Global Health Postgraduate Certificate (PGCert)

Postgraduate Certificate

The Humanitarian and Conflict Response Institute (HCRI) at The University of Manchester, UK, is proud to offer an affordable professional online programme in Global Health, in partnership with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

Accredited by the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP), our course has been developed for people working in the humanitarian sector or those wishing to enter this field.

75% of our students studying the online programmes in Global Health are from outside the UK, and we honour our partnership with the IFRC by ensuring course fees are the same for UK and international students.

Delivered as a part time, online course (distance learning).

About the course

The programme covers issues related to the worldwide improvement of health, the reduction of disparities, and protection against global threats that disregard national borders and is unique in bringing together the study of emergency medicine, disaster management, community health, anthropology and sociology in an online format. As such it offers both a practical means of study and an inclusive approach which mirrors the reality of health interventions within a humanitarian context.

IFRC have cooperated closely so that HCRI could incorporate their rich source of practical insights into the course content thus providing students with real life case studies from one of the world’s largest social movement.

HCRI at The University of Manchester is widely recognised as being a leading international research institute focusing on the study of humanitarianism and conflict response. Directed by Dr Rony Brauman, former President of MSF France and currently Director of HCRI, Associate Professor at L'Institut d'Études Politiques, Paris, and Director of Research at the MSF Foundation, Paris. our Institute is inspired by the need to conduct rigorous research and to support postgraduate training on the impact and outcomes of contemporary and historical crises. We embrace this opportunity to develop a scholarly and professional agenda for humanitarians around the world.

Students will have access to leading multi-disciplinary academics and practitioners including Dr Brauman and Professor Tony Redmond OBE (Deputy Director of HCRI) who has led medical teams to sudden onset disasters, complex emergencies, and conflicts for over twenty five years.

Tony is also Director of the UK International Emergency Trauma Register which aims to improve training and accountability of those who respond to large scale emergencies overseas.

Intended learning outcomes of the programme

On completion of the course students should be able to show a critical understanding of:

• Key issues and debates related to the practices of global health programming. Students will show familiarity with different theoretical approaches, practical problems and an appreciation of the diversity of policies at international and national levels.
• The range of social science topics which influence global health (including political, historical, anthropological understandings). Students will become familiar with the methodological and normative underpinnings of these disciplines.
• The analytical and policy literature concerning the related issues of global health, including economics, governance structures and institutions, the role and perspectives of the state, multilateral and bilateral agencies, international and domestic NGOs and other civil institutions.
• An understanding of local approaches to global health, including an awareness of the problems and critiques associated with ‘bottom up’ approaches.
• The development of a range of academic and professional/transferrable skills through both independent and group-based work

Course units

The curriculum will comprise 4 x 15 credit modules as detailed below.

• Risk, Vulnerability and Resilience
  This module will offer an introduction to public and global health, risk assessments and management, emergency humanitarian assistance, epidemiology, population ageing, the determinants of child survival, and pandemics.
• Health Systems and Markets
  This module will look at the social determinants of health, the work of civil society organisations, the interfaces between states and economies, organisational change, health financing, urban health, rural access, food security, agriculture, and eradication programming.
• Community Approaches to Health
  This module will examine issues of psycho-social care, behaviour change, aging, micro-insurance, advocacy, holistic health, HIV, nutrition, breast feeding, hygiene promotion and immunisation.
• Ethics, Human Rights and Health
  This module will consider the role of gender, health inequalities, dignity, legal frameworks, rights based approaches to health, reproductive rights, Millennium development goals 4, 5, and 6, child rights, and accessing illegal drug users and commercial sex workers.

Course units may vary from year to year.

Course delivery

The programme will begin with an on-line induction session that explains how the course will progress and how students can fully engage with the curriculum and the online classroom environment. It will set out the key contacts and what each student can expect. Academic & pastoral support will be offered on-line with each student having a personal tutor who will be responsible for monitoring their progression through the programme. A dedicated programme administrator will be responsible for dealing with day to day enquiries.

The course lasts for 12 months in total with each of the 4 modules comprising 8 weeks of teaching followed by 1 week of assessment. Students will complete each module in turn before progressing to the next. The format is designed to be adaptable to the needs of professional students and provides opportunity for reflection between modules.

The programme has been designed to recreate a classroom learning environment in an online format. Students will be able to engage fully with the programme content, and with their peers, via lectures, discussion boards, group work, online chat, question and answer sessions with the tutor, and through the provision of peer to peer feedback and assessment.

Course assessment

All assessment will take place online. Each of the 4 modules will conclude with a selection of various multiple choice prose-based assessments. Students will also receive feedback and guidance throughout the programme which will enable them to progress and develop their confidence and analytical skills.

Annual

English

Email: [email protected]

Telephone: +44 (0) 161 275 0245