Global Health Track

The MPH Global Health Track is designed for students interested in acquiring the competencies necessary to bring practical solutions to the health problems of underserved and neglected populations in resource poor settings worldwide. Many of the greatest challenges in public health are global. Experts in global health and individuals with a sense of responsibility towards populations lacking adequate access to health care are needed to help solve the many health problems these populations face. The MPH Global Health Specialty Track fosters the acquisition of the competencies necessary to bring positive, lasting change to challenged populations around the world.

The Global Health Specialty Track includes both didactic and practical experience designed to allow students to accomplish the competencies determined necessary to be global health practitioners. Classes feature many world-renowned lecturers from the fields of medicine, public health, social sciences, health economics and health management, as well as experts from NGOs and government policy makers. The courses are designed to give students a thorough understanding of the principles of public health, with special emphasis on globalization and human rights, and the arguments surrounding the interrelation of these fields of study.

In addition to the core course work an MPH with a global health emphasis includes coursework that covers a wide variety of topics such as equitable distribution of life-saving drugs, the health impact of asylum seekers, global communicable diseases, global trade, humanitarian aid and the public health impact of military intervention. Students acquire practical skills that enable them to work successfully in a wide variety of settings with diverse populations both domestically and abroad. With constant interaction between students and instructors, discussion and debate are important features of this course of study. Students are encouraged to pursue locations and study topics that are of particular interest to them.

Examples of projects undertaken in this track over the past few years include: working to improve the health of residents in India through child health nutrition programs and community education; examining the role of alternative and complementary medicine in villagers in rural outpatient settings in India; designing and teaching a basic public health curriculum in a local college in the Spirit Lake Nation of the Native American Dakota Tribe; performing targeted needs assessments in rural Kenya through collaboration with the International Rescue Committee which serves refugees affected by violent conflict.

• Explain the global context in which public health problems occur including the social, political, or economic forces that underlay them.

• Apply social justice or human rights principles in the assessment of public health programs, interventions or policies.

• Describe the roles or relationships of the entities that influence global health.

• Identify the leadership or management skills needed to effectively lead local, national, or global public health systems.

• Describe multi-agency policy-making in response to complex health emergencies.

Global Health Track Requirements and Electives

Course Number and Title	Credits
MPH0203 Introduction to Medical Anthropology	3
MPH0700 Introduction to Global Health	1
MPH0703 Global Mental Health	3
MPH0717 Global Reproductive and Maternal Health	3
MPH0010 Zoonoses: An Emerging Public Health Issue*	3
MPH0014 Program Planning*	3
MPH0410 Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases*	3
MPH0707 Humanitarian Aid in Complex Emergencies*	3
MPH0705 Racism and Public Health in the United States*	3
MPH0710 Global Environmental Change*	3
MPH0713 Human Rights: Ethical Dilemmas in Health Care	3
Students may choose to pursue a concentration in Epidemiology and Biostatistics or choose to take additional electives from across Tracks	variable

*Elective Options