
Health Policy
Gain a detailed understanding of health policy guided by international academics and practitioners.
Health Policy
Gain a detailed understanding of health policy guided by international academics and practitioners.
Health Policy
Gain a detailed understanding of health policy guided by international academics and practitioners.
Gain a detailed understanding of health policy guided by international academics and practitioners
Develop your expertise in using quantitative and qualitative research techniques
Benefit from a blended learning approach that allows you to fit your learning around your professional commitments
Course key facts
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Qualification
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MSc
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Duration
25 months
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Start date
September 2024
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Study mode
Part-time
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Fees
TBC Home
TBC Overseas
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Delivered by
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Location
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St Mary's
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Qualification
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PG Cert
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Duration
10-11 months
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Start date
September 2024
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Study mode
Part-time
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Fees
TBC Home
TBC Overseas
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Delivered by
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Location
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St Mary's
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Qualification
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PG Dip
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Duration
22-23 months
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Start date
September 2024
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Study mode
Part-time
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Fees
TBC Home
TBC Overseas
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Delivered by
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Location
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St Mary's
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Course overview
Build your appreciation of key aspects of health policy on this Master's course.
Guided by leading international academics and practitioners, this course will provide you with a detailed theoretical and practical understanding of health policy. You'll study a broad range of topics across two streams, 'Leading Innovative Change' and 'Policy Theory, Economics and Public Health'.
You'll become familiar with the quantitative and qualitative research techniques used to carry out original studies, and develop the ability to critique existing and emerging health policy.
Teaching is delivered through a blended model of independent, online, and face-to-face learning, with an extensive research project forming the major element of your studies.
This will provide you with an opportunity to demonstrate a deep conceptual understanding of a health policy area of interest.
The course also places health policy in a global context. This enables you to consider challenges affecting different regions and countries and provides opportunities to network with international peers.
Build your appreciation of key aspects of health policy on this course, which leads to a Postgraduate Certificate.
Guided by leading international academics and practitioners, this course will provide you with a detailed theoretical and practical understanding of health policy. You'll choose to study on one of two specialist streams, 'Leading Innovative Change' or 'Policy Theory, Economics and Public Health'.
You'll become familiar with the quantitative and qualitative research techniques used to carry out original studies, and develop the ability to critique existing and emerging health policy.
Teaching is delivered through a blended model of online and face-to-face learning, coupled with personal study.
The course also places health policy in a global context. This enables you to consider challenges affecting different regions and countries and provides opportunities to network with international peers.
Build your appreciation of key aspects of health policy on this course, which leads to a Postgraduate Diploma.
Guided by leading international academics and practitioners, this course will provide you with a detailed theoretical and practical understanding of health policy. You'll study a broad range of topics across two streams, 'Leading Innovative Change' and 'Policy Theory, Economics and Public Health'.
You'll become familiar with the quantitative and qualitative research techniques used to carry out original studies, and develop the ability to critique existing and emerging health policy.
Teaching is delivered through a blended model of online and face-to-face learning, coupled with personal study.
The course also places health policy in a global context. This enables you to consider challenges affecting different regions and countries and provides opportunities to network with international peers.
Structure
This page is updated regularly to reflect the latest version of the curriculum. However, this information is subject to change.
Find out more about potential course changes.
You’ll study the following core modules across two specialist streams, ‘Policy Theory, Economics and Public Health’ and ‘Leading Innovative Change’.
Policy Theory, Economics & Public Health
This module helps you to understand the building blocks of the health system, such as financing systems, human resources, information policy, service delivery, and leadership and governance. It shows how an understanding of these domains, and their interrelatedness, should inform the design of effective policies, and ensure that resources are used wisely.
This module provides you with an overview of health economics principles, exploring microeconomics and how they apply to health policy. Within this module, you will undertake economic evaluations of health care programmes and policies, employing structured approaches, drawing on contemporary theory and current best practice.
This module adopts an interdisciplinary approach to introduce the principles and methods used to finance healthcare in a global context. The emphasis will be on the application of financing and the policy challenges for population health using case-based and problem-based learning. The options for generating revenue, pooling risk, traditional and modern methods for paying healthcare providers will be introduced.
This module provides you with an understanding of public health and its principles and practice. You will have the opportunity to learn about and undertake critical appraisal of research evidence and will be expected to participate fully in didactic lectures through advance preparation, as well as through team-based learning and group work.
Leading Innovative Change
Consider the principles of innovation in healthcare, how innovation comes about, and the health policy implications of future innovation.
This module introduces you to the theoretical and practical aspects of health policy implementation. This module will give you the tools and insights required to understand and critique policy and implementation; identify the factors that help or hinder the effective development and delivery; and appreciate the complexity of translating policy to practice at global, national and local levels.
This module is designed to develop your insights into the kind of leadership required to tackle our most vexing challenges in health care. The aim of this module is to facilitate access to what is required to exercise effective leadership and to successfully deliver reforms in healthcare on an institutional, regional, national and international stage.
For the ‘Leading Innovative Change’ stream, you’ll also choose one additional optional module.
Optional modules
This module aims to introduce you to the basic concepts of measuring health system performance, the different aspects or domains of performance, and the power of comparison and international benchmarking. Finally, we introduce you to the key ways in which measurement can be deployed to improve performance.
The pandemic has brought to the fore the importance of effectively communicating health policy. This module focuses on helping its participants develop practical communication tools, alongside an in-depth understanding of the health communication landscape. It will consider important channels of communication such as campaigns, speeches, social media and mainstream media.
You’ll complete an individual research project exploring a research area of your choice.
This work is designed to help you advance best practice in your chosen area, and culminates in a dissertation relevant to health policy and practice.
You'll also defend and communicate the results and impact of your study.
You’ll study the following core modules.
Policy Theory, Economics & Public Health
Understand the building blocks of the health system, including financing systems, leadership and governance, and analyse how effective policies should be designed.
Become familiar with the principles of macroeconomics and microeconomics and how they apply to health policy.
Explore financing as one of the crucial levers of a health system and appraise the impact of different financing policies.
Examine the role of epidemiological evidence in forming public health policies, and critique an evidence base for a policy area.
You’ll study the following core modules across two specialist streams, ‘Policy Theory, Economics and Public Health’ and ‘Leading Innovative Change’.
Policy Theory, Economics & Public Health
Understand the building blocks of the health system, including financing systems, leadership and governance, and analyse how effective policies should be designed.
Become familiar with the principles of macroeconomics and microeconomics and how they apply to health policy.
Explore financing as one of the crucial levers of a health system and appraise the impact of different financing policies.
Examine the role of epidemiological evidence in forming public health policies, and critique an evidence base for a policy area.
Leading Innovative Change
Consider the principles of innovation in healthcare, how innovation comes about, and the health policy implications of future innovation.
Understand the realities of putting health policy into practice in the setting of a tertiary hospital, and consider key issues of policy implementation.
Develop insights into the kind of leadership required to tackle our most vexing challenges in healthcare and explore how reforms in healthcare can be successfully delivered.
For the ‘Leading Innovative Change’ stream, you’ll also choose one additional optional module.
Optional modules
Explore different ways of measuring health system performance, and the key ways in which measurement can be deployed to improve performance.
Develop practical communication tools and appreciate the importance of clinical involvement in communicating health policy.
Teaching and assessment
Balance of teaching and learning
Key
- Online / blended learning
- Independent study
- 20% Online / blended learning
- 80% Independent study
Teaching and learning methods
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Group discussions
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Lectures
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Seminars
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Practical workshops
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Site visits
Assessment methods
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Individual essays and written exercises
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Group reports
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Presentations
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Independent project
Balance of teaching and learning
Key
- Online / blended learning
- Independent study
- 20% Online / blended learning
- 80% Independent study
Teaching and learning methods
-
Group discussions
-
Lectures
-
Seminars
-
Practical workshops
-
Site visits
Assessment methods
-
Individual essays and written exercises
-
Group reports
-
Presentations
Balance of teaching and learning
Key
- Online / blended learning
- Independent study
- 20% Online / blended learning
- 80% Independent study
Teaching and learning methods
-
Group discussions
-
Lectures
-
Seminars
-
Practical workshops
-
Site visits
Assessment methods
-
Individual essays and written exercises
-
Group reports
-
Presentations
Entry requirements
We consider all applicants on an individual basis, welcoming students from all over the world.
How to apply
Applications open on 2 October 2023
This course is divided into three progressional levels of study:
- PG Certificate (PG Cert)
- PG Diploma (PG Dip)
- MSc
Each level of study has its own separate entry point; you can apply to any level in the first instance.
Read more about Postgraduate Certificate, Diploma and MSc degrees
Find out more about how to apply for a Master's course, including references and personal statements.
An ATAS certificate is not required for students applying for this course.
Tuition fees
Home fee
MSc
TBC
As a guide, the fee for 2023-24 was £17,600
PG Dip
TBC
As a guide, the fee for 2023-24 was £14,080
PG Cert
TBC
As a guide, the fee for 2023-24 was £8,800
If you have already completed one of the qualifications and are moving on to the next level of study, e.g. you've already completed the PG Cert and want to study the PG Dip, you will only need to pay the top-up fee for the course you’re applying for.
You may apply to enter this programme at any level of study.
If you enter the MSc, without having studied the PG Cert or PG Dip, then you will pay the full fee listed for the MSc.
If you enter at the PG Cert or PG Dip level and return in future academic years to complete a higher award, you will pay the top-up fee advertised in the year of your return, instead of the full fee for your chosen course.
If you continue uninterrupted from one award to the next, you will pay the relevant top-up fee, plus any annual inflationary increases applied to the entry fee. This applies to applicants who originally entered for a PG Dip or MSc. This does not apply to those who have completed a PG Cert or PG Dip and are re-entering for a higher award.
You should expect and budget for your fees to increase each year.
Your fee is based on the year you enter the College, not your year of study. This means that if you repeat a year or resume your studies after an interruption, your fees will only increase by the amount linked to inflation.
Find out more about our tuition fees payment terms, including how inflationary increases are applied to your tuition fees in subsequent years of study.
Whether you pay the Home or Overseas fee depends on your fee status. This is assessed based on UK Government legislation and includes things like where you live and your nationality or residency status. Find out how we assess your fee status.
If you're a UK national, or EU national with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, you may be able to apply for a Postgraduate Master’s Loan from the UK government, if you meet certain criteria.
For 2023-24 entry, the maximum amount is £12,167. The loan is not means-tested and you can choose whether to put it towards your tuition fees or living costs.
Overseas fee
MSc
TBC
As a guide, the fee for 2023-24 was £37,800
PG Dip
TBC
As a guide, the fee for 2023-24 was £30,240
PG Cert
TBC
As a guide, the fee for 2023-24 was £18,900
If you have already completed one of the qualifications and are moving on to the next level of study, e.g. you've already completed the PG Cert and want to study the PG Dip, you will only need to pay the top-up fee for the course you’re applying for.
You may apply to enter this programme at any level of study.
If you enter the MSc, without having studied the PG Cert or PG Dip, then you will pay the full fee listed for the MSc.
If you enter at the PG Cert or PG Dip level and return in future academic years to complete a higher award, you will pay the top-up fee advertised in the year of your return, instead of the full fee for your chosen course.
If you continue uninterrupted from one award to the next, you will pay the relevant top-up fee, plus any annual inflationary increases applied to the entry fee. This applies to applicants who originally entered for a PG Dip or MSc. This does not apply to those who have completed a PG Cert or PG Dip and are re-entering for a higher award.
You should expect and budget for your fees to increase each year.
Your fee is based on the year you enter the College, not your year of study. This means that if you repeat a year or resume your studies after an interruption, your fees will only increase by the amount linked to inflation.
Find out more about our tuition fees payment terms, including how inflationary increases are applied to your tuition fees in subsequent years of study.
Whether you pay the Home or Overseas fee depends on your fee status. This is assessed based on UK Government legislation and includes things like where you live and your nationality or residency status. Find out how we assess your fee status.
If you're a UK national, or EU national with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, you may be able to apply for a Postgraduate Master’s Loan from the UK government, if you meet certain criteria.
For 2023-24 entry, the maximum amount is £12,167. The loan is not means-tested and you can choose whether to put it towards your tuition fees or living costs.
Your future career
Become skilled at analysing studies critically, designing research, and applying evidence in practice.
With specialised knowledge, you'll be highly sought after in a range of sectors.
Advance your managerial career in the NHS, industry and private sector in the UK and the rest of the world.
Further links
Contact the department
Programme Chair: Professor the Lord Ara Darzi
Programme Directors: Mr Colin Bicknell and Mr Erik Mayer
Visit the Department of Surgery and Cancer website.

Register your interest
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Terms and conditions
There are some important pieces of information you should be aware of when applying to Imperial. These include key information about your tuition fees, funding, visas, accommodation and more.
You can find further information about your course, including degree classifications, regulations, progression and awards in the programme specification for your course.
Programme specifications