The global health program at the UO offers an interdisciplinary minor for undergraduate students. The program focuses on the social aspects of health and of disparities in outcomes in health and disease, the principles of public health and health ethics, as well as the historical and institutional aspects of the practice of global health. Students select courses from expert faculty who specialize in diverse areas such as bioethics, the histories of disease prevention campaigns, cross-cultural accounts of mental health experiences, sociological studies of race and ethnicity as those relate to health, and psychological studies of healthy development.
In addition to rigorous coursework, students fulfill an experiential fieldwork requirement in order to complete the minor in global health. This could mean an international field experience, research under UO faculty supervision, an internship with a health policy organization, or a practicum with a local nonprofit. Students arrange these practical experiences to suit their academic interests and professional goals in consultation with the global health program director.