MPhil and PhD - Research Degrees

The MPhil and PhD are aimed at students who anticipate a career in which research plays a major role and who want to focus on an independent piece of research.
LSHTM provides a stimulating environment with state-of-the-art facilities in which to carry out research in three academic faculties: Epidemiology and Population Health, Infectious and Tropical Diseases and Public Health and Policy.

MPhilPhDs are very diverse: they may be desk-based, or include laboratory work or , but there are some common elements. You will be working on a health-related topic with advice from a supervisory team of academics. You will be encouraged to attend transferable skills and other courses, but these do not contribute to the formal assessment (unlike PhDs in some other countries). The examination of both MPhil and PhD is based on an oral examination (viva) of a written “thesis”. At LSHTM we encourage students to publish their work, and your thesis (maximum 100,000 words) may be a combination of chapters and published papers.

A student must normally satisfy the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine general entrance requirements as follows:

The normal minimum entrance qualification for registration at the School on a MPhil/PhD programme is evidence of an aptitude for research and at least one of the following:

• a master’s degree in a subject appropriate to the course of study to be followed (recommended)
• a qualification appropriate to the course of study to be followed, in medicine, dentistry or veterinary studies
• an upper second-class honours degree from a UK university, or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard, in a relevant subject.