Launched in 2012, our MSc in Environment and Human Health has seen 14 intakes of students, well over a hundred graduates, and navigated its way through a pandemic, a campus relocation, and a growing body of research which continues to shape the Centre’s teaching today. Dr Lewis Elliott reflects on how the programme has changed over time, hears from some alumni, and points towards the direction of travel for future environment and human health education.

The early days

As with a lot of the Centre’s early activity, the European Social Fund was instrumental in the development of our master’s programme. This meant that as well as being designed around the research interests of Centre academics, it responded to regional workforce needs in Cornwall. Indeed, 15 of the 16 students in its first cohort lived in the county, and several had worked with the Centre through our business engagement activities, underlining early successes with local enterprise.

With course content focused on ecological public health, the relationship between health and the natural environment, and the social determinants of health and healthcare systems, the early curriculum had a clear objective: to not silo disciplines or sectors, and to teach students in a way which transcended usual subject boundaries.

This had some interesting implications. The MSc accepted students from all disciplinary backgrounds and often attracted mature students from local businesses, it required students to learn about a huge variety of subjects and methods – from epidemiology to psychology, geography to social science, microbiology to anthropology. This kaleidoscope of disciplines also meant we could invite a rich array of guest speakers, from organisations like the Met Office, Age UK, and the World Health Organisation.

Chinonso Christian Odebeatu, a 2018 alumnus, who has since gone on to lecture in climate change, environmental health, and environmental economics in Nigeria, notes this diversity: “The programme was taught by experts and researchers from diverse fields at the European Centre for Environment and Human Health, thereby making the course more robust and unique.”

Chinonso Christian Odebeatu, 2018 MSc alumnus.

Changing students, opportunities, and transitions

In the late 2010s, the student base became more international, attracting scholarships from middle eastern countries in particular, and its modules started to recruit students from other programmes on the Penryn campus too, like those in sustainable development and environmental sciences. This broadened the student voice and meant the curriculum itself became more international and varied, with content on global public health and environmental change being introduced.

Our students were also fortunate enough to receive a recurring annual prize from Exeter alumnus Roger de Freitas, allowing successful applicants to attend international conferences and events related to their studies. Dr Matthew Lee, a recent recipient, used the fund to attend an interdisciplinary conference in Barcelona: “The experience was inspiring and has fuelled my drive to complete my degree and campaign for healthcare professionals to build a closer relationship with nature for the sake of public health.”

Since completing his studies, Matthew has been a deputy special advisor on climate change and healthcare sustainability to the Royal College of Physicians and campaigns on the role of the health system in tackling climate change.

The later years

And then with 2020, came a global pandemic, and a big shift in student experience as our usual teaching premises at the Royal Cornwall Hospital became inaccessible. Academic staff rapidly transitioned to delivering a fully online programme, and while this did mean an end to some of our exciting local field trips, it also meant increased opportunities for study for those who could not relocate to Cornwall.

In 2023, with the Centre’s move to the University of Exeter’s Penryn campus complete, the MSc transitioned back to a fully in-person programme. Being with our fellow Penryn colleagues allowed students to opt for a wide selection of environment and sustainability modules at Penryn’s Graduate School alongside our core offering of diverse interdisciplinary content.

2025 alumnus Jessica Rossi Christensen, who runs an active outdoor health education and training company from Switzerland, said of the refreshed programme: “I wasn’t prepared for just how much the MSc would impact me, and what it would give me for the way forward. I had the opportunity to learn from, and be mentored by, world leading specialists and dedicated researchers who are committed to sharing their work with others. I have graduated from a truly transformative programme that has given me the knowledge, skills and vision to bring this important work to the public.”

In 2026 and beyond, the Centre is looking to refresh its education offering once more, and is now investigating the potential for new online programmes, summer schools, and collaborations with other faculties and external organisations to co-deliver teaching and expand its continued professional development courses.

So watch this space as we continue to develop research-inspired teaching about how crucial the links are between our own health and well-being, and the species, ecosystems, and landscapes that we are so privileged to share our planet with.