health promotion. It pays particular attention to the psycho-social processes underlying the impact of collective action on health and well-being, and explores the mechanisms whereby community development approaches have the potential to lead not only to improved health, but also to transformatory social action.

The programme involves completing four course units, which include a dissertation of 10,000 words. 

Compulsory courses

(* half unit)

• Health, Community and Development
• Fundamental Research Methods for Social Psychology* or another approved methodology course* 
• Dissertation 

Options

Choose options to the value of one and a half units from:

• The Anthropology of Development*
• Complex Emergencies*
• Emerging Health Threats and Development* 
• Managing Humanitarianism*
• Globalising Sexualities*
• Gender and Development: Geographical Perspectives* 
• Cities, People and Poverty in the South*
• Social Representations*
• Social Psychology of Health Communication*
• Representations, Institutions and Communities*
• Societal Psychology*
• Inter-cultural Relations and Racism*
• Psychoanalysis and Communication*
• Reproductive Health Programmes: Design, Implementation and Evaluation*
• Basic Education for Social Development*
• Globalisation and Social Policy*
• Health and Population in Developing and Transitional Societies*
• Health Systems and Policies in Developing Countries*
• Doing Qualitative Fieldwork*
• Global Civil Society*
• Environmental Problems and Development Interventions*

Not all these courses may be available in any one year. 

In addition to these recommended courses, there may be cases where students wish to do other half unit options offered in the School subject to availability, including additional research methods. Attendance on other courses would have to be approved by the programme director.