This track develops student expertise in the core domains of global health including:

  • Collaborating and partnering
  • Ethical reasoning and professional practice
  • Health equity and social justice
  • Socio-cultural and political awareness

Students following this track will be expected to:

  • Understand and explain the global burden of disease and injury
  • Identify, measure, and compare patterns of health, disease and injury
  • Analyze the social determinants of health in a global context
  • Demonstrate familiarity with the principles, language, and measurement tools used in global health
  • Discuss the global and historical contexts of health, disease, and health care

In addition to the Global Studies core courses common to all tracks, the Global Health track includes required coursework from the College of Health Professions & Sciences and the Joseph J. Zilber College of Public Health. Career options include positions as international aid workers, global health specialists or coordinators, educators and outreach coordinators, and project managers. These roles can be found in all types of settings: business and industry, consultancy firms, regulatory agencies, nonprofits, governmental agencies and nongovernmental organizations. Depending on the courses taken, students can also enter graduate programs in nursing, public health, and other health professions.

If you are interested in this track and are an enrolled UWM student, use the button to start the declaration of major process. Students are strongly encouraged to declare before earning 75 credits.

Major Requirements

To earn the Bachelor of Arts in Global Studies, students in all tracks must complete 120 credits, including a minimum of 36 credits in upper-division courses (numbered 300 or above), while fulfilling the requirements below. GPAs of at least 2.000 overall and 2.500 in the selected track are required for graduation. Students also are responsible for completing the University-wide General Education Requirements.

Beyond the University-wide General Education requirements, students must also complete an additional 6 credits of Humanities GER courses and an additional 6 credits of Social Science GER courses, some of which are required or elective courses in the major.

Global Studies Core
GLOBAL 101Introduction to Global Studies I: People and Politics (SS)3
GLOBAL 201Introduction to Global Studies II: Economics and the Environment (SS)3
GLOBAL 202Introduction to Global Studies III: Globalization and Technology (SS)3
Global Studies Capstone 1
GLOBAL 550Global Studies Integrated Capstone:3
World Regions
Select one of the following:3
GEOG 110
The World: Peoples and Regions (SS)
HIST 132
World History Since 1500 (HU)
POL SCI 106
Politics of the World's Nations (SS)
Foreign Language
Six semesters (or equivalent) of a single foreign language with passing grades
International Experience
Students will be required to complete 2 of the options below:
Option 1: 3-9 credits of study abroad
Option 2: 1-6 credits of an international internship
Option 3: 1-6 credits of a domestic internship with a global organization or clear international focus
Total International Experience Credits12
Tracks
Select one of the following tracks:
Global Communications
Global Health
Global Management
Global Security
Global Sustainability
Total Credits27
1

GLOBAL 550 is required for all tracks except Global Management, which has a separate capstone experience.

Global Health Track

To earn the Bachelor of Arts in Global Studies through the Global Health track, students must complete the requirements listed below. Students in this track must complete at least 36 credits at the 300-level or higher, of which 24 credits must be in the College of Letters and Science.

Global Health Track Core
NURS 301Introduction to Global Health3
PH 101Introduction to Public Health3
BMS 232Introduction to Nutrition3
NURS 401Global Patterns of Disease3
NURS 575Global Health: Ethics and Human Rights3
GLOBAL/ANTHRO 439Culture and Global Health3
Select one of the following:3
ANTHRO 560
Introduction to Research Methods in Anthropology
SOCIOL 361
Research Methods in Sociology
Select three of the following:9
HCA 502
Healthcare Delivery Systems: National and International Perspectives
NURS 204
Global Maternal and Child Health: From Evidence to Action
NURS 620
Global Food Security and Systems
PH 303
Climate Change, the Environment and Human Health
PH 319
Introduction to Health Disparities
Global Health Track Electives
Select 18 credits (see below)18
Total Credits48

Global Health Electives

AFRIC 329Economic Growth and Sustainable Development in Africa3
AFRIC 351Sexuality, Gender, and Health in Africa and the Diaspora3
ANTHRO 156Food and Culture3
ANTHRO 355Globalization, Culture, and Environment3
ANTHRO 440Medical Anthropology3
ANTHRO 442Humanitarianism in Global Perspective3
ANTHRO/GLOBAL 443Medicine and Pharmaceuticals in the Global Age3
ANTHRO 448Cultural and Human Ecology3
CES 210Introduction to Conservation and Environmental Science3
ECON 353Economic Development3
ETHNIC 375Global Violence, Disease, and Death3
GEOG 115Globalization and Economic Development3
GEOG 215Introduction to Geographic Information Science3
GEOG 304Human Impact on the Environment3
GEOG 350Conservation of Natural Resources3
GEOG 464Environmental Problems3
GEOG 520Physical Geography of the City3
GEOG 540Globalization and the City3
GEOG 564Urban Environmental Change and Social Justice3
GEO SCI 400Water Quality4
GLOBAL/ANTHRO 443Medicine and Pharmaceuticals in the Global Age3
HS 102Healthcare Delivery in the United States3
HCA 502Healthcare Delivery Systems: National and International Perspectives (if not selected above)3
NURS 101Cultural Diversity in Health Care3
NURS 102Perspectives on Health Care Systems2
NURS 204Global Maternal and Child Health: From Evidence to Action (if not selected above)3
NURS 620Global Food Security and Systems (if not selected above)3
NURS 683Healthcare-Immigrants/Refugees3
NURS 684Death and Dying Around the World3
NURS 690Global Health Governance: Key Players, Financing and Challenges3
NURS 708Global Maternal and Child Health: From Evidence to Action3
PHILOS 244Ethical Issues in Health Care:3
PHILOS 337Environmental Ethics3
POL SCI 374Health, Wealth, and Democracy3
PH 101Introduction to Public Health (if not selected above)3
PH 303Climate Change, the Environment and Human Health (if not selected above)3
PH 319Introduction to Health Disparities (if not selected above)3
PH 375Topics in Public Health: (subtitle)1-3
SOCIOL 103World Society3
SOCIOL 331Sociology of Health Care3
SPANISH 388Health Issues in the Hispanic World3

Check out this Global Health focused Study Abroad opportunity at UWM!

Contact

Prospective Students (not yet enrolled at UWM)

Prospective students, contact our admissions counselor at let-sci@uwm.edu or 414-229-7711.

Current Students

General questions such as how to declare, how to change a major, general education requirements, etc. should be directed to the College advising office at ls-advising@uwm.edu or 414-229-4654.

Specific questions about Global Studies, such as research opportunities, internship opportunities, major requirements, etc., should be directed to Christine Wolf.