Postgraduate Frontiers in Tropical and International Health
Are you a nurse, midwife or health professional looking to build a strong foundation in tropical medicine and international health? This 4-month postgraduate prepares you for global health challenges and practice.
Deadline: 15 July 2027, 23:59 CET for the course of 2027-2028
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Postgraduate Certificate
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20 ECTS Credits
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English
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General information
What is the Postgraduate Frontiers in Tropical and International Health?
This blended postgraduate programme prepares you to tackle global health challenges in an interconnected world.
The programme starts with the 5 weeks hybrid short course “Introduction to Tropical Medicine”, an introduction on diseases and health problems that occur in (sub)tropical settings and in vulnerable life stages (for example childhood or pregnancy), or other vulnerable settings (for example epidemics or migration).
Building on this foundation, you will continue with the on-campus short course “Challenges in International Health”. During 12 weeks, you will examine the complex factors shaping health worldwide. Through case studies, you will analyse social, economic, political, and environmental determinants of health, and learn how to design, implement, and evaluate effective health interventions and policies.
You will explore tropical and infectious diseases, epidemic preparedness, child and reproductive health, health systems, diagnostics, and global health policy through real-world case studies. You’ll broaden your perspective from individual patient care to population health, gain experience in diverse and resource-constrained settings, and develop the leadership, collaboration, and analytical skills needed to drive meaningful change in public health.
You will become an agent of change in public health and health sciences.
Why study this postgraduate at ITM?
Global health challenges are becoming more complex. Infectious diseases that are called ‘tropical’ are getting closer and closer; pathogens and mosquitoes are shifting their habitat, and the reduction in biodiversity is giving rise to new and unknown viruses.
From worldwide infectious disease outbreaks and climate-related crises to the growing burden of non-communicable diseases in many low and middle income countries, health professionals need new ways to respond in an increasingly interconnected world.
This programme combines scientific evidence and real-world expertise and equips you with the practical knowledge and skills to develop effective, context-specific solutions for health challenges in diverse and vulnerable settings.
At ITM, you will benefit from a multidisciplinary approach. You will learn from experts who are actively engaged in research and who have practical insights from a wide range of countries.
Through an interactive learning approach, you will gain practical knowledge that you can immediately apply in your professional context while building a broader understanding of population health and health systems.
Who is this postgraduate for?
Are you a health professional with no or limited experience in tropical health? Whether you want to broaden your knowledge in tropical medicine and global health challenges out of personal interest or prepare for work in resource-limited and vulnerable settings abroad, this postgraduate offers the ideal foundation.
You should hold at least a bachelor's degree (minimum 180 ECTS) in health sciences, biomedical sciences, or another health-related field, such as pharmaceutical sciences, nursing, midwifery, medical sociology, medical anthropology, or health economics.
When does this programme take place?
This programme runs from 30 August 2027 until 24 December 2027.
Introduction to Tropical Medicine:
We kick off this course with an introductory session in the morning, from approximately 10:00 to 12:00. You can schedule the rest of the online course yourself, making sure you finish the weekly self-study modules specified in the course schedule.
The weekly face-to-face classes on Fridays are generally held from approximately 09:00 to 13:00 and from 14:00 to 16:00. They can also be followed online.
Challenges in International Health:
All classes are face-to-face and take place from Monday to Friday from 09:15 to 13:00 and from 14:15 to 16:00.
If this timing doesn’t suit you, check out the French postgraduate.
The French postgraduate is organised from March until the beginning of July.
Degree
Upon graduation, you will receive the postgraduate certificate:
Postgraduate certificate Frontiers in Tropical and International Health
Learning objectives
What will you learn?
By the end of the programme, you will be able to:
- Explain key biomedical and clinical features of major tropical and infectious diseases, including their diagnosis, treatment, and prevention;
- Interpret simple clinical cases and propose appropriate diagnostic and treatment strategies using an integrated approach;
- Determine the specific constraints and challenges of laboratory diagnostics in low-resource settings;
- Assess the burden of health problems by considering frequency, severity, inequities, socioeconomic impact, and vulnerable populations in stable and outbreak contexts;
- Design evidence-based, context-appropriate health interventions for stable and crisis settings, considering resources, stakeholders, and implementation challenges;
- Assess local health systems in terms of access, quality of care, service organization, governance, collaboration, and crisis preparedness;
- Discuss major global health policy issues, including the SDGs and the roles and influence of key health policy actors.
*Courses and programmes can be subject to change.
Program director(s)
- Ludwig Apers
Program coördinator(s)
- Deogratias Katsuva Sibongwere
Program administrator(s)
- Anne Thoelen
- Gerlinde Segers
- Cathy Liu
Contact
- tmih@itg.be