Global Public Health BA

Major: Global Public Health
Degree Awarded: Bachelor of Arts (BA)
Calendar Type: Quarter
Minimum Required Credits: 180.0
Co-op Options: One Co-op (Four years)
Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code: 51.2201
Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code: 21-1091

About the Program

The Bachelor of Arts in Global Public Health is an innovative undergraduate major that utilizes an interdisciplinary approach to expose students to global public health. Students will take a myriad of required courses within the Dornsife School of Public Health as well as courses in Global Studies and Modern Languages to fulfill degree requirements. The Global Public Health degree is a four-year, one co-op cycle program. Students are encouraged to explore global experiences for added breadth and depth.

Upon completion of the major, students can choose to use this degree program as a precursor to an MPH or an MS in a related topic area or as an active candidate for medical school or other schools of health-related professions. If students look to enter the workforce post BA, a variety of settings are applicable to this degree ranging from positions in public service (local, city, and state government), to NGO (local and international), and to healthcare settings.

Commonly found job titles for students seeking employment with the BA in Global Public Health are public health analysts, health educators, health coordinators, education specialists, health promotion assistant, behavioral health workers, site prevention specialists, and site community health workers.

Public Health Foundational Domains 

• The concepts and applications of basic statistics
• The foundations of biological and life sciences
• The history and philosophy of public health as well as its core values, concepts, and functions across the globe and in society
• The basic concepts, methods, and tools of public health data collection, use, and analysis and why evidence-based approaches are an essential part of public health practice
• The concepts of population health, and the basic processes, approaches and interventions that identify and address the major health-related needs and concerns of populations
• The underlying science of human health and disease, including opportunities for promoting and protecting health across the life course
• The socioeconomic, behavioral, biological, environmental, and other factors that impact human health and contribute to health disparities
• The fundamental concepts and features of project implementation, including planning, assessment, and evaluation
• The fundamental characteristics and organizational structures of the U.S. health system as well as the differences between systems in other countries
• Basic concepts of legal, ethical, economic, and regulatory dimensions of health care and public health policy and the roles, influences, and responsibilities of the different agencies and branches of government
• Basic concepts of public health-specific communication, including technical and professional writing and the use of mass media and electronic technology

Additional Information

For more information about this program, please contact:

DSPH Academic Advising Team
Office of Education
​dsphadvising@drexel.edu

Additional information can be found on the Dornsife School of Public Health website, including admissions criteria and how to apply.

Degree Requirements

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Global Public Health students follow the spring/summer co-op cycle.

COOP 101 registration is determined by the co-op cycle assigned and may be scheduled in a different term. Select students may be eligible to take COOP 001 in place of COOP 101.

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French, Japanese, Spanish, Asian Studies, or Middle East and Africa Studies minor. Additional introductory-level courses may be needed to complete language minors, which will count towards free electives. 

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Students choose any four PBHL courses from the 102-494 level outside of the PBHL core courses required for the degree.

Writing-Intensive Course Requirements

In order to graduate, all students must pass three writing-intensive courses after their freshman year. Two writing-intensive courses must be in a student's major. The third can be in any discipline. Students are advised to take one writing-intensive class each year, beginning with the sophomore year, and to avoid “clustering” these courses near the end of their matriculation. Transfer students need to meet with an academic advisor to review the number of writing-intensive courses required to graduate.

A "WI" next to a course in this catalog may indicate that this course can fulfill a writing-intensive requirement. For the most up-to-date list of writing-intensive courses being offered, students should check the Writing Intensive Course List at the University Writing Program. Students scheduling their courses can also conduct a search for courses with the attribute "WI" to bring up a list of all writing-intensive courses available that term.

Sample Plan of Study

4 year, 1 co-op

*

Global Public Health students follow the spring/summer co-op cycle.

COOP 101 registration is determined by the co-op cycle assigned and may be scheduled in a different term. Select students may be eligible to take COOP 001 in place of COOP 101.