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Global Public Health

Inspiring future global health advocates to center justice and equity worldwide

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Introduction 

As the recent pandemics of COVID-19 and H1N1 influenza have shown all too starkly, health issues transcend country boundaries and can affect all aspects of society, from economic development to political stability to national security.

Global Public Health (GPH) explores the connections between health, culture, economic development and environmental sustainability while advocating for health equity worldwide.

Through class discussions, group projects and lectures from guest speakers, students:

  • Learn about the range of health problems that cross borders;
  • Consider the ways in which cultural and social issues affect a population's overall health; and
  • Analyze the major public health approaches, and challenges, to reducing global health inequalities.

With careers in global public health experiencing tremendous growth, interdisciplinary training and collaboration in these areas is more important than ever. Students therefore are exposed to a wide swath of global public health issues, including health inequalities, nutrition, maternal and child health, infectious disease, noncommunicable disease and environmental health.

GPH offers students from all majors opportunities to connect what they're learning with their future career goals. The program may be of particular interest to those interested in health education and policy, the health professions, global development, research and service.

Colloquium and Lecture Topics

  • The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and global health
  • Global health through the lens of local action
  • Maternal, child and family health in global contexts
  • Social determinants of health
  • Ethics, economics and human rights
  • Global health “players” (e.g., multilateral and bilateral aid organizations, private foundations, national governments, UN agencies)

Because of GPH, I could access opportunities I would never have imagined, such as working at the Center of Vaccine Development and going on to aid in the COVID-19 vaccine trials. I greatly appreciate the community that I was able to form with my peers and the valuable professional mentorship I received from my instructors, as I know it has positively impacted my career trajectory.

Roohali Sukhavasi
Roohali Sukhavasi '20

Other Learning Opportunities

Students in GPH enjoy multiple opportunities to apply what they learn in the classroom to the world around them. Thinking globally and acting locally, students will:

  • Interact with leading experts in the field of public health, both domestic and international;
  • Participate in service-learning activities such as Global Handwashing Day at the Center for Young Children; and
  • Enjoy unique opportunities to get involved in research teams, such as the PHAB Lab. 

Finally, students directly engage with public health organizations and community-based health agencies through internships, research and service-learning. Past practicum opportunities have included:

  • Internships at government organizations such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, U.S.  and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention;
  • Service-learning projects in hospital, education, and mental health care settings;
  • Research in labs studying a variety of topics such as vaccinations, pesticides and RNA; and
  • Support of community health work in Peru, Sierra Leone, and India, through the GPH-associated student organization, Public Health Beyond Borders.

Curriculum Overview

The GPH curriculum builds global public health proficiency through a series of cohesive learning modules that apply foundational concepts to current public health concerns as they unfold within real-world contexts. The GPH curriculum makes use of interdisciplinary frameworks, such as Social Ecological Theory and the Life Course Health Development Perspective, to facilitate identification and investigation of social determinants of health within a global arena.  Innovation and entrepreneurship are emphasized throughout the curriculum with emphasis on sustainable, community-based programs and interventions and attention to social marketing and grassroots initiatives. 

Your GPH required courses, and in most cases your supporting courses, will fulfill General Education requirements. Note that your Scholars courses—colloquiums, practicum, supporting courses or global experiences—will generally be in addition to any courses you take to satisfy major requirements.

The following table represents a typical two-year curriculum, but individual schedules may vary. Details about courses and requirements can be found on the GPH Citation Checklist.

SEMESTER COURSE CREDITS
Semester 1 CPGH 100: Colloquium I 1 credit
FMSC110S: Families and Global Health (DSHS, DVCC) 3 credits
Semester 2 CPGH 101: Colloquium II 1 credit
Semester 3 CPGH 200: Colloquium III (DSSP) 1 credit
Semester 4 CPGH 230: Internship; or
CPGH 240: Service-Learning; or
CPGH 250: Research; or
CPGH 270: Education Abroad
1-3 credit
Semester 1, 2, 3, or 4 Supporting Course (var. Gen Ed)
Supporting Course (var. Gen Ed)
3 credits
3 credits

*These courses meet one or more general education requirements.

Sponsoring College 

School of Public Health

Office Address

1213 Centreville Hall

Office Phone

301-314-5909

Faculty

Portrait of Elisabeth Fost Maring

Elisabeth Fost Maring

Program Director, Global Public Health
Portrait of Haley Clark

Haley Clark

Assistant Director, Global Public Health
Portrait of Janay Johnson

Janay Johnson

Graduate Assistant, Global Public Health
Portrait of Angshuman Kashyap

Angshuman Kashyap

Graduate Assistant, Global Public Health

News and Notes, Etc.


Global Public Health News

Showing 19 - 24 of 26
  • 3 Scholars Alumni Named Merrill Presidential Scholars

    Three College Park Scholars alumni were among the 19 Philip Merrill Presidential Scholars named by the University of Maryland (UMD) this past week: Sam Varga, Science, Discovery and the Universe Scholars Rina Torchinsky, Science, Technology and Society Scholars Selena Cen, Global Public Health Scholars Merrill Scholars, which are selected by the academic college and schools with undergraduate major programs, annually honors the university’s most successful seniors and their designated university faculty and K–12 teachers for their mentorship.

  • In-Person Service Day Relaunches With Enthusiasm

    Kids bent over boxes of school supplies. Tubs of tomatoes, picked fresh off the vine. College students clad in waders, waist-deep in pond water. These were just a few of the scenes witnessed during College Park Scholars’ annual Service Day, which took place on Friday, Aug. 27, this year.

  • 10 Scholars Alums to Serve as Spring Commencement Senior Marshals

    A significant number of Scholars alumni will be serving as Senior Marshals at the University of Maryland commencement this Friday, May 21, 2021. Senior Marshals are graduating seniors who display the highest levels of scholarship, service, extracurricular activity and personal growth.

  • Despite Being Virtual, Scholars Showcases Promote Personal Interaction

    For most University of Maryland (UMD) students, the end of the spring semester heralds the start of finals. But for sophomores in College Park Scholars, for the past 24 years, this time of year has signified Academic Showcase. The event, one of the largest exhibitions of undergraduate student learning on campus each year, typically involves more than 600 Scholars sophomores presenting on their capstone projects to fellow students, faculty, parents and other members of the UMD community.

  • Scholars-helmed Teams Win $8,000 in Awards at 2021 Do Good Challenge

    An entirely virtual environment for this year’s University of Maryland Do Good Challenge did not stop teams led by Scholars alums from earning significant monetary awards for their initiatives. The annual event features student teams that are working to make a difference competing for funding support. Of this year’s six finalist teams, three were helmed by those with ties to Scholars:

  • Scholars Citation Class of 2020 Recognized at Virtual Awards Ceremony

    When the Scholars Citation Class of 2020 arrived at the University of Maryland in fall 2018, they were wide-eyed freshmen who took part in the usual rites of passage in Scholars: Service Day, excursions related to the annual theme, a kickball tournament the spring of their freshman year. And, while the 984 students’ second year in Scholars fell during the program’s 25th anniversary, “that year turned out to be anything but ordinary,” observes Scholars Executive Director Marilee Lindemann. In March of their second year, the UMD campus shut down in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and these students faced an abrupt pivot to remote learning.

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