Master of Clinical Research: International Health Track

The principal objective of this Master's degree programme is to provide the clinical research competencies necessary to undertake doctoral studies to students with undergraduate studies in health sciences or biomedicine.

Dates: September - June
Tuition: 2.790 € + fees ( fees for EU students 2018-19)
Schedule: Full time
Timetable: 9:00-13:30h
Mode: Face-to-face
Language: English
Length: 1 academic year
Credits: 60 ECTS

International health is a discipline that systematically identifies and compares the factors affecting the health of all human populations, with special emphasis on health problems related to poverty in low and middle income countries and attention to issues of equitable access to health.

The key knowledge, skills and abilities of this discipline allow research and critical analysis related to principal health challenges, health determinants, health systems, health economics, health governance and policy, and health services management.

Researchers in the field of international health should have the skills to analyse and propose sustainable solutions for health problems in a wide range of social, political and economic contexts, especially when faced with diverse options and approaches. Researchers working in international health should have:

A sufficient level of expertise to analyse scientific evidence and generate new hypotheses
A sufficient level of training in research methodology to analyse, design and develop research projects in health systems, prevention, control and treatment of infectious and chronic diseases
A strong multidisciplinary background in health sciences and social sciences in order to interpret and apply the results of their research in local, national and international contexts and within complex situations.

Candidates

Candidates for this Master's degree should have an interest in clinical research in international health issues from a multidisciplinary perspective. The programme is intended for students who have completed a degree in health sciences or biomedicine, and who want to develop a research career in this field with an open mind and a willingness to work in diverse geographical, cultural and political-economic settings.

Registration

People interested in taking this Master must complete the application form so that we can contact them to indicate the website address to make the pre-enrolment, the opening date to make it and the required documentation:

Letter of motivation
C.V.

Learn more

http://www.ub.edu/estudis/en/mastersuniversitaris/recercaclinica/introduction

Students take 18 common credits, 24 credits in their speciality and 18 credits in the form of a final research project.

Common credits (18 ECTS)

This module is offered in both face-to-face and online formats.

Systems Medicine (6 ECTS)
Research Tools and Methodologies (6 ECTS)
Instruments of Design and Analysis for Research (6 ECTS)

Specialty credits: International health (24 ECTS)

Required (12 ECTS)

Bioethics (3 ECTS)
Health Systems and International Organisms in International Health (3 ECTS)
International Health Determinants (3 ECTS)
Principal Health Problems and Responses (3 ECTS)

Elective (12 ECTS to be chosen from the courses offered)

Applied Epidemiology in International Health (3 ECTS)
Chronic Diseases in a Globalised World (3 ECTS)
Clinical Trials (3 ECTS)
Development and Application of Vaccines in International Health (3 ECTS)
Environmental Epidemiology (3 ECTS)
Maternal and Reproductive Health in International Health (3 ECTS)
Qualitative Research Methods (3 ECTS)
Strategies for the Prevention and Control of Communicable Diseases (3 ECTS)

Final Master's project (18 ECTS)

For more information: http://www.ub.edu/medicina/masters/mrc/trabajo.html

Total (60 ECTS)

Final Master Projects

These are some examples of master final projects or published articles based on the final master projects from our graduates:

Horacio Vicioso (Master of Clinical Research, 2017-18)

Urban transport and health indicators: a literature review.

Anna Cusí (Master of Global Health, 2014)
Strategies to Increase Access to Hepatitis C Treatment: A Question of Price or Public Health?

Clara Pons Duran (Master of Clinical Research, 2015)
Association between HIV infection and socio-economic status: evidence from a semirural area of southern Mozambique (Tropical Medicine and International Health. DOI: 10.1111/tmi.12789)

Anjalene Whitter (Master of Clinical Research, 2015)
Major depressive disorder and suicidal behavior among urban dwelling Ethiopian adult outpatients at a general hospital (Journal of Affective Disorders. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2016.02.052)

April Buazón & Alberto Ayllón, Students of the 2017-2018 Class

Borja García, Student of the 2016-2017 Class

Irene Jimeno, Student of the 2016-2017 Class

Tatiana García, Student of the 2015-2016 Class

Ramón Díaz-Regañón, Student of the 2014-2015 Class

Fenella Beynon, Student of the 2014-2015 Class

Lucía Fernández, Student of the 2013-2014 Class

Sozinho Acacio, 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 2016, Dr Antoine Flahault, Director of the Institute of Global Health of Geneva, offered the Inaugural Lecture on the topic of “Precision Global Health Means Providing the Right Intervention to the Right Population at the Right Time”.

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) and a visit on to the medieval Monastery of Pedralbes as part of a series of events on the “History of Barcelona through Medicine”.