About the programme
The demand for Global Health experts have never been more urgent. Persistent health inequities impede sustainable development, leading to widening gaps in disease burden, access to care, and life expectancy within and between countries. The climate crisis, pandemics, chronic diseases, fragile systems, conflict, migration, and rapid technological change show that health challenges are borderless and interconnected. As a Global Health student you will obtain the skills to analyse these complexities and the competencies to act across disciplines and levels to achieve change.
What makes the programme at UCPH unique?
The programme brings together students from around the world with a range of academic backgrounds and lived experiences, creating a truly international and transdisciplinary learning environment. Through hands-on, case-based teaching - including a country exposure course and the possibility of doing an internship – you gain practical experience in real-world settings. Providing you with advanced analytical and problem-solving competences.What specialisations does the field of study offer?
After completing mandatory courses of the first year of study, you will tailor your second year by choosing electives and summer school courses as well as internship and thesis projects in the direction of your interest, for example within policy, financing and health care systems; disease burden, challenges and changes; e-health and disaster risk management.Admission and application
To apply for admission to the master's programme, you must be enrolled in or have completed either a qualifying bachelor's programme or another relevant Danish or foreign degree programme which the admission board asess fulfil the adacemic requirements.
You apply for admission through the application portal.
Below you can read more about the admission requirements for the programme including which documents you must upload along with your application.
Educational background
You must meet a number of admission requirements, to apply for the master’s programme. We do not offer pre-assessment of your educational background.
You can read about the various admission requirements below:
If you have completed one of the following bachelor’s degrees and meet the language requirements – English B – you automatically fulfil all the academic admission requirements.
From a Danish University:
- Public Health Science
- Sociology
- Geography and Geoinformatics
- Political Science
- Anthropology
- Health Informatics
- Psychology
- Dental Surgery
- Veterinary Medicine
- Food and Nutrition
- Development Studies
- Biology
- Medicine
- Professional bachelor’s degree in Nursing
- Professional bachelor’s degree in Global Nutrition and Health
- (Moderatorship) in Microbiology
- Language and International Studies
- Law; Criminology
- International Social and Health Cooperation and Conflict Resolution
- Nutrition and Dietetics
- Dentist
- Public Affairs
If you hold a bachelor’s degree, a professional bachelor’s degree or an equivalent qualification from a Danish or international university not listed above, you are eligible for admission if the degree is within the following areas:
- Social sciences
- Health sciences
- Life sciences
Furthermore, the applicant must have obtained at least 5 ECTS in qualitative research methods and 5 ECTS in quantitative research methods.
You must also meet the language requirements for English B.
You must have earned your bachelor’s degree within a maximum of 5 years prior to the start of the first semester of your master’s programme, e.g. for the intake in the autumn of 2026, you must have graduated by September 2021 or thereafter. In exceptional circumstances the Admissions Committee may waive the graduation year requirement.
If your bachelor’s degree is older than 5 years, you can apply for an exemption from the graduation year requirement.
If you choose to apply for an exemption, you must submit the following documents along with your application for admission:
- A letter explaining how you have maintained your academic qualifications since graduation (e.g., relevant work, internships, further studies)
- Relevant documentation (e.g., work contracts, diplomas etc.).
Documentation
As part of your application, you must include a number of documents, which vary depending on your educational background.
Below, you can see what documentation you need to enclose your application.
If your study programme automatically meets the admission requirements, you must upload the following documents with your application:
Compulsory
- Transcript of records
- Course descriptions for passed courses
- Self-assessment form
- Description of academic relevance
- Proof of language proficiency
- CV (Curriculum Vitae)
- Copy of passport/national ID card
If relevant with your background:
- Proof of passed master's courses, incl. course descriptions
- Receipt of payment of application deposit
f you have another Danish or international education, you must upload the following documents with your application:
Compulsory
- Transcript of records
- Description of grading scale and points system
- Course descriptions for passed courses
- Self-assessment form
- Description of academic relevance
- Proof of language proficiency
- CV (Curriculum Vitae)
- Copy of passport/national ID card
If relevant with your background:
- Proof of passed master's courses, incl. course descriptions
- Receipt of payment of application deposit
Application deadlines
Study start in September
1 March at 23:59
Application deadline for Danish applicants and applicants from within the EU, EEA and Switzerland.
Open for applications from 16 January. You will receive a reply by 15 May.
15 January at 23:59
Application deadline for applicants from outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland.
Open for applications from 15 November. You will receive a reply by 13 March.
How we prioritise your application
Find information about available places on the study programme, as well as the distribution of students admitted last year.
| Admission statistics Global Health 2026 | |
|---|---|
| Available study places | 40 |
| Admission statistics Global Health 2025 | |
|---|---|
| Admitted (of which have start in February) | 38 (0) |
| Admission distribution (legal right/other) | 0% / 100% |
| Applicants | 428 |
| Age average | 26 |
| Nationality (dk/international) | 29% / 71% |
If the number of qualified applicants exceeds the number of available places, applicants will be prioritised according to the following criteria:
- Applicants will be prioritised if they can demonstrate comprehensive knowledge and skills within qualitative and quantitative methodology, based on relevant course activity, research and/or work experience.
- Relevant internships and/or work and relevant stays abroad
- grade point average from the bachelor’s degree
How to apply
The documentation requirements depend on your applicant category. Select the category below that applies to you and find out what documents you need and how to apply for admission.
5 quick questions and answers
Starting in 2028, you can apply for focused 1-year master’s degrees, 2-year master’s degrees, and several new types of degrees for working professionals, combining study and relevant work.
The new master’s opportunities are relevant for you if you wish to apply for a master’s degree from 2028.
Your bachelor’s degree is the basis for assessing if you meet the admission requirements for the master’s degree.
In the curriculum you can see how many ECTS credits from other courses can be included in addition to your bachelor’s degree. These courses must be completed before you complete the bachelor’s degree. Courses completed between your bachelor’s and master’s degree cannot be included in the assessment.
If you are a citizen of a country outside the EU, EEA, or Switzerland, you must pay the application deposit and tuition fee.
If you want to apply for admission to a master’s degree or to apply for re-admission, study change, transfer, or re-enrolment at the University of Copenhagen, you must apply through the application portal.
Once you have submitted your application, you can follow the application in the application portal.
See the guide to the application portal
Read more about applying for re-admission, study change, transfer, and re-enrolment
Programme structure
The MSc in Global Health is a 2-year programme taught in English, with approximately 40 students enrolled per year.
The programme is research-based using teaching approaches such as interactive, discussion-based lectures, case-based teamwork, site visits, and student engagement in research projects:
- 50 % mandatory courses
- 25 % elective courses / specialisation
- 25% thesis
2nd year
| 1st semester | 2nd semester |
|---|---|
| Specialisation | Thesis |
In the first year, all coursework is mandatory.
During the first semester you will be introduced to Global Health, including its history, and current challenges as well as health research methodology and ethical conduct of research.
This is followed by courses that zoom in on how sustainability, climate change, and planetary health dynamics as well as partners, policies and health care systems influence health in a given context.
During the second semester Country Exposure course, students are divided into two groups visiting two different settings outside Denmark for approximately one month.
During your country exposure, you will work on different aspects of global health in collaboration with a local partner. On return, you will apply your gained practical experience as you explore health care practices and perceptions in a social and political context as well as strategies for health promotion and disease prevention.
The country exposure course is divided into the following parts:
- one week pre-departure course
- two weeks of self-study and teamwork
- a four week stay at a destination outside Denmark
- time to finalize the exam assignments (a Proposal Concept Note and Reflection Notes).
Three weeks of preparation
The preparation for the country exposure course takes place in Copenhagen. Lectures, presentations, and group work around specific cases will prepare you in applied research methodologies, building on previous courses.
Four weeks at your destination
Country Exposure takes place outside of Denmark. Examples of destinations in 2025 are Poland and Nepal, but the destinations may vary.
Below you find examples of previous country exposures.
During the stay at your destination, you will:
- study national health policies, health care systems, health-related challenges and interventions.
- visit health and human rights-related institutions and sites
- partake in classroom-based teaching and supervision
- collaborate with in-country partners and your team to develop a Proposal Concept Note
- continue working on your individual Reflection Notes
Finalising the Proposal Concept Note and Reflection Notes
After the four-week stay at your destination, you will have time to finalize the Proposal Concept Note with your team and the individual Reflection Notes until the given exam submission date.
Expenses
The costs of teaching and learning activities will be covered both in Copenhagen and at your destination.
Course participants will cover the costs of international travel and public transport at your destination, as well as insurance, vaccinations, food, and lodging.
These costs depend on the destination, e.g. destinations in Europe will be less expensive than destinations outside of Europe.
Video: Impressions from Country Exposure in Warszawa
After completing the compulsory courses and country exposure course, you specialise your global health studies.
You can enroll in the Disaster Risk Management specialisation or design your own specialisation, for example within:
- Policy, Financing and Health Care Systems
- Disease Burden, Challenges and Changes
- E-health and ICT in Health
- Generalist
The structure gives you the flexibility to build a profile that aligns with your academic and professional goals.
During your third semester, you can do an internship as part of your chosen study track.
An internship provides a unique opportunity to gain experience and put the knowledge, skills and competences acquired in the course of your studies into practice in a real-life work context.
It is up to you to identify and decide on the topic and kind of organisation and setting you would like to try out.
You can find inspiration and information about opportunities via the links below.
Course description: 10 ECTS Internship
Elective courses can be taken at the University of Copenhagen or at other institutions in Denmark or abroad. Elective courses can also be combined with an internship.
The programme offers a variety of elective courses in cooperation with other programmes at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, for instance, the Master of Disaster Management.
It is possible to study abroad during your degree, and your third semester is best suited for it. Alternatively, you can choose to write part of your thesis abroad. It is also possible to take a summer course as an alternative to an elective.
Why Study Abroad?
A main objective of studying abroad is to further widen your academic knowledge and network. You are also likely to benefit socially and culturally.
It is a good idea to seek advice from lecturers and the student guidance when planning your studies abroad to find out where to go and how to structure your academic programme. Your lecturers may have academic inputs, international contacts and may be able to provide you with references which can prove useful.
Exchange Agreements
The University of Copenhagen has an extensive number of exchange agreements with universities world wide.
You write your thesis during your fourth semester (30 ECTS). The thesis is the culmination of your studies and must reflect the skills and competencies, which you have acquired during the programme.
At the beginning of the second semester, you will start considering the topic of your thesis as part of your study track plan.
The thesis must:
- Be relevant to global health problems
- Have a clear problem definition and clear objective(s)
- Be based on relevant and clearly described materials and methods
- Present its results in a clear and balanced form
- Present a balanced discussion of materials, methods and results, and relate this to other relevant literature within the field.
Programme Curriculum
If you are more interested in the academic content, regulations, and examination requirements, you should consult the curriculum, which serves as the legal foundation for the programme.
There is both a curriculum specific to each degree programme and a general curriculum that applies across the faculty.
Please note that curricula are often revised annually. Any new versions will be published no later than during the spring semester.
Career opportunities
When completing the programme, you will graduate with the title cand.scient. in Global Health.
The MSc in Global Health provides you with strong analytical, methodological, and practical competencies that prepare you for a wide range of career paths in an increasingly interconnected world.
Graduates are in high demand and offer valuable skills and knowledge to urgent challenges and crisis, which are central on the global agenda.
Globally, there is a great inequality in health status and this inequality is a barrier for development. Better health provides economic development, quality of life, and safety.
The health status of populations and individuals is increasingly dependent on processes at a global level:
- Increased physical mobility; voluntarily (e.g. in the form of increased travel) and involuntarily (e.g. in connection with disasters and conflicts) resulting in new distribution patterns of infectious diseases.
- Urbanization and increasing population sizes, which causes increased pressure on existing resources, including water, forests, and farmland.
- Social mobility; disease patterns are changing rapidly in low and middle income countries in the context of the economic and climatic development. This requires adaptation of health systems and educational institutions.
- Intensified over-national cooperation is increasingly affecting the national political and economic framework. For example, regarding food production and food security, trade and distribution of medicines.
Additionally, a rapid development is occurring in technologies for prevention and treatment; creating new opportunities for health, including medical tourism and distant diagnosis and treatment.
Strong analytical and practical skills
Throughout the programme you develop advanced competencies to navigate responsibly and effectively in unfamiliar global settings, staying reflective about your own position in global health.
You will obtain skills to collect, process, and evaluate global health related data and learn to apply your findings to concrete challenges and to design innovative, evidence-based solutions.
You will also gain experience with complex problem solving, allowing you to explore global health questions in depth and from multiple disciplinary perspectives.
What you will be able to do as a graduate
As a graduate in Global Health, you will be able to:
Design, conduct, and coordinate scientifically rigorous and ethically justified research.
Evaluate the effects of evidence-based interventions in diverse health settings.
Assess, validate and disseminate existing data to advance understanding of key health challenges.
Advise on and formulate responses to complex global health practice and policy challenges at local, national, and global levels.
Communicate knowledge and findings effectively to varied audiences using multiple communication strategies.
Plan and implement innovative initiatives and long-term strategies to improve health, prevent disease, and strengthen health systems.
Lead and collaborate in transdisciplinary teams, ensuring constructive and equitable cooperation across professions and cultures.
Promote equity, justice, and dignity through evidence-informed professional practice.
Manage and contribute to international health partnerships with integrity, respect, and cultural sensitivity.
A broad and growing job market
Global Health graduates are in high demand across sectors. Your ability to recognise, analyse, and address global health challenges from an evidence-based, culturally grounded, and interdisciplinary perspective makes you a valuable contributor to issues high on the global agenda.
Depending on your interests and specialisation, the MSc in Global Health programme can lead your career in many directions and to jobs in different sectors.
Examples of relevant workplaces at home and abroad include:
- Bilateral and multilateral development agencies
- NGOs
- Consulting firms
- Pharmaceutical and medical companies
- The food industry
- Government bodies and public authorities
- Higher education and research Institutions
- Patient organisations
- Health facilities
- Donor and funding agencies
Alumni interviews
Interview with Sitheni Mthimkhulu
UCPH Global Health Alumni 2018
Interview with Thomas Rahbek
UCPH Global Health Alumni 2017
Student life
When you study Global Health, you will be part of an divers, international and vibrant study environment both academically and socially.
Many students are engaged in various extracurricular activities, for example, sports, social events, and the student blog Eye on Global Health where they write about topics related to global health. The School of Global Health has a yearly Global Health film festival.
Student blog: Eye on Global HealthGlobal Health Film Days
Campus
The majority of the teaching takes place at the City Campus called Centre for Health and Society (often referred to by its Danish abbreviation CSS), which is located in central Copenhagen.
Global Health students share the campus with students from the Master's programmes in Disaster Management as well as BSc and MSc students from the programmes of Public Health, Health Informatics, Anthropology, Sociology, Political Science, Economy, Psychology and more.
Student life at UCPH
Read about student life at UCPH
What is student life like across the rest of the University of Copenhagen?
Find out where you can live, get more information about student grants (SU), student jobs, student discounts, and all the many other things that are part of student life.
Get to know City Campus
Teaching takes place at City Campus - located between the lakes and the Botanical Garden, close to Nørreport Station.
At City Campus, you will find degree programmes within social sciences, health sciences, and natural sciences.
Meet the students
Contact student guidance
Questions about study choice and admission
Our student guidance are ready to assist you with answers to your questions about:
- application procedure and the digital application portal
- admission- and language requirements
- documentation
- study life
- career opportunities
- study choice or doubts
Did you not find what you were looking for?
You can find answers to questions most often asked by potential students in the FAQ. Read the FAQ
Questions about the application portal?
Check out the guide to the application portalIn case of technical problems, contact IT-support:
Mail: it-service@adm.ku.dk
Tel: +45 35 32 32 32
Location
- City Campus, Øster Farimagsgade 5, DK-1357 København.
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