Why study global health?

Our 1.5 year Master of Global Health is a diverse and multidisciplinary program that includes both the core competencies of public health and opportunities for specialisation to become a global health practitioner.

You will gain foundational skills in epidemiology, biostatistics, and qualitative research methods, as well as study a wide range of topic areas including maternal and child health, nutrition and food systems, climate change and planetary health, humanitarian emergency response and refugee health, health policy, and communicable and non-communicable diseases.

You will also learn about health systems and how to develop evidence-based policy.

You will learn from an outstanding group of academics who are experts in their fields of research as well as talented and dedicated educators. Our staff consistently receive the highest teaching satisfaction scores from students, while continuing to conduct research of the highest standard. They have extensive international experience working in countries such as Bangladesh, China, Indonesia, Myanmar, Philippines, Australia, Fiji, Vietnam, Laos, Timor Leste, Zimbabwe, Namibia, South Africa and Uganda.

The Master of Global Health program at the University of Sydney is unique in Australia. We foster strong relationships among our staff and students through our student engagement program which uniquely partners each student with an academic advisor. The program has been specifically developed to provide opportunities to connect you with our academic staff, form bonds with your fellow students and connect you with the global health community in a way not seen before in Australia. You will also have the opportunity to undertake a diverse range of in-the-field placements and apply knowledge learnt in class to real world projects with location-based organisations.

The global health program is taught at the Sydney School of Public Health, Australia’s first school of public health founded in 1930. The Sydney School of Public Health is ranked 18th in the world for public health (ShanghaiRankings Global Rankings of Academic Subjects 2023).

The Master of Global Health at the University of Sydney will provide you with the skills you need to contribute to improving health equity around the world. You don’t have to come from a health or medical background to study – in fact, our students come from a range of different fields, from all over the world, allowing you to share experiences and learn from your peers as well as your teachers. 

The global health program provides students with advanced postgraduate training that allows you to work in a range of national and international settings, including government ministries, non-government organisations, aid agencies, academic institutions or research centres doing a wide range of work such as research, program delivery or evaluation and policy development. Our graduates have gone on to work with organisations such as the World Health Organization (WHO), Médecins Sans Frontières, International SOS, and Oxfam, as well as bilateral aid agencies and national and international ministries of health, or create their own health start-up.

Our global health program is designed to accommodate busy professionals. The program is offered with a range of flexible study options available, including part and full-time study and on-campus or completely online study modes. We have been teaching our students online for years before it became a necessity. With our flexible study options, you can tailor your study load to suit your lifestyle and work commitments.

Email the Education Support Team at ssph.education-support@sydney.edu.au.