Programme Specification: MSc Health Economics, Policy and Management (modular)
1. Awarding Body
LSE
2. Details of accreditation by a
professional/statutory body, e.g. ESRC;
BPS etc
3. Name of final award
4. Programme Title
5. Duration of the course
6. Based in the Department/Institute:
7. Relevant QAA subject benchmark
statements
8. UCAS Code
9. First written/last amended
N/A
MSc
Health Economics, Policy and Management
24 months
Social Policy
N/A
L4HM
January 2009/November 2010
10. The programme aims to:
Teach students to analyse key health economics, policy and management issues through the
application of basic health economics and policy principles. This programme sets out to
broaden students’ understanding of health economics, policy and management through the
compulsory core courses of Health Economics, Resource Allocation and Cost-Effectiveness
Analysis, Financing Health Care and Health Administration and Management. Elective
options give students the opportunity to explore those areas they find of greatest interest
among health systems and policies, applied health economics, clinical trials or healthcare
information systems.
11. Programme outcomes: knowledge and understanding; skills and other attributes
At the end of the programme, and to the appropriate extent indicated by the MSc award,
students should demonstrate an understanding of how to conduct health economic evaluation,
the diversity and complexity of international health financing strategies, basic issues in health
management and an understanding of the disciplines required in formulating, implementing
and evaluating health policies and plans. They will also have developed further and more
specialised skills based upon the electives chosen in the programme’s second year. Students
will also have conducted an independent research project of their own choosing and thus will
develop the research and time management skills requisite for completing such an
assignment.
Many graduates will continue in their current careers of practicing medicine, health
administration, health management, Government Departments or Agencies, consultancies,
international organisations and the commercial health sector (ex. pharmaceutical companies,
private health insurance) upon completion of the degree. This degree is aimed to help those
who wish to make a shift within their career such as moving from conducting health economic
analysis to managing health economic analysis or from clinical trials research in an academic
setting to working at a pharmaceutical company. Others will enter into these fields for the first
time, into employment in research settings or begin further study for a doctorate.
Information relating to careers can be accessed here
12. Teaching, learning and assessment strategies to enable outcomes to be achieved
and demonstrated
Teaching and learning strategies:
 Various teaching, learning and assessment strategies are used to enable the
outcomes above to be achieved - lectures, seminars (both computer-based and
classroom-based depending on the topic), tutorials and self-directed study;
 Lecture formats are varied, including both traditional formats, audio visual and
1




electronic presentations;
Seminars are interactive and usually organised around themes for discussion or
readings; these aim to deepen and consolidate knowledge, and develop critical
awareness and communication skills;
Where applicable, some seminars involve the discussion of problem sets
Where applicable, seminars also aim to teach specific software packages for health
economic analysis such as Excel and STATA
One-to-one tutorials provide individual pastoral and academic support.
Assessment strategies:
 Mock examinations (formative)
 In-class exercises ranging from problem sets to essays (formative)
 Project essays(assessed)
 Essays (assessed)
 Examinations (assessed)
 Dissertation (summative)
13. Programme structures and requirements, levels, modules and awards
Programme regulations can be accessed here
Additional information
14. Criteria for admission to the programme
Students need a first degree in a relevant academic subject (science, medicine, economics,
other social sciences) at a standard equivalent to British university upper second-class
honours. Relevant professional experience will be highly valued in the selection process.
Particular attention is also given to referees’ reports and the personal statement provided by
the student.
15. Indicators of quality
The first intake of the programme begins in 2009-10:
 interest in this modular MSc degree has been high
 steady demand for the programme;
 high entry requirements;
 good examination results;
 favourable remarks from external examiners;
 students’ questionnaires via the Teaching Quality Assessment surveys.
The LSE Careers Centre website provides data on career destinations of LSE graduates.
16. Methods for evaluating and improving the quality and standard of teaching and
learning




the Department takes seriously the feedback on teaching quality provided by the
annual Teaching Quality Assessment survey of students;
each programme in the Department has one or two elected student representatives
who bring issues of concern to the staff member with management responsibility for
the Programme;
the Department holds termly staff-student meetings at which student representatives
from all programmes are able to raise issues of concern. Due to the modular nature
of this Progamme, the student-staff meetings may not be at convenient times for
student representatives to attend. Therefore, the programme director will take
forward suggestions and proposals to that meeting on behalf of the Programme
the Department has a Health teaching cluster; part of its remit is to maintain and
improve teaching quality
2




the Department has a Teaching Committee; part of its remit is to plan provision and
support innovation;
the Department (and School) takes seriously the feedback from external examiners;
comments made by external examiners are followed up within the Department and by
the School;
the School’s Teaching and Learning Development Office is available to monitor and
observe teaching and offers constructive advice on how to improve the standard of
teaching and quality.
every time the students are on campus we hold a programme meeting to discuss how
the Programme is going giving students a forum in which to discuss any feedback
with the programme directors
School mechanisms:
 regular staff appraisal and review;
 improvements in teaching technique by the Teaching and Learning Centre through
observations, advice and further training;
 induction programme and mentoring scheme for new members of staff;
 support of Occasional Teachers by the lecturer responsible for a particular module
plus the Occasional Teacher Tutor;
 centrally administered questionnaires by the Teaching Quality Assurance and Review
Office;
 an improved system for ensuring that External Examiners’
comments/recommendations are fed through to Departments and acted upon;
 the School’s Teaching Learning and Assessment Committee regulates all aspects of
teaching quality;
 The Graduate Studies Sub-Committee which oversees all postgraduate programmes
and ensures that significant changes to programmes and courses pass through a
sequence of formal stages so that curricular changes are appropriate and compatible
with other developments.
3