This course delves into the concept of Planetary Health, with food systems at the core. Students will explore narratives related to Planetary Health using data case studies, consider the evidence-base underlying key concepts of Planetary Health and critically evaluate the evidence available to inform decisions on some of humanity’s most pressing challenges. About the course In this 5 week short course students will be invited to develop skills in planetary health, data analysis and online group work. As a student on this course, you will discuss and assess key topics through handling relevant large data sets from UN, WHO and World Bank repositories. You will be introduced to tools and methods of data gathering, analysis and visualisation to support evidence-based decision-making in this field. The concept of ‘planetary health’, defined as the health of human civilisation and the state of the natural systems on which it depends, is an exciting emergent field of research and study. Data interpretation, synthesis, analysis and translation is central to how Planetary Health is evidenced and understood. This course invites students to consider the data implications of key concepts of Planetary Health e.g. planetary boundaries, pandemics, climate change, food and nutrition security. Who is the course for? This online course will have broad appeal to both humanities and science graduates interested to pursue careers across public health, human, animal and environmental health, and global governance. This is an introductory Masters-level course (SCQF Level 11). It provides foundational skills and an overview of the subject – no prior knowledge is needed. Masters-level courses are relatively intensive and require independent learning, critical thinking, analysis and reflection. Entry requirements A UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent, in any subject. We may also consider your application if your background does not meet this criteria and you have relevant work experience. If you are unsure whether you meet these criteria please send your CV to upskilling@ed.ac.uk Check whether your international qualifications meet our general entry requirements: Entry requirements by country English Language Requirements You must be comfortable studying and learning in English if it is not your first language. Learning Outcomes Understand the key conceptual aspects of planetary health thinking. Evaluate and assess data-sets relevant to planetary health. Develop ability to work independently and jointly under fixed deadlines and to develop their ability to present the outcome of independent research in a clear written and oral form. How/when will the course be delivered? This is a 5-week course, comprising a total of 100 hours study. The course content will be delivered as live and pre-recorded lectures. Students will engage with the content through live discussions, tutorial activities, a group presentation and written assessments. Tutorial activities include the Planetary Health board game and data-to-narrative exercises. Assessment is 100% coursework. Course fees and funding Course fees for 23/24 are £1,065 but funded places are available for people employed or unemployed in Scotland (residency requirements apply). Funding Through the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) Upskilling Fund, a limited number of fully-funded places are available on Data Upskilling Short Courses at The University of Edinburgh. Eligibility Funded places are available to those who meet SFC fee waiver criteria: “Courses/provision is open to all Scottish-domiciled/’home fee’ students, which is consistent with SFC’s policy for core funded student places. Students from the rest of the UK (rUK) are not normally considered eligible for SFC funding. If however a university is working with a Scottish/UK employer which has a physical presence or operating in Scotland, rUK employees of that employer would be eligible.” If you are from outside Scotland, you need to have settled status in the UK and meet other residency criteria: be ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man for the three years immediately before course start date, and have ‘settled status’ in the UK (as set out in the Immigration Act 1971) at the course start date, and be ordinarily resident in Scotland at the course start date. You can find out more about residency criteria on the SAAS website or in this summary. Funding eligibility will be assessed at the point of each application for each course; you may be asked to provide further information if you do not meet the general residence conditions. You can check your likely fee status here: https://www.ed.ac.uk/tuition-fees/fee-status/work-out Please email us at upskilling@ed.ac.uk if you would like to discuss your funding eligibility before applying. Please note that full-time students (including full-time PhD students) are not eligible for funding. What will I receive upon completion? You will receive a certificate of completion after the final assessment date if you have submitted your coursework. How to apply Applications for February 2024 are now closed. Further Study with UoE You may also be able to use credits achieved on this course towards other University of Edinburgh postgraduate programmes, subject to the approval of the relevant Programme Director. Degree Finder Contact Us This article was published on 2024-06-06