The Global Health Track is designed for students interested in acquiring the competencies necessary to bring practical solutions to the health problems of underserved and neglected populations in resource poor settings worldwide. Through didactic and practical experience, you learn to work in a wide variety of settings with diverse populations, both domestically and abroad. We encourage students to pursue locations and topics that are of particular interest to them.
Courses in this track address a wide variety of topics such as equitable distribution of life-saving drugs, the health impact of asylum seekers, global communicable diseases, global trade, humanitarian aid, and the public health impact of military intervention. You can also take advantage of the Arnhold Global Health Institute, which offers programs in New York and around the globe.
Students in this track complete a master’s thesis as their culminating experience. Recent projects include: working to improve the health of villagers in India through child health nutrition programs and community education; examining the role of alternative and complementary medicine in villagers in rural outpatient settings in India; designing and teaching a basic public health curriculum in a local college in the Spirit Lake Nation of the Native American Dakota Tribe; and performing targeted needs assessments in rural Kenya through collaboration with the International Rescue Committee, which serves refugees affected by violent conflict.
Track-specific Competencies
To make sure our students develop the skills necessary to be successful and productive in the field of public health, and especially in the area of Global Health, we have developed a list of skills and content areas for the students in this Specialty Track:
- Explain the global context in which public health problems occur including the social, political, and economic forces that shape these problems and their potential solutions.
- Apply social justice and human rights principles in the development of public health programs, interventions and policies.
- Apply scientific evidence in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of public health programs and interventions.
- Describe the roles and relationships of the organizations and entities that influence global health.
- Identify the leadership & management skills needed to effectively lead local, national, & global public health systems and affect public health policies.
- Describe multi-agency policy-making in response to complex health emergencies.
- Design a community health needs assessment and plan an evidence-based intervention that meets an established health target.