Program in Global Health and Health Policy
Director
João G. Biehl, Co-Director
Thomas E. Shenk, Co-Director
Executive Committee
Elizabeth M. Armstrong, Woodrow Wilson School, Sociology
João G. Biehl, Anthropology
Anne Case, Woodrow Wilson School, Economics
Bryan T. Grenfell, Woodrow Wilson School, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Evan Lieberman, Politics
Christina H. Paxson, Woodrow Wilson School, Economics
Deborah A. Prentice, Psychology
Daniel I. Rubenstein, Ecology and Environmental Biology
Thomas E. Shenk, Molecular Biology
Winston O. Soboyejo, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Associated Faculty
Angela N. H. Creager, History
Lynn W. Enquist, Molecular Biology, Princeton Neuroscience Institute
Zemer Gitai, Molecular Biology
Noreen Goldman, Woodrow Wilson School, Demography
John Groves, Chemistry
Elizabeth Harman, Philosophy, University Center for Human Values
Simon A. Levin, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
A. James Link, Chemical and Biological Engineering
Manuel Llinás, Molecular Biology, Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics
Adel Mahmoud, Woodrow Wilson School, Molecular Biology
Celeste M. Nelson, Chemical and Biological Engineering
Robert K. Prud'homme, Chemical and Biological Engineering
Joshua D. Rabinowitz, Chemistry, Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics
Leon Rosenberg, Molecular Biology
Carolyn M. Rouse, Anthropology, African American Studies
Eldar B. Shafir, Psychology, Woodrow Wilson School
Harold T. Shapiro, Woodrow Wilson School, Economics
Lee M. Silver, Molecular Biology, Woodrow Wilson School
Peter Singer, University Center for Human Values
Erik J. Sorensen, Chemistry
Sits with Committee
Peter Locke, Woodrow Wilson School
The interdepartmental Program in Global Health and Health Policy enables undergraduates to study the determinants, consequences, and patterns of disease across societies; the role of medical technologies and interventions in health improvements; and the economic, political, and social factors that shape domestic and global public health.
Admission to the Program
The program is open to undergraduates of all disciplines. Students apply to the program in the second semester of their sophomore year and are accepted if they have met the following prerequisites: submission of an essay describing the rationale for completing the certificate and plans for the junior and senior year; completion of an approved basic science course (EEB 210, EEB 211, MOL 101, MOL 214, MOL 215 or ISC 231-234) by the end of sophomore year; completion of an approved statistics course (ECO 202, *EEB 355, ORF 245, POL 345, PSY 251, or SOC 301) by the end of sophomore year; a minimum grade of B in each of the prerequisite courses and a minimum GPA requirement of 3.3 overall; and a demonstrated commitment to the field of global health through completion of a health-related internship, volunteer work, campus activities, intellectual commitment, and/or community service.
Students who have placed out of departmental requirements and/or introductory-level courses with Advance Placement (AP) credit have the option of taking higher-level courses in lieu of the standard science and statistics prerequisites, with program permission.
Advanced science course options: EEB 309, EEB 314, EEB 328
Advanced statistics course options: ECO 302, ECO 312, ORF 405, SOC 404
Students who have not met the prerequisites can apply to the program; however, waivers of the prerequisites are granted only in extraordinary circumstances. Applicants should explain in their essay why they have not met the prerequisites and how they plan to address the issue in their future studies.
Program Requirements
To obtain the certificate, students must complete the following requirements:
Completion of GHP 350 and GHP 351 by the end of junior year.
Four additional health-related electives approved by the global health and health policy program, at least one of which is in an area outside of the student's department of concentration.
An approved research-focused internship or independent research project during the summer between the junior and senior year.
A senior thesis written in the student's department of concentration that addresses or relates to global health and health policy in an interdisciplinary manner.
Certificate of Proficiency
Students who fulfill the requirements of the program receive a certificate of proficiency in global health and health policy upon graduation.
Related Courses in Global Health and Health Policy. Courses that may be used to satisfy program requirements may be found on the program's website. If other courses on global health and/or health policy are offered, these may be added to the list of approved courses with program permission.
Courses
GHP 350 Critical Perspectives on Global Health and Health Policy (also WWS 491/ANT 491) Fall SA
Introduces disease and healthcare problems worldwide and examines efforts to address them. Via an interdisciplinary approach, identifies the main actors, institutions, knowledge, and values at play in the "global health system", and explores the environmental, social, political, and economic factors that shape patterns and variations in disease and health across societies. Topics include: development and governance of disease; technological change and public health; human rights and social justice; measuring health outcomes; and the shifting role of states, civil society, and public-private partnerships in healthcare delivery. Two lectures. J. Biehl
GHP 351 Epidemiology Spring
Focuses on the distribution and determinants of disease. Diverse methodological approaches for measuring health status, disease occurrence, and the association between risk factors and health outcomes will be presented via classic and contemporary studies of chronic and infectious illness and disease outbreaks. Emphasis on: causal inference, study design and sampling, bias and confounding, the generalizability of research, health policy and research ethics. Prerequisite: an approved basic statistics course. Two 90-minute lectures, one preceptorial. Staff