A new interdisciplinary minor in Global Public Health and the Common Good is now accepting student inquiries for its debut in the fall of 2019.
Approved by the Curriculum Committee on University-Wide Academic Programs, the six-course minor will feature classes taught by faculty from the Connell School of Nursing, Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences, Lynch School of Education and Human Development, School of Social Work, and Law School, said Professor of Biology Philip Landrigan, M.D., ‘63, one of the world’s leading authorities on public health, who is directing the minor as well as other University initiatives in this arena.
“It will be a rigorous course of study that will prepare people for a broad range of careers,” said Landrigan. “Some students will have interests in medicine and nursing. But I sincerely hope people looking for careers in fields such as economics, international relations, the humanities, business, law, and education, among others, will come into the program as well. Public health is a discipline that cuts across many areas, so we look forward to a group of students with a broad range of interests.”
Grounded in epidemiology, the basic science of public health, the minor will ask students to analyze public health’s moral, ethical and legal foundations, as well as study the influences of social, economic, political, and environmental factors on patterns of health and disease. Additional topics include global disparities in health and their root causes, and how public health contributes to societal well-being and the common good. Students will have opportunities for community service, reflection, and experiential learning in the United States and abroad.
“It will be a rigorous course of study that will prepare people for a broad range of careers...Public health is a discipline that cuts across many areas, so we look forward to a group of students with a broad range of interests.”
The program includes three required courses: Public Health in a Global Society, Epidemiology, and either Ethics in Global health or Global Health Law. Students also take three elective courses offered from a wide range of schools and departments.
The program recently hired one of its first instructors, epidemiologist Rebecca Franckle, who earned her doctorate at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Franckle has been teaching at Merrimack College.
Students who would like to enroll in the minor must submit a letter explaining their interest prior to April 4, said Landrigan.
For more information, contact the Global Public Health program office at publichealth@bc.edu.
Ed Hayward | University Communications