Specialized Master in Public Health Methodology

The Specialized Master in Public Health Methodology aims at developing and reinforcing methodological skills of public health actors, with a focus on middle- and low-income countries issues but not limited to.
The programme is intended for various health professionals, who work at different levels of the health system: medical doctors; nurses and other paramedical with complementary training in research; social sciences professionals involved in public health; biostatisticians and public health researchers; decision makers and executives... The goal is to acquire high-quality scientific skills needed for the development of analytical and specialized approaches. The targeted skills tend towards the achievement of an overall objective intended to: "ensure methodological approaches and public health decision-makings, consistent with the needs of populations, communities and individuals."

The programme consists in lectures, practical exercises as well as in-group and individual assignments and presentations.
At the end of the programme, the Master's thesis consists in producing an individual work which will be an integration of the several methods and concepts viewed during the year (biostatistics, epidemiology, public health systems…). It will be based on preexisting databases. A PhD project may also be prepared for the thesis evaluation with the support of teachers.

This Specialized Master thus addresses methodologies of analysis and investigation of major health problems, including a global health approach. It also intends to give to the learners a strong basis for a systemic understanding of health problems as well as contextual and environmental factors that may determine answers to the main health issues.

Indeed, this training offers a strengthened specialization in quantitative methods (epidemiology and biostatistics), through applied learning using the tools necessary and that are subject to the final work (thesis). However, since such methods cannot be used alone in any public health perspective, other methods are addressed in complement and in a deep manner: analysis of contextual factors; analysis of health systems; epidemiology in conflict and emergency situations; research in NGOs; health economics; qualitative research; international rights and institutions…