Global Health
Courses with global health content
Global Health Courses
Courses listed below have at least 50% of their content is related to global health.
For Residential Graduate Certificate in Global Health students: Courses below are approved for the Certificate. It should be noted that courses may have prerequisites at the instructor’s discretion, and such requirements would apply to Certificate students in the same manner as they would to other students. Enrollment in the Certificate program does not guarantee entry into courses, so students should plan carefully and register early.
Please note that the day/time of courses may change periodically. Refer to ConnectCarolina to confirm the day/time of courses for each new semester.
| Course # | Course Title | Foundation or Elective Courses | Credits | Faculty | Semester | Description | Skills-Based or Topic-Based |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BIO 670 | Demographic Techniques | Elective | 3 | Suchindran and Bilsborrow | Fall | Source and interpretation of demographic data; rates and ratios, standardization, complete and abridged life tables; estimation and projection of fertility, mortality, migration, and population composition. | Skills-Based |
| ENVR 525 (Formerly ENVR 682) | Water, Sanitation, Hygiene, and Global Health | Elective | 3 | Fisher | Fall | Inadequate access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene (‘WaSH’) is a major cause of preventable morbidity and mortality, and accounts for a substantive portion of the global burden of disease. Using the latest evidence to improve WaSH service in these settings is therefore the focus of major international implementation, policy, and research efforts. This course is a unique opportunity to learn from instructors and guest lecturers who are at the forefront of research, policy, and implementation on a topic of major global public health significance. | Skills-Based |
| ENVR 610 (Formerly ENVR 890-005) | Global Perspectives on Environmental Health Inequalities | Elective | Woods | Fall | In this course, students will learn how social, economic and political factors impact environment health outcomes and will be introduced to theories and methods for incorporating social determinants frameworks into environmental health research. These frameworks will help explain why climate change, urbanization, industrialization and war often have the worst health and environmental impacts on the poorest countries and/or the poorest people in a given country. Students will also learn about the environmental justice movement in the US and its role in advancing how underserved communities around the world advocate for greater environmental regulations. Finally, we will explore strategies for improving global health governance and promoting ethical economic development. | Topic-Based | |
| ENVR 685 | Water and Sanitation Planning and Policy in Developing Countries | Elective | 3 | Whittington | Alternate Springs | Prerequisite, permission of the instructor. Seminar on policy and planning approaches for providing improved community water and sanitation services in developing countries. Topics covered include the choice of appropriate technology and level of service; pricing, metering, and connection charges; cost recovery and targeting subsidies to the poor; water vending; community participation in the management and operation of water systems; and rent-seeking behavior in the provision of water supplies. | Topic-Based |
| ENVR 705 (PUBH 705) | One Health Intellectual Exchange Course: "Philosophy to Practical Integration of Human, Animal and Environmental Health | Elective | 3 | Sackey-Harris | Fall | The One Health course addresses the intersection of human, animal and environmental health. The weekly topics are designed to facilitate the understanding of health as an inexorably linked system requiring multidisciplinary collaborative efforts. Discussions include the bidirectional impact of animal health on human health, the impact of earth’s changing ecology on health, issues of food and water safety/security, the benefits of comparative medicine etc. Learning objectives include: describing how different disciplines contribute to the practice of One Health and identifying how interdisciplinary interventions can improve Global Health using a One Health model. This graduate-level course is open to junior and senior level undergrads. Please note: The course is available for 2 or 3 credits and is held off-site at the NC Biotechnology Center (http://www.ncbiotech.org/about-us/regional-offices/directions) Tuesdays from 5:30-7:30pm . The course includes students and professionals of diverse disciplines from Duke, UNC and NCSU. Students taking the course for 3 credits are required to also attend a 1 hour discussion on morning a week (day and time vary per semester) on Duke or UNC campus. This course is limited to 15 students per university. Please contact Mamie msharris@med.unc.edu for questions or clarifications. | Topic-Based |
| ENVR 755 | Analysis of Water Resource Systems | Elective | 3 | Characklis | Fall | Permission of the instructor for nonmajors. Use of mathematical models to design and evaluate regional water supply and treatment systems. Engineering and economic methods are incorporated into quantitative analyses of regional scenarios. Social and political aspects also discussed. | Skills-Based |
| ENVR 785 | Public Investment Theory (City and Regional Planning 785, Public Policy 785) | Elective | 3 | Whittington | Alternate Springs | Prerequisite, PLAN 210 or equivalent. Basic theory, process, and techniques of public investment planning and decision making, involving synthesis of economic, political, and technologic aspects. Theory underlying benefit-cost analysis, adaption to a descriptive and normative model for planning public projects and programs. | Skills-Based |
| ENVR 789 | Working, Studying and Conducting Research Abroad | Elective | 2 | Tomaro | Spring | No prerequisites. This is an intermediate level course designed for graduate students who are contemplating or have committed to working, studying or conducting research internationally. Topics in this 2-credit course include ethics, logistics, and planning, international development and cultural sensitivity. The course will feature guest lectures from industry leaders offering insight and real world experience. | Skills-Based |
| ENVR 989 | Environmental Crisis Management | Elective | 3 | Stuart, Vizuete, and Woods | Summer | This course is a culminating experience where students extend, critique and apply knowledge gained in the classroom. The immersive capstone project gives the students the opportunity to integrate and synthesize their learning through a tangible project. The course will focus on practical solutions to public health related disasters. The experience-based topic will have the flexibility to allow for substantive contributions from students of all backgrounds enrolled in the Gillings School of Public Health. The summer session will be an experiential learning experience though a real-time simulation of humanitarian and environmental emergencies. | Skills-Based |
| EPID 760 | Vaccine Epidemiology | Elective | 3 | Smith | Spring | This course will include an overview of the principles of vaccinology, mechanisms of action, safety monitoring, and her protection. Students will obtain an in-depth understanding of vaccine acceptability, and how vaccines are formulated, evaluated in clinical trials, and implemented in clinical practice. | Topic-Based |
| EPID 785 | Environmental Epidemiology | Elective | 3 | Engel | Spring | Epidemiologic ideas and methods applied to evaluation and control of human health consequences of environmental hazards. Pollution of environmental media and global change are considered from a human-ecological perspective, with local and international examples. | Topic-Based |
| EPID 799B-001 | Pandemics (Focus on COVID-19): History, Epidemiology, and Mitigation | Elective | 2 | Pettifor, Weber | Fall | This course is designed to provide an overview of key issues related to the history, epidemiology and response to pandemics with a major focus on the current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. The course will be lecture based and remote. | Topic-Based |
| HBEH 753 | Qualitative Research Methods | Elective | 3 | Maman | Spring | Permission required for non-majors. Theoretical and methodological approaches of applied medical anthropology for health program development and evaluation. Field methods for collecting and analyzing data through observation, interviewing, group methods and case studies. | Skills-Based |
| HBEH 754 | Advanced Qualitative Methods in Health Behavior and Research | Elective | 3 | Barrington | Fall | Prerequisite HBHE 753 or equivalent. This course provides advanced graduate students in public health and related fields the opportunity to explore different analytic approaches and techniques and develop analysis and writing skills. Students will apply methods they learn to analyze, interpret and write-up the results of their own qualitative research. | Skills-Based |
| HBEH 756 | Social and Peer Support in Health: An Ecological and Global Perspective | Elective | 3 | Fisher | Spring | This class aims to: review key features of social support, review applications of social support to health promotion, and consider these issues from a global and cross-cultural perspective. Through the group project and term paper, the student will have the opportunity to contribute to an application of peer support and examine how (a) fundamental features of and research on social support inform that application, as well as how (b) the process of application heightens understanding of fundamental features of and research on social support. | Topic-Based |
| HBEH 815 | Theoretical and Conceptual Foundations of Health Behavior | Elective | 3 | Villa-Torres | Fall | (Global health module only counts towards the certificate). Global Health: Theoretical and Conceptual Foundations (Fall): This module introduces students to key concepts, theories and topics in global health. The course readings and discussions will cover: 1) transition perspectives in global health; 2) theories and concepts of globalization and health; 3) description and analysis of the implications of global development and health reform policies for population health; 4) the application of social and behavioral theories and interventions in a global context; and 5) migration and health. | Topic-Based |
| HBEH 893 | Global Mental Health | Elective | 3 | Fisher | Fall | Overview of major mental health problems, their global epidemiology, impacts on public health, linkages with physical health problems, and major approaches to biological, individual, social, and community interventions. Major themes will be social, culture, and economic/policy perspectives worldwide. | Topic-Based |
| HPM 565 (PLCY 565) | Global Health Policy | Elective | 3 | Meier | Spring | This course provides an introduction to the relationship between international relations, global health policy and public health outcomes. With profound social, political and economic changes rapidly challenging global health, the aim of this course in Global Health Policy is to provide students with a variety of opportunities to understand the epidemiologic trends in world health, the institutions of global health governance, and the effects of globalization on global and national health policy. | Topic-Based |
| HPM 571 (PLCY 570) | Health & Human Rights | Elective | 3 | Meier | Fall | Human rights are inextricably linked to the achievement of public health policy goals. This course provides an introduction to the relationship between health policy and human rights. The focus of this course will be on rights based approaches to health, applying a human rights perspective to selected public health policies, programs, and interventions. Specifically, this course will teach students how to apply a formalistic human rights framework to a wide range of critical issues in public health, exploring the role of human rights as both a safeguard against harm and a catalyst for health promotion. Upon completion, students will have acquired an understanding of the social, economic, cultural, legal, and political processes by which human rights inform public health objectives. | Topic-Based |
| HPM 664 (MHCH 664) | Globalization and Health | Foundation | 3 | Fried | Spring | *This is one of two courses students can take to fulfill the foundation course requirement for the Global Health Certificate Program. The course examines multiple dimensions of globalization and explores their direct and indirect effects on determinants of health through presentations, case studies, class discussions, small group seminars, readings, weekly written assignments, a critical book review, and a final paper and poster session. An expected outcome of the course is that students will gain a deeper understanding of how the changes and transformations of globalization and development affect health, and will have examined responses and approaches to current global patterns that contribute to positive and adverse health effects, and health inequalities. | Topic-Based |
| HPM 715 | Health Economics for Policy and Management | Elective | 3 | Sylvia | Fall | Prerequisite, BIOS 600. Permission of the instructor for nonmajors. Provides training in the theory of health economics and applies this theory to important issues in health policy and management. | Skills-Based |
| MHCH 605 | Survey Course on Breastfeeding and Public Health | Elective | 3 | Palmquist | Spring | In this survey course, students will explore human lactation and breastfeeding as nested within the reproductive health continuum. The biocultural aspects of maternal and child perinatal health in the “first 1,000 days” - from conception to an infant’s second birthday - will be examined using evolutionary, cross-cultural, and global health perspectives. Students will also discover the ways in which pregnancy, birthing practices, and infant care shape infant feeding strategies, growth, development and maternal and child health across the life course. Other topics include human reproductive ecology; complementary feeding and weaning; nutrition and immunology; early human development; infant sleep; alloparenting, adoption, and surrogacy; medicalization of pregnancy, birth, and infant feeding; donor human milk banking; milk sharing; and global health policies and practices related to infant and young child feeding. Emerging topics in research, ethics, communications, and advocacy will be addressed. | Skills-Based |
| MHCH 664* (HPM 664) | Globalization and Health | Foundation | 3 | Fried | Spring | The course examines multiple dimensions of globalization and explores their direct and indirect effects on determinants of health through presentations, case studies, class discussions, small group seminars, readings, weekly written assignments, a critical book review, and a final paper and poster session. An expected outcome of the course is that students will gain a deeper understanding of how the changes and transformations of globalization and development affect health, and will have examined responses and approaches to current global patterns that contribute to positive and adverse health effects, and health inequalities. *This is one of two courses students can take to fulfill the foundation course requirement for the Global Health Certificate Program. | Topic-Based |
| MHCH 680* | Global Sexual and Reproductive Health | Elective | 1 | Speizer | Spring | The class has no prerequisites and no student preparation will be required for the series of lectures, panel discussions, and debates featuring MCH adjunct faculty and other international experts from UNC and Triangle-based non-governmental organizations. The primary objective will be to inform students’ critical thinking on key public health issues in global sexual and reproductive health. | Topic-Based |
| MHCH 716 | International Family Planning and Reproductive Health | Elective | 3 | Curtis and Bloom | Spring | (On hiatus until Spring 2020) This course will provide an overview of the critical issues in international family planning and reproductive health, including major theoretical frameworks, patterns and trends over time, and family planning and reproductive health policy development. We will trace the evolution of the field from its demographic roots through the current expansion to a broader reproductive health perspective. The main theoretical models to explain the determinants of fertility and reproductive mortality and morbidity will be presented. Demographic data will be used to describe the trends and patterns of family planning and reproductive health within the global context. The development of population, family planning and reproductive health policy through the last three decades, along with the more recent focus on the field within the context of health and human rights, will be discussed. | Topic-Based |
| MHCH 722 | Global Maternal Child Health | Elective | 3 | Singh | Fall | Focuses on the health status and needs of mothers and children, primarily but not exclusively in the developing world. Topics include primary health care; measurement and indicators of health status; levels and patterns of maternal and child morbidity and mortality; major programmatic intervention; oral rehydration therapy; and national policy orientations. Permission required for non-majors. | Topic-Based |
| MHCH 723 | Introduction to Monitoring and Evaluation of Global MCH Programs | Elective | 3 | Barden-O'Fallon | Spring | This course provides students with the basic concepts and methodologies needed to monitor and evaluate programs in maternal and child health both domestically and internationally. The course covers program planning, conceptual frameworks, program monitoring, indicators, information sources, evaluation designs, and survey development. The focus is on practical issues for undertaking program monitoring and evaluation on maternal and child health programs. | Skills-Based |
| MHCH 862 | Maternal and Child Health Program Evaluation | Elective | 3 | Angeles | Spring | Analytic skills seminar, focusing on the methodology and practice of MCH progam evaluation. Review of concepts and methods for program evaluation will expose students to all phases and issues surrounding program evaluation. Case studies will be examined, with applications from developing countries. Prerequisites: Knowledge of SAS or STATA, MHCH 713 or equivalent. Permission required for 1 yr doctoral students, non-majors and master’s students. | Skills-Based |
| NUTR 696-006 | Taxes, Bans, & Burgers: Directed Readings in Global Food Policy | Elective | 1 | Taillie | Alternate Springs | This seminar explores regulatory options available to prevent obesity. It will examine how individuals make decisions about what to eat; how this context shapes the implementation of food policy; and how these policies in turn shape individual behavior and health, by employing a comparative framework over three countries (China, Mexico, and the US). | Topic-Based |
| NUTR 745 | International Nutrition | Elective | 3 | Adair, Bentley, Wasser | Alternate Falls | Provides a broad overview of international nutrition research issues, programs, and policies. Topics will include micronutrient deficiencies, child feeding and growth, determinants of under- and over-nutrition, chronic disease and nutrition, food fortification and supplementation, and nutrition intervention programs and policy. | Topic-Based |
| PUBH 420/720 | The HIV/AIDS Course | Elective | 1 | Strauss | Spring | This course offers participants a multi-disciplinary perspective on acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) — its etiology, immunology, epidemiology and impact on individuals and society. How AIDS is framed by a society determines not only how sick persons are treated by the degree to which the rights of the individual are upheld. GOAL: To understand the complexity and multi-dimensionality of the evolving phenomenon known as AIDS as a paradigm for the relationship between disease, society and public policy. | Topic-Based |
| PUBH 704 | Foundations of Global Health Elective | Elective | 2-3 | Carlough | Spring | This course is designed for graduate students with a health background. Students will gain a broader understanding of population-based global health issues and social determinants of health. Critically examines global health topics will be critically examined with learning from on-line modules, readings, and a weekly seminar. Course will be run with a minimum of 4 registered students and maximum of 10 students. To enroll, students need to contact Dr. Carlough. | Topic-Based |
| PUBH 705 (ENVR 705) | One Health Intellectual Exchange Course: "Philosophy to Practical Integration of Human, Animal and Environmental Health | Elective | 1-3 | Sackey-Harris | Fall | The One Health course addresses the intersection of human, animal and environmental health. The weekly topics are designed to facilitate the understanding of health as an inexorably linked system requiring multidisciplinary collaborative efforts. Discussions include the bidirectional impact of animal health on human health, the impact of earth’s changing ecology on health, issues of food and water safety/security, the benefits of comparative medicine etc. Learning objectives include: describing how different disciplines contribute to the practice of One Health and identifying how interdisciplinary interventions can improve Global Health using a One Health model. This graduate-level course is open to junior and senior level undergrads. Please note: The course is available for 2 or 3 credits and is held off-site at the NC Biotechnology Center (http://www.ncbiotech.org/about-us/regional-offices/directions) Tuesdays from 5:30-7:30pm . The course includes students and professionals of diverse disciplines from Duke, UNC and NCSU. Students taking the course for 3 credits are required to also attend a 1 hour discussion on morning a week (day and time vary per semester) on Duke or UNC campus. This course is limited to 15 students per university. Please contact Mamie msharris@med.unc.edu for questions or clarifications. | Topic-Based |
| PUBH 711 | Critical Issues in Global Health | Foundation | 3 | Dubé | Fall | The course explores contemporary issues, problems, and controversies in global health through an interdisciplinary perspective; examines the complex tapestry of social, economic, political, and environmental factors that affect global health; analyzes global health disparities through a social justice and human rights lens; and exposes students to opportunities in global health work and research. | Topic-Based |
| PUBH 712 | Global Health Ethics | Elective | 3 | Dubé | Spring | This course is designed to introduce you to the theoretical and practical aspects of public health ethics, with a particular focus on the global context. General topics include moral reasoning, justice, responsiveness and exploitation, community engagement, and professional conduct when engaged in public health research and practice. It is anticipated that you will need to dedicate at least 12-15 hours per week to course readings and assignments, including assigned readings, written assignments and discussion forum participation. Prerequisites: HPM/MHCH 664 or PUBH 711 | Topic-Based |
| PUBH 714 | Monitoring and Evaluation of Global Health Programs | Elective | 3 | Samandari | Summer | This course covers the fundamental concepts and tools for monitoring and evaluation of public health programs such as for HIV/AIDS/STDs, maternal health, reproductive health, child health, environment, and nutrition. Basic concepts and practices in M&E will be covered such as logic models, theory of change, indicators, data collection methods, process evaluation, research design and mixed methods. Students will be required to work in small groups to create a M&E plan for a global health case study. | Skills-Based |
| PHCY 839 | Global and Rural Health: Maximizing Interprofessional Teams to Impact Patient Outcomes | Elective | 1 | Steeb, Kiser | Spring | Global and Rural health often share public health approaches when identifying, analyzing, and implementing solutions to healthcare issues. This course will explore those approaches, while engaging students in interprofessional, project-based learning. Students across multi-healthcare disciplines will explore cross-cultural communication, the social determinants of health, and service delivery in low resource settings while exhibiting IPE core competencies of learning with, from, and about each other. | Topic-Based |
| PLCY 565 (HPM 565) | Global Health Policy | Elective | 3 | Meier | Spring | This course provides an introduction to the relationship between international relations, global health policy and public health outcomes. With profound social, political and economic changes rapidly challenging global health, the aim of this course in Global Health Policy is to provide students with a variety of opportunities to understand the epidemiologic trends in world health, the institutions of global health governance, and the effects of globalization on global and national health policy. | Topic-Based |
| PLCY 570 (HPM 571) | Health & Human Rights | Elective | 3 | Meier | Fall | Human rights are inextricably linked to the achievement of public health policy goals. This course provides an introduction to the relationship between health policy and human rights. The focus of this course will be on rights based approaches to health, applying a human rights perspective to selected public health policies, programs, and interventions. Specifically, this course will teach students how to apply a formalistic human rights framework to a wide range of critical issues in public health, exploring the role of human rights as both a safeguard against harm and a catalyst for health promotion. Upon completion, students will have acquired an understanding of the social, economic, cultural, legal, and political processes by which human rights inform public health objectives. | Topic-Based |
| SOWO 881 | Development Theory and Practice in Global Settings | Elective | 3 | Chowa | Fall | This course is designed to assist students to learn skills, methods, theory, and research in development practice in global settings. Focus is on competent practice with marginalized populations globally. | Skills-Based |