This page contains the DePauw Catalog wording about the requirements for majoring in Global Health.
You may find How to be a Major Page more helpful to learn about the Global Health major. It is updated more regularly and explains the major in ways we have found to be helpful to our students.
Global Health
Requirements for a major
Global Health
| Total courses required | Ten and one-half |
|---|---|
| Core courses | GLH 101, GLH 301, GLH 401. One of: Math 141, BIO 375, BIO 275, PSY 214. |
| Other required courses | Additional courses that may be chosen for the major include: ANTH 151, ANTH 255, ANTH 257, ANTH 355, ANTH 370, ANTH 390 (when a global health topic), BIO 102, BIO 250, BIO 382, CHEM 240, CHEM 343, CHEM 342 (when global health topic), HIST 285, ECON 465, PHIL 230, PHIL 232, PHIL 234, PHIL 360, POLS 170, POLS 235, POLS 253, POLS 352, POLS 360, POLS 382, POLS 384, PSY 100, PSY 214, PSY 252, PSY 260, PSY 343, SOC 100, SOC 210, SOC 242, SOC 329, SOC 342. Refer to the Global Health website for the most up-to-date course options. Majors develop a learning contract, required by week six of the second semester, sophomore year (or at least one month after major declaration), structured around two thematic tracks (Examples of tracks--such as Biosocial Determinants of Health, Environment and Human Health, Ethics and Global Health, Population & Family Health, and Biostatistics --are available on the GLH Program website). The terms of the contract specify the substantive nature of the chosen tracks, including relevant courses. The courses in each track must be from at least two distinct disciplines. Each track must consist of at least three courses, one of which is at the 300-400 level. No more than five courses can be credited to a single track. Students planning to pursue a career or graduate work in Global Health are encouraged to become proficient in a second language |
| Number 300 and 400 level courses | Four and one-half, including senior seminar and practicum |
| Senior requirement and capstone experience | GLH 401, Senior Seminar. |
| Additional information | Attendance at global health seminars in junior and senior years. |
| Writing in the Major | The Practicum Experience in Global Health (GLH 301) is the required writing intensive course for the global health major. Global public health writing is unique. In no other field do authors often deal with a complex range of factors that include age, gender, education, economics, race, sex, culture, medicine, genetics, individual behavior, family, community, and social justice. Furthermore, one of the conditions necessary for improving public health is clear communication among a wide array of stakeholders, including researchers, practitioners, health providers, administrators, policy-makers, journalists, educators, and communities. Clear and effective communication is a key component of public health practice.The course therefore emphasizes writing skills gained in participatory experiences, the preparation of assessments of the experiences, comparative analytic as well as technical writing in the field of global health. Students achieve these objectives through multiple and varied writing assignments throughout the semester that employ global health techniques and draw upon skills and literature to produce an additional final poster for presentation.The course fosters the writing and research skills necessary for advance study in global health, including the Senior Seminar and for participation in larger conversations in the field. Through writing projects and a final poster presentation, students practice a variety of approaches to writing and research, while also expanding methods of writing for a variety of audiences. |
Courses in Global Health
GLH 101Introduction to Global Health
Global health is an interdisciplinary field that places a priority on improving health and achieving equity in health for all people using both population-based prevention and individual-level care. This course will introduce students to an interdisciplinary understanding of complex health issues. Topics will be discussed from a range of disciplinary perspectives while considering historical, social, environmental, cultural, political, and economic factors that shape physical, mental, and social health. Rather than a focus on one location, population, or period of time, this course will examine the different perspectives and approaches that impact health and health disparities that can be used to improve health both locally and globally.
| Distribution Area | Prerequisites | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Global Learning | 1 course |
GLH 242
Topics in Global Health
Selected topics in global health are offered. May be repeated for credit (with a different topic). Prerequisite: varies with topic. May not be taken pass/fail.
| Distribution Area | Prerequisites | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Varies with topic | 1/2-1 course |
GLH 301
Practicum Experience in Global Health
GLH 301 is a half-credit course centered on a practicum project that includes one (1) applied clinical or community-based experience. Options that qualify include, but are not limited to, original research, an internship, or another kind of experiential learning (January and May projects and certain off-campus study projects may qualify, subject to committee review). A practicum is a unique opportunity for undergraduate students to integrate and apply skills and knowledge gained through coursework with experience gained in a professional public health work environment. Global health work environments include not-for-profit organizations, hospitals, local health departments, and for-profit firms among others. This practicum expectation mirrors expectations set by the Council on Education for Public Health. A typical practicum experience in the Global Health major requires students to work a range of 80 - 120 hours under the supervision of an experienced site supervisor and the course instructor. Each practicum has at least one tangible deliverable to be determined by the student and instructor.
| Distribution Area | Prerequisites | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| 1/2 course |
GLH 342
Topics in Global Health
Selected topics in global health are offered. May be repeated for credit (with a different topic). Prerequisite: varies with topic. May not be taken pass/fail.
| Distribution Area | Prerequisites | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Varies with topic | 1 course |
GLH 395
Independent Study
Directed independent study. Participation by arrangement with a faculty member. May be repeated; however, only one credit total may be counted toward the global health major. Consult with faculty member to determine credit. Permission of instructor required.
| Distribution Area | Prerequisites | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Permission of instructor | 1/4-1/2-1 course |
GLH 401
Senior Seminar in Global Health
GLH 401 focuses on contemporary issues in global health using theoretical and methodological skills acquired and discussed in prior foundational courses in the major. The topic will vary based on the expertise of the instructor, but must remain accessible to students with a variety of backgrounds given the interdisciplinary nature of the major. Students will discuss common readings and research and produce a senior project such as a thesis, creative work, or research contribution that fulfills the capstone experience in the Global Health major. Topics for GLH401 will be approved by the GLH steering committee.
| Distribution Area | Prerequisites | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| 1 course |