Health Equity, Social Justice and Human Rights Concentration
A cross-cutting and interdisciplinary concentration, EQUITY will empower you with a fundamental understanding of the history, principles, theories and frameworks of health equity, anti-racism, social justice and human rights. Addressing Systemic Racism in Schools of Public Health (PDF)
What You'll Learn
This concentration will train you to assess social determinants of health and structural inequities and to devise community-engaged solutions to address them through public health practice or research.
Specifically, you will learn to:
Critically evaluate the social determinants of health and understand how they contribute to health inequities; and
Apply a range of community-engaged strategies and methodologies to advance health equity, social justice and human rights through mentored fieldwork in the United States or another nation.
Required Courses & Sample Plan of Study
In addition to the interdisciplinary, 14-credit Gillings MPH Core, you will take seven concentration-specific courses and complete a community-based capstone project.
ENVR 784: Community-driven Research and Environmental Justice
EPID 826: Introduction to Social Epidemiology
HBEH 746: Community-led Capstone Project, Part I
HBEH 700: Foundations of Health Equity, Social Justice and Human Rights
HBEH 720: Leading for Racial Equity: Examining Structural Issues of Race and Class
PUBH 748: Leadership in Health Policy for Social Justice
HBEH 992: Community-led Capstone Project, Part II (MPH Culminating Experience)
Health Equity, Social Justice and Human Rights Degree Requirements and Study Plan (PDF)
*This concentration has a $600 field fee to cover a portion of the expenses associated with required fieldwork that are not covered by state dollars paid through tuition. For administrative purposes, this fee is tagged to HBEH 746.
You also will complete a summer practicum during your first year.
Ready to Apply?
Click the link below to learn more about the admissions process for each department.
Minority Health Conference
Members of the Gillings School Minority Student Caucus have planned and executed the annual UNC-Chapel Hill Minority Health Conference since 1977. The conference is the country’s largest and longest-running student-led conference focused on public health issues.
Career Opportunities
99% of Gillings graduates have a job or continue their education within one year of graduating.
Learn more about the opportunities that await you with an MPH from the Gillings School.
Students fund their education through a combination of sources, including loans, fellowships and awards, assistantships and grants. Several awards and scholarships are supported by generous contributions to the School and University who value the current and future contributions of our students.
Contact: Sarah Kitchens, Funding and Awards Coordinator, sarah_kitchens@unc.edu
