THE UNIVERSITY of EDINBURGH

DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2025/2026

Timetable information in the Course Catalogue may be subject to change.

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DRPS : DPTs : School of Social and Political Science DPTs

Jump to: Year 1, Year 2, Year 3

Year 1 Academic year: 2025/26, Starting in: September

To achieve the MSc in Global Challenges you must complete the 3 Postgraduate Certificates (PgCerts) shown below. These are represented by 3 separate collections of core courses and 1 collection of elective courses. The PgCerts can be studied in any order, but you must complete one before moving onto another. Each PgCert is worth 60 credits (you need 180 to achieve the MSc). When studying on a part time intermittent basis, you will normally complete 1 PgCert in a maximum of 2 years and subsequently complete the MSc within 3-6 years.

Students are required to complete a minimum of 40 credits every 2 years.

Students who have completed 120 credits and meet the eligibility criteria may apply to undertake a SLICC (Student-Led Individually Created Course) instead of an elective (20 credits).

There are no compulsory courses in this year of this programme.

Course options

Ecosystem Values and Management

Global Environment Challenges

OR

Global Health Challenges: An Introduction

Evaluation of Global Health & Development Programmes

OR

Analysing Development (Distance Learning)

Global Development Challenges (Distance Learning)

AND

Not all electives may run in a given year and places may be limited.

Displacement and Development (ODL)

Sustainability and Social Responsibility (PG)

Maternal and Child Health in a Global Context

Migration and Health

Global Challenges in Healthy Ageing

Politics and Theories of International Development (Distance Learning)

Dynamics of African Development

Leadership and Management in Public Health

Nutrition for Food Security

Innovation in Sustainable Food Systems

Understanding Planetary Health & Data: An Introduction to the Concepts and Themes

Making science relevant to policy and decision-making

Year 2 Academic year: 2025/26, Starting in: September

To achieve the MSc in Global Challenges you must complete the 3 Postgraduate Certificates (PgCerts) shown below. These are represented by 3 separate collections of core courses and 1 collection of elective courses. The PgCerts can be studied in any order, but you must complete one before moving onto another. Each PgCert is worth 60 credits (you need 180 to achieve the MSc). When studying on a part time intermittent basis, you will normally complete 1 PgCert in a maximum of 2 years and subsequently complete the MSc within 3-6 years.

Students are required to complete a minimum of 40 credits every 2 years.

Students who have completed 120 credits and meet the eligibility criteria may apply to undertake a SLICC (Student-Led Individually Created Course) instead of an elective (20 credits).

There are no compulsory courses in this year of this programme.

Course options

Ecosystem Values and Management

Global Environment Challenges

OR

Global Health Challenges: An Introduction

Evaluation of Global Health & Development Programmes

OR

Analysing Development (Distance Learning)

Global Development Challenges (Distance Learning)

AND

Not all electives may run in a given year and places may be limited.

Displacement and Development (ODL)

Sustainability and Social Responsibility (PG)

Maternal and Child Health in a Global Context

Migration and Health

Global Challenges in Healthy Ageing

Politics and Theories of International Development (Distance Learning)

Dynamics of African Development

Leadership and Management in Public Health

Nutrition for Food Security

Innovation in Sustainable Food Systems

Understanding Planetary Health & Data: An Introduction to the Concepts and Themes

Making science relevant to policy and decision-making

Year 3 Academic year: 2025/26, Starting in: September

To achieve the MSc in Global Challenges you must complete the 3 Postgraduate Certificates (PgCerts) shown below. These are represented by 3 separate collections of core courses and 1 collection of elective courses. The PgCerts can be studied in any order, but you must complete one before moving onto another. Each PgCert is worth 60 credits (you need 180 to achieve the MSc). When studying on a part time intermittent basis, you will normally complete 1 PgCert in a maximum of 2 years and subsequently complete the MSc within 3-6 years.

Students are required to complete a minimum of 40 credits every 2 years.

Students who have completed 120 credits and meet the eligibility criteria may apply to undertake a SLICC (Student-Led Individually Created Course) instead of an elective (20 credits).

There are no compulsory courses in this year of this programme.

Course options

Ecosystem Values and Management

Global Environment Challenges

OR

Global Health Challenges: An Introduction

Evaluation of Global Health & Development Programmes

OR

Analysing Development (Distance Learning)

Global Development Challenges (Distance Learning)

AND

Not all electives may run in a given year and places may be limited.

Displacement and Development (ODL)

Sustainability and Social Responsibility (PG)

Maternal and Child Health in a Global Context

Migration and Health

Global Challenges in Healthy Ageing

Politics and Theories of International Development (Distance Learning)

Dynamics of African Development

Leadership and Management in Public Health

Nutrition for Food Security

Innovation in Sustainable Food Systems

Understanding Planetary Health & Data: An Introduction to the Concepts and Themes

Making science relevant to policy and decision-making

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