At which campus can I study this program?
Program Description
The Global Health Minor (GLBHL) is designed to provide undergraduate students with a multidisciplinary exposure to the theoretical and practical issues affecting the health of populations in various countries and regions of the world. This minor is appropriate for students whose career goals incorporate public health interventions, education, policy, or research related to global health. Coursework and supervised field work will draw on the diversity and abundance of the Penn State faculty's international resources and networks.
You Might Like This Program If...
- You are interested in advancing your understanding of issues affecting the health of various populations in the world.
- You want to think critically about current challenges in health, public health and global health, and their solutions and outcomes.
- You seek a better understanding of health disparities, determinants, and behaviors across cultures and countries.
- You seek an experiential component to your learning through participation in an international or domestic field work experience in global health.
Entrance to Minor
Students desiring to enter the minor must submit an application to the Director. Applications to the Global Health Minor:
- must have declared a major field of study
- must include with the application a proposed plan of study. This plan should include the student's contact information and GPA, a brief statement about the relationship of this minor to the student's major plan of study and career goals, a list of proposed supporting courses, and a proposed supervised fieldwork experience. The student's application to the minor must be signed by the student's academic/faculty adviser.
- previously completed coursework and/or supervised fieldwork experience may be retroactively included in the plan of study if approved by the Director of the minor.
Program Requirements
| Requirement | Credits |
|---|---|
| Requirements for the Minor | 27-28 |
Requirements for the Minor
A grade of C or better is required for all courses in the minor, as specified by Senate Policy 59-10. In addition, at least six credits of the minor must be unique from the prescribed courses required by a student's major(s).
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Prescribed Courses | ||
| Prescribed Courses: Require a grade of C or better | ||
| BBH 101 | Introduction to Biobehavioral Health  | 3 |
| BBH 305 | Introduction to Global Health Issues | 3 |
| BBH 390A | Preparation for Global Health Field Experience | 3 |
| BBH 390B | Global Health Field Experience | 6 |
| BBH/HPA 440 | Principles of Epidemiology | 3 |
| Additional Courses | ||
| Additional Courses: Require a grade of C or better | ||
| STAT 200 | Elementary Statistics | 3-4 |
| or STAT 250 | Introduction to Biostatistics | |
| Supporting Courses and Related Areas | ||
| Supporting Courses and Related Areas: Require a grade of C or better | ||
| Select 6 credits (at least 3 credits at the 400 level) from the list of approved supporting courses in consultation with the Global Health Director 1 | 6 | |
| Supervised Fieldwork Experience | ||
| An approved, supervised fieldwork experience dealing with a global health issue is a requirement of this minor (BBH 390B) 2 | ||
- 1
Other courses (e.g. special topics courses, independent study) that are not on the list of approved supporting courses may also be used to meet the credit requirements for the GLBHL minor. However, all course substitutions require approval of the Director.
- 2
BBH 390A must be taken prior to this field experience (BBH 390B). Global health field sites may be international or domestic, but must be approved by the Director.
Academic Advising
The objectives of the university's academic advising program are to help advisees identify and achieve their academic goals, to promote their intellectual discovery, and to encourage students to take advantage of both in-and out-of class educational opportunities in order that they become self-directed learners and decision makers.
Both advisers and advisees share responsibility for making the advising relationship succeed. By encouraging their advisees to become engaged in their education, to meet their educational goals, and to develop the habit of learning, advisers assume a significant educational role. The advisee's unit of enrollment will provide each advisee with a primary academic adviser, the information needed to plan the chosen program of study, and referrals to other specialized resources.
READ SENATE POLICY 32-00: ADVISING POLICY
University Park
Dana Naughton
Director Global Health Minor; Assistant Teaching Professor of Biobehavioral Health
219 Biobehavioral Health Building
University Park, PA 16802
814-865-5607
dmn161@psu.edu
Career Paths
For more information about potential career paths for graduates with a minor in Global Health, please visit: https://hhd.psu.edu/bbh/undergraduate/global-health-minor.
Contact
University Park
DEPARTMENT OF BIOBEHAVIORAL HEALTH
219 Biobehavioral Health Building
University Park, PA 16802
814-863-7256
dmn161@psu.edu