About the programme

If you want to help address these complex global issues, expertise in a single discipline may not be enough. You need to understand whole systems, collaborate across professional boundaries and turn different perspectives into coordinated action.

The MSc in One Health at University College Dublin will help you develop those capabilities.

The first master’s programme of its kind in Ireland, this one-year degree brings together public health, medicine, veterinary medicine, sustainability, food systems, policy, governance, technology and innovation.

You will learn from internationally recognised experts across UCD and engage closely with the UCD One Health Centre—the world’s first World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for One Health.

Through interdisciplinary learning, research, case studies and real-world global challenges, you will develop the knowledge and confidence to help organisations move from understanding interconnected problems to implementing more effective solutions.

Programme structure

This one-year, full-time MSc combines One Health theory with practical application.

Build a systems perspective

You will begin by examining the principles of One Health and the relationships between human, animal, plant and environmental health.

You will learn how systems thinking can reveal connections, risks and unintended consequences that may be missed when health challenges are approached from only one professional or disciplinary perspective.

Explore interconnected global challenges

The programme examines complex issues such as:

• Emerging infectious diseases and pandemic preparedness
• Climate change and environmental health
• Food systems and food security
• Animal and veterinary public health
• Sustainability and global resilience
• Public health and healthcare systems
• Policy, regulation and governance
• Technology, data and artificial intelligence
• International development and health equity

Work across disciplines

One Health solutions depend on people with different expertise being able to work together.

You will learn alongside students from diverse academic and professional backgrounds. Collaborative activities will help you practise communicating across disciplines, evaluating competing priorities and developing solutions that recognise different cultural, institutional and community perspectives.

Apply your learning

Learning may include lectures, seminars, interdisciplinary workshops, case studies, group projects, research activities and engagement with real-world One Health challenges.

You will develop transferable competencies in:

• Systems thinking
• Research and critical analysis
• Cross-sector collaboration
• Policy understanding
• Leadership and strategic thinking
• Communication and cultural awareness
• Reflective practice
• Problem-solving under uncertainty

Programme modules and delivery arrangements are subject to review and may change.

Key information

INTERNATIONAL LEARNING EXPERIENCE

One Health challenges cross borders, and understanding them requires an international perspective.

Students may have the option to participate in an international learning experience in Malaysia. This experience is designed to provide exposure to global health and sustainability challenges in a different environmental, cultural and institutional setting.

The international experience may help you understand how One Health priorities vary between countries and how solutions must be adapted to local communities and systems.

Participation is optional and subject to availability, programme arrangements, travel requirements and additional costs.

WHY STUDY ONE HEALTH AT UCD?

UCD has been researching, developing and advancing One Health approaches for many years.

The programme was developed in association with the UCD One Health Centre, designated the world’s first World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for One Health in 2024.

At UCD, you will benefit from:

• Expertise spanning health, veterinary medicine, science, agriculture, sustainability, policy and innovation
• Teaching from internationally recognised specialists
• Research-informed and interdisciplinary learning
• Small class sizes
• Students and teachers from around the world
• Engagement with the UCD One Health Centre
• Opportunities to apply One Health thinking to real challenges
• Study in Dublin, an international centre for healthcare, technology, research and sustainability

Academic requirements

• Applicants should normally hold a recognised bachelor’s degree or equivalent qualification.
• The programme welcomes applicants from health-related and non-health-related disciplines. Relevant academic, professional or interdisciplinary experience may be considered as part of the application.
• Admission is competitive. Applicants should demonstrate their ability to undertake postgraduate study and explain how their background, interests or career goals connect with One Health.
• International qualifications will be assessed according to UCD’s recognised equivalencies. Applicants should consult the official programme page for the current grade and documentation requirements.

English requirements

• Applicants whose first language is not English must normally demonstrate the required level of English-language proficiency.
• UCD accepts recognised qualifications including IELTS Academic, TOEFL, Pearson PTE and Duolingo English Test, subject to its current requirements.
• Applicants should check the official UCD requirements for accepted tests, minimum overall scores, individual component scores, exemptions and qualification-validity periods.

Other requirements

Applicants may be asked to provide:

• Academic transcripts
• Degree certificate
• Curriculum vitae or résumé
• Personal or motivational statement
• Proof of English-language proficiency
• Certified translations, where applicable
• References or additional supporting information
• Identification documents

The personal statement should clearly explain your interest in One Health, the perspective you would bring to an interdisciplinary class and how the MSc supports your future goals.

International applicants should apply early enough to complete admissions, immigration, accommodation and visa arrangements.

Tuition fees

The current published annual tuition fees are:

• Non-EU students: €29,500

Fees are subject to change. Applicants should confirm the applicable fee on the official UCD programme and fees pages before applying.

Tuition fees do not normally include accommodation, immigration charges, health insurance, travel, general living expenses or costs associated with the optional international learning experience.

Consult the official UCD programme and fees pages for the latest EU and non-EU tuition fees.

Tuition fees do not normally include accommodation, immigration charges, health insurance, travel, learning materials or general living expenses.

Career opportunties

Employers increasingly need professionals who can understand complex systems and work across sectors, disciplines and institutional boundaries.

Graduates may pursue opportunities in:

• Public and global health
• Sustainability and ESG
• Veterinary public health
• Government and public policy
• International development
• Food systems and food security
• Health technology and artificial intelligence
• Healthcare resilience and planning
• Research and academia
• Environmental and health consultancy

Potential roles may include:

• One Health specialist
• Public health analyst
• Sustainability consultant
• Global health researcher
• Health policy adviser
• Programme or project officer
• Health and AI consultant
• Epidemiology research assistant
• Research or policy analyst

Potential employers may include government departments, healthcare organisations, public health agencies, international organisations, NGOs, sustainability consultancies, health technology companies and research institutes.

Employment outcomes depend on your previous qualifications, professional experience and the requirements of individual roles.

WHO SHOULD APPLY?

One Health needs people who can bring different forms of expertise to the same table.

The programme is designed for graduates from diverse academic backgrounds, including:

• Health and biomedical sciences
• Medicine and public health
• Veterinary and animal sciences
• Agriculture and food systems
• Environmental studies and sustainability
• Law and public policy
• Economics and business
• Computer science and data science
• Social sciences
• International development

You do not need to come from a clinical or laboratory-science background.

Applicants from policy, law, business, economics, technology and social science disciplines are encouraged to apply because One Health challenges require multiple perspectives and ways of thinking.