Creative Health MASc

About this degree

The MASc in Creative Health is the first of its kind, providing the first Masters level ‘Arts and Sciences’ degree, with a focus on the intersection of the arts and health sciences. The programme seeks to address growing national and international interest in the evolving field of Creative Health. It does this by examining different aspects of this field, including arts, culture and nature in health, health equity, lived experience and community assets. Our approach to teaching and learning focuses on research-led/based practice, community engagement, non-clinical interventions including social prescribing, and experiential learning.

The MASc will help create a new generation of socially engaged scholars and practitioners to meet the needs of a changing health, social care and voluntary third sector, where personalised care and the patient experience are mainstreamed into primary, secondary and community health.

Over the last two decades, the field of Creative Health has grown rapidly, facilitated by a number of major advances in research, several key policy documents released by Arts Councils, central government and the World Health Organisation, as well as the growing participation of arts, culture, nature and community organisations in health and wellbeing. However, the 2017 All Party Parliamentary Group for Arts, Health and Wellbeing Creative Health Inquiry has identified a need for more education and training opportunities for those interested in working in the sector. This need is particularly acute given that there are still very limited opportunities available for health and social care professionals, researchers or people from wider backgrounds interested in the field, to receive specific training, let alone an academic qualification. Moreover, this need is more pressing than ever as the world recovers from the impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic. If the field is to continue to develop and promote high-quality research and practice, the development of such training opportunities is going to be vital.

To this end, the MASc Creative Health offers a range of taught and research-led modules providing students with an in-depth understanding of the depth and breadth of Creative Health, including practice, policy shift and research innovation. Taught modules will provide the necessary grounding in Creative Health for students to understand scope of research, policy and practice. The research dissertation will be undertaken in collaboration with a community partner, providing practical experience of the role of community organisations in supporting different aspects of health and wellbeing, with a focus on developing and applying research and evaluation skills.

Gain the skills you need to become a sought after practitioner working at the interface of culture, nature, arts and health. The Creative Health MASc is the first degree of its kind in the world, and will enable you to be a changemaker in the rapidly changing health, social care and voluntary third sector. Taught at UCL, you’ll learn from renowned academics who are helping to shape the future of healthcare through the creative health field.

Normally a minimum of an upper second-class UK Bachelor's degree or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard in psychology, medicine/biomedicine, nursing and other allied health professions, sciences, arts, liberal arts, design-related humanities and social sciences. Professional experience in the fields of arts, culture and health, or social prescribing, is desirable. An applicant whose qualifications vary from UCL standards may be admitted if evidence of an adequate academic background and work experience in an appropriate field can be shown. Intercalating MBBS/BMBS applicants are welcomed provided applicants have an undergraduate degree (2:1 minimum or equivalent) in a relevant subject.

It may be possible to apply based on having completed three or four years of a medical degree programme; candidates wishing to be considered for admission in such circumstances will be considered on a case by case basis.

The English language level for this programme is: Level 4

UCL Pre-Master's and Pre-sessional English courses are for international students who are aiming to study for a postgraduate degree at UCL. The courses will develop your academic English and academic skills required to succeed at postgraduate level.

Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.

The MASc Creative Health is a relatively new programme with our first cohort of students graduating in late 2022. We anticipate that graduates will be well placed to take up a position within health or social care, the arts, cultural and creative sectors, as well as community and local government, NGOs, and the voluntary and third sectors. Creative Health is also a growing area of research so we anticipate that graduates may enter PhD opportunities in related fields.