Global Health Concentration Specific Courses

MPH3000 Introduction to Global Health (Formerly MPH 0700)

Credits: 1 Offered: Fall This course provides an introduction to the major concepts and principles of global public health with particular emphasis on neglected populations. The course provides students with an understanding of the principles of health within the context of development, human rights, and globalization, and provides an appreciation of the pertinent challenges and controversies. Students will learn about the establishment of global health priorities, develop an appreciation for issues related to underserved populations, and learn about the major players in the global arena, including the challenges of financing. The course decolonizes global health education by rethinking institutional global public health partnerships and approaches. A multidisciplinary approach is used to discuss the major determinants of health and disease with particular emphasis on the relationship between health and socioeconomic development. Students will meet some experts in the field and are encouraged to engage in discussions of the most current and important global public health topics. By the end of the course, students will have been introduced to the most important players, challenges and variables of global health and their interactions. They will be prepared to advance to more specific and in-depth courses of the Global Health Track.

MPH3001 Planetary Health (Formerly MPH 0722)

Credits: 3 Offered: Spring 1 This course explores the interconnections between human, animal, and environmental systems — a framework known as One Health — and expands to include the broader implications of Planetary Health, which addresses the impact of global environmental changes on health. Students will engage with emerging threats like zoonotic spillover, climate-sensitive diseases, antimicrobial resistance, and ecosystem degradation using interdisciplinary tools for planetary health assessment. Through interdisciplinary learning, we will also explore historical outbreaks and how disease monitoring surveillance systems are structured with the goal of developing public health decision tools for high-uncertainty situations.

Comfort with basic statistics and interest in systems thinking encouraged.

MPH3002 Climate Change, Atmospheric Environment and Global Health (Formerly MPH 0721)

Credits: 3 Offered: Spring 2 The atmospheric environment is sensitive to climate change and has significant implications for global health. This course explores how pressuring global atmospheric environmental issues, including heat wave, long-term temperature change, ambient air pollution, and wildfire smoke, affect human health in the context of a changing climate. In addition to acquiring theoretical knowledge, students will apply modern statistical and epidemiologic techniques to real-world datasets using R to model the health effects of climate change-related exposures. This course focuses on developing practical knowledge and skills for climate change and global environmental health research, and follows a learn-by-doing approach, which combines lectures with structured labs.

Pre-requisites: MPH 1004 (formerly MPH 0400) Introduction to Epidemiology MPH 1002 (formerly MPH 0300) Introduction to Biostatistics

MPH3003 Global Reproductive, Maternal and Child Health (Formerly MPH 0717)

Credits: 3 Offered: Spring 2 This course introduces the student to the challenges that perpetuate high rates of maternal and childhood morbidity and mortality in low and middle-income countries. This includes not only discussion of the health issues that drive this mortality, such as HIV/AIDS, malaria, diarrheal disease, obstetric complications and malnutrition, but also the respective health system and structural barriers that limit access to quality health services and contribute to the vulnerability of women and children. Approaches to improve maternal and child survival, including facility and community-based interventions, will be examined as well. The course is case-based and students will be involved in intensive small group problem solving exercises through which they will learn the necessary skills to address problems facing mothers and children in low and middle-income countries. The course emphasizes participatory learning, in-class discussion, self-directed research, and small group exercises. Registration is limited to 20 participants on a first come (register) first served basis.

Pre-requisite: MPH 3000 (formerly MPH 0700) Introduction to Global Health