Global Health Certificate Requirements

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From our backyard to the world

The global burden of disease poses a significant barrier to the well-being of people around the world. Students today are interested in addressing issues that cross national borders, including global health. To address this need, the Graduate Program in Health Administration and Policy (GPHAP), the Center for Global Health (CGH), and the Pritzker School of Medicine (PSOM) collaborated to develop the Global Health Certificate Program at the within GPHAP. The program addresses issues in global health from the perspective of a variety of disciplines participating in GPHAP, including medicine, business, law, economics, public policy, social work and socio-cultural studies. The program began accepting master’s degree and law students in the Fall of 2012, and was available to medical students beginning in January 2014. GPHAP is housed in the Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice.

 GPHAP Global Health Capstone Course Faculty & Students, 2017

The program fosters interdisciplinary thinking and collaboration across disciplines to address the pressing issues of our time. It builds on the foundation of the curriculum in all of the participating schools. Participating schools are the PSOM, the Booth School of Business, the Harris School of Public Policy, the Law School and the Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice. Courses from across the university are included in the global health curriculum to draw on the wealth of talented faculty at the University of Chicago. Students participating in the certificate program will receive a strong base of knowledge in business, law, medicine, public policy, or social work, policy and practice from their primary programs, and will gain additional expertise in global health.

Global health in this context refers to health in low- and middle-income countries. However, lessons learned in the Global Health Certificate Program will be applicable to urban and rural areas in developed countries as well. Comparisons will be drawn with lessons to be learned from each setting to benefit the other.

The Global Health Certificate is achievable within the two-year master’s degree programs at the University of Chicago.  Students participating in the Program will be invited to all GPHAP and CGH events and are considered an integral part of GPHAP. Thus, there is much overlap between the U.S.-focused GPHAP track and the global health track. Global Health Certificate Program students may take U.S. focused health administration and policy courses as electives to fill out their program of study.

The requirements of the Global Health track are similar to the U.S. track. All GPHAP students must complete four courses consisting of two required courses and two health electives, a Practicum, and co-curriculars. 

In January  2023, GPHAP students were hosted at the Center for Global Health offices for a Meet and Greet with Center staff.
Dr. Funmi Olopade, Erick Amick, and Lauren Singh spoke to the students about recent activities of the Kiphart Center for
Global Health and Social Development and ways for current students to get involved. Two
GPHAP alumni Chinasa Imo, Harris (2021) and Nida Khafiyya, Crown (2022) joined us for the event.