Postgraduate study
Edinburgh: Extraordinary futures await.

Global Health PhD, MScR

Awards: PhD, MScR

Study modes: Full-time, Part-time

Funding opportunities

Programme website: Global Health

Undertaking a PhD or MScR in Global Health at the Usher Institute offers you the opportunity to work in a multi- and interdisciplinary way, building on your knowledge, skills, interest and passion to carry out innovative global health research that makes a new contribution to the existing knowledge base.

Research priorities

Research priorities include such global health issues as:

  • mapping and measuring the shifting burden of global disease
  • neglected and emerging tropical diseases
  • infectious diseases
  • noncommunicable diseases
  • global palliative care
  • population health
  • social inequalities in health
  • sexual and reproductive health
  • e-health and tele-medicine
  • migration and minority ethnic health
  • culture
  • faith and health
  • translation of leading scientific advances into effective interventions

Before applying

Before submitting an online application, prospective students should contact an academic members of staff who may act as first supervisors in order to align their research proposal with one of the Institute's main areas of research.

A list of contacts for PhD and MScR supervisors can be found at:

The programme is also affiliated to the University's Global Health Academy.

Students will be integrated within the existing student-led approach at the Usher Institute, where structures are already in place to ensure a high-quality student experience.

The Centre for Global Health Research, which forms part of the Usher Institute, has a thriving PhD community with well-developed management and administrative structures.

University Quality Assurance monitoring and reporting processes will be adhered to. All supervisors will satisfy University requirements in terms of training and mentoring.

Expectations of students, including assessment guidelines, will be clearly communicated by multiple channels (e.g. at interview, during induction, in the Postgraduate Research Student and Supervisor Handbook, by supervisors, at annual review meetings and on relevant web pages). All students will have at least two supervisors who will also give pastoral care and career advice in addition to student services provision.

Students will attend appropriate training, including transferable skills, at appropriate courses (e.g. from the Institute of Academic Development) identified in consultation with the supervisors.

The Usher Institute of Population Health Sciences & Informatics, where Global Health PhD students are based, brings together researchers active in population health science research, including public health and primary care.

Within the school the Usher academic staff play a large role in research project supervision.

There are also links with the Institute of Genetics and Cancer and the Queen's Medical Research Institute.

These entry requirements are for the 2024/25 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2025/26 academic year will be published on 1 Oct 2024.

A UK 2:1 honours degree and a UK masters degree, or their international equivalents. We will also consider a UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent, and significant work experience in an area relevant to your research project.

International qualifications

Check whether your international qualifications meet our general entry requirements:

English language requirements

Regardless of your nationality or country of residence, you must demonstrate a level of English language competency at a level that will enable you to succeed in your studies.

English language tests

We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified:

  • IELTS Academic: total 6.5 with at least 6.0 in each component. We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
  • TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 92 with at least 20 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
  • C1 Advanced (CAE) / C2 Proficiency (CPE): total 176 with at least 169 in each component.
  • Trinity ISE: ISE II with distinctions in all four components.
  • PTE Academic: total 62 with at least 59 in each component.

Your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start date of the programme you are applying to study, unless you are using IELTS, TOEFL, Trinity ISE or PTE, in which case it must be no more than two years old.

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We also accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration:

We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English speaking countries (non-MESC).

If you are not a national of a majority English speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old* at the beginning of your programme of study. (*Revised 05 March 2024 to extend degree validity to five years.)

Find out more about our language requirements:

Tuition fees

AwardTitleDurationStudy mode
PhDGlobal Health3 YearsFull-timeTuition fees
PhDGlobal Health6 YearsPart-timeTuition fees
MScRGlobal Health1 YearFull-timeTuition fees
MScRGlobal Health2 YearsPart-timeTuition fees

Featured funding

UK government postgraduate loans

If you live in the UK, you may be able to apply for a postgraduate loan from one of the UK’s governments.

The type and amount of financial support you are eligible for will depend on:

  • your programme
  • the duration of your studies
  • your tuition fee status

Programmes studied on a part-time intermittent basis are not eligible.

Other funding opportunities

Search for scholarships and funding opportunities:

  • Usher Institute
  • Teviot Place
  • Central Campus
  • Edinburgh
  • EH8 9AG

We encourage you to apply at least one month prior to entry so that we have enough time to process your application. If you are also applying for funding or will require a visa then we strongly recommend you apply as early as possible.

You must submit two references with your application.

Before making your application, it is advisable to make contact with a potential supervisor to discuss your research proposal.

Further information on making a research degree application can be found on the College website:

You will be formally interviewed (in person, by video-conferencing or Skype).

Find out more about the general application process for postgraduate programmes:

Further information

  • Usher Institute
  • Teviot Place
  • Central Campus
  • Edinburgh
  • EH8 9AG