Course overview
Do you want to make a specific and practical contribution to a world where each individual has access to essential services and opportunities? Then our postgraduate International Public Health might be for you! Whether you work with international target groups, are active in civil society organisations, or are involved in projects related to migration, development, or humanitarian aid: this expertise offers a broad and dynamic foundation.
Are you interested in global challenges and especially want to learn how to translate them into applicable solutions in an intercultural context? In this practice-oriented program, you will develop ready-to-use knowledge and skills to design and implement effective interventions—both in the Netherlands and internationally.
Why this post-bachelor?
✅ English-language postgraduate program
✅ Guest lecturers from the field: Doctors Without Borders, Medair, Doctors of the World, etc.
✅ Combination of theory and practical tools for intercultural communication and project management
✅ The only postgraduate IPH program in the Netherlands
✅ Both coordinators have international experience
✅ After IPH? Work for organisations in the Netherlands and abroad (NGOs, humanitarian aid, or development)
✅ CPION registered
Course details
For professionals who need practical guidance on Public Health topics, for example, if you:
- are active in a non-governmental organization and want to delve deeper into relevant Public Health topics and practical interventions;
- work with migrants or international target groups, in the Netherlands or abroad;
- want to explore opportunities for (long-term) international work;
- have a broad interest in global issues and would like to combine intercultural work with project-based work;
- have concrete plans to go abroad and want to prepare well.
A relevant completed bachelor's degree and relevant job experience for at least one year (not necessarily in a low income country) and a good command of the English language, verbally as well as in writing.
We accept the following qualifications:
- IELTS: a minimum score of 6 (overall band score) - not older than two years.
- TOEFL: TOEFL iBT with a minimum score of 80 - not older than two years.
- Cambridge: B2 (First), C1 (Advanced) or C2 (Proficiency)
Visa
Do you live abroad? Then you need a visa to follow the training. More information about this process can be found on the IND website.
The course is organised by a number of self-contained learning units (modules). Lectures will be given during sessions, followed by group activities, discussions, practical workshops and case studies. Active participation of all course participants is essential for the learning process. The various elements of the study programme will be catered for by lecturers who have extensive recent knowledge and experience in the field of community health in low income countries.
The content of the programme includes the following modules:
- Public Health & Migration
- Health Promotion
- Training Skills
- International Project Management
- Management of Humanitarian Assistance
This course teaches you how to analyse health problems (in countries with low and middle incomes) and how to communicate interculturally. Apart from this you will learn more about the Sustainable Development Goals and the topical issues of the ministry of development cooperation; water and sanitation, food security and sexual and reproductive health and rights. Subsequently, you will be able to develop interventions in close co-operation with international colleagues. From emergency interventions to long term development programmes. Of course, full attention is paid to the education of health workers, and participants are trained in international project management. You will be in lectures and seminars together with people who are going to work for Doctors without Borders, Medair, Médicins du Monde, VSO and similar organizations. This way, the programme allows you to build a network of relations within the work field. Besides, it provides ample opportunities to learn from each other.
The International Public Health course consists of the following modules and subjects, whereby 1 EC (European credit) represent 28 hours of study.
Module 1: Public Health & Migration 15 EC (420 hours)
- Migrant health care 1.0 EC (28 hours)
- Primary health care and public health 1.0 EC (28 hours)
- Intercultural communication 1.0 EC (28 hours)
- Approaching vulnerable groups and human rights 1.0 EC (28 hours)
- Sustainable development cooperation 1.0 EC (28 hours)
- Tropical diseases 3.0 EC (84 hours)
- Emerging (lifestyle) Diseases 0.5 EC (14 hours)
- (Neglected) Tropical Diseases 0.5 EC (14 hours)
- Epidemiology 1.0 EC (28 hours)
- Child Health 1.5 EC (42 hours)
- Sexual and Reproductive Health 2.0 EC (56 hours)
- Mental Health 1.5 EC (42 hours)
Module 2: Health Promotion & Training (5 EC / 140 hours)
- Health Promotion * 2.5 EC (70 hours)
- Training Skills * 2.5 EC (70 hours)
Module 3: International Project Management (10 EC / 280 hours)
- International Project Management 5.0 EC (140 hours)
- Management of Humanitarian Assistance 5.0 EC (140 hours)
TOTAL 30 EC (840 hours)
The course takes 9 months (from October to June) and contains 20 tutorial days at the CHE and via e-learning. The study load is about 20 hours per week.
The International Public Health Course is registered by CPION, ‘Centrum voor Post Initieel Onderwijs Nederland’. This foundation aims at granting institutes who provide training courses at a post-graduate level an adequate system of quality control, in order to meet recognized standards within national as well as international perspectives.
The IPH course is accredited by V&VN for 118 credits.
Practical information
September 15, 2026
Classes are usually scheduled between 9:35 AM and 5:00 PM.
Module 1: Public Health & Migration
- September 15, 2026
- September 29, 2026
- October 13, 2026
- October 27, 2026
- November 10, 2026
- November 24, 2026
- December 8, 2026
Module 2: Health Promotion & Training
- January 4, 2027
- January 5, 2027
- January 11, 2027
- January 12, 2027
- January 25, 2027
- January 26, 2027
- February 14, 2027
Module 3: International Project Management
- February 16, 2027
- March 2, 2027
- March 17, 2027
- April 6, 2027
- April 20, 2027
- May 11, 2027
- June 1, 2027
Purchase of literature:
- Davidson, R. Brent, A & Seale, A. & Blumber, L. (2021). Oxford handbook of Tropical Medicine. 5th ed. Oxford University Press.
- Nunez, C., Nunez-Mahdi, R., & Popma, L. (2021). Intercultural competence in health care. Embracing Diversity in Patient-centered Care. 1st ed. Uitgeverij Koninklijke van Gorcum Bv
When registering, you can choose whether you want to pay the amount in installments by direct debit or in one go by invoice. The invoice will be sent to the invoice email address you provided prior to the start of the training.
Proven Quality
CHE has consistently ranked among the top universities of applied sciences in the Netherlands!
In the 2025 edition of the Keuzegids Hoger Onderwijs, we are ranked 2nd in the category of medium-sized universities of applied sciences.
Our lecturers and trainers come straight from the field—or still work in it—and you can tell! This also applies to our part-time programmes.
✔️ CEDEO-accredited with impressive customer satisfaction scores (2025 survey):
✅ 96.3% for customised programmes
✅ 93.3% for open enrolment courses
In addition, several of our programmes are officially registered as post-bachelor (post-hbo) with CPION and classified under the NLQF framework.
