The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated more than ever in recent history the importance, significance and necessity of public health across all disciplines and human activities.

Qualified public health professionals can play a vital role in promoting health, preventing, mitigating and controlling diseases.

The Postgraduate Program aims to provide high-level education to researchers and professionals for the protection of public health, which are based on the scientific areas of epidemiology, biostatistics, hygiene, health education, environmental health and management of human resources that are affected or affect the above.

The programme responds to the increased demands for specialists in Europe and around the world in order to promote public health and prevent the transnational spread of diseases, but also in particular to ensure public health and hygiene both on board ships and at their destinations.

The program is complementary to the undergraduate studies provided by Departments of European Universities and other countries, covering the gap that exists in the education provided at national, European and international level.

You will be selecting a top-ranked university, with a Medical Faculty renowned for its academic teaching and research capacity, and whose Laboratory of Hygiene and Epidemiology is recognized internationally, across Europe and nationally for its contribution to public health issues in general and specifically for the transport sectors and points of entry (ports, airports, ground crossings).

• The Laboratory of Hygiene and Epidemiology:
  • is established at the University of Thessaly, Faculty of Medicine
  • is affiliated with the University General Hospital of Larissa as a cross-departmental unit
  • functions as a Peripheral Public Health Laboratory under the National Public Health Organization of Greece (NPHO)
  • is designated as a World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre for the International Health Regulations: points of entry (WHO Reference: GRE-27)
  • has established and operates a Public health observatory in means of transport and points of entry, whose scope addresses teaching and research needs in the subjects of public health in means of transport and points of entry. 

• The Laboratory has a long history in teaching and research in the field of public health:
  • It is responsible for teaching four courses of the medical studies programme since 2007
  • It operates since 2007, a postgraduate master’s course taught in Greek and titled “MSc in Applied Public Health and Environmental Hygiene” with a focus on food and water safety, one of the first MSc courses in Greece in this field.
  • It operates a second post-graduate master’s course established in 2022 entitled “MSc in Public Health and Maritime Transport” to be offered in English language.
  • Under the framework of European projects the Laboratory of Hygiene and Epidemiology has several years’ experience in organizing European level training courses.
  • It delivers high-quality research with many doctoral and post-doctoral research studies in various public health fields completed or in progress. The Laboratory’s scientific members have published extensively in high impact factor, international peer reviewed public health journals

• The “European Scientific Association for Health and Hygiene in Maritime Transport” with acronym EU SHIPSAN ASSOCIATION was founded by members of the Laboratory of Hygiene and Epidemiology.

• Fully equipped with cutting edge technological equipment for performing both routine analyses and research projects, the Laboratory of Hygiene and Epidemiology meets Biosafety level 2 requirements.
• The Laboratory of Hygiene and Epidemiology has a long history of coordinating and leading European projects and joint actions, as well as established collaborations with both European and international organizations.

More information about UTH is available here
More information about Laboratory of Hygiene and Epidemiology is available here

Distinguished teaching staff from 19 universities and 2 research centers in 10 European countries

Teaching staff providing course lectures are recognized leaders in academic fields of applied epidemiology, public health, environmental health and hygiene, chronic and infectious diseases, maritime health, health economics, occupational health including seafarers, human resources management and shipping economics.

Guest lecturers include public health professionals with practical experience in public health and maritime public health aspects.