Masters applications for 2023 entry are now closed.
Applications for September 2024 will open on Monday 25 September. Applications are now open for programmes with a January 2024 start. View our programmes »
| UCAS code |
1234 |
| Duration |
1 year full time
2 years part time
3 years part time |
| Entry year |
September 2025 |
| Campus |
Penryn Campus
|
| Discipline |
Healthcare and Medicine
|
| Contact |
|
| UCAS code |
1234 |
| Duration |
Over 2 years
|
| Entry year |
September 2025 |
| Campus |
Penryn Campus
|
| Discipline |
Healthcare and Medicine
|
| Contact |
|
Overview
- You will investigate the intricate relationships between contemporary global human health and the environment.
- You’ll explore how factors such as climate change, air pollution, microbes, social inequalities and access to green and blue spaces impact health and wellbeing, whilst critically analysing evidence from a range of qualitative and quantitative sources.
- The programme is delivered in person on the Penryn campus.
- The programme is strongly linked to the research of the world-leading European Centre for Environment and Human Health, with contributions from other experts from the University of Exeter and key partners in health and environment sectors.
- Part-time registration is structured to permit study alongside existing work or other commitments where feasible.
- Once registered, if you wish and dependant on relevant module availability, you can choose to undertake an optional specialism in Pandemics or Global Health for the full MSc award (including 2-yr and 3-yr part time routes).
- Subject to funding, this programme offers students and recent alumni the opportunity to apply for a grant to support attendance at an academic or professional conference in environment and human health as part of the de Freitas Conference Bursary.
- Upon graduation you will be well placed to move into a range of rapidly developing professions in environment and human health.
Top 10 in the UK for our world-leading and internationally excellent Clinical Medicine research
Our Public Health research is 11th in the UK for research power
Major capital investment in new buildings and state-of-the-art facilities
Specialise in Global Health, Antimicrobial Resistance or Pandemics
Top 10 in the UK for our world-leading and internationally excellent Clinical Medicine research
Our Public Health research is 11th in the UK for research power
Major capital investment in new buildings and state-of-the-art facilities
Specialise in Global Health, Antimicrobial Resistance or Pandemics
Entry requirements
Normally a minimum 2.2 Honours degree (or equivalent) in a relevant discipline.
Relevant disciplines include Biomedical, Bioscience, Environmental, Physical Health, Medical, Geography, Geology, Social Science, Sociology, Anthropology, Psychology, Economics, Business Studies, Media Studies, International Relations, Political Sciences, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Microbiology.
A personal statement, detailing your reasons for seeking to undertake this subject, will be required. Relevant clinical or professional experience may be taken into consideration as evidence of equivalency.
Accreditation of prior learning for Masters courses in Healthcare and Medicine
Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL) is a process whereby students, who have already gained relevant skills and knowledge prior to the start of their course, may be granted a partial credit exemption from their programme instead of unnecessarily repeating work. Find out more about APL
International students
If you are an international student, please visit our international equivalency pages to enable you to see if your existing academic qualifications meet our entry requirements.
Entry requirements for international students
Please visit our entry requirements section for equivalencies from your country and further information on English language requirements.
Read more
Entry requirements for international students
English language requirements
International students need to show they have the required level of English language to study this course. The required test scores for this course fall under Profile B2. Please visit our English language requirements page to view the required test scores and equivalencies from your country.
Course content
This exciting programme, delivered on the Penryn campus, is ideal for graduates who are planning or already undertaking a career within public health, health promotion, environmental health and protection, occupational health and related diverse research and practice fields.
Our students come from a variety of backgrounds and the programme has been designed to enable you to enact meaningful change in any setting. The course connects strongly to the world-leading research of the European Centre for Environment and Human Health, covering key theories, concepts and evidence on issues such as:
- The health impacts of global environmental change
- The social determinants of health and health inequalities
- The complex relationships that exist between human health and the environment
- The potential of using natural environments to improve human health and wellbeing
Specialisms
At MSc level, the core award is the MSc in Environment and Human Health. Depending on the specific modules taken, and dissertation topic selected, students may opt to receive one of the following named awards:
- MSc Environment and Human Health (Global Health)
- MSc Environment and Human Health (Pandemics)
These specialisms are only available at the MSc level, and are subject to the availability of option modules delivered by other University of Exeter programmes.
Your eligibility for the particular award will be confirmed by the final Assessment Progression and Awarding Committee (APAC) on the basis of the modules that have been completed. In order to graduate with a particular named award in parentheses, you will need to select the appropriate specified option modules detailed below, and notify the programme support team accordingly. Otherwise the award name will be MSc in Environment and Human Health.
Programme Structure
The programme is divided into units of study called ‘modules’ which are assigned a number of ‘credits’. The credit rating of a module is proportional to the total workload, with one credit being nominally equivalent to 10 hours of work, a 15 credit module being equivalent to 150 hours of work and a full Masters degree being equivalent to approximately 1,800 hours of work. Therefore, for applicants who are working full time (or close to full-time), we recommend applying to complete the Masters degree over 2 or 3 years rather than 1 year.
To gain a Masters qualification, you will need to complete 180 credits at level 7.
It is also possible to exit with a PGDip after completing 120 credits of taught modules. The list of modules below shows which are compulsory.
Draft MSc Environment and Human Health timetable 2024-2025 (pdf)
Please note: these timetables are draft and subject to change. If you would like further information please contact the programme leads: Dr Sarah Bell, Dr Lewis Elliott or Dr Becca Lovell.
The last contact day and assessment deadline for the programme will be earlier than the actual end date of your registration with the University, to allow a period of time at the end of your active studies for further support and mitigation, if needed
Modules
The modules we outline here provide examples of what you can expect to learn on this degree course based on recent academic teaching. The precise modules available to you in future years may vary depending on staff availability and research interests, new topics of study, timetabling and student demand.
You will be awarded an MSc on completion of the following modules:
- Contemporary Environment and Human Health (15 credits)
- Postgraduate Skills and Evidence (15 credits)
- Project Design (15 credits)
- Dissertation (60 credits)
And 75 Credits from:
- Nature, Health and Wellbeing (15 credits)
- Environmental Science and Population Health (15 credits)
- Ecological Public Health (15 credits)
- Global Public Health and Environmental Change (15 credits)
- Disability, Social Justice and Climate Resilient Development (15 credits)
- Up to 30 credits from other appropriate optional Level 7 taught modules (see Optional modules information below)
Compulsory modules
*Up to 30 credits can be made up from one or more appropriate modules from other optional modules as listed below.
a Part-time MSc students would typically take these compulsory modules in their first year.
b Part-time MSc students would typically take this compulsory module in their second year.
c Part-time MSc students on a two year route will be doing their dissertation module HPDM000 in their second year, and if on the three year route in their third year.
| Code | Module |
Credits |
|---|
| HPDM027 |
Contemporary Environment and Human Health (see note a) | 15 |
| HPDM199 |
Making Sense of Evidence for Environment and Health (see note a) | 15 |
| HPDM202 |
Designing Impactful Research (see note b) | 15 |
| HPDM000 |
Dissertation (see note c) | 60 |
Optional modules
MSc Environment and Human Health Optional Modules:
Our PGT programmes are designed as standalone courses but we also aim to provide flexibility where possible. We recognise that you may sometimes wish to take a module from elsewhere in the Faculty, or the wider University, to fit in with their specific research or professional interests. A taught Master’s degree is made up of 180 credits, usually 120 credits of taught modules and 60 credits of dissertation. Normally at least 90 credits of taught modules (but an absolute minimum of 60 credits), plus the dissertation, will need be taken from within the named award in order to graduate with that award. That means that 30 credits could be made up from one or more appropriate modules from another Masters level programme(s) in place of your scheduled ones, depending on the module prerequisites, the contact days and delivery mode of the modules, and your funding source. There may be an additional fee associated with certain postgraduate modules. It is also important to note that the timing and delivery of your new module’s contact days and assessments might conflict with your existing programme of studies. If after considering these factors you would like to explore this option further, please discuss this with the MSc Programme Directors. The Faculty PGT Support team can then advise about the application process, which would then go for approval from the Programme Director(s) of your current programme and the Module Lead(s) and Programme Director(s) of the programme(s) in which your new module(s) sits.
A number of specific option modules delivered across the University of Exeter have been identified as specifically relevant to this programme. Some modules are available online (and therefore may not be open to international students on visas), others are delivered in-person at campuses in Penryn or Exeter. These options are also subject to change by the faculties concerned, and delivery terms may result in imbalance between Autumn and Spring modules.
| Code | Module |
Credits |
|---|
| HPDM029 |
Nature, Health and Wellbeing * | 15 |
| HPDM200 |
Environmental Health Risks and Epidemiology * | 15 |
| HPDM201 |
Ecosystems, Natural Capital and Public Health * | 15 |
| HPDM183 |
Global Public Health and Environmental Change * | 15 |
| HPDM164 |
Disability, Social Justice and Climate Resilient Development * | 15 |
| GEOM407 |
Perspectives on Sustainable Development | 15 |
| HPDM122 |
Planetary Health | 15 |
| HPDM124 |
Principles of Health Protection | 15 |
| POLM016 |
Food Systems, Alternative Food Networks, and Ethical Consumption | 15 |
| HPDM141 |
Pandemics: Drivers, Preparedness and Response | 15 |
| SOCM052 |
Cultures and Environments of Health | 30 |
You will be awarded a PGDip on completion of the following modules:
- Contemporary Environment and Human Health (15 credits)
- Postgraduate Skills and Evidence (15 credits)
And 75 Credits from:
- Nature, Health and Wellbeing (15 credits)
- Environmental Science and Population Health (15 credits)
- Project Design (15 credits)
- Ecological Public Health (15 credits)
- Global Public Health and Environmental Change (15 credits)
- Disability, Social Justice and Climate Resilient Development (15 credits)
- Up to 30 credits from other appropriate optional Level 7 taught modules (see Optional modules information below)
Compulsory modules
| Code | Module |
Credits |
|---|
| HPDM027 |
Contemporary Environment and Human Health | 15 |
| HPDM199 |
Making Sense of Evidence for Environment and Health | 15 |
Optional modules
*Up to 30 credits can be made up from one or more appropriate optional modules listed below.
| Code | Module |
Credits |
|---|
| HPDM029 |
Nature, Health and Wellbeing * | 15 |
| HPDM200 |
Environmental Health Risks and Epidemiology * | 15 |
| HPDM201 |
Ecosystems, Natural Capital and Public Health * | 15 |
| HPDM202 |
Designing Impactful Research | 15 |
| HPDM183 |
Global Public Health and Environmental Change * | 15 |
| HPDM164 |
Disability, Social Justice and Climate Resilient Development * | 15 |
| GEOM407 |
Perspectives on Sustainable Development | 15 |
| HPDM122 |
Planetary Health | 15 |
| HPDM124 |
Principles of Health Protection | 15 |
| POLM016 |
Food Systems, Alternative Food Networks, and Ethical Consumption | 15 |
| HPDM141 |
Pandemics: Drivers, Preparedness and Response | 15 |
| SOCM052 |
Cultures and Environments of Health | 30 |
-
MSc Environment & Human Health (Global Health):
This specialism provides the opportunity to focus on environment and human health topics in the domain of global health. It requires specific opt out of HPDM032 and taking optional module HPDM122 Planetary Health. Your dissertation project (HPDM000) must also be focused on a relevant topic in global health, as agreed with HPDM000 module leads.
-
MSc Environment & Human Health (Pandemics)
This specialism provides the opportunity to focus on environment and human health topics related to pandemics. It requires two specified option modules to be taken: HPDM124 Principles of Health Protection and CMH 15 credit module HPDM141 Pandemics: drivers, preparedness and response. Your dissertation project (HPDM000) must also be focused on a relevant topic related to environmental aspects of pandemics, as agreed with HPDM000 module leads.
Compulsory modules
| Code | Module |
Credits |
|---|
| HPDM027 |
Contemporary Environment and Human Health | 15 |
| HPDM028 |
Postgraduate Skills and Evidence | 15 |
| HPDM029Z |
Nature, Health and Wellbeing | 15 |
| HPDM030Z |
Environmental Science and Population Health | 15 |
Specialisms
MSc Environment & Human Health (Global Health)
Specialising in Global Health gives you the opportunity to focus on the environment and human health topics affecting the world today. The optional module Planetary Health (HPDM122) will introduce you to medical sociology, environment and human health, social epidemiology and global health. You will learn how health in its widest sense and health and environmental inequalities are created, and the potential strategies for addressing them more effectively. Using an interdisciplinary approach you will study a range of topics which may include global obesity rates, corporate and economic determinants of health, healthy diets and planetary boundaries, nature-connectedness and wellbeing.
Your dissertation project provides the opportunity to complete detailed research into an area of global health according to your own interests or career ambitions.
MSc Environment & Human Health (Pandemics)
Specialising in Pandemics will provide you with the opportunity to focus on related environment and human health topics. A key area of study will concern health protection and understanding the ways in which this often needs to be dynamic and responsive to the evolving health needs of the population. This versatile field of study brings together specialist knowledge and skills from a broad range of specialities including PHE; environmental health departments; hospital microbiologists and infection and prevention control teams; GPs; community specialists and educational institutions. You will be introduced to a wide range of topics which may include outbreak management, global health, data collection and timely actions and epidemiology of infectious diseases.
Your dissertation project provides the opportunity to complete detailed research related to the environmental aspects of pandemics according to your own interests or career ambitions.
Read more
Fees
2025/26 entry
UK fees per year:
- MSc (1 year): £12,100
- MSc (2 years): £6,100
- MSc (3 years): £4,050
- PG Dip (2 years part time): £4,050
- Standalone module per 15-credit module: £1,150
International fees per year:
- MSc (1 year): £28,600
- MSc (2 years): £14,300
- MSc (3 years): £9,550
- PG Dip (2 years): £9,550
- Standalone module per 15-credit module: £2,600
Fee information
Fees can normally be paid by two termly instalments and may be paid online. You will also be required to pay a tuition fee deposit to secure your offer of a place, unless you qualify for exemption.
Scholarships
The University of Exeter has many different scholarships available to support your education, including £5 million in scholarships for international students applying to study with us in the 2025/26 academic year, such as our Exeter Excellence Scholarships*.
For more information on scholarships and other financial support, please visit our scholarships and bursaries page.
*Terms and conditions apply. See online for details.
Teaching and research
Our purpose is to deliver transformative education that will help tackle health challenges of national and global importance.
Learning and teaching
The taught modules of this programme are delivered in the Autumn and Spring terms (optional modules taken from other programmes may be taught in Summer term). During this time you will also be helped to develop a dissertation project to be completed in the Summer term and through to the end of August. We encourage students to develop their project alongside existing European Centre activities and/or in conjunction with partner organisations. Part time students may be able to develop dissertation projects within their workplace settings if appropriate.
Teaching and learning methods
All material is designed for Masters level and will involve a mix of live and supplemental pre-recorded online lectures, seminars, small group work and guided independent study. Within modules there is considerable scope for you to direct your learning towards fields of particular interest, especially through your choice of dissertation project and in your studies to develop assessed pieces of work.
You may take modules offered through other programmes on the Penryn campus where this is feasible. Meetings with academic tutors and/or other students can also occur in-person or remotely as desired.
Assessment
Taught modules will be assessed through a mix of assessment types including literature reviews, essays, written reports and presentations.
Internships
Students are able to access one-to-one support should they wish to undertake an internship with a Cornish business (or even further afield). They are able to take part in the Access to Internships scheme either during the course or once their studies have finished.
Advice and support
Each student is allocated an academic tutor who is available for advice and support throughout your studies. The Programme Leads are also available to help with further guidance and advice.
Graduate School of Environment and Sustainability
You will become part of Exeter's Graduate School of Environment & Sustainability - a vibrant and supportive postgraduate community based here on our Penryn campus in Cornwall. The Graduate School brings together experts from across the spectrum of earth and life sciences, engineering, humanities, social sciences and business. You will interact with students from other MScs and have the opportunity to explore issues from a range of perspectives, benefiting from a truly interdisciplinary experience. All our programmes are designed with a focus on developing solutions to global challenges and creating a better future for our planet and its people.
Read more
Dr. Rebecca Lovell
Programme co-lead
Dr Sarah Bell
Programme co-lead
Dr Lewis Elliot
Programme co-lead
Professor Ruth Garside
Dr Cornelia Guell
Dr Ben Wheeler
Dr. Rebecca Lovell
Programme co-lead
Becca is programme co-lead for the MSc Environment & Human Health. She is a Senior Lecturer at the European Centre for Environment and Human Health and module lead for the Contemporary Environment And Human Health module.
She focuses on synthesising and translating evidence of the links between natural environments, of all kinds, and health for policy and practice and has undertaken work with and for bodies such as the WHO, Defra, Natural England, NHS as well as NGOs including the RHS and the Eden Project. Becca is currently working on how better understandings of social and health values of natural environments could inform green infrastructure decision making and is contributing to multiple studies on the effectiveness and implementation of green health interventions.
Contact Dr Becca Lovell to discuss the academic content of the programme.
For all other questions about the programme, including admission enquiries, start dates and fees, please complete the online enquiry form.
Profile page
Dr Sarah Bell
Programme co-lead
Sarah is programme co-lead for the MSc Environment & Human Health. She is a Senior Lecturer in Health Geography, whose research focuses on the intersections between human health, wellbeing, disability and the interlinked physical, social and cultural environments encountered through the life course.
She leads the Disability, Social Justice and Climate Resilient Development module on the MSc Environment & Human Health. Sarah’s work is underpinned by a passion for qualitative methodological development, designing sensitive approaches that promote critical awareness of alternative ways of embodying, experiencing and interpreting diverse everyday geographies.
Contact Dr Sarah Bell to discuss the academic content of the programme.
For all other questions about the programme, including admission enquiries, start dates and fees, please complete the online enquiry form.
Profile page
Dr Lewis Elliot
Programme co-lead
Lewis is programme co-lead for the MSc Environment & Human Health. He is a Senior Lecturer in Environment and Public Health at the European Centre for Environment and Human Health (ECEHH). He is module lead for the Nature, Health, and Well-being module.
He is an environmental psychologist interested in the ways in which interactions with natural environments can positively affect public health and well-being through various mechanisms like social contact, physical activity, and stress reduction. He also has interests in behaviour change and complex interventions.
Contact Dr Lewis Elliot to discuss the academic content of the programme.
For all other questions about the programme, including admission enquiries, start dates and fees, please complete the online enquiry form.
Profile page
Professor Ruth Garside
Ruth teaches on the core module Postgraduate Skills and Evidence within the MSc Environment & Human Health. Ruth is a social science researcher specialising in systematic review and evidence synthesis.
She has over 20 years’ experience using quantitative and qualitative research methods to investigate a range of health and social care questions. Her work has informed policy customers including WHO, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) and the Home Office.
Profile page
Dr Cornelia Guell
Cornelia Guell is module lead for Global Public Health and Environment. She is a medical anthropologist whose research focuses on healthy living practices and policies and how these are shaped across the lifecycle, population groups, and socio-cultural, political and economic contexts.
She develops social theoretical and qualitative methodological approaches for exploring the social and physical environments that shape health behaviours. A particular interest lies in framing behaviour change within social practice theories, and in understanding multi-sectoral policy responses to chronic diseases in the UK, the Caribbean region and elsewhere.
Profile page
Dr Ben Wheeler
Ben teaches on the module Environmental Science and Population Health. His main research interest is the interplay between environment, socio-economic status and public health, with particular regard to health inequalities and informing health and environmental policy.
Profile page
@benedictwheeler
Dr Tim Taylor
Dr Aimee Murray
Dr Tim Taylor
Tim is module lead for Ecological Public Health and co-lead for the Dissertation module. He is an Associate Professor of Environmental and Public Health Economics in the European Centre for Environment and Human Health.
Tim has broad interests in environment and human health. He is particularly involved in work on climate change and health and has worked with organisations such as the UK Health Security Agency, the World Bank and the WHO on related issues. Tim is currently working on the BlueAdapt Horizon Europe project, looking at how climate change will influence risks of exposure to bacteria and viruses in coastal waters and integrating ecological public health concepts with “One Health” to help investigate adaptation options. An economist by training, Tim seeks to improve understanding of how we place monetary values on changes in environment and health.
Profile page
Dr Aimee Murray
Aimee is a Senior Lecturer at the European Centre for Environment and Human Health and co-module lead for the Global Antimicrobial Resistance Crisis module. Her research focuses on the evolution and ecology of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), particularly in the environment, using interdisciplinary approaches spanning microbiology, ecotoxicology and environmental risk assessment.
Her research on minimal selective concentrations of antibiotics is of interest to policy makers and industry at the national and international level. She has given invited presentations to the All Party Parliamentary Group on Antibiotics and the AMR Industry Alliance, and is collaborating with the Environment Agency on numerous consultancy and research projects. Aimee has been consulted by the United Nations Environment Programme as an expert on environmental risk assessment of AMR. Her papers have been cited by the UK Government, Environment Agency, Joint Programming Initiative on AMR, Food and Agricultural Organisation, World Health Organisation, and the United Nations Environment Programme. She is currently an elected Ordinary Member and trustee for the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (BSAC).
Profile page
Studying at a top world-class university like Exeter, in a great environment like Cornwall, is a brilliant combination. I hope to utilise the scientific knowledge, research skills, leadership capacities and global connections I'm gaining through my Exeter career to the benefit of research, education and social entrepreneurship in Ghana.
Gameli
MSc Environment and Human Health.
Careers
Graduates of the programme are well placed to move into a range of rapidly developing professions in environment and human health. Some examples include:
- Public Health
- Health Promotion
- Environmental Health and Protection
- Occupational Health and workplace wellbeing
- Social enterprises and SME businesses innovating in environment and human health
The programme also prepares you for further research and some graduates may want to go on to PhD study with the European Centre or elsewhere.
