Thematic Tracks in Global Health

Thematic Tracks for Your Major

Each student majoring in Global Health will select two thematic tracks to help focus their study.

GLH courses available Fall 2023

The Global Health Major offers six thematic tracks*. Courses that are pre-approved to include in each Global Health Thematic Track are listed below. Other courses may be relevant for you depending on your unique interests. Talk to your advisor about your interests and goals, as each student majoring in GLH is allowed to gain advisor approval to add two additional courses to their major.

Track 1: Select four courses from two distinct disciplines.
Track 2: Select three courses from two distinct disciplines.
300-400 level courses: One track must have two courses at the 300-400 level. The other track must have at least one course at the 300-400 level.

PLEASE NOTE: To create a strong major for yourself, you should only apply an introductory (100-level) course to your major if it is required as a pre-req for an upper level course you are applying to your major.

*In special circumstances a student may design their own track in consultation with their advisor.

Click here to download a PDF of the Global Health Major Checklist.

Biosocial Determinants of Health Track

Did you know that treatable communicable diseases are the top four causes of death in children ages 5 to 14? Or that diarrheal disease still is listed in the top twenty causes of death in the United States for children under five years of age? Are you curious about the biological and biochemical basis of disease? Would you like to learn more about the role of socio-cultural contexts on health globally? Courses in anthropology, biology, (bio)chemistry, history, philosophy, psychology, and sociology may be perfectly suited to helping you achieve the interdisciplinary understanding of disease you crave.

COURSES you may apply to the BIOSOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH TRACK

ANTH 151 – Human Cultures
ANTH 257 – Culture, Medicine and Health*
BIO 102 – Evolution and Ecology
BIO 250 – Microbiology (prereq Bio 101)
BIO 361 – Immunology, (prereq Bio 101 and 102)
BIO 382 – Neurobiology (prereq Bio 101 and 102)
BIO – Select Topics Classes (likely to have a prereq)
CHEM 240 – Structure and Function of Biomolecules, (prereq Chem 120)
CHEM 343 – Advance Biochemistry (prereq Chem 240 and 260)
CHEM 342 – Select Topics courses (0.5 credit)
HIST 285 – History of Science
PHIL 360 – Philosophy of Science (prereq: 1 phil course, major in science, or permission)
PSY 100 – Introduction to Psychology
PSY 260 – Social Psychology (prereq Psy 100)
PSY 343 – Health Psychology* (pre-req Psy 100)
SOC 100 – Contemporary Society
SOC 242 – Medical Sociology (pre-req Soc 100 or sophomore standing)
SOC 329 – Social Inequalities
SOC 342 – Women, Health and Social Control (prereq 1 Soc course)

Health in Resource-Poor Regions Track

Are you curious about health issues that disproportionately affect people living in poverty? Would you like to better understand the health data from regions that currently report health outcomes that fall below global averages or expectations? Do you want to explore the causes of health inequities globally and possible mechanisms for the reduction in these inequities? Courses in anthropology, biology, (bio)chemistry, philosophy, political science, and sociology may be perfectly suited to your curiosity. Select history courses that are relevant for your focal area may be added in consultation with your advisor.

COURSES YOU MAY APPLY TO THE HEALTH IN RESOURCE-POOR REGIONS TRACK

ANTH 151 – Human Cultures
ANTH 257 – Culture, Medicine and Health
ANTH 355 – Anthropology of Development
ANTH 390 – Public Health in Africa
BIO – Select Topics Classes (likely to have a prereq)
CHEM 342 – Select Topics courses (0.5credit)
ECON 465 – Health Economics (prereq: Econ 294, Econ 350)
PHIL 232 – Environmental Ethics
POLS 170 – International Politics
POLS 235 – Equality & Justice
POLS 253 – China and India in the 21^st Century
POLS 352 –Politics of Developing Nations
POLS 360 – African Politics
POLS 382 – Global Issues
POLS 384 – International Law
SOC 100 – Contemporary Society
SOC 329 – Social Inequalities

Environment and Human Health Track

Would you like to explore how climate change may be leading to new global distributions of communicable diseases like Zika and chikungunya viruses? Are you curious about the ways in which air pollution is contributing to the burden of noncommunicable disease globally? Are you passionate about the environment and curious about environmental effects on human health? Courses in anthropology, biology, (bio)chemistry, philosophy, and sociology may be perfectly suited to your curiosity. Physics and geoscience courses that are relevant for your focal area may be added in consultation with your advisor.

COURSES YOU MAY APPLY TO THE ENVIRONMENT AND HUMAN HEALTH TRACK

ANTH 257 – Culture, Medicine and Health
ANTH 355 – Anthropology of Development
BIO 102 – Evolution and Ecology
BIO – Select Topics Classes (likely to have a prereq)
CHEM 342 – Select Topics courses (0.5credit)
PHIL 232 – Environmental Ethics
SOC 329 – Social Inequalities

Ethics of Global Health Track

Are you intrigued by questions surrounding the distribution of rare medicines? Do you wonder if or when quarantine is justifiable, effective, or required? Are you curious about the use of clinical trials for experimental treatments should be permissible in an epidemic setting? Do issues of justice in health intrigue you? Courses in anthropology, biology, (bio)chemistry, philosophy, political science, psychology, and sociology may be perfectly suited to your curiosity about the ethical dimensions of the decisions made in defining, studying, and intervening in public health problems globally.

COURSES YOU MAY APPLY TO THE ETHICS OF GLOBAL HEALTH TRACK

ANTH 255 – Gender and Anthropology (prereq Anth151)
ANTH 355 – Anthropology of Development
ANTH 390 – Public Health in Africa
BIO – Select Topics Classes (likely to have a prereq)
CHEM 342 – Select Topics courses (0.5credit)
PHIL 230 – Ethical Theory
PHIL 232 – Environmental Ethics
PHIL 234 – Biomedical Ethics
POLS 235 – Equality & Justice
POLS 384 – International Law
SOC 329 – Social Inequalities

Noncommunicable Diseases and Behavioral Determinants of Health Track

Have you heard that mental and substance use disorders are the fifth-leading cause of overall disease burden globally, and that these health issues mainly affect younger people? Did you know that in 2016 there were over 70,000 deaths due to diabetes in the United States alone? Would you like to learn about chronic diseases, mental health, and the impact of human behavior on health? Would you like to understand how behavioral interventions are developed and evaluated? Courses in psychology, anthropology, sociology, or biology may be perfectly suited to helping you achieve an approach to and understanding of this area of global health.