Department of Global Health

Recent advances in science, technology, and communications have created a rapidly shrinking planet --a veritable global, interconnected village – with unique opportunities and unparalleled challenges in health and development. Current global trends highlight increasingly ominous problems---escalating threats of conflict, violence and disasters, chronic and infectious disease (old and emerging), deteriorating maternal, perinatal and child health indices, endemic poverty, political instability, social injustice and human rights violations, uncontrolled urbanization, environmental hazards and a fragile ecosystem, societal disintegration, and widespread substance abuse—all of which combine to amplify the stark inequities and shocking disparities in health and development that exist around the world.

On the other hand, remarkable progress is being made through multisectoral efforts directed toward preventing disease, disability, and death; promoting health, safety and wellbeing; improving education and socio-economic status, and ensuring improved standards of living. The availability of and access to simple, cost-effective, appropriate strategies is further reinforced by a heightened awareness of the underlying complex array of determinants, forces, processes and systems (social, political, economic, epidemiological, religious and cultural) that dynamically interact to impact health and development.

The Department of Global Health (GLBH) prepares committed professionals who are both technically competent and cross-culturally skilled in creating and facilitating sustainable health and development programs in diverse settings and populations. Utilizing an experiential, evidence-based model of learning, our program enables graduates to contribute towards a better quality of life for all people, and especially those who are vulnerable, underserved, marginalized and disadvantaged. Our extensive network of global and local resources affords a broad spectrum of options for students to learn and practice the ‘art and science’ of this exciting discipline.

Our graduates fill academic and service positions in a variety of international (governmental and non-governmental), national/local, and faith-based or community-based organizations.