Global Health Program

[ undergraduate program | courses ]

Social Science Building, Second Floor
http://globalhealthprogram.ucsd.edu

All courses, faculty listings, and curricular and degree requirements described herein are subject to change or deletion without notice.

The Graduate Program

The UC San Diego Global Health Program offers a contiguous bachelor of arts/master of arts (BA/MA) degree as well as a standalone master’s degree in global health. The BA/MA program is designed specifically for selected UC San Diego undergraduate majors in global health who seek advanced training in the field. The standalone master’s degree is open to all students. A master of arts in global health will provide students with an interdisciplinary curriculum that educates them on urgent social concerns and equips them with the ability to understand and productively intervene in processes of health, illness, and healing across the globe. The MA in global health focuses on global health policy, health equity, social epidemiology, global health research, and medical anthropology. This program prepares students for careers in the field of global health working for NGO or governmental agencies, pursing training in allied health professions, medical school, or to pursue advanced training (PhD) in academic fields that contribute to the interdisciplinary field of global health. Students will select between a professional (comprehensive exam) or research track (thesis), both of which can be completed in one year or thirty-six units.

The Master of Arts in Global Health

Admissions

Application Requirements

Eligibility and Enrollment

To be eligible, students must:       

Degree Requirements

To receive the Master of Arts in Global Health, students must:

Master’s I (Thesis) or II (Comprehensive Exam)

MA students will choose between two concentrations to complete their degree:

Plan 1: Research Track—Thesis

Students must submit an application to the program director to be approved for this track by the end of fall quarter. Students will complete course work during year one and identify faculty advisers to begin writing their thesis by winter quarter. Once approved, students will enroll in two sections of GLBH 299. Independent Research during winter and spring quarter working with their faculty advisers to develop their paper. The thesis option is attractive for students pursuing a PhD in the global health or related fields. Students must give an oral presentation and defense of their thesis project to a thesis committee.

Thesis Faculty Committee Requirements

Students must have a three-member thesis committee comprised of faculty advisers from the Global Health Affiliated Faculty list (see master’s thesis committee requirements).

Plan 2: Professional Track—Comprehensive Exam:

Students choosing the comprehensive exam route may take the exam upon completion of all course work including the seven core courses and two elective courses. The purpose of this requirement is to confirm that students have achieved an advanced understanding in topics including the global burden of disease, institutions, and practices of global health care delivery, expertise in a topical problem area (maternal and child health, infectious disease, mental health, nutrition and food security, refugee and immigrant health, natural and human-caused disasters), as well as expertise in a particular geographical region and the range of its global health challenges. The comprehensive exam option is an attractive option for students seeking employment in government agencies or nongovernmental organizations, as well as those planning to pursue clinical training in global health-related professions.

Comprehensive Exam Faculty Requirements

Students will need one faculty adviser designated by the department to grade the exam.

Required Courses (nine courses/thirty-six units)

The MA in global health requires students to complete seven core courses.

BA/MA Degree Requirements

Core Courses (six courses/twenty-four units)

GLBH 200. Global Health Masters Core Seminar (4)
GLBH 214. Program Management in Global Health (4)
GLBH 248. Introduction to Global Health Research (4)
GLBH 249. Social Epidemiology (4)
GLBH 260. Global Health Policy (4)
ANTH 260. Seminar in Medical and Psychological Anthropology (4)

Electives (three courses/twelve units)

Stand Alone Degree Requirements

Core Courses (seven courses/twenty-eight units)

GLBH 200. Global Health Masters Core Seminar (4)
GLBH 214. Program Management in Global Health (4)
GLBH 248. Introduction to Global Health Research (4)
GLBH 249. Social Epidemiology (4)
GLBH 260. Global Health Policy (4)
ANTH 260. Seminar in Medical and Psychological Anthropology (4)

Complete two of the following courses (students in research track complete ANTH 248 only):

ANTH 248. Global Health and Cultural Diversity (4)
GLBH 281. Essentials of Global Health (4)

Electives (two courses/eight units)
Elective Options

To convert an undergraduate (100 level) course into a 298 graduate-level course, a student must attend all of the course meetings and incorporate a component of additional graduate-level research work, upon arrangement with the faculty member teaching the course (a special form describing the supplementary work must be filled by the student and approved by the instructor and department chair). The supplementary work should (a) increase the amount of reading to match the regular reading expectations of a graduate seminar, (b) include additional meeting time with the professor for a graduate-level discussion of the material, and (c) require the student to write a research paper (which would generally be on the order of fifteen to twenty pages).

Anthropology

Communication

Economics

Ethnic Studies

Global Health Program

History

Latin American Studies

Literature

Philosophy

Political Science

Psychology

Rady School of Management

School of Global Policy and Strategy (GPS)

Scripps Institution of Oceanography

Sociology

Urban Studies and Planning