Erasmus Mundus Master Programme in Public Health in Disasters, 120 credits

Outcomes of second cycle education according to the Higher Education Act

Second-cycle courses and study programmes shall be based fundamentally on the knowledge acquired by students during first-cycle courses and study programmes, or its equivalent.

Second-cycle courses and study programmes shall involve the acquisition of specialist knowledge, competence and skills in relation to first-cycle courses and study programmes, and in addition to the requirements for first-cycle courses and study programmes shall:

• further develop the ability of students to integrate and make autonomous use of their knowledge,
• develop the students' ability to deal with complex phenomena, issues and situations, and
• develop the students' potential for professional activities that demand considerable autonomy, or for research and development work.

Outcomes of the Degree of Master (120 credits) according to the Higher Education Ordinance
Knowledge and understanding
For a Degree of Master (120 credits) the student shall

• demonstrate knowledge and understanding in the main field of study, including both broad knowledge of the field and a considerable degree of specialised knowledge in certain areas of the field as well as insight into current research and development work, and
• demonstrate specialised methodological knowledge in the main field of study.

Competence and skills
For a Degree of Master (120 credits) the student shall

• demonstrate the ability to critically and systematically integrate knowledge and analyse, assess and deal with complex phenomena, issues and situations even with limited information
• demonstrate the ability to identify and formulate issues critically, autonomously and creatively as well as to plan and, using appropriate methods, undertake advanced tasks within predetermined time frames and so contribute to the formation of knowledge as well as the ability to evaluate this work
• demonstrate the ability in speech and writing both nationally and internationally to clearly report and discuss his or her conclusions and the knowledge and arguments on which they are based in dialogue with different audiences, and
• demonstrate the skills required for participation in research and development work or autonomous employment in some other qualified capacity. 

Judgment and approach
For a Degree of Master (120 credits) the student shall:

• demonstrate the ability to make assessments in the main field of study informed by relevant disciplinary, social and ethical issues and also to demonstrate awareness of ethical aspects of research and development work
• demonstrate insight into the possibilities and limitations of research, its role in society and the responsibility of the individual for how it is used, and
• demonstrate the ability to identify the personal need for further knowledge and take responsibility for his or her ongoing learning.

Outcomes of the study programme at Karolinska Institutet

On completion of the programme, the student should be able to show their capacity to:

• interpret how and to what extent vulnerability, capacity and hazards contribute to the development of a disaster
• systematically apply knowledge about and explain different health consequences of disasters
• apply knowledge about and explain different health consequences of climate change
• ​explain disaster risk reduction, response, and recovery and describe how different aspects interrelate
• ​analyse and interpret lessons learnt from past disasters with the aim of formulating strategies for better management of future disasters
• prioritize among needs and plan for implementation and follow up of needs-based public health responses in disasters
• identify and reason around ethical aspects in public health response and research in disaster
• interpret research results in the disaster field with insight into the potential and limitations of science, and
• identify knowledge gaps, and under supervision design and perform research in the field of public health in disasters.

The Master's programme is a jointly developed university educational programme offered in collaboration with Universidad de Oviedo (Spain) and University of Nicosia (Cyprus) and it is granted as an Erasmus programme by The European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA).

The aim of the programme is to, through knowledge, experience and research build capacities that will reduce disaster risks and contribute to better and more targeted public health-based responses following disasters.

The programme is a linear programme where the three universities offer courses during one semester each. The programme is concluded with a degree project (thesis) course provided at all three universities for the divided student group.

The first semester's introductory courses comprise 30 ECTS credits and are offered by the University of Oviedo. These core module courses focus on essential concepts and tools in disasters, and, on evaluation, management and reduction of disaster risks. The second semester courses are offered at Karolinska Institutet. It forms a progression in public health in disasters and contains three courses with a focus on global health, public health response in health crisis and disasters and finally a method course with focus on qualitative methods and evaluations methods in health crises and disasters. The student will learn how to adequately and based on needs, prioritize, plan, implement and follow up public health interventions in disasters as well as how to plan and implement qualitative research methods in disasters. The third semester courses are offered at the University of Nicosia and focus on quantitative research methods in disasters in three courses: principles of epidemiology and public health, applied statistics for epidemiology and public health epidemiology and prevention of chronic and infectious diseases in a global context. The final semester is devoted to a degree project (thesis), either at the University of Oviedo, the University of Nicosia or Karolinska Institutet.

Scientific knowledge, competence and approach

The student will develop competencies and skills in public health response in disasters, based on current knowledge and on scientific grounds. The programme's focus is new findings and how these can be interpreted and understood in relation to existing knowledge. The student is trained to search, review as well as present and discuss scientific information. Scientific methods are integrated in all courses in the programme and students obtain training in independently applying their knowledge. The method courses further strengthen the student's ability to independently review and analyse evidence in the main field.

During the final part of the education, the degree (thesis) project, the student is expected to apply this by independent collection of data and analysis of information that concerns public health in disasters. Likewise, the student will develop awareness and understanding of global, ethical, social and sustainability aspects in the area of public health in disasters.

Practice Integrated Learning

Practice integrated learning is a generic term for the pedagogical models that are based on interaction and integration between higher education and working life. Practice integrated learning may take the form of placements, study visits, observing teaching activities, staff exchange training schemes or field studies within outpatient and in-patient healthcare, social care or other relevant activities.

The students will not be provided practice integrated learning in a traditional sense.The students will,however have opportunities to meet with different organisations in the field of public health response in disasters. Study visits will be organised by all three universities as part of respective course.
 
During the education the student will also encounter research active lecturers. The student will thus continuously take part in the academic environment. During the degree project the student could work independently in a research field that relates to public health in disasters.

Internationalisation

The Master's programme is in its nature international with a general aim to increase exchange and understanding in and outside EU. Courses in the programme are permeated with an international perspective that develops students' understanding and reflection around health problems related to disasters in different contexts, for example low- or middle-income countries, with different poverty and health-related questions. This gives students competence to work in both multicultural environments and in an international labour market.

Grading scale

The students will be graded according to the grading scale given in each course. The grades are specified in the grading system at respective university. At Karolinska Institutet all grading scales are criterion-referenced.   The pass grades are A, B, C, D and E. The fail grades are Fx and F. The grading scale is defined in each course syllabus.

Language of instruction

The teaching language is English.