Global Health Major

Required Components (10 courses)

  • 6 courses in Global Health Core (24 credits)
  • 2 Intermediate Language courses (i.e. two courses beyond the General Education language requirement K) (8 credits)
  • 2 Global Health Cognate Courses (8 credits)
  • Experiential Learning Requirement

Global Health Core

GH 100Introduction to Global Health
GH 201Global Health Research Methods (prerequisite GH 100)
GH 202Epidemiology (prerequisite GH 100)
GH 400Global Health Capstone (prerequisites GH 201 & GH 202)
Two GH Electives
- Special Topic electives are 200 or 300 level (prerequisite GH 100)
Global Health Special Topics electives:

Students are required to take a minimum of two Special Topics electives taught by Global Health faculty members. The purpose of the special topics electives is to provide students with additional depth in the current topics in the field of Global Health through building on concepts and challenging assumptions introduced in GH 100 - Introduction to Global Health and expanding knowledge and critical thinking skills.  Special topics course options are shared with students prior to enrollment for upcoming semester.  Contact the Global Health office for more details.

Language and Culture Requirement

All GH majors are required to attain depth in a language other than English, typically by taking at least two language courses beyond the K GE requirement. If students are already native speakers of a language other than English, they must still fulfill the language requirement of the GH major by studying at least two semesters of a language other than English.  Any modification to the global health language and culture requirement must receive approval from the GH program director.

Approved GH Cognate Courses: 

Students are required to take two GH cognate courses. One course from a set of courses from the Natural Science Division (Global Health Cognate Courses A) and one course from the Fine Arts or Humanities or Social Sciences Divisions (Global Health Cognate Courses B). The Global Health Cognate courses represent the breadth of the major in which students will be introduced to concepts of health from disciplines represented at the college. Students will have the opportunity to build on the concepts introduced in the Global Health cognate courses in GH 400 - Global Health Capstone.  Below are examples of approved Global Health Cognate courses that are often taught, but courses vary per semester.  Course options for Global Health cognate courses are shared with students prior to enrollment for upcoming semesters.  Please contact the Global Health Program for more information.

Natural Science Division (Global Health Cognate Courses A) 

BIOL/WGST 110Biology and Politics of Women's Health
BIOL 315General Microbiology
BIOL 316Virology
BIOL 341Immunology
EESC 200Environmental Geology
HESS 202Applied Anatomy
PSYC 210Development in Infancy and Childhood
PSYC 245Adolescence
PSYC 265Cultural Psychology
PSYC 270Health Psychology
PSYC 280Psychology of Diversity

Fine Arts or Humanities or Social Sciences Divisions (Global Health Cognate Courses B)

COMM 244Theories of Intercultural Communication
COMM 320Language, Culture, and Communication
DANC 274Cultural Studies
DANC 374Somatics I
ECON 307Introductory Econometrics
ECON 462Health Economics
HESS 302Nutrition
HESS 305Chronic Disease Prevention
HESS 405Health Behavioral Theory
INTL 200Themes and Approaches in International Studies
PHIL 285Biomedical Ethics
PPA 102Introduction to Policymaking in Democracies
PPA 122Introduction to Global Governance
REL/WGST 327Women and Social Ethics: In the Global Context

Additional Notes:

  • Majors must take respective prerequisite for cognate electives. 
  • Directed Study on a relevant topic could count as an elective course based on approval from the GH Director and faculty of record.
  • No more than 2 non-core courses can be transferred from an approved Off Campus Study program for the Global Health major.
  • Any exception or new Cognate must be approved by the GH Director.

Experiential Learning Requirement

The proposed major requires an experiential learning component for every student. The learning competencies associated with this requirement are for students to apply ethical approaches in global health research and practice, and to display critical self-reflection, cultural humility, and ongoing learning in global health. Driven by these competencies, approved experiences will involve global health application, research, or both, with global health issues at the core of the program or experience. The experiential learning does not necessarily need to be in another country to be a meaningful application of global health principles. Examples are provided below to demonstrate the range of experiential learning that would be counted toward this requirement:

  • Semester-long directed study working with Columbus-based organization focusing on health services for refugee families. 

  • A semester off-campus study in Costa Rica working with clean water health initiatives for indigenous people. 

  • Summer internship based in Washington DC with government or non-governmental agencies focused on health policy.

For example, we anticipate many students could achieve this requirement through working with Columbus-based organizations focused on healthcare provided to clients whose primary cultural identity or citizenship is outside of the United States or who are underserved domestic populations.  Because many health outcomes are influenced by social or environmental determinants, internships in the US that engage these issues also may fulfill the Global Health experiential learning requirement (often referred to as a “glocalism” focus). Additionally, we anticipate that many students will complete this requirement in a non-US location with a global health emphasis in the experiential learning (e.g., study abroad program with an experiential learning component that involves meaningful engagement with community health in the location of study). Finally, experiential learning that involves student-driven research would fulfill this requirement if the research question is sufficiently rooted in global health perspectives and using methodology that is consistent with the global health discipline.