Global Health & Social Medicine

Course detail Description

Modern society recognises the importance of health and has created supportive healthcare systems to maintain welfare and to tackle diseases. These systems are not only ‘medical’, such as training and certifying doctors, networks of general practitioners, hospitals and specialised clinics, they are also ‘social’, covering the provision of clean water, food and sanitation, the design of accommodation, education in child development and the promotion of health and hygiene.

The Global Health & Social Medicine BSc is an interdisciplinary degree course that creates unique opportunities to combine social sciences with an introduction to key areas of medicine. This course will provide you with the intellectual skills, practical knowledge and research techniques required for independent critical thinking and analysis.

Students on the Global Health & Social Medicine with a Year Abroad BSc will spend their third year studying abroad before returning to complete a final year with King’s. Students on the three year course may transfer to the four year Global Health & Social Medicine with a Year Abroad BSc. Studying abroad will be dependent on levels of achievement in second year modules.

Teaching

You will be taught through a combination of lectures, seminars and small group tutorials.

Typically, one credit equates to 10 hours of work.

Assessment

You will be assessed through a range of techniques including examinations, coursework and tutorial participation.

Location

This course is delivered across three campuses – the Strand Campus, the Guy’s Campus and the Waterloo Campus. All are close to the River Thames, with facilities offered by the university easily available and also the cultural attractions of the South Bank and Covent Garden close by. The library and computing facilities are readily accessible together with the opportunity to use the University of London Library at Senate House.

Other related courses

• Global Health & Social Medicine BA
• Social Sciences BA
• Geography BA
• Geography BSc
• Neuroscience BSc
• Pharmacology BSc

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Structure

• Year 1
• Year 2
• Year 3
• Year 4

Year 1

Courses are divided into modules. Each year you will normally take modules totalling 120 credits.

King’s College London reviews the modules offered on a regular basis to provide up-to-date, innovative and relevant courses of study. Therefore, modules offered may change. We suggest you keep an eye on this course page for updates.

Required Modules

You are required to take the following modules:

• Introduction To Global Health 1 (15 credits)
• Introduction To Global Health 2 (15 credits)
• Introduction to Social Medicine 1(15 credits)
• Introduction to Social Medicine 2 (15 credits )
• Research Practice & Design Studio (30 credits)

You are also required to select one of the below biomedical pathways to follow throughout your degree from and take 30 credits from that pathway to make up 25% of your first year of study:

Neuroscience pathway

You are required to take the following modules:

• Cell Biology & Neuroscience (15 credits)

• Fundamentals of Pharmacology (15 credits)

Pharmacology pathway

You are required to take the following modules:

• Fundamentals of Pharmacology (15 credits)

• Cell Biology and Neuroscience (15 credits)

Ageing pathway

You are required to take the following modules:

• Cell Biology & Neuroscience (15 credits)

• Genetics & Molecular Biology (15 credits)

Optional Modules There are no optional modules during your first year.

Year 2 Required Modules You are required to take the following modules:

• Key Concepts In Global Health (30 credits)
• Key Concepts in Social Medicine (30 credits)
• The Dissertation Laboratory (15 credits)

You are also required to take an approved optional module from the list below:

• Applied Health and Social Statistics (15 credits)
• Qualitative Research Methods: Analysing Data (15 credits)

Optional Modules

In addition, you are required to take further optional modules according to your selected pathway. Optional modules may typically include:

Neuroscience

• Neuroscience (30 credits)

Pharmacology

• Drugs & Disease (various)
• Physiology & Pharmacology of the Central Nervous System (15 credits)

Ageing

• The Immune System in Health & Disease (15 credits)
• Human Nutrition (15 credits)

Year 3

Global Health & Social Medicine BSc

If you are studying the three year BSc, you will take the final year modules in your third year.

Required Modules

You are required to study the following modules:

• Contemporary Crises in Global Health & Social Medicine (15 credits)
• Dissertation in Global Health & Social Medicine (30 credits)

Optional Modules

In addition you are required to take 30 credits from your chosen biomedical pathway and a further 45 credits from a range of optional modules which may typically include:

• Personalised Medicine, Genomics and Policy (15 credits)
• Global Ageing and Public Policy (15 credits)
• War, Mental Health & Social Ruptures (15 credits)

Global Health & Social Medicine with a Year Abroad BSc

Students on the four year course will spend their third year studying abroad before returning to complete a final year with King’s. This will depend on levels of achievement in first and second year modules and being accepted by a partner university.

Our partner institutions currently include:

• University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill
• University of Melbourne
• Western University
• National University of Singapore
• Johns Hopkins University - Baltimore

Year 4 Global Health & Social Medicine with a Year Abroad BSc

Students on the four year course will spend their third year studying abroad before returning to complete a final year with King’s.

Required Modules You are required to study the following modules:

• Contemporary Crises in Global Health & Social Medicine (15 credits)
• Dissertation in Global Health & Social Medicine (30 credits)

Optional Modules In addition you are required to take 30 credits from your chosen biomedical pathway and a further 45 credits from a range of optional modules which may typically include:

• Global Ageing and Public Policy (15 credits)
• Personalised Medicine, Genomics and Policy (15 credits)
• War, Mental Health & Social Ruptures (15 credits)