p. 1

master in international health 2011 2012 the master in international health mih is a flexible master s programme organized by the royal tropical institute kit and the vrije universiteit amsterdam vu the mih aims to develop the capacity of professionals to work at the interface of international organizations and national health systems what is international health international health is a discipline that systematically compares factors that affect the health of all human populations with a special focus on poverty-related health problems in low and middle-income countries international health includes the promotion of health prevention and treatment of diseases and rehabilitation knowledge skills and the ability to critically analyse and draw implications for practice related to the major endemic diseases health systems research health economics health policy and management of health services are essential objectives the mih provides health experts with the knowledge and skills they need to deal with current challenges effectively the mih aims to enable participants to understand and analyse international health issues conduct applied research and develop adequate and appropriate responses in a global context an international health expert should be able to identify and critically analyse key factors and forces including international changes shaping the health of populations in low and middle income countries identify and appraise the challenges threats and opportunities to health care delivery arising from globalization formulate effective and appropriate responses to complex international practice and policy issues communicate effectively across disciplines sectors and national boundaries and with professionals and clients at all different levels of the health system and related institutions identify research needs commission research and critically analyse and use research results work professionally critically reflect and continuously seek to enhance personal and organizational learning participants this course is designed for medical doctors and paramedical staff with at least a bachelor s level education who are developing a career in international health about kit the royal tropical institute kit is an independent centre of knowledge and expertise in the areas of international and intercultural cooperation the aims of kit are to contribute to sustainable development poverty alleviation and cultural preservation and exchange within the netherlands it seeks to promote interest in and support for these issues who collaborating centre for hrh the world health organization who has designated kit a collaborating centre for the training retention and motivation of health care workers in developing countries as such kit conducts research and advises countries on policy planning and capacity development for hr management in the international health care sector the troped network the mih is offered across europe by members of troped a network of european institutions for higher education in international health troped also collaborates closely with institutions in africa asia and latin america and enables students and visiting scholars from around the world to do postgraduate studies at european universities kit is a longstanding member of the troped network mauritskade 63 1092 ad amsterdam p.o box 95001 1090 ha amsterdam the netherlands phone +31 020 568 8711 fax +31 020 568 8444 www.kit.nl

[close]

p. 2

programme this master in international health is a modular programme for full-time or part-time study it consists of a core course advanced modules and a research project submitted as a thesis the mih is designed to be completed within a minimum of one year full-time up to a maximum of five years part-time programme structure the programme is taken in the following order a core course b advanced modules c thesis a core course the core course provides participants with the basic knowledge in international health they need to follow the advanced modules and complete their thesis the course is composed of five modules which are outlined in more detail below introduction module this module has a double aim to help students develop learning and communication skills needed for their studies and for their future health practice and to examine cultural and international contexts determinants of health the factors that have the most significant influence on health are known as determinants of health while health care services make a contribution to health status most of the key determinants of health lie outside the direct influence of health care such as gender education culture employment and environment this module aims at providing students with an overview of these determinants and with the policy tools devised to address them health problems this module builds knowledge and skills to recognize diagnose and treat the most important diseases and health problems occurring under resource-poor conditions the module consists of three components curative and preventive care for adults curative and preventive care for children and sexual and reproductive health because of the poor diagnostic and therapeutic possibilities a syndromatic approach is emphasized particular attention is given to the three main killer diseases hiv/aids tuberculosis and malaria basic research methods this module familiarizes students with quantitative and qualitative research methods principles of statistics epidemiology and study design are treated here to enable students to analyse the many determinants of health to evaluate the impact of intervention and to critically appraise the literature qualitative methods and an introduction to medical anthropology and sociology will help to study and explain health illness and health care from a socio-cultural perspective which is of crucial importance to interpret health and health care seeking behaviour health systems health systems in countries all over the world are facing different kinds of challenges in order to meet the ever increasing needs and demands of their citizens demographic changes technological developments and a more conscious and assertive demand for quality care compete with requirements for reaching or maintaining universal access and containing costs the emphasis in this module is on the practical implementation of health programmes and the organization of health care at district level royal tropical institute mih brochure 2011­2012 www.kit.nl/training 2

[close]

p. 3

b advanced modules participants make a selection of advanced modules within the framework provided and agreed upon with mih course management the minimum total study load is 20 ects equivalent to four months of fulltime study the advanced modules can be taken at kit and at various institutes throughout europe students are encouraged to follow modules in different countries participants who would like their degree to be certified by troped must take the advanced modules at troped member institutions recipients of an erasmus mundus scholarship must choose one of six study tracks and follow the required advanced modules for more information see http erasmusmundus.troped.org/tracks.jsp c thesis under the guidance of an adviser mih programme participants write a thesis on an important health problem in which they have been involved in their working lives the aim is to systematically analyse a problem and to make suggestions for its solution based on qualitative and quantitative information and on a literature review it is expected that the concepts and methods that have been taught in the course modules will be applied to the research project this requires a further four months of full-time study learning methods the mih aims for increased competency of health workers the content of the course is practice-based and oriented as much as possible to the working situation of participants contacts between staff and participants are intensive throughout the course methods used include lectures discussions group work individual presentations case studies exercises study visits self-study and written assignments including a thesis a list of recommended books is provided and readers for each module are prepared and distributed beforehand homework assignments are prepared in advance of most classroom sessions study load a total of 60 ects credit points must be accumulated for successful completion of the mih programme the european credit transfer system ects facilitates transfer of course credits between institutions at the same academic level one ects requires 30 hours of student time which includes class time and independent study graduation requirements each mih module is evaluated by means of either a written examination or a take-home assignment at the end of the programme an independent external examination committee assesses the thesis and the candidate s performance if the overall assessment is satisfactory the degree of master of international health is awarded candidates who do not meet the requirements for the degree will be given a certificate of attendance in order to receive troped recognition studies must have taken place at a minimum of two member institutions in different countries for further requirements see www.troped.org royal tropical institute mih brochure 2011­2012 www.kit.nl/training 3

[close]

p. 4

practical information application procedure please send the following documents · a completed mih application form including the names of 2 people who are willing to act as a reference · a one-page letter describing your reasons for wanting to follow the mih including how you plan to apply the knowledge and skills acquired · certified true copies of your diplomas and grade reports accompanied by a certified translation if they are not in english · an up-to-date curriculum vitae and a list of publications if applicable · unless you are a native english speaker or have completed your higher education in english enclose proof of english language proficiency in the form of the internationally recognized test toefl or ielts a minimum toefl score of 5.5 or a minimum ielts score of 6.0 is required we do not accept certificates other than the toefl or ielts if you have not yet completed such a test you can send the results at a later date candidates fulfilling the mih entry requirements will receive a letter of conditional admission admitting them to the course provided that financing can be arranged once you have secured financial support and provided evidence of proficiency in english you will receive a definitive notice of admission admission criteria · · · · academic training at least to the level of a bachelor s degree either in medicine or a paramedical science two years of relevant work experience proven proficiency in spoken and written english computer literacy is expected funding and financial assistance the arrangement of financial support to cover all study costs is the responsibility of the applicant please note that kit does not offer financial support or fellowships some candidates are sponsored by their own governments universities or employers while others apply for fellowships offered through the united nations and its specialized agencies such as unicef who wb undp or through other international programmes such as those of oecd or oas candidates from african caribbean and pacific countries associated with the european union can apply for fellowships through the european development fund information and application forms can be obtained from the eu diplomatic representative in the candidate s country a scholarship programme for the mih is available through the erasmus mundus programme you can find out more at http erasmusmundus.troped.org for more information on these and other possibilities consult the unesco guide study abroad www.unesco.org/education/studyingabroad or visit the kit website at www.kit.nl/fellowships course dates the mih programme starts in september and march of each year upcoming dates for the core course 7 march ­ 11 june 2011 12 september ­ 16 december 2011 course fees the course fee for participants registering in 2011 is 9.670 this price includes the tuition fee for the core course course materials tutoring for the thesis and advisory services for the duration of the programme the price does not include fees for advanced modules taken at kit or elsewhere cost of living expenses transportation costs or insurance or any other incidental costs the fee must be paid in its entirety prior to the start of the core course royal tropical institute mih brochure 2011­2012 www.kit.nl/training 4

[close]

p. 5

location classes are held at kit in amsterdam accommodation there is a severe shortage of student accommodation in amsterdam and participants are advised to contact kit for information kit will assist participants in their search for housing visa requirements citizens of most countries of the eu or european free trade association efta do not need a visa to enter the netherlands for up-to-date information we advise you to visit the ministry of justice website www.ind.nl mih participants from other countries will need an `authorization for temporary stay to enter and stay in the netherlands for longer than three months this visa should be applied for through kit participants admitted to the course will receive detailed information as well as a list of documents kit requires to secure their visa applicants should take into account that this procedure can take months insurance requirements the netherlands has no national health insurance according to dutch law all participants of international courses and any accompanying dependants are required to have health accident and third party insurance dutch insurance companies offer reasonable rates to foreign students accreditation the mih is accredited by the netherlands-flemish accreditation organization nvao royal tropical institute mih brochure 2011­2012 www.kit.nl/training 5

[close]

p. 6

more courses international course in health development master of public health master of public health specialization in hiv/aids netherlands course in tropical medicine and hygiene certificate programme in multisectoral responses to hiv/aids short courses health and development gender rights and health governance and human resources for health health systems research human resources development for health health policy financing control strategies for infectious and non-communicable diseases sexual and reproductive health including hiv/aids geographic information systems gis in disease control programmes advanced course on monitoring and evaluation innovations in a dynamic health systems environment advanced course on health sector reforms financing implementing quality management for diagnostic laboratories hiv and aids certificate programme dynamics of the hiv and aids epidemics and effective responses hiv politics policy governance and planning mechanisms health sector responses to hiv gender rights and development tailor-made training international and regional training courses sustainable economic development local governance for rural development décentralisation rurale et gouvernance locale facilitating value chain development and actor empowerment tailor-made training why study at kit up-to-date approach to complex public and international health issues practice oriented exchange between disciplines interactive education development of personal and professional competencies network building personal tutoring participants from diverse backgrounds and countries teachers highly qualified specialists positively reviewed by troped kit international centre of excellence in international health and development accredited by nvao royal tropical institute mih brochure 2011­2012 www.kit.nl/training 6

[close]