"False"
Skip to content
printicon
Main menu hidden.

Master's Programme in Public Health

  • Number of credits 120 credits
  • Study time 2 years (full time)
  • Level Master’s Degree
  • Starting Autumn Term 2025

In today's globalised world we are increasingly facing new public health challenges and there is a need for qualified expertise in this contemporary field. This programme has attracted students from more than 70 countries. We have an exciting study environment where people with different educational and cultural background meet. Our teachers are from all over the world and we have a shared vision of equitable health for all, and a shared mission of transformative education.

Dive into the vibrant field of Public Health

Are you passionate about promoting health, understanding social factors and shaping effective healthcare systems globally? Meet our students Isa Maria dos Santos Resende and Yonas Taye, and our teachers, Kristina Lindvall and Masoud Vaezghasemi.

While studying

Multidisciplinary

By nature, Public Health is multidisciplinary, drawing on social sciences and medicine, using quantitative and qualitative methods to identify and assess specific health risks before designing and implementing effective population-based strategies.

Are you interested in:

  • How to promote health?
  • Global Health?
  • The connection between social conditions and health?
  • How to organize health systems that allocate resources effectively while at the same time promote equity?
  • Advanced methods for understanding and advancing public health in different contexts?
  • Courses regarding equity, sustainability and other topics related to Agenda 2030?

Then this programme is for you.

Scholarships

There are a number of scholarships available for non-European students. See link at the bottom of this page.

Description of the programme

This programme comprises of 120 credits (two years) and the first year includes courses on global health conditions, health systems analysis, health economy, the relations between social conditions and health and on the methods that you need to carry out public health work.

The second year builds on the first-year studies with a number of courses on advanced qualitative and quantitative research methods and courses regarding equity, social epidemiology, sustainability, and evaluation in public health. There is an opportunity to graduate after one year, i.e., after 60 credits.

The programme provides public health practitioners and researchers with the skills required to understand, improve, and promote public health in the population. This is an international programme with students coming from many countries and all teaching is in English.

Active, collaborative, and reflective learning

Our Pedagogical Vision of the Educational Environment is based on core principles and didactic strategies including active, collaborative, and reflective learning. Studying on the programme means an active search for knowledge, problem solving, and critical analyses based on a scientific approach.

The working methods vary between individual study work, group work, seminars, lectures and practical sessions. Students have expressed great satisfaction with the cooperation between students from different educational and cultural background.

Pedagogical vision of the educational environment

Master’s thesis

The master’s thesis work is an important part of the studies in this programme and gives you a possibility to apply the knowledge that you have gained to develop a deeper understanding and specialization within a chosen area. Our teachers are also researchers which means that you will have a supervisor who has experience in public health research. The thesis work comprises 30 credits within the programme’s main field of study and takes the form of two separate theses that are examined during semester 2 and semester 4 respectively.

Read more about the thesis work first year

Read more about the thesis work second year

Programme overview

First year
Global public health, Biostatistics, Epidemiology, Qualitative methodology in public health, Health systems: organization and financing, Health economic evaluation methods, Theory and management in health promotion, Master thesis, first year.

Second year
Evidence based public health, Equity and health, Qualitative data analysis, Advanced biostatistics and epidemiology, Health, environment and sustainability, Leading change and development in welfare organizations, Evaluation in public health, Master thesis, second year.

Second year Eligible courses

Advanced topics in health economics evaluation methods, Social epidemiology – theory and methods.

Career opportunities

This programme gives knowledge that can be used in NGO’s, public organisations, and private companies. Many graduates will work in the public sector in local and state institutions, from e.g., hospitals to the Ministry of Health. They may work with public health policies, health advocacy, legislation, management, evaluation of interventions or to analyse the effect of decisions on different levels.  

Graduates can find jobs in non-profit organizations such as Red Cross, Save the Children, Medecins Sans Frontièrs or Clinton Health Access initiative. Other graduates will go to the private sector working e.g., for pharmaceutical companies or for health insurance companies. Others will work for the health minister or at WHO.

A future university career in research is another path since the programme is designed for those already working as, or planning to become, public health practitioners. Further studies can lead to a PhD degree.

Read more about our research

How to apply to the programme and document your work experience

Information regarding how to apply

See also link at the bottom of this page regarding application. Priority is given to students with at least two years of work experience within a field relevant to Public Health.

Use this form to document your work experience

Other Master’s programmes in Public Health

We offer a one-year programme (60 credits) which consists of the first-year courses in this programme. We also offer a two-year programme with a specialization in Health economics.

Read more about the Master's Programme in Public Health (one-year)

Read more about the Master's Programme in Public Health with a specialization in Health economic

 

Degree

Degree of Master of Science (120 Credits) Main Field of Study: Public Health

Application and eligibility

Master's Programme in Public Health, 120 credits

Visa tillfällen för föregående termin Autumn Term 2025 Det finns inga senare terminer för kursen

Second admission round for EU/EEA citizens

Programme starts

Autumn Term 2025

Type of studies

100%, Daytime

Study location

Umeå

Language

English

Eligibility

A Bachelor's degree (equivalent to a Swedish Kandidatexamen) or an equivalent higher education of a minimum 180 higher education credits (ECTS), from an internationally recognised University, in Public Health, Healthcare, Health education, Pharmacy or a relevant field in Social or Behavioural Science. Proficiency in English equivalent to Swedish upper secondary course English B/6. Entry requirements

Selection

Priority is given to students with at least two years of work experience within a field relevant to Public Health. Following this, applicants are ranked according to the number of academic credits completed by the last application date (in the range of 30-285 credits equivalent to ECTS)

Application code

UMU-P3000

Application

The online application opens 17 March 2025 at 09:00 CET. Application deadline is 15 April 2025. How to apply

Application and tuition fees

As a citizen of a country outside the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland, you are required to pay application and tuition fees for studies at Umeå University.

Application fee

SEK 900

Tuition fee, first instalment

SEK 80,050

Total fee

SEK 320,200

International admission round

Programme starts

Autumn Term 2025

Type of studies

100%, Daytime

Study location

Umeå

Language

English

Eligibility

A Bachelor's degree (equivalent to a Swedish Kandidatexamen) or an equivalent higher education of a minimum 180 higher education credits (ECTS), from an internationally recognised University, in Public Health, Healthcare, Health education, Pharmacy or a relevant field in Social or Behavioural Science. Proficiency in English equivalent to Swedish upper secondary course English B/6. Entry requirements

Selection

Priority is given to students with at least two years of work experience within a field relevant to Public Health. Following this, applicants are ranked according to the number of academic credits completed by the last application date (in the range of 30-285 credits equivalent to ECTS)

Application code

UMU-M3000

Application

Online applications are now open. You will be transferred to Universityadmissions.se. Application deadline is 15 January 2025. How to apply

Application and tuition fees

As a citizen of a country outside the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland, you are required to pay application and tuition fees for studies at Umeå University.

Application fee

SEK 900

Tuition fee, first instalment

SEK 80,050

Total fee

SEK 320,200

Contact us

Please be aware that the University is a public authority and that what you write here can be included in an official document. Therefore, be careful if you are writing about sensitive or personal matters in this contact form. If you have such an enquiry, please call us instead. All data will be treated in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation.

Programme is given by
Epidemiology and Global Health
Contactperson for the programme is:
Eva Selin