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Global Public Health Minor
Global Public Health Minor
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Global Public Health Minor Program will not accept new applications and admit new students for the 2011 - 2012 academic year. Instead, for the next two years, the Department of Public Health Sciences will collaborate with the Global Development Studies Program to pilot a new concentration in Global Public Health within the Global Development Studies Major that focuses on public health in the context of socio-economic development. For more information, please see the Global Development Studies Program.
Students currently enrolled in the Global Public Health Minor will continue to matriculate with the requirements listed below. The Global Public Health Minor may accept new students into the program in future years.
Global Public Health Minor
Sponsor: Department of Public Health Sciences (School of Medicine)
Co-sponsors: College
of Arts & Sciences
Center for Global Health
Institute for Practical Ethics and Public Life
Faculty Steering Committee:
Department of Public Health Sciences: Ruth Gaare Bernheim, JD,
MPH
College of Arts & Sciences: Richard Handler, PhD
Center for Global Health: Rebecca Dillingham, MD
Background:
A large and increasing number of College students wish to pursue academic or professional careers in public health in both domestic and global health settings. In addition, they are incorporating field work in international health and public health into their undergraduate experience. As a foundation for their field work and future careers, they desire a liberal arts perspective on global public health, including an introduction to relevant theoretical frameworks on public health and global health.
Global Public Health Minor Foci:
- An introduction to public health from different disciplines and perspectives, including epidemiology, ethics, anthropology, sociology, and politics;
- An introduction to global health analytic frameworks, international institutions, and methods to understand and address health inequities;
- An exploration of contemporary public health issues at the intersections of public policy, law, human rights, and ethics;
- The cultivation of cultural understanding and humility.
Global Public Health Minor Requirements:
Six courses (18 credits), which includes a capstone course with a major writing requirement; one internship/field placement; and an additional language requirement.
1) Required core courses
- PHS505: Public Health Policy, Law, and Ethics (the capstone course);
- RELG 265 Theology, Ethics, and Medicine, or PHS510 Health Care Policy and Management or another approved course on health policy;
- Global Health Course: one course that focuses on global health issues offered by the Center for Global Health, or departments and schools throughout the university (approved by advisor)
2) Three elective courses related to health offered by departments and schools throughout the University. A list of possible electives will be provided each semester. Courses will be selected in consultation with an advisor.
Electives:
- RELG 265 Theology, Ethics, and Medicine;
- PLAC 544 Community Planning;
- PLAN 545 Healthy Communities;
- PLIR 331 Ethics and Human Rights;
- PHIL 504 Global Justice, Health, and Human Rights;
- A statistics course, or other research methods course
3) One language course beyond the 202 level of any language at UVa or in an approved study abroad course.
4) Each student is required to attend one GPHM meeting each semester.
5) A field placement in a global health or national health-related setting. Internship funding can be applied for from the Center for Global Health, the Institute for Practical Ethics and Public Life, and other programs.
Global Public Health Minor Field Placement -- Guidelines:
Students are expected to do a health-related field-placement or service project in either a global or local setting. Normally, such fieldwork will not carry academic credit. For in-depth projects that have academic or research dimensions, students may work with faculty to seek academic research or independent study credit for the field placement.
- Students should review their plans for their field placements
with
their global public health minor faculty advisors. - Field placements generally should be between 80-120 hours.
These
hours can take place during one summer, or can be spread out over the course of a semester or academic year by working a few hours each week. - Students are expected to keep a journal during their field
placement
and provide their (global public health minor) faculty advisors with
about 10 pages (double-spaced) of journal entries. Journal entries are informal, personal reflections about the field placement experience. The goal of the journal entries is to encourage students to integrate the ideas and knowledge they obtained in their coursework with their real-world experience and impressions. Journals are due to the faculty advisors by April 1st of their final year.
