ABOUT MPH-GH

MPH-GH Program Overview

Philosophy
Thammasat Faculty of Public Health belongs to a global consortium of Universities (see Exchange Program below) that share a vision of transforming the 20th century models of public health into a model which reflects the real needs of an increasingly mobile, marginalised, globalised and climate-challenged 21st century.

The globalisation of trade and employment has created new economic opportunities for some, but at the cost of high levels of disparity in national and personal wealth for many, while climate change presents an ever growing threat to life, livelihoods, property and well-being, particularly to those who are least able to protect themselves. Climate change, entrenched poverty and social inequity are important drivers of mass migration, human trafficking and regional conflict. Governance and service delivery systems around the world are being challenged to be more mindful and inclusive of identity, gender, ethnicity and ability in legislation, policy and practice.

A 21^st century model of public health looks beyond the traditional mandate of prevention, promotion, treatment and rehabilitation. It plans, resources and delivers public health interventions which not only address morbidity and mortality, but also contribute to building social and political justice, such as by addressing the social determinants of health. This new model of public health is called Global Health, and it requires experts and practitioners from multiple disciplines to work together in international, national and local collaborations in service delivery, education and research.

The Consortium’s priorities include strengthening the South-to-South components of the international development architecture. This is done by developing educational programs that give graduates from low and middle income countries the knowledge and skills needed not only to research and teach in Global Health, but also to gain employment in international and interregional organizations and/or at the policy level in their own national governments and institutions.

Program Objectives
The program’s objectives can be expressed in terms of the core and functional competencies that students can expect to acquire from the course. These are:

Core competencies

• Analyze the determinants of population health and identify how human rights and social justice concepts and instruments provide a framework for developing institutional, national and international health and social policy, as well as explore critiques of these concepts e.g. feminist perspectives, Indigenous Peoples, LGBTQI+ organizations.
• Analyze the political dimensions of health, including the processes by which health diplomacy influences the adoption and enforcement international laws, conventions, agreements, norms and standards through global actors and transnational networks. This includes the domains of trade, labour, food supply, the environment, pharmaceuticals, international development aid, human rights, migration, health literacy and humanitarian public health.
• Analyze the principles and practices that assure equitable access to affordable, safe and effective health and social services for desirable/improved health and social outcomes within and across populations, with an emphasis on collaborative and multi-stakeholder program design, management and evaluation in middle and low income countries.

Functional competencies
Information for decision-making

• Conduct literature reviews effectively.
• Use quantitative and qualitative research methods appropriately and effectively, including epidemiologic, bio-statistical and content analysis techniques for data analysis.
• Analyze health and social problems in middle and low income countries in terms of their contribution to excess morbidity and mortality appropriately and effectively, including describing their significance, magnitude and distribution.
• Analyze disparities in health status appropriately and effectively by collecting and/or interrogating epidemiological, bio-statistical and qualitative data in order to identify how social and cultural constructs of identity, ability, gender, race, ethnicity, rural/urban status and economic class, and other relevant socio-demographic categories can contribute to systemic disadvantage and exclusion; and use this knowledge to inform interventions that advance equity and social justice. In this context, apply an intersectional perspective to identifying drivers of health and social inequalities.
• Apply communication, awareness raising and advocacy concepts, skills and techniques effectively.

Design, management and evaluation

• Use information effectively for program design in order to develop evidence-based, realistic and socially transformative program responses to the underlying determinants of health inequities and disease.
• Understand and use management techniques that promote social inclusion and sustainability and cost-effectiveness of programs.
• Assess the appropriateness of population-based intervention strategies to address major health problems in middle and low income settings, including locally determined priorities and their efficacy, cost-effectiveness, and feasibility in reaching all segments of the population, and especially the most marginalized.
• Identify and apply effective strategies for community development, systems advocacy; public awareness; policy advocacy; global diplomacy that contribute to realize improved distribution of equitable health and social outcomes within and across populations.
• Apply collaborative and culturally relevant leadership skills to implement evidence-based approaches to realize equity and rights-based policies and plans to solve public health problems in national and global settings.
• Evaluate and establish priorities to improve the health status of populations in middle and low income settings, with focus on applying integrated strategies to bring about more equitable distribution of improved health and social outcomes.

Capacity development for global health
• Analyze and explain the economic, social, political and academic conditions that define Global Health capacity and impact its development, access and utilization.
• Apply systems thinking to problem solving in policy formulation, resource mobilization and capacity development in the context of health and social service delivery, education and research in order to realize equitable distribution of desirable health and social outcomes within and across populations.

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CURRICULUM

MPH-GH Study Plan   >> click

MPH-Global Health Courses   >> click

Study tracks

• Students can choose from two study tracks:
• a Thesis equivalent to 15 study credits; or
• an Independent Study (capstone project) equivalent to 6 study credits.
• Whatever the study track selected, the total required credits for the Master degree is the same (i.e. 45 credits). The difference between Thesis and Independent Study credits is balanced by 9 credits of additional coursework in the Independent Study track.
• The Thesis study track requires you to collect and analyse primary data and takes 16 to 24 months to complete. It prepares you for a career in research settings such as research centres, consultancy firms, and academic institutes, or eventually for advanced studies.
• The Independent Study track requires you to collect and analyse secondary data and takes 12 months to complete. It prepares you for a career in a variety of professional settings where skills in assessment, planning, and evaluation of policies/projects are more relevant.
• Although the thesis research study track would be a logical choice if you have future plans for advanced studies (i.e. doctoral degree), opting for an Independent Study does exclude you from advanced studies. Your Advisor will guide you in making informed choices on options that are relevant to future advanced studies.

Special Activities

Integrated Field Activities
Various program courses offer integrated real world exposures such as: GH601 Physical Environments and Health; GH610 Human Security and Global Health; GH612 Mobility and Global Health; GH615 Research Methods in Global Health; and GH666 Qualitative Approaches to Inquiry.

Exchange Program
The Global Health Consortium offers several exchange opportunities to students of the member Programs. These are:

• Online interactive exchange courses such as: GH605 Global Health Policy Analysis and GH616 Global Health Innovative Interventions, conducted in collaboration with Maastricht University in the Netherlands and McMaster University in Canada.
• An elective track to study in the Netherlands at Maastricht University during the 2^nd trimester comprising of two modules:

• (a) Implementing Innovations on a Global Scale, which consists of three courses namely
• MGH4010 Globalization and Transferability
• MGH4011 Health in Times of Crisis
• MGH4012 Medical Mobility.
• (b) Global Health Leadership and Organization, which consists of the following three courses:
• MPH0005 Global Health Policy Analysis
• MPH0006 Global Health Economics
• MPH0007 Global Health Management.

Global Health Practicum
Students have the option to enroll in an elective Global Health Practicum at Manipal University in India, which consists of team-based field orientations supported by: literature reviews, field visits, and interviews with stakeholders and experts. The field orientation is then concluded with a weekend symposium where students’ work is presented and discussed with peers, professors, and professional executives.

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CURRICULUM

Academic Year
The academic year in Thailand for international programs commences in September and terminates in August the following year. However, students enrolled in the MPH Global Health Program must enroll mid-August to attend our pre-program seminars.

The academic year for the MPH Global Health Program is divided into 3 equal terms of study (trimesters) namely: September-December; January-April; and May-August. Brief term breaks are planned at the end of trimester-1 (December) and the end of trimester-2 (April).

Admission Requirements
At the time of application, you are required to provide copies of:

• each university degree you have obtained and the related transcripts.
• your curriculum vitae.
• if English is not your first language, official English proficiency test score sheet from one of the following:
• TOEFL (≥ 550)
• iBT (≥ 79-80)
• IELTS (≥ 6.5)
• TU-GET (≥ 550)

How to Apply
Application instructions
You can initiate your application online by clicking the “Apply Now” button and by downloading the application forms and sending it to the Admissions office ( oip-admissions@fph.tu.ac.th )

• Applications are admissible from September onwards of the year preceding enrolment to the program until July 30th of the year of enrolment.
• If your degree was granted by an institution outside Thailand, the institution must be accredited by the governing educational body of the country where you obtained the degree (i.e. the Ministry of Education).
• Review the application requirements carefully before starting your application.
• Complete your online application admission form.
• The data you enter in the online application, including the contents of all attachments, is subject to verification. It is your responsibility to ensure that all the information provided in the application is accurate.
• Thammasat University reserves the right to withdraw an offer of admission or to terminate enrolment if there is any discrepancy between the submitted application data and the subsequently verified data.

Important Reminders

• If required, take the English proficiency test early to ensure that official scores arrive before the application deadline.
• Be sure that your full name, as given on your application, appears on all documents submitted on your behalf (e.g. diplomas, transcripts etc.).
• If you have changed your name since completing your education (e.g. by marriage), please provide proof of name change.
• Submit all application materials electronically. Do not send materials by e-mail or postal services unless we ask that you do so and never send banking or other financial information by email.
• Do not submit extra or unnecessary documents, such as secondary-school records, training certificates, awards that are not strictly academic credentials as stated in our requirements.
• The TU Graduate Admissions Office does not alter submitted applications. We will accept transcript updates or an updated CV listing (e.g. new appointments, or publications). Please send the updated documentation as PDF attachments (no Microsoft Word documents or JPEG files) to oip-admissions@fph.tu.ac.th

Application Deadline
The annual application deadline for the MPH Global Health Program is July 31 at 11:59:59 p.m. in the GMT+07:00 time zone.

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TUITION FEES & SCHOLARSHIPS

Tuition Fees
The estimated tuition and administration fees for the MPH Global Health Program for the academic year 2023-2024 are USD 17,000.

Scholarship Support

• Global Health Scholarship:
  The Global Health Curriculum Committee offers merit-based partial scholarships for qualifying candidates from fragile states. Visit https://fragilestatesindex.org to check your eligibility.
• SEAOHUN Scholarship:
  The Southeast Asian One Health University Network (SEAOHUN) offers partial scholarships for qualifying candidates from Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam or one of the SEAOHUN expansion countries, namely Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Myanmar. Visit the agency webpage at: http://seaohun.org/
• TICA Scholarship
  The Thai International Cooperation Agency (TICA) offers scholarships for qualifying government employees of selected countries. Visit the agency webpage at: http://www.tica.thaigov.net
• Prospect Burma Scholarship
  Prospect Burma offers partial scholarships for qualifying candidates from Myanmar. Check out the agency’s webpage at https://prospectburma.org as the application deadline is usually in December.
• ICRC Prison Health Research Scholarship
  The ICRC offers scholarships for students who conduct research (thesis or IS) on any aspect of Prison Health. Please contact the admissions office for additional information.
• Scholarship for Thai nationals
  Thanks to a donation by former Faculty members, Ajarn Bill Brady and Associate Professor Nitaya Vijanapoom, the Global Health program offers scholarships for Thai students. Please visit this page for additional details.

Study Abroad Support
There are many universities, non-profit organisations and commercial organisations that provide opportunities to study abroad. To find out what is available in your home country, search the internet for international education portals or study abroad portals.

Fellowship Support
The World Health Organization offers fellowships for candidates who are employees of Ministry of Health or other government health agencies. For fellowship support, candidates are advised to approach the Fellowship Officer in their local WHO Office to check their eligibility and / or visit their local WHO webpage.

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GLOBAL HEALTH CAREERS

What are the job options with an MPH Global Health degree?
The MPH degree in combination with your educational background and past work experience equips you very well for beginning your professional career. For those planning an academic or research career, you will need to get a PhD or equivalent first.
TU Global health graduates are well qualified for employment at international organizations such as the World Bank and the United Nations, international NGO, and regional political organizations such as ASEAN, SAARC and SADAC. At national level, graduates can expect a career at the policy / strategy level in government Ministries, Departments and Agencies, or teaching and researching at Institutes and Universities.
However, most international organizations require applicants for career posts to have at least 10 years of work experience in a given field after graduation. Despite this, it is possible to find temporary or short term employment with an International Organization, which is useful for building your CV and developing a professional network. If you plan to have a career at an international organization one day, working with a local NGO or a government agency for a few years is a good way to start. Alternatively, humanitarian organizations are always looking for qualified staff and all the major agencies advertise regularly on the "Jobs" page at ReliefWeb.int .
For further details check out this video clip: Career Opportunities in Global Health

Student Demographics

• Sex:
  Male            47%
  Female       53%
• Background:
  Public Health (public health, health promotion, environmental health etc.)                    40%
  Biomedical Sciences (medicine, nursing, dentistry, pharmaceutical science etc.)          43%
  Other disciplines (law, political science, public administration, social sciences, etc.)    17%
• Regions:
  Asia                                   50%
  Africa                                40%
  EU & North America     10%

Typical Alumni Careers
Of those graduates who respond to our periodic surveys, most have been able to secure employment 3-12 months after completion of the program.

• 80% have found work with Non-Government Organizations (i.e. Doctors without Borders, International Rescue Committee, Save the Children, CARE etc.) or the local offices of International Organizations (i.e. WHO, IOM, ILO, UNFPA etc). This work is often short term at first, but hard work can be rewarded with a full time career post.
• 15% joined, or returned to, a government Ministry.
• 5% proceeded to doctoral studies for a research career.

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Contact Us

E-mail:   oip-admissions@fph.tu.ac.th

Facebook:   facebook.com/TUglobalhealth