Academic Advising Resource Center
Global Health
Why take courses in Global Health?
The Global Health program approaches health, as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO), as complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity; it situates health as the human experience of our bodies as they exist, function, and malfunction in a complex ecosystem of social, cultural, and economic contexts.
What kinds of questions does Global Health explore?
- What are the conditions related to health at the individual and population levels?
- What are the practical approaches to engaging students and partners in interdisciplinary and multi-divisional thinking of global health problems and healthcare issues through local, regional, and transnational approaches?
- What are the interconnections between socioeconomic, historical, political, and environmental determinants of health and their importance to global health?
- How do the ethical tenets of equitable health intersect with religious and spiritual belief systems about health, life, death, and wellbeing with an awareness of power and privilege in an inter-cultural context?
What advice would you give students interested in taking courses in Global Health?
While there are a wide variety of courses that will count towards the major electives, students should know that some courses have prerequisites and plan their schedules accordingly.
Taking Courses
Courses for non-majors or general interest
- Any gateway course (BIOL 047/147, BIOL 135, or NSCI 103) is a good opportunity for students to explore their interest in Global Health.
Getting started in the major
Students thinking about Global Health are encouraged to declare early in order to work with a major advisor who can help identify supporting core and elective courses that align with their Global Health interests.
Advanced Placement Credit
Majors may count AP/IB credit earned in Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, and/or Psychology toward a Global Health major following the relevant department’s guidelines.
If a department does not accept AP/IB coursework toward its own major, it will not count toward the Global Health major. Refer to the AP/IB chart for complete information about AP test scores.
Majoring in Global Health
Provided is an example of how a student could distribute courses required for the major. See the catalog for additional details about major requirements.
Sample Four-Year Plans
| Fall & Spring | |
|---|---|
| Y1 | BIOL 047/BIOL 135/NSCI 103 100-level Mechanism Elective Social Systems and Representation Elective |
| Y2 | PHIL 235/RELG 249 Statistics/Research Methods 200-level Mechanism Elective Social Systems and Representation Elective |
| Y3 | DATA 320/GLBH 320 300-level Mechanism Elective Social Systems and Representation Elective Adv. Research Methods |
| Y4 | Social Systems and Representation Elective |
Related Areas of Study
Anthropology; Biology; Comparative American Studies; Data Science; Economics; Environmental Science; Environmental Studies; Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies; Law and Society; Neuroscience; Politics; Psychology; Religion, Sociology
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Global Health Major Requirements
Global Health Department