Welcome to our 2021/22 students

Dear Prospective Student,

As the world’s first institute dedicated to research and teaching of tropical medicine, LSTM has been working with partners on Global Health challenges since 1898. Our commitment to this agenda is more important than ever as we move forward and welcome students from across the globe in September 2021.

Over the past year, we have transformed and adapted our delivery model for teaching. Whilst some of the changes were made as a result of COVID-related issues, we are keen to embrace some of the best practice and innovative teaching that evolved. Moreover, we would like to reflect student feedback and experience of this model as we plan for the 2021/22 academic year. 

At the forefront of any considerations are the health and safety of our students and staff. We are also working with the latest advice and guidance from the UK Government. 

Within this context, all our Liverpool-based MSc programmes will offer a blended learning approach i.e. a mix of online and on-campus teaching during the 2021/22 academic year.

We appreciate and value the importance of face to face learning and interaction as an integral part of your student experience and for building relationships with peers and academics on your programmes and for improving attainment levels. We will ensure that plans are in place to enable a safe experience based on national COVID-19 guidelines. 

Blended learning includes face-to-face delivery by academic staff in Liverpool as well as via Brightspace, our virtual learning environment. You will encounter a range of virtual classroom activities, digital teaching tools, learning resources and other activities with our academic staff and the wider LSTM student community. Students on laboratory-based programmes will continue to access lab sessions in Liverpool as required by the programme.

The blended delivery of programmes facilitates an interactive and structured mix of learning activities, which enables you to connect closely to your cohort and the academics delivering the programmes. As learners, you can engage with a variety of activities, many collaborative, which encourage dialogue and engagement in real-world problem-solving.

In all of our face-to-face teaching and laboratory sessions, we will follow UK government guidelines on social distancing as required at the time.

As a broad principle and subject to COVID-19 conditions permitting, we anticipate typically between 2-3 days per week  will be spent on campus in face to face learning enhanced by online learning activities and self-study on other days.

Students will need to be on campus and attend the face-to-face learning sessions.

This model is currently for Semester 1 and 2 modules. Semester 3 remains is an immersive semester in your Research Project with full supervisory support.

This blended approach is based on our expectation that by autumn 2021, in-person teaching will be possible for students. However, this will of course be dependent upon the status of the pandemic at the time.  

If a decision is made to move to more online delivery, it will be made through consultation and advice from Public Health England and Liverpool City Council. This will be communicated to existing and potential students at the earliest opportunity.

Your student experience is key. Our Student Advice and Wellbeing Team have enhanced the flexibility and breadth of provision to students over the past year to allow for support and access to mental health and wellbeing services both virtually and in person. We have worked extensively with our Student Representatives to help shape and modify our provision in line with student feedback. 

We will be updating our frequently asked questions to ensure that we provide you with the latest information as we progress with our plans. 

We look forward to welcoming you to the LSTM community.

With best wishes

Professor Phil Padfield, Dean of Education