Overview
The Bachelor of Science in Global Health Studies (Pre-Med) provides students with an interdisciplinary perspective to understanding how issues surrounding global health relate to the greater impacts on society, culture, and the environment. This major combines social science and humanist perspectives and cross the disciplines of anthropology, religious studies, geography, regional studies, classics, history, literature, and sociology.
The GHS (Pre-Med) major (24 credits plus pre-med requirements) will fulfill the STEM area of knowledge requirement.
Whereas medicine as a field addresses disease diagnosis and care, the field of global health is much broader, and still being defined. Global health in the social sciences encompasses disease prevention, education, health policy, access, and resiliency. Global health in the humanities examines the history and cultural significance of medicine and health from ancient times to today. This major provides students with the opportunity to explore the cultural and social aspects of health and underlying causes that affect the well-being and provide an important interdisciplinary platform for the empirical and theoretical interaction of humanists and social scientists.
Curriculum Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ENG 105 | English Composition I | 3 |
| ENG 106 | English Composition II | 3 |
| UMX 100 | The University of Miami Experience | 0 |
| Calculus Sequence (B.S. Requirement) | 8 | |
| Calculus I and Calculus II | ||
| Calculus Concepts with Foundations A and Calculus Concepts with Foundations B | ||
| Calculus I and Calculus II | ||
| Arts and Humanities Cognate Courses | 9 | |
| People and Society Cognate Courses | 9 | |
| Language Requirement | 3-9 | |
| Minor Requirement | 15 | |
| GHS Required Core Course | 3 | |
| New Course: Global Health Studies: An Introduction | ||
| GHS Methods Course (Choose 3 credits) | 3 | |
| Introduction to Social Research | ||
| Methods of Anthropological Research | ||
| Applied Social Research Methods | ||
| Geographic Research Methods | ||
| GHS Policy Course (Choose 3 credits from the following) | 3 | |
| Applied Health Policy | ||
| Globalization and Change in World Politics | ||
| Global Health Policy and Ethics | ||
| GHS Electives | 12 | |
Humanities (Choose at least 3 credits from the following) | ||
| Religion and Medicine: Health Care as Spiritual Practice | ||
| Ancient Medicine | ||
| Biomedical Ethics | ||
Social Sciences (Choose at least 3 credits from the following) | ||
| Health and Medical Geography | ||
| Medical Anthropology | ||
| Medical Sociology | ||
Additional GHS Elective Options | ||
| HIV: Sex, Science, and Society | ||
| Medicine and Health Care in Society | ||
| Human Adaptation | ||
| Folk and Alternative Medicine | ||
| Drugs and Culture | ||
| Bioarchaeology-Peopling the past | ||
| Interpreting Bodies | ||
| Paleopathology: Health and disease in ancient peoples | ||
| Advanced Medical Anthropology | ||
| Sexuality and Gender in the Ancient World | ||
| Magic and the Occult in Antiquity | ||
| Sciences in Ancient Greece and Rome | ||
| Health Communication | ||
| Communication in Health Organization | ||
| Patient-Provider Communication | ||
| Health Behavior and Risk | ||
| Health Economics | ||
| Literature and Medicine | ||
| Psychosocial Change and Well-being | ||
| Understanding Human Service Organizations | ||
| Community Psychology and Development | ||
| Migration, Well Being, and Human Development | ||
| World Regional Geography | ||
| Sustainable Food Systems | ||
| Population, Health, and Environment | ||
| Population, Sustainability, and the Media | ||
| Drinking Water: Past, Present, and Future | ||
| Immigrant and Refugee Health | ||
| Climate Change and Public Health | ||
| GIS for Health and Environment | ||
| Introduction to Gender and Sexuality Studies | ||
| Gender, Race, and Class | ||
| Issues in Reproductive Medicine | ||
| Mental Illness, Gender, and Psychiatry | ||
| The Scientific Revolution | ||
| Science and Society | ||
| International Migration and the Health Care System | ||
| Globalization and Health | ||
| Global Health and International Development | ||
| Disasters, Terrorism and Global Public Health | ||
| Evidence and Knowledge in Medicine | ||
| Relationships and Health | ||
| Health Psychology | ||
| Cultural, Values, Religiosity, and Mental Illness | ||
| Religion and Gender | ||
| Death and Dying | ||
| Religion and Science | ||
| Religion and Bioethics | ||
| Spiritual Healing in the Americas from Controversy to Cure | ||
| Social Epidemiology: Illness and Death in Society | ||
| Population and Society | ||
| Violence in America | ||
| Sociology of Mental Health and Illness | ||
| Sociology of Drug Abuse | ||
| Aging in Society | ||
| Health Disparities in the U.S. | ||
| Introduction to Standardized Patient Simulation | ||
| Intermediate Standardized Patient Training | ||
| GHS Capstone Experience 1 | 3 | |
| The capstone experience must focus on issues/experiences related to global or planetary health. Students will be able to choose between the following capstone experiences. | ||
Independent Study | ||
Senior Research Project | ||
Senior Thesis | ||
Global Health Internship | ||
| Pre-Med Requirements | ||
| Students must satisfy the requirements of the Office of Pre-Health Advising and Mentoring | ||
| (Sample Plan of Study, May Vary with Advising) | ||
| Statistics Course | 3 | |
| BIL 150 | General Biology | 4 |
| BIL 151 | General Biology Laboratory | 1 |
| or BIL 152 | HHMI General Biology Laboratory. | |
| BIL 160 | Evolution and Biodiversity | 4 |
| BIL 161 | Evolution and Biodiversity Laboratory | 1 |
| or BIL 162 | HHMI Evolution and Biodiversity Laboratory. | |
| CHM 121 & CHM 113 | Principles of Chemistry and Chemistry Laboratory I | 5 |
| CHM 221 & CHM 205 | Introduction to Structure and Dynamics and Chemical Dynamics Laboratory | 5 |
| CHM 222 & CHM 206 | Organic Reactions and Synthesis and Organic Reactions and Synthesis Laboratory | 6 |
| BMB 401 | Biochemistry for the Biomedical Sciences | 4 |
| PHY 101 & PHY 106 | College Physics I and College Physics Laboratory I | 4 |
| or PHY 201 | University Physics I for the Sciences | |
| PHY 102 & PHY 108 | College Physics II and College Physics Laboratory II | 4 |
| or PHY 202 | University Physics II for the Sciences | |
| PSY 110 | Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
| SOC 101 | Introduction to Sociology | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours | 121 | |
| 1 | The Capstone experience will vary by student but should focus on issues/experiences related to global or planetary health. Students who enter into the accelerated 5-year program will be advised to take the thesis or research project course to begin their research for their Master’s degree. Similarly, students may be advised to take the internship course to satisfy their capstone requirement so that they may engage in fieldwork and practical experiences. |
| * | All Pre-health students must select a major as specified in the undergraduate bulletin. There are two distinct areas of academic preparation for the pre- health student. First, students must fulfill degree requirements and second, they must complete the requirements for admission to health professional school. Students do not need to major in a biological or physical science in order to declare a pre-health track. |
| ** | If students choose a major outside the natural sciences it is important to take additional science courses beyond the required pre-health courses to prepare for the professional school entrance exam. |
| *** | Pre-health students are expected to maintain a full-credit load of at least 15 credits. |
Sample Plan of Study
| Year One | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credit Hours | |
| ENG 105 | English Composition I | 3 |
| BIL 150 | General Biology | 4 |
| BIL 151 | General Biology Laboratory | 1 |
| CHM 121 | Principles of Chemistry | 4 |
| CHM 113 | Chemistry Laboratory I | 1 |
| MTH 161 | Calculus I | 4 |
| UMX 100 | The University of Miami Experience | 0 |
| Credit Hours | 17 | |
| Spring | ||
| ENG 106 | English Composition II | 3 |
| BIL 160 | Evolution and Biodiversity | 4 |
| BIL 161 | Evolution and Biodiversity Laboratory | 1 |
| CHM 221 | Introduction to Structure and Dynamics | 4 |
| CHM 205 | Chemical Dynamics Laboratory | 1 |
| MTH 162 | Calculus II | 4 |
| Credit Hours | 17 | |
| Year Two | ||
| Fall | ||
| CHM 222 | Organic Reactions and Synthesis | 4 |
| CHM 206 | Organic Reactions and Synthesis Laboratory | 2 |
| New Course: Global Health Studies: An Introduction | 3 | |
| Language Course | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 12 | |
| Spring | ||
| BMB 401 | Biochemistry for the Biomedical Sciences | 4 |
| SOC 101 | Introduction to Sociology | 3 |
| Arts and Humanities Cognate Course | 3 | |
| People and Society Cognate Course | 3 | |
| Minor Course | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 16 | |
| Year Three | ||
| Fall | ||
| PHY 201 | University Physics I for the Sciences | 4 |
| EPS 371 | Applied Social Research Methods | 3 |
| COS 324 | Health Communication | 3 |
| Minor Course | 3 | |
| Arts and Humanities Cognate Course | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| PHY 202 | University Physics II for the Sciences | 4 |
| SOC 321 | Applied Health Policy | 3 |
| GEG 241 | Health and Medical Geography | 3 |
| Arts and Humanities Cognate Course | 3 | |
| Minor Course | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 16 | |
| Year Four | ||
| Fall | ||
| CLA 233 | Ancient Medicine | 3 |
| INS 570 | Globalization and Health | 3 |
| Minor Course | 3 | |
| People and Society Cognate Course | 3 | |
| PSY 110 | Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| GHS Capstone Experience | 3 | |
| Minor Course | 3 | |
| People and Society Cognate Course | 3 | |
| Statistics Course | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 12 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 121 | |
Mission
The mission of the Global Health Studies program is to provide students with a multidisciplinary program that combines social science and humanist perspectives across disciplines that include anthropology, religious studies, geography, regional studies, classics, history, literature and sociology. Global health in the social sciences encompasses disease prevention, education, health policy, access and resiliency. In the humanities it examines the history and cultural significance of medicine and health from ancient times to today. Students in this program stand to benefit from the University’s advantageous geographic location that connects people and institutions from everywhere in the world. Miami, and the University, presents students with opportunities to examine the complex world of global health from multiple perspectives, participate in state of the art research, engage with a vibrant local and international community, and collaborate in developing sustainable solutions for global health issues.
Goals
The program aims for students to:
- Understand the complexities of global health issues from the social science and humanist perspectives
- Understand how issues surrounding global health relate to the greater impacts on society, culture and the environment
- Understand the cultural competencies, ethical challenges and sustainable solutions in addressing global health issues
- Understand health policy and governance at the local and global levels
- Acquire leadership and advocacy skills
- Gain quantitative and qualitative research skills to integrate stakeholders and researchers in the design, implementation, and interpretation of community-based participatory studies
- Prepare students to assist private, government, non-profit, and for-profit organizations formulate new global and community health strategies
Student Learning Outcomes
- Students will demonstrate knowledge of cultural competencies, ethical challenges and sustainable solutions related to global health issues.
- Students will demonstrate knowledge of quantitative and qualitative methods within global health research.
- Students will be able to critically analyze global health issues from multidisciplinary perspectives, including social, economic, political and environmental factors that shape individual, community, and population health.
