Education can help you change the world – all from your own home

Dr Michael Dillon is empowering people worldwide to explore the University’s global health programme – now delivered exclusively online
Woman student on laptop smiling

Education can help you change the world – all from your own home

Dr Michael Dillon is empowering people worldwide to explore the University’s global health programme – now delivered exclusively online
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Nelson Mandela once said:
"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world."
But when there are so many challenges – political, scientific and health-related – knowing where to start can feel overwhelming.
On the International Day of Education (24 January), it’s important to remember that meaningful change doesn’t begin somewhere far away. Impact on any scale starts with each of us, in our own communities, homes and workplaces.
That’s especially true for global health. Despite the word global, its essence is local: the challenges faced in one place are connected to those everywhere else. You don’t need to travel across the world to make a difference; it starts at home.
Male engineer wearing hard hat next to wind farm
Getty image 157534299. World with a stethoscope. Research Festival 2021.  How can personal behavioural change tackle global health challenges? 
Business student at computer

What is global health?

Global health is about achieving equity in health for all people, locally and globally. Rather than focusing solely on healthcare delivery, it takes a broader view, considering the social, cultural, economic and environmental factors that shape health outcomes. By its nature, global health is truly interdisciplinary.
This year, the University of Plymouth’s MSc Global Health is being delivered fully online for the first time, opening up postgraduate study to learners anywhere in the world. Wherever you are based, you can study with us in Plymouth and apply what you learn directly to your own context.
Find out more

MSc Global Health (online)
The programme features contributions from 35 experts across the University, including microbiologists specialising in infectious disease, dietitians working to improve food systems, and creative writers who explore attitudes to climate change through poetry across cultures.
It is open to graduates from any discipline – including health, marine science, geography, engineering and business – as well as professionals already working, or hoping to work, in global health.
Pair of hands holding the world
Woman on laptop smiling

How does the programme work?

The course is delivered asynchronously, with new material released every two weeks. This allows you to study around your existing commitments, at a pace that works for you, without compromising on interaction or support.
Learning combines expert-led teaching, interactive activities and guided independent study, alongside online discussion forums and collaborative tasks. Through message boards and live chat spaces, you’ll engage with tutors and peers from around the world, forming part of a diverse international cohort.
Whether you choose to study full-time or part-time, you’ll benefit from a structured learning experience designed to keep you connected, supported and never studying alone, even whilst learning from home.
What you learn can then be applied immediately to your own context, drawing on your lived experience and the community around you, to support the place you call home.
Because local is global. The world doesn’t start somewhere else, it starts at home, in our communities and in the choices we make.

Find out more

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Study MSc Global Health (online)

Health and medicine at PUPSMD

Read about all courses in the Faculty of Health

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Postgraduate open evening