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What is LSHTM?
LSHTM is the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, a London-based institution focused on research and postgraduate education in public and global health. It is a specialist school rather than a general university, so its teaching and research centre on epidemiology, infectious disease, health policy, nutrition, and related social and laboratory sciences.
Who it suits
- Prospective postgraduate students aiming for careers in public health, epidemiology, global health policy, or tropical medicine.
- Researchers and practitioners looking for specialist training or collaboration in global health.
- Policy and NGO staff who want evidence-oriented short courses or formal qualifications.
Practical considerations
Because it is postgraduate-focused and specialist, it is a poor fit for someone seeking a broad undergraduate education or a general science degree. Applicants should check that their intended programme matches their background—many courses assume prior health, science, or social science training.
A useful next step is to browse the school's programme pages at LSHTM and compare entry requirements and study modes against your career goal.
What postgraduate degrees and short courses does LSHTM offer, and how do I apply?
LSHTM offers postgraduate education in public and global health: master's degrees, research degrees (MSc, MPhil/PhD), and short courses, with study modes including on-campus and distance learning. For the current course list, fees and entry requirements, use the official prospectus and course pages at LSHTM.
Degrees and short courses
- Taught master's (MSc): the main route for graduates moving into public health, epidemiology, global health or health economics. Typically one year full-time in London, with some distance-learning options.
- Research degrees (MPhil/PhD): for those aiming at research careers; entry usually requires a strong master's and a supervisor agreed in advance.
- Short courses and continuing professional development: focused modules for working health professionals who need specific skills rather than a full degree.
How to apply
Applications generally go through the online admissions system on the LSHTM site. Expect to provide transcripts, references, a personal statement and proof of English proficiency where relevant. Research applicants should contact potential supervisors before applying. Short courses often have separate, simpler application routes and earlier deadlines.
Choosing between them
If you are changing career direction, an MSc gives the broadest foundation. If you already work in health and need one skill, a short course is faster and cheaper in time. If you want to lead research, go straight to identifying a supervisor and funding.
Your next step: check the specific course page for entry requirements and deadlines, then confirm English-language and funding details before starting an application.
What research areas and global health projects is LSHTM known for?
LSHTM is best known for research and postgraduate training in public and global health, with particular strength in infectious disease epidemiology, tropical medicine, and the social and economic dimensions of health. Its work is organized around a few broad clusters rather than a single flagship project.
Research areas the school is associated with
- Infectious disease epidemiology, including malaria, tuberculosis, HIV and neglected tropical diseases.
- Tropical medicine and parasitology, reflecting its origins as a school of tropical medicine.
- Global and planetary health, including climate change and health, and environmental health.
- Health economics, policy and systems, with work on financing, universal health coverage and health security.
- Social sciences and medical anthropology, covering behaviour, gender, stigma and health inequalities.
- Medical statistics and data science, including clinical trials and modelling.
How the projects typically look
LSHTM's reputation comes less from named projects than from long-running collaborations: multi-country trials and cohort studies, field sites in Africa and Asia, and partnerships with national health ministries and international bodies. Much of the output is epidemiological evidence and trial results that feed into WHO guidance and national policy.
Who it matters to
Prospective postgraduate students and researchers should treat LSHTM as a specialist institution: strong for epidemiology, policy and field-based global health, less relevant if you want clinical training or laboratory science outside public health. Practitioners looking for collaborators or evidence should look at its research centres and faculty pages rather than expecting a single project list.
Next step: identify the specific disease or policy area you care about, then check the relevant faculty or centre page on LSHTM and its publications to see whether the work matches your interest.
How can I find and contact LSHTM faculty or research groups for collaboration?
The most reliable route is through LSHTM's own organisational pages rather than general email addresses. Start at LSHTM and look for the faculty and research section, where departments and centres are listed with their own pages; each typically names a head of group or a contact and describes current research themes. Use those pages to identify the specific group whose work matches yours before making contact.
A practical approach
- Match on topic, not institution. Search the site for your subject area (e.g. epidemiology, health economics, vector biology) and shortlist two or three groups whose published work overlaps yours.
- Read the group's recent output first. Naming a specific paper or project in your message shows you have done the homework and gives the recipient an obvious reason to reply.
- Write to a named person. A short message to the group lead or a researcher whose work you cite is far more likely to land than a message to a departmental inbox.
- State the collaboration concretely. Say what you bring (data, cohort access, methods, funding, setting) and what you are asking for (a short call, a joint proposal, a visiting arrangement).
What to put in the first message
- One sentence on who you are and your institution.
- Two or three sentences on your work and why this group specifically.
- A clear, small ask: a 20-minute call or a pointer to the right person.
- A one-page CV or a link to your profile.
Trade-offs to weigh
| Route | Best for | Limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Named researcher or group lead | Specific, topic-matched collaboration | Response depends on individual availability |
| Departmental or centre contact | General enquiries, unclear fit | Slower, may be redirected |
| Institutional research office | Formal partnerships, contracts, visiting appointments | Less useful for early-stage scientific discussion |
For formal or funded partnerships, the institutional research office is the right channel, since agreements and data-sharing arrangements usually need institutional sign-off; for scientific conversation, go directly to the researcher.
As a next step, draft a five-sentence email around one named paper from your shortlisted group, and send it to that paper's corresponding author rather than a general address.
What funding, scholarships, or tuition information is available for studying at LSHTM?
The site provides limited tuition and funding detail in the supplied page evidence, so treat the following as a practical route rather than a confirmed price list. LSHTM is a postgraduate-focused public and global health school, so prospective students should expect programme-specific fees and a mix of internal awards and external funding.
What to check first
- Programme page fees: Tuition usually varies by programme, mode (full-time/part-time), and fee status (Home/Overseas). Confirm the exact fee on the specific course page rather than a general page.
- Scholarships and bursaries: Look for LSHTM's own awards, which are often tied to specific master's programmes or eligibility criteria (e.g., low- and middle-income country applicants).
- External funding: Many students use government loans, employer sponsorship, or research council and charity funding; eligibility depends on nationality and course.
Who this suits
- Self-funded applicants: Start with the programme fee and any departmental bursary, then compare with external loan options.
- International students: Check country-specific and global health funding schemes early, as deadlines often precede admission.
- Part-time or distance learners: Confirm whether fees are charged per module or per year.
Practical next step
Open the LSHTM fees and funding pages via LSHTM and note the fee status and deadline for your chosen programme. As a decision criterion: if a scholarship deadline is earlier than your admission decision, apply to the scholarship in parallel rather than waiting for an offer.
How can I access LSHTM's public health resources, events, or expert commentary?
LSHTM's public-facing material is spread across its main site rather than gathered in one portal. For most readers, the quickest route is the news and expert-commentary sections of LSHTM, which publish research summaries, faculty commentary on current health issues, and announcements of seminars and lectures. If you want structured learning rather than news, look for its free online courses and open-access research outputs, which sit alongside the paid postgraduate programmes.
Practical routes, by what you need
- Expert commentary for a story or briefing: start with the news/press area and the staff directory, where you can identify researchers by topic (epidemiology, health economics, infectious disease) and contact them directly. Journalists usually get a faster response by quoting a deadline.
- Events: the events calendar lists public lectures and seminars, many now hybrid or recorded. Check whether registration is required and whether recordings are posted afterwards.
- Learning resources: free courses (for example on infectious disease modelling or epidemiology basics) suit professionals who need a refresher without enrolling in a degree. Open-access papers via the research repository suit anyone comfortable reading primary literature.
- For prospective students: the postgraduate pages cover programme structure and entry requirements; use open days and taster lectures to judge fit before applying.
A concrete example
A local health journalist needs a quote on a measles outbreak. The efficient path is the news/press contact plus the staff directory filtered to vaccine epidemiology, not the general enquiries form. A district health officer wanting training, by contrast, is better served by the free-course listings than by the events calendar.
How to choose
| Your goal | Best starting point | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Timely expert quote | News/press area, staff directory | Response depends on individual availability |
| Attend or watch a talk | Events calendar | Recordings may lag or be limited |
| Build skills | Free online courses | Less depth and no formal credential |
| Read primary research | Open-access repository | Requires technical background |
Next step
Decide whether you need a person, an event, or a learning resource, then go straight to that section rather than browsing the homepage. For a citable expert, email two or three named researchers with a short, specific question and your deadline; that outperforms a general enquiry.
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