The ISGlobal-University of Barcelona Master of Global Health is a University of Barcelona-specific programme, designed for students and professionals seeking to develop a career in health, from a global and transdisciplinary perspective. The programme offers the knowledge necessary to face the current challenges in global health and prepares students for work with organisations that work for health equity around the world.

The Master of Global Health is included in our Master Scholarship Program. More details are given on the "Scholarship" section located in this page.

Objectives

As a student of the Master of Global Health, you will gain the knowledge and tools necessary to:

• Analyse the factors that influence the health of the global population
• Understand the complex relationship between health and other disciplines, such as economics, politics, anthropology, epidemiology, and environmental sciences
• Develop effective and sustainable solutions that contribute to improving health in a globalised world

Opportunities

Designed for students and professionals from diverse backgrounds (health and life sciences, social sciences, law and economics, etc.) who want to develop a career in the field of global health in:

• International organisations
• NGOs
• Ministries of health
• Cooperation and development agencies
• Public-private partnerships
• Other stakeholders of the global health international community

Organisation

The ISGlobal-University of Barcelona Master of Global Health is carried out in collaboration with academic institutions, research centres and NGOs in the health sector.

Our faculty come from diverse disciplines and have extensive experience working in global health with internationally recognised universities, research centres and public-private partnerships. Professors bring their real world experience as professionals and leaders in the field, to our classrooms.

Given the circumstances surrounding the current COVID-19 pandemic, and in anticipation of any developments that may arise during the coming academic year, our team is committed to ensuring that our educational programmes can be successfully delivered in either face-to-face or distance formats, adapting to the context in which our students, faculty, and staff find themselves.

Learn More

The first two modules of the Master's degree are also offered as an independent Diploma of Global Health Fundamentals

Partners

Do you want to improve health for people around the globe?

Dates

September - July

Location

Faculty of Medicine, University of Barcelona

Tuition

10.500 Euros (plus university taxes)

Schedule

Full time

Timetable

9:00-13:30

Mode

Face-to-face

Language

English

Length

1 academic year

Credits

60 ECTS

The Master of Global Health programme consists of 60 ECTS (European credits) or one academic year, which runs from September to June. It is offered in two different tracks: Transdisciplinary Studies in Global Health and tropEd Master of International Health. 

These are some examples of recent Master Final Projects (MFP) of the Master of Global Health:

Arnau Guasch Girbau (Master Global Health, 2020-21)

Read an article related to Arnau's MFP: 
Review of the Current Landscape of the Potential of Nanotechnology for Future Malaria Diagnosis, Treatment, and Vaccination Strategies

Cristina Pujol (Master Salud Global, 2020-21)

The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on harm reduction services in Spain

Neus Rosell (Master Global Healh, 2019-20)

Scoping review on food security policies in Brazil

Sarah Williams (Master Global Health, 2019-20)

Legal acces of migrants to U.S. Health and Social Welfare policies in response to Covid-19

Darla Berkefeld (Master Global Health, 2018-19)

A systematic literature review to define the social determinants of stunting among children aged 0-59 months. Evidence from the last 15 years. 

Lukas Siefert (Master Global Health, 2018-19)

Consequences of the discontinuation of GAVI support for countries' immunization systems.

Daniel Kwakye Nomah (Master Global Health, 2018-19)

Prevalence of Hypertension, obesity, and diabetes in rural Ghana: a cross-sectional study in the Birim central district of Ghana. 

Gabriella-Hanna Kontorovich (Master Global Health, 2018-19)

A gamified training tool for Ebola public health emergency preparedness

Welcome to the Master of Global Health

Eva Iraizoz, Student of the 2015-2016 Class

Francesca Russo, Student of the tropEd Master in International Health, Class 2015-2016 Class

Luis Gerardo Castillo, Student of the 2014-2015 Class

Sofia Bandomia, Student of the 2014-2015 Class

Pedro Alonso, director of the WHO Global Malaria Program and former director of ISGlobal

Quique Bassat, Assistant Research Professor

Nina Wine, Student of the 2013-2014 Class

María Fernanda Díaz, Student of the 2013-2014 Class

Barcelona, the capital city of Catalonia (one of Spain’s 17 autonomous provinces), is a vibrant coastal city on the Mediterranean Sea. Students will find many cultural activities, events, museums, and opportunities for sport available to them during their stay.

Barcelona.cat offers updates on events around the city and a Barcelona app.

Housing 

Some students choose to find shared flats or rent their own individual housing during their Master course. There are many websites that provide rental listings for flats and shared flats in the city. In addition, ISGlobal maintains a relationship with the Barcelona Centre Universitari (BCU), which can provide information and advice on housing and activities, among other things, to our Master’s and Diploma candidates. 

Public Transportation

Barcelona has an excellent integrated network of public transportation, including metro, tramvia, buses and regional trains. Various types of multi-trip metro cards are available for purchase from machines in metro stations. One option for getting around the city is Bicing, a public bicycle rental service that runs on an annual membership basis. There is also the possibility of hourly or daily car rental with various services. And, since Barcelona is a fairly dense city, it is also often possible to reach your destination on foot.

Weather 

Barcelona enjoys a generally temperate weather. Although in the summer months the heat can sometimes rise to the 40s Celcius, it is a generally moderate climate without extreme temperatures or weather. 

Languages

Although the Master and Diploma of Global Health are offered entirely in English, Catalonia’s two official languages are Catalan and Spanish. For students who are interested, the University of Barcelona’s Institute of Hispanic Studies offers courses in Spanish as a foreign language from beginner to advanced levels. You can also join Catalan courses offered through the UB and tailored to university students. Many other language schools and centres, including some sponsored by the government, also offer courses.

Special Events 

Throughout the year, Master’s degree and Diploma students are invited to attend special events and activities in addition to classes and seminars, beginning with the annual Global Health Programme Inaugural Lecture, which is given by an invited speaker each year in October. 

In late December, we invite students to join a special End of Year Dinner and, of course, we gather to celebrate the End of Course in June.

Other events from past years have included a special guest lecture on “The Books that Changed My Life” in celebration of Sant Jordi’s Day (St. George’s Day).

Entry requirements:

• Undergraduate degree
• Advanced level of English

If not a native English speaker, candidates need to provide an Internationally recognized English proficiency certificate equivalent to a TOEFL score of 550 paper/213 internet/80 online, or IELTS score 6.

We will also value:

• Previous working experience in low and middle income countries
• Voluntary positions in low and middle income countries
• Having being exposed to multicultural environments
• Having a background in social sciences

Application 

People interested in taking this Master must complete the application form.

Calendar:

The revision of applications and notification of admission will be done according to the following timelines:

First Application Period: From 12 September to 18 November 2022
Notification of the admission: 16 December 2022

Second Application Period: From 21 November 2022 to 20 January 2023
Notification of the admission: 17 February 2023

Third Application Period: From 23 January to 24 March 2023
Notification of the admission: 21 April 2023

Applications received after 24 March 2023 will be reviewed on a rolling basis depending on the places available in the programme.

Global health scholarship programme 2023-24

The 2023-24 programme will accept applications from 16 December 2022 - 3 March 2023. 

PLEASE NOTE: In order to apply for the Global Health Scholarship programme, candidates must be previously accepted to the Master of Global Health in one of the first two admissions periods (application submitted on or before 20 January).

What does the scholarship cover?

The global health scholarship covers the total tuition fee and the University taxes when registering for the Master’s degree programme. The scholarship does not cover any other expenses related to participation in the Master’s degree programme. 

The scholarship awardee is responsible for all other expenses, including, but not restricted to, visa application fees, travel, accommodation, local transportation, living expenses, and insurance. The awardee is also expected to have their own laptop computer and to be responsible for any other materials necessary for participation in the programme.

Who is eligible to apply?

Scholarship applicants should have already applied for and been accepted into the Master’s degree programme. They must be nationals of and reside in one of the following sub-Saharan countries:  

What is the selection process?

PLEASE NOTE: In order to apply for the Global Health Scholarship Programme, candidates must be previously accepted to the Master of Global Health in one of the first two admissions periods (application submitted on or before 20 January).

The selection process has three phases:

Phase I: Global Health Scholarship Application

From 16 December 2022 - 3 March 2023 interested candidates who have already been accepted into the Master’s degree programme may apply for the scholarship here, by submitting the following items to the Scholarship Selection Committee:

• Scholarship programme application form including a video of no more than 03:00 minutes* in which the candidate addresses the following questions:
  • Why are you applying for the Global Health Scholarship?
  • How will attending the Master’s degree contribute to the development of your career?
  • How do you see yourself contributing to addressing the most pressing issues related to health equity in your community (local, national, regional, or global)?; And
• Two letters of recommendation (professional or academic), focused on the candidate’s work or studies in global health or closely related fields. Letters must be sent directly by referees to formacion@isglobal.org and must include the full name, title, institution, email and telephone contact of the referee.

 
Videos will be evaluated according to a rubric that includes the following criteria:

• Oral presentation 
• Argument(s)
• Supporting evidence

Deadline to apply is 3 March 2023, midnight Central European Time (CET). Incomplete and/or late applications will not be considered.

*Candidates are strongly encouraged to submit a video. However, in the case that this is not possible for technical reasons they may submit a written response addressing the same three questions of no more than 750 words.

Phase II: Finalist Interviews

Finalist candidates for the Global Health Scholarship will be invited to participate in a 30 minute interview prior to final selection.

Phase III: Announcement of Scholarship Awardees and Confirmation of Acceptance

The candidates selected for the scholarship will be informed on or before 1 April 2023. Given the high level of demand for the Global Health Scholarship and the limited resources available, we require Scholarship Awardees to demonstrate their ability to attend the Master’s degree programme by 1 June 2023. In the case that they are not able to attend the programme, the scholarship will be transferred to the first candidate on the waiting list.

By 1 June 2023 Scholarship awardees must:

• Have their official academic documents submitted to and accepted by the University of Barcelona Faculty of Medicine; and
• Have proof of a student visa for study in Spain.

If either of these conditions is not met by 1 June the scholarship will be revoked and passed to the first person on the waiting list.

What Do Our Scholars Say?