Curricular Models and Learning Objectives for Undergraduate Minors in Global Health

Abstract

"Background: A growing number of institutions of higher education offer undergraduate educational programs in global health.

Objective: To identify all undergraduate minors in global health being offered in the United States during the 2019–20 academic year, categorize the curricula being used by secondary programs of study, evaluate the content of required foundational courses, and examine the types of experiential learning opportunities that are offered.

Methods: A working group of the Consortium of Universities for Global Health (CUGH) conducted a systematic review of the websites of all accredited 4-year colleges and universities, identifying 84 institutions offering general global health minors.

Findings: A typical global health minor consists of one introduction to global health course, one epidemiology or health research methods course, several additional required or selective courses, and one applied learning experience. Within this general structure, five curricular models are currently being used for global health minors: (1) intensive minors composed of specialty global health courses, (2) global public health minors built on a core set of public health courses, (3) multidisciplinary minors requiring courses in the sciences and social sciences, (4) anthropology centric minors, and (5) flexible minors.

Conclusions: CUGH recommends ten undergraduate student learning objectives in global health that encompass the history and functions of global health; globalization and health; social determinants of health; environmental health; health and human rights; comparative health systems; global health agencies and organizations; the global burden of disease; global health interventions; and interdisciplinary and interprofessional perspectives."