Program Overview

---

Overview of the Global Health Studies Program

The Bachelor of Science in Global Health Studies is designed for students who desire to enter professional programs in the health sciences. This program equips students to apply interdisciplinary perspectives drawn from the social sciences and humanities to local and global health issues.

Learning Outcomes

The Global Health Studies Program aims to equip its students with the following skills:

• Apply interdisciplinary perspectives drawn from the social sciences and humanities to local and global health issues.
• Understand core areas of global health such as infectious and non-communicable diseases, maternal and child health, food sovereignty, environmental health, disability studies, and health disparities.
• Analyze health and disease from biomedical, sociocultural, and environmental perspectives.
• Understand how health issues affect domestic and international communities.
• Recognize the ethical and practical challenges involved in interventions designed to improve health and health equity across cultural and geographical boundaries.

Requirements for the Bachelor of Science in Global Health Studies

The Bachelor of Science with a major in Global Health Studies requires a minimum of 120 semester hours, including at least 47 semester hours of coursework for the major. Students must maintain a grade-point average of at least 2.00 in all courses for the major and in all UI courses for the major. A minimum of 18 semester hours of major coursework must be earned at the University of Iowa. A maximum of 6 semester hours in GHS:4990 Independent Project in Global Health may be used toward the major. Students must also complete the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences GE CLAS Core requirements.

Foundation Courses

• GHS:2000 Introduction to Global Health Studies
• GHS:4003 Case Studies in Global Health Inequities
• And one of the following:
  • GHS:3034 Doing Harm by Doing Good: The Ethics of Studying, Volunteering, and Working in Global Communities
  • GHS:3035 Engaging in Global Health

Global Health Perspectives and Practices Electives

To provide an appreciation of the interdisciplinary nature of global health studies, students choose from a wide range of courses on topics that reflect the breadth of the field. Students must take a minimum of 18 semester hours of courses from the following lists to fulfill the global health perspectives and practices requirement, with at least 12 semester hours from courses numbered 3000 or above.

Core Electives

• GHS:1200 Disabilities and Inclusion in Writing and Film Around the World
• GHS:2100 Foundations of Health Humanities
• GHS:2164 Culture and Healing: An Introduction to Medical Anthropology
• GHS:2320 Origins of Human Infectious Disease
• GHS:2415 Bioethics
• GHS:3010 Social Science Approaches to Global Health
• GHS:3015 Transnational Sexualities
• GHS:3036 Ethics, Policy, and Global Health
• GHS:3037 Technology to Improve Global Health
• GHS:3045 Spanish Health Narratives
• GHS:3060 Studies in Complementary and Alternative Medicine
• GHS:3105 Contraception Across Time and Cultures
• GHS:3120 Global Maternal and Child Health
• GHS:3230 Health Experience of Immigrants, Migrants, and Refugees
• GHS:3325 Global Epidemics
• GHS:3520 Oral Histories of Health Care
• GHS:3560 Global Garbage and Global Health
• GHS:3720 Contemporary Issues in Global Health
• GHS:3850 Promoting Health Globally
• GHS:4002 Working in Global Health
• GHS:4150 Health and Environment: GIS Applications
• GHS:4205 Culture, Language, and Health
• GHS:4260 Global Water and Health

Additional Electives

• Global health studies courses (prefix GHS) numbered 3000 or above, not including GHS:2000 or GHS:4003
• ASP:1800/CSD:1800/NURS:1800/SSW:1800/TR:1800 Aging Matters: Introduction to Gerontology
• CPH:2200 Climageddon: Understanding Climate Change and Associated Impacts on Health
• CPH:2230 Finding Patient Zero: The Exploration of Infectious Disease Transmission and Pandemic Threats
• CPH:2400 The U.S. Health System in a Global Context
• CPH:3400/SEES:3250 Health, Work, and the Environment
• CPH:4200 Agriculture, Food Systems, and Sustainability
• ENGL:2560 Topics in Culture and Identity (when topic is stories about HIV/AIDS)
• HIST:1016 The History That Made Our World (when topic is related to global health; consult advisor)
• NURS:3655 Community and Public Health Nursing Practicum (BSN students only)
• OEH:4240 Global Environmental Health

World Language and Culture Requirement

Students must choose one of the following options: option A or B. The semester hours necessary to complete this requirement will vary.

Option A

Students may complete a minimum of two world language courses beyond that required by the GE CLAS Core. This additional language requirement may be met either by completing at least two courses at a higher level in a language used to fulfill the GE CLAS Core World Languages requirement or by completing two courses, or the equivalent, of an additional world language at any level.

Option B

Students may complete 6 semester hours of World Culture coursework selected from the international studies Global Perspectives or World Cultures and Societies course tables; see Requirements in the BA in international studies section of the catalog. Courses taken to complete another area of the major cannot be used toward the World Culture requirement.

Inquiry Course

Students must take a minimum of 3 semester hours of courses from this list or from an approved study abroad course.

• GHS:2100 Foundations of Health Humanities
• GHS:3010 Social Science Approaches to Global Health
• In certain circumstances, an approved study abroad course (consult global health studies advisor)

Experiential Learning Course

The experiential learning requirement provides an opportunity for students to apply the knowledge and skills they learned in the classroom.

• GHS:3012 Community-Based Global Health Research
• GHS:3092 Spanish in the Community
• GHS:3520 Oral Histories of Health Care
• GHS:3660 Social Environmental Health Risks and Community Engagement
• GHS:4000 Global Health Studies Service Learning: Local Health is Global Health
• GHS:4001 Social Entrepreneurship and Global Health
• GHS:4002 Working in Global Health
• Approved study abroad coursework (consult global health studies advisor)

Natural Sciences Courses

The natural sciences courses taken for the major can also be used to fulfill the GE CLAS Core natural sciences requirement. Students should consult with their advisor concerning specific courses that satisfy these requirements.

• Chemistry
  • CHEM:1110 Principles of Chemistry I
  • CHEM:1120 Principles of Chemistry II
• Chemistry and Biology
  • CHEM:1070 General Chemistry I
  • BIOL:1141 Human Biology: Health Professions
• Chemistry and Physics
  • CHEM:1070 General Chemistry I
  • PHYS:1400 Basic Physics
• Health and Human Physiology
  • HHP:2100 Human Anatomy
  • HHP:2400 Fundamentals of Human Physiology (must complete either HHP:2110 or HHP:2410 to satisfy lab requirement)
• Physics
  • PHYS:1511 College Physics I
  • PHYS:1512 College Physics II

Mathematics and Statistics Course

Students must complete at least one calculus or statistics course. In some cases, students may also need to complete a precalculus course, depending on their math placement.

• MATH:1440 Mathematics for the Biological Sciences
• MATH:1460 Calculus for the Biological Sciences
• MATH:1550 Engineering Calculus I
• MATH:1850 Calculus I
• STAT:1020/PSQF:1020 Elementary Statistics and Inference
• Any higher-level statistics course (consult advisor)

Honors in the Major

Students majoring in global health studies have the opportunity to graduate with honors in the major. Students who choose to graduate with honors in the major must satisfy these requirements:

• Maintain a cumulative University of Iowa grade-point average (GPA) of at least 3.33 and a GPA of at least 3.33 in all work for the major.
• Complete GHS:4991 Honors Thesis in Global Health Studies.
• Enroll in GHS:4992 Global Health Studies Honors Cohort with the global health studies honors advisor during the semester in which GHS:4991 will be completed.
• Submit an acceptable honors thesis.

University of Iowa Honors Program

In addition to honors in the major, students have opportunities for honors study and activities through membership in the University of Iowa Honors Program. Visit Honors at Iowa to learn about the university's honors program.

GE CLAS Core Requirements

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences GE CLAS Core requirements provide students with a broad foundation of knowledge and a focused practice of transferable skills necessary for a lifetime of learning.

Communication and Literacy

• Understanding Cultural Perspectives: a minimum of 3 semester hours.
• Interpretation of Literature: a minimum of 3 semester hours.
• Rhetoric: a minimum of 4 semester hours.
• World Languages Pathways: required credit varies (see "World Languages Pathways" in this section of the catalog).

Sustainability

Students complete this requirement by choosing an approved GE CLAS Core course that integrates Sustainability (with no additional semester hours) with a course from the Natural, Quantitative, and Social Sciences category or the Culture, Society, and the Arts category.

Natural, Quantitative, and Social Sciences

• Natural Sciences: a minimum of 7 semester hours; must include one lab.
• Quantitative or Formal Reasoning: a minimum of 3 semester hours.
• Social Sciences: a minimum of 3 semester hours.

Culture, Society, and the Arts

• Historical Perspectives: a minimum of 3 semester hours.
• International and Global Issues: a minimum of 3 semester hours.
• Literary, Visual, and Performing Arts: a minimum of 3 semester hours.
• Values and Society: a minimum of 3 semester hours.

Career Advancement

Graduates find opportunities in a range of global health job sectors such as:

• In-country field consulting.
• Disaster relief organizations.
• Immigrant/refugee health organizations.
• Research and academic institutions.
• International agencies.
• Other nongovernmental agencies (NGOs).
• Lending agencies that work in developing countries.
• Multilateral agencies (such as the World Health Organization).
• Governmental agencies (United States Agency for International Development, Center for Disease Control, in-country ministries of health, etc.).

Global health studies graduates have also pursued graduate and professional programs in medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, nursing, public health, law, nonprofit management, urban and regional planning, sustainable agriculture, international development, and public administration.

The Pomerantz Career Center offers multiple resources to help students find internships and jobs.

Four-Year Graduation Plan

The following checkpoints list the minimum requirements students must complete in order to stay on the university's Four-Year Graduation Plan.

• Before the fifth semester begins: at least six courses in the major.
• Before the seventh semester begins: at least 12 courses in the major and at least 90 semester hours earned toward the degree.
• Before the eighth semester begins: at least two additional courses in the major.
• During the eighth semester: enrollment in all remaining coursework in the major, all remaining GE CLAS Core courses, and a sufficient number of semester hours to graduate.

Sample Plan of Study

Sample plans represent one way to complete a program of study. Actual course selection and sequence will vary and should be discussed with an academic advisor. For additional sample plans, see MyUI.

Global Health Studies, BS

Plan of Study Grid (Manual) Academic Career

Any Semester| Hours
The global health studies program connects students to experiential learning opportunities such as study abroad, internships, research, and service learning courses through which students develop real-world skills related to major global health issues. a |
Students completing honors in the global health studies major work with a faculty mentor to produce an honors thesis, and then present their research during the final year at a venue approved by the global health studies program. |
GE CLAS Core: Sustainability b |
| Hours| 0
First Year
Fall
GHS:2000 | Introduction to Global Health Studies | 3
GHS:3034
or GHS:3035 | Doing Harm by Doing Good: The Ethics of Studying, Volunteering, and Working in Global Communities c
or Engaging in Global Health | 1
RHET:1030
or ENGL:1200 | Rhetoric: Writing and Communication
or The Interpretation of Literature | 3 - 4
GE CLAS Core: Understanding Cultural Perspectives d | 3
GE CLAS Core: World Languages First Level Proficiency or elective course e | 4 - 5
CSI:1600 | Success at Iowa | 1
| Hours| 15-17
Spring
GHS:3035
or GHS:3034 | Engaging in Global Health f
or Doing Harm by Doing Good: The Ethics of Studying, Volunteering, and Working in Global Communities | 1
RHET:1030
or ENGL:1200 | Rhetoric: Writing and Communication
or The Interpretation of Literature | 3 - 4
Major: natural sciences course without lab g, h, i | 3
GE CLAS Core: Social Sciences d | 3
GE CLAS Core: World Languages Second Level Proficiency or elective course e | 4 - 5
Elective course j | 2 - 3
| Hours| 16-19
Second Year
Fall
GHS:3010
or GHS:2100 | Social Science Approaches to Global Health c
or Foundations of Health Humanities | 3
Major: global health perspectives and practices elective course g | 3
Major: natural sciences course with lab g, i | 4
GE CLAS Core: World Languages Third Level Proficiency or elective course e | 4 - 5
Elective course j | 2 - 3
| Hours| 16-18
Spring
GHS:3010
or GHS:2100 | Social Science Approaches to Global Health f
or Foundations of Health Humanities | 3
Major: mathematics and statistics course i, k, l | 3 - 4
GE CLAS Core: Literary, Visual, and Performing Arts d | 3
GE CLAS Core: World Languages Fourth Level Proficiency or elective course e | 4 - 5
Elective course j | 3
| Hours| 16-18
Third Year
Fall
Major: experiential learning course g | 3 - 4
Major: global health perspectives and practices elective course numbered 3000 or above g | 3
Major: world language and culture requirement m | 3 - 5
GE CLAS Core: Values and Society d | 3
Elective course j | 3
| Hours| 15-18
Spring
GHS:4003 | Case Studies in Global Health Inequities | 3
Major: global health perspectives and practices elective course numbered 3000 or above g | 3
Major: world language and culture requirement m | 3 - 5
Elective course j | 3
Elective course j | 3
| Hours| 15-17
Fourth Year
Fall
Major: global health perspectives and practices elective course g | 3
GE CLAS Core: Historical Perspectives d | 3
Major: global health perspectives and practices elective course numbered 3000 or above g | 3
Elective course j | 3
Elective course j | 3
Elective course j | 3
| Hours| 18
Spring
Major: global health perspectives and practices elective course numbered 3000 or above g | 3
GE CLAS Core: International and Global Issues d | 3
Elective course j | 3
Elective course j | 3
Elective course j | 3
Degree Application: apply on MyUI before deadline (typically in February for spring, September for fall) n |
| Hours| 15
| Total Hours| 126-140
a

Students meet regularly with their academic advisor for help in identifying ethical activities which can be integrated into their individualized graduation plan.

b

Sustainability must be completed by choosing a course that has been approved for Sustainability AND for one of these General Education areas: Natural Sciences; Quantitative or Formal Reasoning; Social Sciences; Historical Perspectives; International and Global Issues; Literary, Visual, and Performing Arts; or Values and Society.

c

Typically this course is offered in fall semesters only. Check MyUI for course availability since offerings are subject to change.

d

GE CLAS Core courses may be completed in any order unless used as a prerequisite for another course. Students should consult with an advisor about the best sequencing of courses.

e

Students who have completed four levels of a single language or two levels of two different languages in high school or college have satisfied the GE CLAS Core World Languages requirement. Students who have completed three levels of a single language may complete a fourth-level course in the same language or may choose an approved World Language and Cultural Exploration course. Enrollment in world languages courses requires a placement exam, unless enrolling in a first-semester-level course. Contact your academic advisor or CLAS Undergraduate Programs Office with questions concerning the World Languages requirement.

f

Typically this course is offered in spring semesters only. Check MyUI for course availability since offerings are subject to change.

g

See General Catalog for list of approved courses.

h

Enrollment in chemistry courses requires completion of a placement exam.

i

Fulfills a major requirement and may fulfill a GE requirement.

j

Students may use elective courses to earn credit towards the total semester hours required for graduation or to complete a double major, minors, or certificates.

k

Choose from MATH:1440, MATH:1460, MATH:1550, MATH:1850, STAT:1020.

l

Enrollment in math courses requires completion of a placement exam.

m

See General Catalog for details.

n

Please see Academic Calendar, on Office of the Registrar website, for current degree application deadlines. Students should apply for a degree for the session in which all requirements will be met. For any questions on appropriate timing, contact your academic advisor or Degree Services.