GLOBAL HEALTH, REINVENTED
One Health Programs: PhD & Short Intensives
Transform your research into global impact with rigorous One Health science, executive leadership training, and the holistic mentorship you need to solve the complex challenges of our interconnected world.
100% Online
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Our flexible 100% online program connects you with global experts and diverse peers, allowing you to balance rigorous transdisciplinary study with your professional life and local community impact.
Unique Approach
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The One Health program integrates medicine, ecology, mental health with a strong emphasis on AI, guided by interdisciplinary supervisory team, ensuring you develop the holistic perspective needed to bridge human, animal, and environmental health.
Action-Oriented
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We go beyond theory to prioritize executive leadership, conflict resolution, and project management, equipping you to translate research into policy and lead complex, multi-stakeholder initiatives.
Global Impact
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Solve the “wicked problems” of our time. Our curriculum focuses on health equity and environmental justice, preparing you to tackle urgent, interconnected challenges, from pandemics to climate change, that defy borders and disciplines.
PATHWAYS TO EXCELLENCE
We offer two complementary tracks, both fully online and intentionally small to ensure close mentorship.
PHD IN ONE HEALTH
One Health is a specialization PhD within the Humanities and Social Science PhD program
Format: 3 Years (Full-time) | 100% Online
Who it is for
Aspiring “Boundary-Spanning” Leaders. We invite graduates from diverse backgrounds, including medicine, veterinary medicine, public health, ecology, and social sciences, who are driven to solve complex, interconnected global challenges through practice-changing research at the intersection of human, animal, and environmental health.
What you will learn
Beyond technical rigor, you will master the seven core domains of One Health practice: Systems Thinking, Transdisciplinary Leadership, Management, Communication, Ethics, Collaboration, and Advocacy, equipping you to translate science into policy and action.
Structure
Flexible, fully online, and Experiential. The curriculum integrates mentorship, immersive digital Problem-Based Learning (PBL) modules, and rigorous dissertation research tailored to your real-world impact goals.
Online Short Intensive Courses in One Health
Format: Short, Intensive Programs
Our One Health short courses with certificate of completion are ideal for people who want serious training and a recognized credential without committing immediately to a full PhD.
Target Audiences
- Clinicians and allied Health Professionals: Veterinarians, physicians, and nurses seeking to transition from clinical practice to public health leadership or policy roles. Mental health and psychosocial practitioners.
- Government & NGO staff: Who need practical skills to manage cross-sectoral projects, community programs, humanitarian response, and health promotion.
- Data Scientists & Epidemiologists: Researchers, data, AI and tech professionals
- Bachelor’s students, recent graduates, and career changers
The “Living” Curriculum
These topics allow students to “mix and match” based on their career goals. New “Hot Topic” seminars will be inserted.
How we teach:
Guest Experts, Problem-Based Learning. For logic, not memorization.
Example Course Themes:
- Fundamentals of One Health: From Concept to Practice
- Climate Crisis, Disasters, and Community Resilience
- Refugee Health
- AI, Data, and Ethics in One Health
- One Health Policy, Law & Ethics
- One Health & Psychoanalysis
- Community-Based One Health: engaging local and Indigenous communities as equal partners in surveillance
LED BY INTERDISCIPLINARY EXPERTS
“To solve today’s health crises, we must look beyond the microscope. We connect the clinic, the forest, and the mind.”
Our program is uniquely co-directed by a Medical Doctor and a PhD in Psychoanalysis, ensuring a holistic curriculum that no other institution offers.
Dr. Elena Piatenko, MD
The Frontline Strategist
She doesn’t just study health crises; she manages them. From conflits zones in Armenia with refugees to hurricane disaster response in the Caribbean. A Global Burden of Disease collaborator who leverages AI to turn data into lifesaving policy. She teaches you how to act when the system breaks.
Hitakshi Negandhi, PhD(c)
The Psychosocial Architect
Ecology without psychology is blind. Dr. Negandhi decodes the hidden trauma and social fractures that fuel pandemics. An expert in Psychoanalysis and Social Work, she bridges the gap between a dying ecosystem and the human mind. She teaches you to heal the root cause, not just the symptom.
“Together, Dr. Piatenko and Dr. Negandhi create an intellectual home where quantitative metrics and lived experience, biology and psyche, policy and community voices all matter.”
Your Future Impact
Whether you are defining a field with a PhD or upskilling with a certificate, our programs position you at the forefront of global health innovation.
- • Executive Leadership: Design and evaluate interventions for NGOs, humanitarian organizations, etc. Develop and implement policies, guidelines, and clinical pathways that integrate environmental and social considerations.
- • Advanced Research: Principal Investigator, Epidemiologist, University Professor.
- • Global Policy: Health Policy Advisor, International Technical Officer (WHO, FAO, WOAH).
- • The Tech Frontier: AI Health Data Analyst, Smart Surveillance Specialist, Digital Health Consultant.
- • Field Operations: Outbreak Response Coordinator, Wildlife Disease Monitor, Manager.
- • Bridge-builders: between hospitals, labs, communities, and policy rooms, translating evidence into action.
Learning in Action
Theory is just the starting point. At GCAS, you engage in realistic virtual simulations that mirror the work of global health professionals.
Cross-Border Outbreak Simulation
Scenario: You receive real-style line-list data from a febrile illness cluster in a border with weekly markets.
Your Mission: Work in teams to identify a likely zoonotic source, map transmission routes, and role-play a joint briefing between the Ministry of Health, veterinary services, and community leaders to agree on immediate, feasible control measures.
Climate Emergency in a Refugee Camp
Scenario: A prolonged heatwave hits a large refugee camp, and health-facility data show rising cases of dehydration, heat exhaustion, and mental-health crises.
Your Mission: Analyse basic health and meteorological data, identify the most at-risk groups, and co-design a practical One Health action plan that can be implemented with limited resources.
Tuition & Financing
PhD in One Health
€6,000
per year
Early Bird & Scholarships:
Limited tuition reductions are available for early applicants and for candidates from low- and middle-income or under-resourced settings.
Short Intensive Courses
€1,000
per course
Scholarships:
Selected partial scholarships for professionals working in NGOs, public services, or community-based organisations.
Flexible Financing
Payment Plans
Monthly or quarterly instalment options available to spread tuition.
Employer Sponsorship
Many participants use professional development funding from hospitals, NGOs, universities, or government agencies. We can provide support letters and documentation for your employer or funder.
Ready to Make a Difference?
Join a global network of changemakers. Applications are open for the next cohort.
Apply NowFrequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between the PhD and the Short Courses?
The PhD (180 ECTS, normally 3+ years) is a research-intensive degree culminating in an original dissertation. It is designed for people who want to become independent researchers and high-level experts, able to lead projects, shape policy, and publish.
Short Intensive Courses (typically 5 ECTS each) are short, focused courses that deepen your skills in specific areas (for example climate and health, AMR, refugee health, AI & policy) and give you a recognised credential without committing to a full PhD.
Is this programme accredited?
GCAS degrees are delivered in partnership with Woolf, a higher education institution accredited by the Malta Further and Higher Education Authority (MFHEA). Woolf programmes are aligned with the Malta Qualifications Framework (MQF) and European Qualifications Framework (EQF) at Level 8 for PhD degrees, with 180 ECTS of doctoral study. This means your doctoral degree is issued within a recognised European qualifications framework, supporting international academic and professional recognition. (Short courses carry ECTS and can be used as stand-alone professional development or as a step toward further study.)
Do I need a medical degree to apply?
No. While MDs and other clinicians are very welcome, we also accept applicants with backgrounds in:
- Public Health and Epidemiology
- Veterinary Science and Animal Health
- Environmental and Ecological Sciences
- Psychology, Social Work, and Mental Health
- Sociology, Anthropology, Political Science, International Relations
- Data Science, AI, Digital Health, or related fields
What matters most is a strong motivation for One Health, relevant experience, and readiness for advanced study and research.
Is the programme 100% online?
Yes. All seminars, simulations, supervision meetings, and assessments are conducted fully online, so you can study from anywhere in the world while continuing your clinical, NGO, academic, or policy work. Optional in-person events may be offered but are not required.
Can I start with a Short Course and later apply to the PhD?
Yes. Many participants use Short Courses to:
- Test whether One Health and research-oriented study is right for them.
- Build a stronger application profile for the PhD.
- Begin developing a project or policy area they may later expand into a doctoral dissertation.
Completion of a Short Course does not guarantee admission to the PhD, but it is a positive signal and can help you clarify and refine your research interests.