SIW4100 International Health Policy Course description

The course gives a comprehensive introduction to global health problems, health policy studies, and international and national strategies to meet these problems.

Language of instruction is English.

None.

After completing the course, the student should have the following overall learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge

The student

• has advanced knowledge of global health problems and global health policy
• has thorough knowledge of theories, ethics discussions and empirical methods in the study of health care systems, illness and disease in populations
• can apply scholarly theories and methods to new areas in international health policy

Skills

The student can

• analyse and deal critically with various sources of information about the global health situation and main challenges to health and health care
• analyse and deal critically with the relationship between culture and illness
• evaluate research methods and strategies in investigations of population health
• apply relevant theories and arguments in debates on health inequalities
• apply relevant health policy theories to evaluate health challenges
• apply relevant theories and evaluate the role of organisations in international health policies

General Competence

The student can

• apply his/her knowledge and skills in new areas in order to carry out advanced assignments and projects in international health policy
• communicate about academic issues, analyses and conclusions in international health policy, both with specialists and the general public
• contribute to new thinking and innovation processes in international health policy

The course is organised into a series of lectures and seminars. Students are expected to play an active role. Students will also be required to present papers, and discuss course themes during lectures and seminars.

The following coursework requirement must be completed and approved by the given deadline in order for the student to take the exam.

Students must submit a coursework requirement paper of eight pages (+/- 10%), calibri, pt. 12, paragraph 1.5, written preferably in groups (4-5 students). Students who wish to write individually (around 4-5 pages) must get permission from the course lecturer. The topic of the work requirement will reflect main areas of the course curriculum and lectures.

The coursework requirement papers are to be presented at a seminar, or poster session, or zoom gathering. Participation in the seminar, or poster session, or zoom gathering is a mandatory part of the coursework requirement.

Students whose papers are not approved after the first submission will be given the chance to resubmit. Papers that are not approved after two submissions will disqualify students from sitting the final examination.

The student's learning outcome will be assessed on the basis of an individual six-hour written school examination.

The master's thesis is an independent research work conducted under supervision and corresponding to ten months' full-time work (one academic year).

The students are offered research topics that can be related to either research projects at OsloMet or external Norwegian and foreign institutions with which the university has signed agreements. In special cases, the topic may stem from the student's own idea for a research project. It is also a possibility for students to be affiliated to projects in research environments or laboratories with which they have contacts.

Students choose their master's thesis topic based on their academic background and interests. Relevant projects are presented in writing in a booklet of project outlines. The projects are also presented verbally, and students are given the opportunity to visit the relevant research environments that offer master's thesis topics. The choice of topic is a process that takes months. Students receive written information about this process and about how to choose a thesis topic.

Students must have passed all their exams for the first year before they can be given access to laboratories and academic supervision to work on their master's thesis. The course is not offered as an individual course.

After completing the course, the student is expected to have achieved the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and competence:

Knowledge

The student

• has specialised knowledge about the master's thesis topic
• has advanced knowledge about previous research and theories that form the basis for the research question in the master's thesis
• is capable of analysing and discussing previous research in relation to his/her own results
• is knowledgeable about innovation and entrepreneurship

Skills

The student is capable of

• independent work under supervision on a research or development assignment
• carrying out and quality assuring analyses, methods and/or investigations relevant to the master's thesis
• analysing and assessing theoretical and practical issues in the field of the master's thesis
• writing scholarly texts and presenting research results in accordance with the applicable conventions for biomedical research and reporting
• carrying out critical analyses of and combining knowledge from different sources

Competence

The student

• is capable of applying statistical and biomedical methods in new and unknown subject areas
• is capable of communicating extensive independent work and masters the forms of expression used in biomedicine
• is capable of communicating research results to both specialists and the general public
• demonstrates an ability for ethical reflection on issues of relevance to the master's thesis
• is capable of formulating new research questions
• is capable of identifying ethical problems and acting in accordance with the applicable laws and international conventions

Projects are presented to students during the first semester of the programme. Students' own projects must be approved by the programme management during the first semester.

Academic supervisors are assigned in connection with the allocation of thesis topics. The supervision is intended to ensure satisfactory work progress and quality. The student and supervisor sign a supervision contract that regulates responsibilities and rights, time frames and availability.

Students meet for seminars during the period they are working on the master's thesis. At the beginning of the second year of the programme, students and supervisors attend a start-up seminar. A few weeks later, another seminar is held to present and discuss the individual project plans. Several sessions dealing with relevant topics are held during the year. The process concludes in a seminar where students present their results.

Detailed guidelines for the master's thesis will be published in Canvas.