The MSc in Extreme Medicine is delivered in partnership between World Extreme Medicine and the University of Exeter, combining academic rigour with expedition-proven expertise.

It’s designed for doctors, paramedics, nurses, military medics, scientists, and healthcare professionals who want to take their clinical skills into jungles, deserts, disaster zones, and beyond.

Study remotely. Train in real-world extremes. Start your postgraduate journey in September 2025.

WHY CHOOSE THIS MSC?

Tailored to your world: Study full-time in 1 year, or part-time over 2–3 years. Fits around shift work and expedition life.

Real environments, real learning: Attend residential courses across wild and remote environments.

Choose your specialism: Focus your MSc in Cold, Hot, or Humanitarian environments—or keep it broad.

Enquire with WEM

QUALIFICATION OPTIONS

Choose the pathway that fits your professional goals and availability.

Each option includes a mix of online learning and residential courses, delivered across the UK and internationally.

WHERE YOU’LL TRAIN

Residential courses take place in challenging environments that reflect what you’ll be learning:

This MSc includes optional specialisms:

Cold Environments, Hot Environments, or Humanitarian Relief—which you can select when applying, depending on your interests and career goals.

All three focus areas are fully integrated into the core structure via corresponding courses and residential stages, and can also be taken in combination if you prefer a broader study pathway.

Some courses may carry a supplementary cost. You’ll find a breakdown here.

What You Can Do With This MSc

Graduates go on to work in:

Humanitarian medicine and disaster response

Expedition and wilderness healthcare

Film and TV location medicine

Conflict-zone and remote industry support

Search and rescue, polar voyages, and jungle research

And they bring leadership, resilience, and operational skills back into everyday clinical roles

Entry Requirements

To be eligible for the MSc:

A 2:2 Honours degree (or equivalent) in a relevant discipline (medicine, nursing, paramedic science).

Individuals who don’t meet these criteria but have relevant professional experience may also be welcomed on to this MSc programme. Qualifications and experience will be assessed on application.

Informal enquires to Exeter University are welcome before the formal application stage where you can discuss which areas of the course may need particular attention or advise on pre-course study to maximise your learning engagement.

Should you wish to discuss this please contact the Student Recruitment and Admissions Team.

Tuition Fees (2025/26)

Fees are subject to an annual increment each academic year.

UK and International fees per year:

MSc  £28,600 full-time, £14,300pa part-time 2 years, £12,500 (year 1 and 2), £3,600 (year 3) part-time 3 years

PgDip  £9,900pa part time 2 years

PgCert  £9,900

Scholarships

The University of Exeter invest heavily in scholarships for talented prospective Masters students. For more information on scholarships, please visit their scholarships and bursaries page.

_{Please see the Terms and Conditions for each scheme for further details.}

Find out more about tuition fees and funding

View full entry requirements

Already Taken a WEM Course?

If you’ve completed relevant WEM residential courses within the last three years, you may be eligible to:

Skip re-attending up to two residentials already completed with WEM
Still complete the online learning and assessments for those courses

Receive a tuition fee discount (applied internally by Exeter)
Avoid supplementary residential fees for those courses

Eligibility is assessed by Exeter at the time of application. Residential’s must match current MSc content.

Enquire with WEM

HOSPITAL HALLS TO HIMALAYAN PEAKS

“We realised that we definitely didn’t want to be in hospital medicine…”

Liesel and Celeste Geertsema traded hospital corridors for mountain trails.
The twin sisters left conventional medicine to pursue adventure, finding fulfilment and an unexpected retirement plan along the way. Their journey proves it’s never too late to change course.

Read Their Story