Global health is rapidly emerging as a vital field of study, driven by pressing global concerns and a powerful interdisciplinary approach. It seeks to understand and effectively address health, illness, and well-being across the world. The term “global” in this context has two key dimensions: a geographical scope that is planetary and international, and an intellectual scope that is comprehensive and interdisciplinary. The Global Health Program is designed to provide students with a deep understanding of the multifaceted factors influencing health and illness from a global perspective.
This program transcends national boundaries and regional interests, fully embracing cultural differences and cross-cultural diversity. At its core, global health is committed to achieving health equity for all people worldwide. It represents a synthesis of various disciplines, including population-based prevention strategies, individual clinical care, health policy and program development, and a nuanced understanding of diverse experiences with illness and healing practices across cultures.
What Does the Global Health Program Cover?
The Global Health Program offers a broad curriculum that encompasses a wide array of critical topics. These include:
- Health Care Systems: Examining the structures and delivery of health services globally.
- Health Education: Strategies for promoting health and preventing disease through education.
- Environmental Health: The impact of environmental factors on human health.
- Infectious Diseases: Understanding and combating the spread of infectious diseases worldwide.
- Mental Health: Addressing mental health challenges from a global perspective.
- Health Inequalities: Investigating and mitigating disparities in health access and outcomes.
- Disaster and Violence Related Health Issues: Managing the health consequences of natural disasters and political violence.
- Indigenous Healing Practices: Exploring diverse traditional and indigenous approaches to health and healing.
- Nutrition: The role of nutrition in global health and development.
- Reproductive Health: Addressing reproductive health challenges and promoting well-being globally.
The program is intentionally comprehensive, integrating insights from the social sciences, biological sciences, and humanities. It uniquely combines rigorous academic study with practical experiential learning opportunities. A key component of the program is the Global Health Field Experience, which provides students with invaluable hands-on experience at research, service, or clinical sites in the United States or internationally. This balanced approach ensures students acquire essential skills, theoretical knowledge, and real-world understanding.
This program of study is excellent preparation for a variety of career paths, including research and academia, service organizations supporting immigrant populations, government agencies, health sciences, and law. The strong emphasis on research and writing within the program also makes it an ideal foundation for students aspiring to medical or graduate school.
Bachelor of Arts in Global Health: A Comprehensive Overview
The Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Global Health requires the completion of seventeen courses, totaling sixty-eight units. A letter grade of C– or better is required for all courses to count towards the major. The BA program is structured around nine core courses designed to equip students with fundamental skills, analytical tools, and a strong understanding of key debates within the field of global health.
I. Lower-Division Core Requirements (Three Courses/Twelve Units)
All BA students in Global Health must complete the following lower-division core courses:
Choose One Introductory Course:
- HILD 30: History of Public Health
- GLBH 20: Introduction to Global Health
Choose One Course from the Following:
- SOCI 30: Science, Technology, and Society
- SOCI 40: Sociology of Health-Care Issues
- SOCI 70: General Sociology for Premed Students
- PHIL 26: Science, Society, and Values
- GLBH 20: Introduction to Global Health (if not taken as the introductory course)
Complete One Statistics Course:
- PSYC 60: Introduction to Statistics
- POLI 30 or 30D: Political Inquiry
- MATH 11/11L: Calculus-Based Introductory Probability and Statistics
- COGS 14B: Introduction to Statistical Analysis (Prerequisite: COGS 14A)
II. Upper-Division Core Requirements (Four Courses/Sixteen Units)
All BA students must complete these upper-division core courses:
- GLBH 148: Global Health and Cultural Diversity (Cross-listed with ANSC 148)
- GLBH 181: Essentials of Global Health
- MGT 173: Project Management: Health Services
Choose One Policy Analysis Course from the following (prerequisites in parentheses):
- GLBH 160: Global Health Policy
- POLI 160AA: Introduction to Policy Analysis (POLI 10 or POLI 11)
- POLI 170A: Introductory Statistics for Political Science and Public Policy
- USP 147: Case Studies in Health-Care Programs/Poor and Underserved Populations
- HISC 180: Science and Public Policy
- ECON 130: Public Policy (ECON 2 or ECON 100A)
- ENVR 110: Environmental Law
- USP 133/SOCI 152: Social Inequality and Public Policy
- USP 171: Sustainable Development
III. Field Experience Requirement
(Details provided in a dedicated section below)
IV. Electives (Ten Courses/Forty Units)
A significant portion of the BA in Global Health consists of elective courses, designed to foster interdisciplinary expertise. Eight out of the ten electives must be upper-division courses. These electives ensure students gain a well-rounded education across key disciplines relevant to global health.
The elective requirements are structured as follows:
- Three Biological Science Courses: At least one must be upper division.
- Three Medical Social Science Courses
- One Medical Humanities Course
- One Global Processes Course
- One Upper Division Significant Writing Course: This can be selected from any major elective category.
- One Additional Upper Division Elective: Choose from biological science, medical social science, or medical humanities categories.
Bachelor of Science in Global Health: A Science-Focused Path
The Bachelor of Science (BS) in Global Health is a more science-intensive program, requiring twenty-four courses and ninety-six units. Similar to the BA, a letter grade of C– or better is required for all major courses.
I. Lower-Division Core Requirements (Twelve Courses/Forty-Eight Units)
BS students have more extensive lower-division requirements, emphasizing a strong foundation in the sciences:
Complete Two Courses from the Following:
- GLBH 20: Introduction to Global Health
- HILD 30: History of Public Health
- PHIL 26: Science, Society, and Values
- PSYC 1: Psychology
- SOCI 30: Science, Technology, and Society
- SOCI 40: Sociology of Health-Care Issues
- SOCI 70: General Sociology for Premed Students
Complete One Year of Biology: BILD 1, BILD 2, BILD 3
Complete One Year of Chemistry and Lab: CHEM 6A-B-C and 7L
Complete One Year of Mathematics and Statistics:
- MATH 10A-B and MATH 11
- PSYC 60
- MATH 20A-B and MATH 11
- PSYC 60
II. Upper-Division Core Requirements (Four Courses/Sixteen Units)
The upper-division core requirements for the BS are identical to the BA:
- GLBH 148: Global Health and Cultural Diversity
- GLBH 181: Essentials of Global Health
- MGT 173: Project Management: Health Services
Choose One Policy Analysis Course (from the same list as BA program).
III. Field Experience Requirement
(Details provided in a dedicated section below)
IV. Electives (Eight Courses/Thirty-Two Units)
The BS program includes eight elective courses, all of which must be upper-division. These electives reinforce the interdisciplinary nature of global health while allowing for specialization within the sciences.
The elective requirements are:
- Three Biological Science Courses
- Four Medical Social Science Courses
- One Medical Humanities Course
Global Health Field Experience: Applying Knowledge in Real-World Settings
A cornerstone of the Global Health Program is the Field Experience requirement. This hands-on project is conducted at a research, service, or clinical site, either domestically or internationally. All Field Experience placements must be approved by the program’s advisory committee, in conjunction with the Study Abroad UC San Diego office for international placements and the Academic Internship Program for domestic placements.
Field Experience projects focus on critical global health issues, such as:
- Health care delivery and access
- Health education and promotion
- Environmental determinants of health
- Infectious disease prevention and control
- Mental health services and support
- Health disparities and inequities
- Health consequences of disasters and violence
- Traditional and indigenous healing practices
- Nutrition and food security
- Reproductive health and rights
The Field Experience is designed to integrate knowledge, skills, and cultural sensitivity, fostering a learning outcome that is scientific, practical, and deeply humanistic – engaging the “mind, hands, and heart.”
Field Experience Requirements in Detail:
- Minimum Hours: 100 hours, which can be distributed across up to three programs.
- Location: Can be completed domestically or abroad (with required approvals).
- Credit Options: Can be non-credit bearing or for academic credit.
Key Criteria for Field Experience Placements:
- Meaningful Work: Projects must provide students with challenging and meaningful tasks that contribute to the agency’s mission and goals.
- Client Contact: Students must have direct interaction with clients or those serving clients.
- Global Health Exposure: The experience must provide opportunities to learn about global health issues in practical settings.
- Supervision and Training: On-site orientation, training, and supervision by a designated agency staff member are required.
- Health Insurance and Orientation: Students must have adequate health insurance and participate in pre-departure orientation for international placements.
Credit-Bearing Field Experience: Students can petition to enroll in a maximum of two Independent Study (GLBH 199) or Directed Group Study (GLBH 198) courses under the mentorship of a program-affiliated faculty member. This allows students to earn academic credit for their Field Experience by engaging in related readings, reflective journaling, and academic papers, as determined in consultation with their faculty mentor. This academic component helps students contextualize their Field Experience within the broader interdisciplinary scholarship of global health, and the earned credits can count towards major electives.
Global Health Minor: Focused Expertise in Global Health
For students seeking a focused specialization in global health alongside another major, the Global Health Minor offers a robust curriculum. The minor requires seven courses (twenty-eight units), with at least five being upper-division. All courses applied to the minor must be completed with a letter grade of C– or better.
The Global Health Minor curriculum covers a wide spectrum of global health topics, mirroring the major programs and providing a solid foundation for careers in research, service, government, health sectors, and law, as well as excellent preparation for advanced studies.
I. Required Core Courses for the Minor (Three Courses/Twelve Units)
The minor’s core courses introduce students to global health from both public health/health sciences and medical social sciences perspectives.
Choose One Introductory Course:
- HILD 30: History of Public Health
- GLBH 20: Introduction to Global Health
Choose Two Courses from the Following:
- GLBH 148: Global Health and Cultural Diversity (Cross-listed with ANSC 148)
- GLBH 181: Essentials of Global Health
- MGT 173: Project Management in the Health Services
II. Health-Related Biological Science (Choose One)
Minor students must complete at least one biological science course relevant to global health from the approved elective list. (Lower and Upper Division course lists are provided in the original document for reference.)
III. Elective Course Work (Choose Three)
The remaining three courses for the minor are electives, allowing students to further explore areas of interest within global health. A wide range of elective courses are available across various departments. (Detailed elective course lists across Anthropology, Critical Gender Studies, Communication, Economics, Ethnic Studies, Family Medicine and Public Health, Global Health, History, Literature, Philosophy, Psychology, Political Science, Sociology, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and Urban Studies and Planning are provided in the original document for reference.)
IV. Global Health Minor Field Experience (Optional)
Global Health minors have the option to complete a 100-hour Global Health Field Experience to complement their coursework, following the same guidelines and requirements as the major programs.
Horizons Honors Thesis Program
For Global Health majors seeking advanced research experience, the Horizons Honors Thesis Program offers a unique opportunity. Global health majors in their junior year (BA and BS) can apply to participate in this two-quarter honors seminar.
The seminar leverages the unique resources of UC San Diego’s college system, exploring the intersection of global health with themes highlighted by each college: international relations, environmentalism, law/ethics, technology, humanities, and public service. It also provides a platform for students to expand upon and share insights gained from their Global Health Field Experience with their peers.
- First Quarter: Intensive reading and discussion in fields aligned with each student’s primary interest and building upon their field experience.
- Second Quarter: A workshop focused on developing and refining a senior thesis, with critical feedback from all participants. The thesis serves as a significant credential for students pursuing graduate academic or professional training.
The program culminates in the annual Horizons of Global Health capstone conference in the spring quarter, open to the campus community. The conference features a distinguished guest speaker in global health and thesis presentations by graduating honors participants.
Honors Program Eligibility:
- Must be a Global Health major (BA or BS) completing their junior year and graduating the following academic year.
- Maintain a minimum 3.5 overall GPA.
- Completion of GLBH 148 and GLBH 181 with a grade of B or better by spring quarter of junior year.
- Completion or in-progress completion of the Global Health Field Experience requirement at the time of application.
Accepted students enroll in:
- GLBH 150A: Global Health Honors Capstone Seminar I: Medical Social Science Elective
- GLBH 150B: Global Health Honors Capstone Seminar II: Medical Humanities Elective
Coursework from the honors thesis program can fulfill one medical social science elective and one medical humanities elective requirement.
Conclusion: Your Path to a Global Health Career Starts Here
The Global Health Program provides a rigorous and interdisciplinary education, preparing graduates to address complex health challenges worldwide. Whether you choose the BA for a broad liberal arts approach, the BS for a science-focused curriculum, or the minor to complement another field of study, you will gain invaluable knowledge, skills, and experiences. The program’s emphasis on field experience, coupled with its comprehensive coursework, ensures that graduates are well-equipped to make a meaningful impact in diverse global health careers. Explore the Global Health Program and embark on your journey to a healthier world.
