Social Sciences Track

This is a stock photo. A woman buying tomatoes at a market. This is a stock photo. A woman buying tomatoes at a market.
The University of Miami College of Arts and Sciences is proud to introduce its newest undergraduate program.

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Global Health Studies

As the world deals with the aftermath of COVID-19, the Global Health Studies (GHS) program prepares students to work, learn, and lead in a recovering post-pandemic society.

The undergraduate major in Global Health Studies offers a truly interdisciplinary academic experience. Coursework for this major includes local and global aspects of health: medicine, prevention, policy, faith, environment, culture, society, and research. Students have multiple pathways available to craft a unique course of study that prepares them for any number of opportunities after graduation, including medical or nursing school, doctoral study, or employment in the non-profit, government, or private sectors.

Please note: Courses may not be double-counted. For example, a course that you take to satisfy the Methods requirement may not also count towards your Elective count.

Track In Social Sciences

The Social Sciences Track provides students with practical course work in the various societal disciplines surrounding health, medicine, and overall well-being. Coursework in this concentration includes geography, sociology, anthropology, psychology, international studies, education, and communication. Students looking to pursue careers or graduate study in any social science that studies physical, mental, or planetary health should consider this major.

Students in this track explore the anthropological, sociological, psychological, and geographic determinates of health around the world, from communication to food sources, from geopolitics to community well-being.

Internship (Undergraduate)

Undergraduate students looking to complete an internship should register for GHS 590 Global Health Internship (3 credits).

Important Information:

  • One credit of internship is equivalent to 50 hours of work on the internship site.  All students must keep a log of their hours.
  • Internships must be approved by the GHS Director. Once approved, students must complete the internship agreement before registering the course.

We encourage students to visit Handshake latest info on internship offerings.  Also, GHS students can look for internships by visiting the internship page.

Senior Thesis (Undergraduate)

Undergraduate students looking to complete a senior thesis instead of an internship should register for GHS 499 Senior Thesis (3 credits) with the approval of the GHS Director. Click here to download the syllabus for GHS 499. Also, please download the Independent Study timeline to ensure you are following the appropriate processes. Because the GHS program is an interdisciplinary program, students should seek faculty senior thesis advisors/mentors based on their GHS track (humanities, social science, or policy).

Track in Social Sciences

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  • Required Core Course

    GHS 201 - Introduction to Global Health

  • Methods Course (Choose 1)

    GHS 310 - Hospital Ethnography

    PSY 292 - Introduction to Biobehavioral Statistics for Non-Majors

    GEG 306 - Geographic Research Methods

    SOC 210 - Introduction to Social Research

  • Policy Course (Choose 1)

    INS 201 - Globalization and Change in World Politics

    INS 572 - Global Health Policy and Ethics

    SOC 321 - Applied Health Policy

    Speak with the program director when selecting a policy course. 

  • Track Required Courses (6-9 Credits)

    APY 413 - Medical Anthropology

    GEG 241 - Health and Medical Geography

    GHS 312 - People, Plagues, and Pandemics

    SOC 384 - Medical Sociology

  • Track Elective Courses (9-12 Credits)

    APY 105 - HIV: Sex, Science, and Society

    APY 205 - Medicine, Healthcare, and Society

    APY 307 - Human Adaptation

    APY 309 - Evolution of Human Behavior 

    APY 315 - Folk and Alternative Medicine

    APY 393 - Drugs and Culture

    APY 413 - Medical Anthropology*

    APY 414 - Human Osteology 

    APY 416 - Bioarchaeology: Peopling the Past 

    APY 501 - Methods of Anthropological Research 

    APY 512 - Advanced Medical Anthropology

    ECO 386 - Health Economics

    GEG 105 - World Regional Geography

    GEG 110 - Introduction to Human Geography 

    GEG 241 - Health and Medical Geography*

    GEG 306 - Geographic Research Methods 

    GEG 331 - Sustainable Development 

    GEG 336 - Hazards and Disasters: The Nature-Society Interface

    GEG 337 - Climate Change, Sea Level Rise and Society

    GEG 338 - Landscape Character, Dynamics, Evolution; Influence on Societal Habitation and Risks 

    GEG 341 - Population, Health, and the Environment

    GEG 343 - Population, Sustainability, and the Media

    GEG 345 - Drinking Water: Past, Present, and Future

    GEG 346 - Immigrant and Refugee Health

    GEG 348 - Climate Change and Public Health

    GEG 366 - Cities in Time and Space

    GEG 412 - GIS for Health and Environment

    GEG 432 - Climate Change and Security 

    GHS 301 - Sociocultural Foundations of Global Health 

    GHS 310 - Hospital Ethnography 

    GHS 312 - People, Plagues, and Pandemics

    GHS 331 - Topics in Global Health Studies: Social Sciences  

    GHS 431 - Advanced Seminar in Global Health Studies: Social Sciences 

    GHS 440 - Global Health Response to Disasters: From Management to Recovery and Reconstruction

    GHS 570 - Globalization and Health 

    GHS 571 - Global Health and International Development 

    GHS 573 - Disasters, Terrorism and Global Public Health 

    INS 101 - Global Perspectives

    INS 103 - World in Crisis 

    INS 201 - Globalization and Change in World Politics 

    INS 509 - International Migration and the Health Care Systems

    LAS 301 - Interdisciplinary Topics in Latin American and Caribbean Studies

    LAS 302 - Interdisciplinary Topics in Latin American and Caribbean Studies: Travel Course 

    LAS 362 - Drug Trafficking in Latin America and the Caribbean 

    POL 303 - Refugees and Migrants

    POL 316 - Politics of Globalism 

    POL 341 - Nationalism, Ethnicity, and Political Conflict 

    POL 344 - Gender and Politics 

    POL 359 - International Organizations 

    POL 362 - Social Movements 

    POL 569 - LGBTI Politics 

    POL 571 - Sex, Babies, and the State 

    PSY 292 - Introduction to Biobehavioral Statistics Section B 

    PSY 411 - Relationships and Health

    PSY 426 - Health Psychology

    PSY 445 - Cultural, Values, Religiosity, and Mental Illness 

    SOC 320 - Social Epidemiology: Illness and Death in Society

    SOC 321 - Applied Health Policy 

    SOC 345 - Population and Society 

    SOC 368 - Violence in America

    SOC 375 - Sociology of Mental Health and Illness

    SOC 377 - Sociology of Drug Abuse

    SOC 381 - Aging in Society

    SOC 384 - Medical Sociology*

    SOC 480 - Health Disparities in the U.S.

     

  • Capstone Options (3 Credits)

    The capstone experience must focus on issues/experiences related to global or planetary health. Students will be able to choose between the following capstone experiences:

    • Senior Thesis
    • Internship

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