Global and Comparative Public Health Concentration

A concentration in Global and Comparative Public Health (GCPH) prepares students to be active participants in improving the health of their own and other communities worldwide. Students will gain an understanding of the determinants of the health of populations; the available options to improve the health of populations; and the evidence demonstrating the efficacy of these options.

Through the GCPH concentration, students will learn to:

1. Identify the determinants of health. These determinants will include but are not limited to biological, environmental, economic, political, institutional and social factors;
2. Describe the various public health interventions that may influence the health of populations and differentiate between them;
3. Explain how the health status of a given population is interdependent with the health of all populations globally;
4. Explain and give examples of how culture relates to health and apply this knowledge to conversations abojut health in different settings;
5. Explain how the indicators of health of a given population may be assessed;
6. Analyze the relationship between health and social justice;
7. Describe the factors (social and cultural) that affect the relevant behaviors of a population;
8. Devise the questions that may be asked to examine the health of a population;
9. Apply evidence-based thinking to population health concerns.

The GCPH concentration complements various majors, including Biology, BCMB, Pharmacy, Health Sciences, International Relations, Politics, Law, Politics and Society, Sociology, Environmental Science and Policy and Philosophy. Students who complete the program will be well prepared for graduate study and/or careers in fields related to public health.

Requirements for the Concentration:

A total of 21 credits are required, distributed as follows (see course catalogue to identify any prerequisites for listed courses):



Required courses (9 credits):

Hsci 144 Introduction to Public Health 


Pols 127 Global Health 


Hsci 143 Epidemiology 


Electives (12 credits): Take at least one from Natural Sciences list and one from Social Sciences/Humanities list:

Natural Sciences:

Bio 021 Biological Basis of Disease

Bio 145 Introduction to Ethnobotany

Bio 145 Foodways: Plants and Adaptations


Bio 108 Emerging Infectious Disease


Bio 182 Immunology

Chem 012 Food and Health

Social Sciences and Humanities:

Hist 194 Public Health History

Phil 124 Health and Social Justice

Phil 151 Environmental Justice

Pols 169 Comparative Public Health Policy

SCSS 071 Environmental Movements


SCSS 145 Food and Society

SCSS 150 Global Reproductive Politics

WLC 148 Intercultural Communication 


Experiential Learning (Local or international. May count as an elective under either Natural Sciences or Social Sciences/Humanities, depending upon content; adviser approval required. The following course - open to Pharmacy students only - is pre-approved for 5 credits under experiential learning for GCPH: Phar 285 Belize Rotation [counts as Natural Science].)

Students may declare the concentration by filling out a form through their college administrative office.