Global Health Studies - Allegheny College

Interdisciplinary Studies

Global Health Studies Major and Minor

As a Global Health Studies student, you'll learn to play an essential role in addressing the world’s health challenges — preparing for a rewarding future through hands-on learning, civic engagement, and diverse, international perspectives.

Your Four-Year Journey

Students often combine Global Health Studies with a major or minor in Biology, Economics, Environmental Science and Sustainability, Middle East and North African Studies, Political Science, Psychology, or Spanish.

Investigate the complex, interconnected relationship between the environmental, social, and structural determinants of health. You will embark on an interdisciplinary exploration by taking a mixture of classes across the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences.

You will explore the influence of power, privilege, and ethics within the cultural contexts of global health. To do so, you'll enroll in your choice of electives in disciplines such as economics; history; political science; psychology; and women's, gender, and sexuality studies.

The third year is particularly exciting because students engage in applied coursework and participate in a range of experiential learning opportunities, such as study abroad, internships, or research with faculty. Another vital part of the third year is beginning to orient yourself toward the research-intensive capstones, the Junior Seminar, and the upcoming Senior Comp.

Now is your chance to integrate your practical experiences with your specific areas of interest. It's time for the defining feature of the major, the Senior Comp. Identify and investigate a global health challenge through your yearlong independent research project.

Angelina Winbush, Alumna

Global Health Major/Biology Minor, Class of 2017; Resident, Internal Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine

“ Allegheny’s Global Health program has challenged me to become a more well-rounded thinker. We evaluate how to prevent — and not just treat — disease. My major has helped me to explore the underlying determinants of health and wellness while examining the implications of policies and interventions. ”