Global Health Studies

Global Health Studies
Academic Bulletin

Area of Study: Interdisciplinary Studies
Programs: Major (BA) and Minor

Guidance for summer entrance advisors

What is GHS? 

The Department of Global Health Studies promotes an interdisciplinary understanding of structural and environmental determinants of local and global health issues, emphasizing the connections between health, economics, cultures, and politics. 

Global Health draws its courses from a wide range of campus programs. 

Who might be interested in GHS?

Students interested in health, climate justice, global equity, war and refugees, disease, medicine, public health, health advocacy, and health education.

Students who explore both GHS and are interested in medical or clinical careers should also connect with the Health Professions Advisor.

GHS curricular requirements

• GHS 110 (Introduction to Global Health Studies)
• A Fundamental Science Course: BIO 220, BIO 221, ENVSC 110, GHS 223, GHS 228

Courses related to Ethics/Politics:

• COMJ 160 Foundations of Community & Justice Studies
• COMM 256 Politics and Communication 
• PHIL 140 Ethics and Community
• POLSC 140 Political Theory
• POLSC 248 Human Rights
• POLSC 280 The Tragedy of Citizenship

Courses related to Power/Economics: 

• POLSC 120 Comparative Gov/Politics
• POLSC 130 World Politics
• POLSC 242 Immigration and Citizenship

Courses related to Culture: 

• HIST 277 American History of the Body
• PHIL 205 Literature, Film, and Medicine
• WGSS 100 Women’s Gender & Sexuality Studies
• WGSS 211 Queer Lives
• WGSS 275 Bodies in American Culture

Language: A modern language course numbered 120 or above, or pre-requisite courses needed to reach the 120 level. 

Language Placement: Students cannot place out of the language requirement. For example, an entering student who tests at the 200-level would take a course at the 200-level following placement test or consultation with the chair of World Languages and Cultures.  Reach out to the Chair of Global Health Studies for specific questions related to this requirement.

Transfer courses: Many courses transfer in at 3-credits. Students may need an additional credit to fulfill the total credits for the major. 

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Suggested Schedule for GHS Majors (for specific courses required for the Major, please see the Academc Bulletin)

GHS Minor Notes

Suggested Schedule for GHS Minor (for specific courses required for the Minor, please see the Academic Bulletin): 

Additional Notes:

• Academic Advisor: Students shoujld first consult the GHS Chair before declaring their major. The program funnels students to academic advisors in order to maintain balance among its faculty.
• Junior Seminar and Senior Comp: Ideally, students should complete their required methods courses by Junior Spring Year in order to apply these methods most effectively to the Senior Project proposal (created in the Junior Seminar) and to the Senior Project.

Description of Global Health Studies Major 

Required Core Courses (recommended year for taking these courses)

• GHS 110: Introduction to Global Health (First year, no later than second year)
• GHS 210:  Approaches in Global Health 
• Two methods classes.  Choose from: 
  • GHS 321:  Epidemiology (Spring second year, or junior year)
  • GHS 350: Cultures and Health (Fall of junior year)
  • GHS 352: Ethnographic Methods (Spring second year or spring junior year)
• GHS 575: Global Health Challenges | Junior Seminar (Spring junior year)
• GHS 600: (2 cr) 1st semester Global Health Studies senior project (First semester senior year)
• GHS 610 (4 cr) 2nd semester Global Health Studies senior project (Second semester senior year)

Fundamental Science Courses 

Take one elective (recommend taking first or second year):

• BIO 220: Organismal Physiology and Ecology 
• BIO 221: Genetics, Development, and Evolution 
• ENVSCS 110: Introduction to Environmental Science
• GHS 223: People & Poisons: Foundations of Public Health Toxicology
• GHS 228: Global Health Data and Visualization

Dimensions of Global Health Courses

In addition to the Core Courses and Fundamental Science Course, GHS majors must take a minimum of one elective course from each of four primary dimensions of global health: Science and the Environment; Ethics and Social Responsibility; Power and Economics; and Cultures and Society. These elective courses should preferably be completed by the end of the junior year.  If a student has a particular focal interest, suggest that they take courses in that area first. 

Note 1 re: Dimensions: At least eight credits of work taken to satisfy the “Dimensions of Global Health” requirements above must be at the 300 or 400 level.

Note 2 re: Dimensions and transfer courses: Many courses transfer in at 3-credits. Students do not need to complete four credits in each dimension, just a minimum of one course.  Additional credits to fulfill the total credits for the major can be from another elective in any dimension or general Global Health Studies credits. 

Science and the Environment: 

Take one elective course (Prerequisites are noted in parentheses):

• BIO 310: Microbiology (BIO 220, BIO 221, and BIO 250 are prereqs)
• BIO 350: Immunology (BIO 220, BIO 221, and BIO 250 are prereqs)
• ENVSC 305: Environmental Spatial Analysis (ENVSC 110 prereq)
• ENVSC 385: Introduction to Sustainable Energy (ENVSC 110 prereq)
• GHS 223: Peoples and Poisons (*Counts either as Foundational Science or Science and the Environment elective)
• GHS 228: Global Health Data Visualization (*Counts either as Foundational Science or Science and the Environment elective)
• GHS 322: Climate and Health (junior/senior status)
• GHS 324: Environmental Health (junior/senior status)
• GHS 425: Global Health Transitions (junior/senior status)
• PSYCH 172:  Health Psychology

Ethics and Social Responsibility

Take one elective course (pre-requisite courses noted in parentheses):

• COMM 256: Politics and Communication
• COMM 360: Communication and Civic Engagement (prereq COMRT 120 or COMM 145)
• COMJ 160: Foundations of Community and Justice Studies (cannot be taken by seniors)
• GHS 235: Global Health Ethics
• PHIL 140 Ethics and Community (not open to seniors)
• PHIL 210: Oppression and Liberation
• PHIL 310: Global Justice (PHIL 140 or 210 prereq, or instructor permission)
• PHIL 385: Medical Ethics (Not open to first-year students)
• POLSC 140: Political Theory
• POLSC 248: Human Rights
• POLSC 280: The Tragedy of Citizenship
• POLSC 348: Participatory Democracy
• WGSS 310: Gendered Violence (WGSS 100, prereq)

Power and Economics

Take one elective course (pre-requisite courses noted in parentheses):

• ECON 231: Environmental Economics and Policy (ECON 100 prereq)
• ECON 235: Health Economics (ECON 100 and/or ECON 101 prereq)
• ECON 238: Poverty, Inequality, and Efficiency (ECON 100 and/or ECON 101 prereq)
• ECON 251: International Economics (ECON 100 and/or ECON 101 prereq)
• ECON 256: Economic Development (ECON 100 and/or ECON 101 prereq)
• ENVSC 352: Environmental Justice (Junior/senior status)
• GHS 345: Economics of Food and Agriculture
• GHS 440: Global Health and Nutrition
• POLSC 120 Comparative Gov/Politics
• POLSC 130 World Politics
• POLSC 242 Immigration and Citizenship
• WGSS 340: Sex and Health
• WGSS 400: Transnational Feminisms (WGSS 100, and WGSS 210 or 211, prereqs)
• WGSS 410: Global Women’s Health (WGSS 100, prereq)

Cultures and Societies

Take one elective course (pre-requisite courses noted in parentheses):

• COMM 331: Bodies and Health in Public Communication (COMM 120, 145, or FSCOM 201 or permission of the instructor prereq)
• GHS 354: Medical Anthropology and Perspectives of Health in Asia-Pacific
• HIST 277: American History of the Body
• HIST 380: Disease and Medicine in Modern History (one HIST course prereq)
• LS 530: Community Health Care: Internship in Community Health (LS 230 prereq)
• PHIL 230: Science in its Cultural Setting (One course in PHIL or Natural Science, prereq)
• WGSS 100: Introduction to Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies 
• WGSS 211: Queer Lives
• WGSS 275: Bodies in American Culture
• WGSS 310: Gendered Violence (WGSS 100, prereq)

Required Elective: Students also must take an additional four credits from the “Dimensions of Global Health” categories above: ‘Science and the Environment,’ ‘Ethics and Social Responsibility,’ ‘Power and Economics,’ and ‘Cultures and Societies.’

Languages: Students must successfully complete at least one modern language course numbered 120 or above.

Fulfillment of this requirement involves the completion of one course in a foreign language at the level of 120 or above. Students cannot place out of this requirement. For example, an entering student who tests at the 200-level would take a course at the 200-level following placement test or consultation with the chair of World Languages and Cultures.

Language Placement: Students cannot place out of the language requirement. For example, an entering student who tests at the 200-level would take a course at the 200-level following placement test or consultation with the chair of World Languages and Cultures.  Reach out to the Chair of Global Health Studies for specific questions related to this requirement.

Language during Study Away: Students who study away in a region whose primary language is not taught at Allegheny may substitute an introductory 3-4cr language class from an accredited higher education institution (ex: Hungarian | Hungary, Afrikaans | South Africa, Swahili | Tanzania, Tagalog | Philippines)

Experiential Learning

Students are strongly encouraged to complete at least one Global Health Studies-related learning experience (e.g. GL seminars, semester away programs, and research or internship opportunities) that goes beyond clinical observation or shadowing. They should consult with their advisor, a GHS steering committee member, or the program chair for guidance about suitable experiential learning opportunities.

We encourage students to prepare for their experiences by partaking in a pre-departure seminar, and encourage all students to reflect on their experiences in a seminar upon their return. 

• GHS 510: Global Health Fieldwork (2cr)
• GHS 515: Global Health Practice (2cr) 

Description of Global Health Studies Minor   

Because this minor is Interdisciplinary Studies, students may complete any major to satisfy the college requirement that the major and minor be in different areas of study.

Required Introductory Core Course 

• GHS 110 Introduction to Global Health Studies

Required Elective Courses in Global Health Dimensions

Take one elective course from each of the four “Dimensions of Global Health.” See list of approved electives for each Global Health Dimension in the GHS Major description.

• Science and the Environment 
• Ethics and Social Responsibility
• Power and Economics
• Cultures and Societies

Required Capstone Synthesis Course

• A capstone course is defined as any course, GHS 420-475. 

Capstone courses:  Given the high demand for the minor capstone classes, additional courses may be designated as a “capstone” course during a given semester, so there are typically three capstone electives available each semester.  These additional capstone courses are in addition to courses with GHS 420-475 designation. Students should consult with the Chair of GHS for a list of approved GHS courses, including capstones, distributed before each registration period.