Global & Comparative Public Health Concentration

The Global and Comparative Public Health (GCPH) Concentration provides students with an interdisciplinary understanding of health from a global perspective. This enhanced and thorough approach combines knowledge and practice from disciplines in the social and natural sciences and humanities, resulting in a comprehensive experience applicable to the academic, professional, and personal goals of students who complete the concentration

Through the GCPH concentration, students will learn to:

1. Identify how the determinants of health, such as biological, cultural, environmental, economic, political, institutional, and social factors affect the health status of different populations;
2. Evaluate various public health interventions that may influence the health of populations;
3. Explain how the health status of a given population is interdependent with the health of all populations globally;
4. Explain how the indicators of health of a given population may be assessed.

The GCPH concentration complements various majors, including biology; biochemistry, cell and molecular biology; pharmacy; health sciences; occupational therapy; athletic training; 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:

Students must complete 12 credit hours of electives for the concentration.  At least three (3) credit hours must come from Natural Science electives and at least three (3) credit hours must come from Humanities/Social Science electives.  

Students seeking to transfer courses from other colleges or universities must complete the GCPH course transfer request form.

No more than three (3) credits may be transferred towards the concentration from other colleges or universities.

Students completing the 4-course sequence in Foundations of Interpreting (Course numbers here) are advised that only one (1) course may be counted towards the concentration.

Students are advised that for study abroad courses and experiential rotations, only three (3) credits may be counted towards the concentration.

Students are advised that some courses are not taught in both semesters, some courses are taught on an every-other-basis, some courses have pre-requisites, and some courses may be restricted to students in specific years or programs of study.  Students are advised to consult the appropriate web pages to determine if a given course will be taught during any given semester.

REQUIRED COURSES (9 credits)

HSCI 143 – Introduction to Epidemiology (3 credits)
HSCI 144 – Introduction to Public Health (3 credits)
HSCI 104 OR POLS 127 – Global Health (3 credits)

ELECTIVE COURSES (12 credits required)