Global Health Studies

GHS 601. Sociocultural Foundations of Global Health. 3 Credit Hours.

The class examines the sociocultural and historical foundations of Global Health. It analyzes major global health challenges, programs and policies. Students are introduced to emerging global health priorities, social and cultural determinants of health and vulnerability to diseases and human insecurity. It compares health systems across countries and cultures and evaluate access and utilization of health services. It finally assesses key community-based and global initiatives, and identifies resources for learning and career opportunities in global health.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall & Spring.

GHS 610. Hospital Ethnography. 3 Credit Hours.

Hospital ethnography engages closely with discussions and debates about ethnographic research, ethics, and representation taking a hospital as a sociocultural site. It explores some of the research methodologies anthropologists use to understand, interpret, and analyze cultural practices.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall & Spring.

GHS 612. People, Plagues, and Pandemics. 3 Credit Hours.

The history of pandemics shows that we have not learned from history. Is there a lesson in this recurring failure? Would we even realize it if there was? After the Ebola outbreak, epidemiologists expressed the important lessons that we failed to learn from previous outbreaks of disease. Many others have taken note of how plagues of swine flu and the like failed to generate more funding for epidemic/pandemic preparedness and response, and declared that government officials overlooked lessons from hypothetical pandemic exercises. Some have drawn comparisons between our slow response and denial of the Covid-19 crisis and the long delay in responding to the AIDS pandemic. Why are we so bad at doing this in practice? Are we ever going to break the vicious cycle of panic and neglect? The purpose of this course is to provide an introductory overview to emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) in the context of previous global outbreaks, focusing on geography, origin, and management response. Through a combination of discussions and/or group activities, case studies, and lecture style introductions to weekly themes, students will gain a deeper understanding of disease, or group of diseases as illustrations of the impact of global outbreaks, responses, social, demographic, economic, and environmental context of historical and modern epidemics; and on basic models of infectious disease processes.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, & Summer.

GHS 621. Epidemiology for Global Health. 3 Credit Hours.

Epidemiology is the study of the distribution and determinants of health and disease in different human populations and the application of methods to improve disease outcomes. As such, epidemiology is the basic science of public health. This course is designed to introduce students in all fields of public health to the background, basic principles and methods of public health epidemiology. We will also discuss the biological, behavioral, sociocultural and environmental factors associated with the etiology and distribution of health and disease. Topics covered in this course include basic principles of epidemiology; measures of disease frequency; epidemiologic study designs: experimental and observational; bias; confounding; outbreak investigations; screening; causality; and ethical issues in epidemiologic research
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall.

GHS 635. Biostatistics in Global Health. 3 Credit Hours.

This course teaches statistical methods and principles applicable to the understanding and interpretation of data used in public health, as well as health policy evaluation and formation.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Spring.

GHS 639. Globalization and Health. 3 Credit Hours.

Globalization and its benefits and threats to public health; the relationship between global economic, political, social, cultural, environmental and technological changes and their impact on human health.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall.

GHS 640. Global Health Response to Disasters: From Management to Recovery and Reconstruction. 3 Credit Hours.

The course will examine the global health impacts of disaster on populations in different communities/societies around the world. Drawing from a variety of case studies, the course will analyze current social science and health investigations and contributions to disaster management, recovery and reconstruction efforts. It will analyze the underlying factors that define vulnerability to various disasters in the world and identify processes that shape disparate outcomes within affected societies in recovery and reconstruction. Guided by these analyses, we will then examine the impact of international aid to recovery and reconstruction on populations in different communities throughout middle- and low-income countries. The course operates under the premise that disasters and its health impacts must be understood as processes embedded in ongoing changes and developments in relationships among humans and between humans and the natural world. Such developments shape vulnerability to various hazards and highlight the subjectivity of disasters for victims.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Summer.

GHS 644. Global Health and International Development. 3 Credit Hours.

Health and development links; macroeconomic policies and their impact on social equity; poverty and structural inequities; and other key issues that influence human development.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall & Spring.

GHS 645. Disasters, Terrorism and Global Public Health. 3 Credit Hours.

The historical processes and present trends of disasters, terrorism, humanitarian emergencies and their impact on human health, safety and security.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Spring.

GHS 670. Community-Based Participatory Action Research. 3 Credit Hours.

The goal of this course is to provide students with an overview of theories, principles, and strategies associated with Community-Based Participatory Action Research (CBPAR) in global health. CBPAR is an effective approach to understanding and addressing social and health disparities in global health. It focuses on a collaborative approach to research that equitably involves all partners in the research process and recognizes the unique strengths that each brings. CBPAR begins with a research topic of importance to the community, has the aim of combining knowledge with action and achieving social change to improve health outcomes and eliminate health disparities. We will explore topics such as the purpose and applications of CBPAR, partnership formation and maintenance; issues of power, trust, race, and class; ethical issues; and CBPAR’s relationship to cultural knowledge systems. Through a mix of lectures, discussions, case studies and group work, students will gain the knowledge and skills necessary to co-develop and participate in medical and health CBPAR projects, as well as a critical awareness of the advantages and limitations of CBPAR. The course will reflect an interdisciplinary perspective while using CBPAR’s philosophical commitment to co-teaching and co-learning.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall.

GHS 672. Global Health Policy and Ethics. 3 Credit Hours.

National, regional and global health policies with special consideration to ethical and human rights issues; policies and the moral considerations that shape public health policy.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall & Spring.

GHS 715. Modern and Traditional Health Systems. 3 Credit Hours.

This class focuses on the complexity of health systems and the challenges associated with their socioeconomic, geopolitical, cultural contexts that ultimately annihilate efforts for better health outcomes in many countries around the world.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Offered by Announcement Only.

GHS 801. Intercultural Practicum in Global Health. 3-6 Credit Hours.

The Intercultural Practicum is designed to provide students with fieldwork experience in the area of global health and is geared toward providing an opportunity to apply global health academic theory and knowledge to global health problems. This experience places students in health-related settings to work on projects of mutual interest to both the field organization and the student. Students will be asked to identify a community partner with which to complete the Intercultural Practicum.
Prerequisite: GHS 601.
Components: PRA.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, & Summer.

GHS 810. Graduate Thesis in Global Health. 1-6 Credit Hours.

The student working on his/her master's thesis enrolls for credit, in most departments not to exceed six, as determined by his/her advisor. Credit is not awarded until the thesis has been accepted.
Components: THI.
Grading: SUS.
Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, & Summer.

GHS 890. Global Health Internship. 1-6 Credit Hours.

Internship with an academic, governmental, non-profit and/or private sector entity focused on issues related to Global Health Studies. The goal is to acquire and practice skill sets required for advancement in professional careers. Students are encouraged to work with the Toppel Career Center to identify an internship experience. Open only to students in the MA in Global Health and Society program.
Components: PRA.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, & Summer.