Undergraduate students from across campus are encouraged to consider completing the Certificate in Global Health. There are no prerequisites for declaring, and students pursuing the program are encouraged to declare as early as possible so that they can best align the coursework with their interests and plan their field experience.
Students can declare the program by scheduling an appointment with their assigned Global Health advisor, or by filling out the online declaration form on the program’s website.
Students declared in the certificate should plan to complete the program before or alongside their degree and major requirements, as they are not able to extend their time on campus to complete a certificate. Students declared in the Global Health major are not eligible to declare the certificate. Students may not declare both the Certificate in Global Health and the Health and the Humanities Certificate.
Minimum Requirements
- Minimum grade of C in all certificate coursework
- At least 50% of certificate coursework taken in residence
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses | ||
| NUTR SCI/AGRONOMY/ENTOM 203 | Introduction to Global Health | 3 |
| MED HIST/ENVIR ST 213 | Global Environmental Health: An Interdisciplinary Introduction 1 | 3 |
| or POP HLTH 370 | Introduction to Public Health: Local to Global Perspectives | |
| Field Experience | 1-4 | |
Field experiences are a central component of the certificate program, and range in length from one week to an entire semester. | ||
| Global Health Field Experience | ||
| Health and Illness Concepts with Individuals, Families, and Communities: Experiential Learning | ||
| Global Health and Communities: From Research to Praxis | ||
| Earth Partnership Restoration Education: Indigenous Arts & Sciences | ||
| Earth Partnership: Restoration Education for Equity and Resilience | ||
| Electives | 5-8 | |
| Select from electives list (see below) to reach a minimum of 15 credits total for the certificate. | ||
| Total Credits | 15 | |
| 1 | Completing both of these courses is encouraged but not required, and students who do so can count one as an elective. Both MED HIST/ENVIR ST 213 and POP HLTH 370 are generally only offered in the spring. |
Global Health electives grouped by functional AREA
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Agronomy/Horticulture/Plant Breeding | ||
| AGRONOMY 377 | Global Food Production and Health | 3 |
| BOTANY/PL PATH 123 | Plants, Parasites, and People | 3 |
| BOTANY 240 | Plants and Humans | 3 |
| BOTANY/AMER IND/ANTHRO 474 | Ethnobotany | 3-4 |
| HORT 350 | Plants and Human Wellbeing | 2 |
| HORT 370 | World Vegetable Crops | 3 |
| HORT/AGRONOMY 376 | Tropical Horticultural Systems | 1 |
| HORT 380 | Indigenous Foodways: Food and Seed Sovereignty | 2 |
| Animal Science/Dairy Science | ||
| AN SCI/DY SCI 370 | Livestock Production and Health in Agricultural Development | 3 |
| DY SCI/AGRONOMY/INTER-AG 471 | Food Production Systems and Sustainability | 3 |
| DY SCI/AN SCI/FOOD SCI/SOIL SCI 472 | Animal Agriculture and Global Sustainable Development | 1 |
| Community Health | ||
| C&E SOC/SOC 532 | Health Care Issues for Individuals, Families and Society | 3 |
| C&E SOC/SOC 533 | Public Health in Rural & Urban Communities | 3 |
| Environmental Health/Environmental Science/Environmental Economics | ||
| A A E/ENVIR ST 244 | The Environment and the Global Economy | 4 |
| A A E/ECON/ENVIR ST 343 | Environmental Economics | 3-4 |
| BOTANY/ENVIR ST/ZOOLOGY 260 | Introductory Ecology | 3 |
| BOTANY/F&W ECOL/ZOOLOGY 460 | General Ecology | 4 |
| CIV ENGR 422 | Elements of Public Health Engineering | 3 |
| CIV ENGR 423 | Air Pollution Effects, Measurement and Control | 3 |
| ENTOM/ENVIR ST 205 | Our Planet, Our Health | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/POP HLTH 471 | Introduction to Environmental Health | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/POP HLTH 502 | Air Pollution and Human Health | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/HIST SCI/MED HIST 513 | Environment and Health in Global Perspective | 3 |
| GEOG/ENVIR ST 139 | Global Environmental Issues | 3 |
| POP HLTH/ENVIR ST 560 | Health Impact Assessment of Global Environmental Change | 3 |
| SOIL SCI/ATM OCN 132 | Earth's Water: Natural Science and Human Use | 3 |
| Entomology | ||
| ENTOM/ZOOLOGY 371 | Medical Entomology | 3 |
| Exercise Science | ||
| KINES 353 | Health and Physical Education in a Multicultural Society | 3 |
| KINES 355 | Socio-Cultural Aspects of Physical Activity | 3 |
| Health Economics/Health Finance | ||
| A A E 352 | Global Health: Economics, Natural Systems, and Policy | 4 |
| ECON/POP HLTH/PUB AFFR 548 | The Economics of Health Care | 3-4 |
| Health Education/Behavioral Sciences | ||
| ED POL 150 | Education and Public Policy (Sexuality and Education; Education and Global Change) 1 | 3 |
| Health Policy | ||
| POLI SCI/INTL ST 434 | The Politics of Human Rights (Health Policy) 1 | 3-4 |
| SOC WORK 206 | Introduction to Social Policy | 4 |
| Health Promotion and Communications | ||
| COM ARTS/JOURN/LSC 617 | Health Communication in the Information Age | 3 |
| LSC 515 | Social Marketing Campaigns in Science, Health and the Environment | 3 |
| Infectious Diseases | ||
| M M & I 301 | Pathogenic Bacteriology | 2 |
| M M & I 554 | Emerging Infectious Diseases and Bioterrorism | 2 |
| M M & I 555 | Vaccines: Practical Issues for a Global Society | 3 |
| PATH/PATH-BIO 210 | HIV: Sex, Society and Science | 3 |
| PATH 404 | Pathophysiologic Principles of Human Diseases | 3 |
| POP HLTH/M M & I 603 | Clinical and Public Health Microbiology | 5 |
| Maternal and Child Health | ||
| SOC WORK 646 | Child Abuse and Neglect | 2 |
| Microenterprise/Microlending | ||
| DS 527 | Global Artisans | 3 |
| DS 341 | Design Thinking for Transformation | 3 |
| Minority Health and Health Disparities | ||
| AFROAMER/HIST SCI/MED HIST 523 | Race, American Medicine and Public Health | 3 |
| ANTHRO 265 | Introduction to Culture and Health | 3 |
| ASIAN AM 240 | Topics in Asian American Studies (Hmong Refugee History) 1 | 3 |
| RP & SE 660 | Special Topics (Health Promotion for Disabilities and Chronic Illness) 1 | 1-6 |
| Multicultural Studies | ||
| ANTHRO 104 | Cultural Anthropology and Human Diversity | 3 |
| ANTHRO 365 | Medical Anthropology | 3 |
| Nutrition/Public Health Nutrition | ||
| A A E/AGRONOMY/INTER-AG/NUTR SCI 350 | World Hunger and Malnutrition | 3 |
| C&E SOC/SOC 222 | Food, Culture, and Society | 3 |
| NUTR SCI 132 | Nutrition Today | 3 |
| or NUTR SCI 332 | Human Nutritional Needs | |
| NUTR SCI 377 | Cultural Aspects of Food and Nutrition | 3 |
| NUTR SCI/BIOCHEM 510 | Nutritional Biochemistry and Metabolism | 3 |
| PL PATH 311 | Global Food Security | 3 |
| Parasitology | ||
| M M & I/ENTOM/PATH-BIO/ZOOLOGY 350 | Parasitology | 3 |
| Population Sciences | ||
| NUTR SCI 379 | Introduction to Epidemiology | 3 |
| SOC 170 | Population Problems | 3-4 |
| Poverty and Development | ||
| A A E/INTL ST 373 | Globalization, Poverty and Development | 3 |
| A A E/ECON 474 | Economic Problems of Developing Areas | 3 |
| A A E/ECON 477 | Agricultural and Economic Development in Africa | 3 |
| C&E SOC/F&W ECOL/SOC 248 | Environment, Natural Resources, and Society | 3 |
| C&E SOC/ENVIR ST/SOC 540 | Sociology of International Development, Environment, and Sustainability | 3 |
| C&E SOC/AMER IND/SOC 578 | Poverty and Place | 3 |
| C&E SOC/SOC 630 | Sociology of Developing Societies/Third World | 3 |
| ECON 448 | Human Resources and Economic Growth | 3-4 |
| HDFS/CNSR SCI 465 | Families & Poverty | 3 |
| GEOG 307 | International Migration, Health, and Human Rights | 3 |
| INTL ST 101 | Introduction to International Studies | 3-4 |
| INTL ST 402 | Topics in Politics and Policy in the Global Economy (Global Poverty and Inequality) 1 | 3-4 |
| Public Health Ethics | ||
| MED HIST/PHILOS 505 | Justice and Health Care | 3 |
| MED HIST/PHILOS 515 | Public Health Ethics | 3 |
| MED HIST/PHILOS 558 | Ethical Issues in Health Care | 3 |
| MED HIST 559 | Topics in Ethics and History of Medicine (Climate Change Ethics) 1 | 3 |
| Public Health Leadership | ||
| SOC WORK 659 | International Aspects of Social Work | 2-3 |
| Public Health Medicine | ||
| INTER-AG/INTER-LS 152 | Ways of Knowing: Medicine and Society | 1 |
| MED HIST/HIST SCI 212 | Bodies, Diseases, and Healers: An Introduction to the History of Medicine | 3 |
| NURSING/S&A PHM/SOC WORK 105 | Health Care Systems: Interdisciplinary Approach | 2 |
| PHM SCI 310 | Drugs and Their Actions | 2 |
| PHM PRAC 305 | Consumer Self-Care and Over-the-Counter Drugs | 2 |
| NURSING 436 | Health and Illness Concepts with Individuals, Families, and Communities: Experiential Learning | 2-4 |
| Public Health Practice | ||
| CSCS 500 | Global Health and Communities: From Research to Praxis | 3 |
| MED HIST/HIST SCI 509 | The Development of Public Health in America | 3 |
| MED HIST/HIST SCI/POP HLTH 553 | International Health and Global Society | 3 |
| Social Determinants of Health | ||
| ART HIST 103 | Topics in Art History (The Body, Sex, and Health in Art) 1 | 3-4 |
| HISTORY/HIST SCI/MED HIST 504 | Society and Health Care in American History | 3 |
| MED HIST/HIST SCI/HISTORY 564 | Disease, Medicine and Public Health in the History of Latin America and the Caribbean | 3 |
| RELIG ST 101 | Religion in Global Perspective | 3 |
| RELIG ST 102 | Exploring Religion in Sickness and Health | 3 |
| RELIG ST 103 | Exploring Religion and Sexuality | 3 |
| S&A PHM 490 | Selected Topics in Social and Administrative Pharmacy (Health Equity and Social Justice) 1 | 1-4 |
| Toxicology | ||
| F&W ECOL/AGRONOMY/ENTOM/M&ENVTOX 632 | Ecotoxicology: The Chemical Players | 1 |
| F&W ECOL/AGRONOMY/ENTOM/M&ENVTOX 633 | Ecotoxicology: Impacts on Individuals | 1 |
| F&W ECOL/AGRONOMY/ENTOM/M&ENVTOX 634 | Ecotoxicology: Impacts on Populations, Communities and Ecosystems | 1 |
| Veterinary Public Health | ||
| F&W ECOL/SURG SCI 548 | Diseases of Wildlife | 3 |
| Women's Health | ||
| GEN&WS 102 | Gender, Women, and Society in Global Perspective | 3 |
| GEN&WS 103 | Gender, Women, Bodies, and Health | 3 |
| GEN&WS 320 | Special Topics in Gender, Women and Society (The Female Body in the World: Gender and Body Politics) 1 | 1-3 |
| GEN&WS 424 | Women's International Human Rights | 3 |
| GEN&WS/PSYCH 522 | Psychology of Women and Gender | 3 |
| GEN&WS 534 | Gender, Sexuality, and Reproduction: Public Health Perspectives | 3 |
| GEN&WS/INTL ST 535 | Women's Global Health and Human Rights | 3 |
Footnotes related to electives
| 1 | This course is a special topics course. These are courses whose topic changes from semester to semester and even between sections in the same semester. Sections of these courses accepted by the certificate in the past are shown in parentheses. Please contact your global health advisor if you take a special topics course as a global health elective. |
Certificate COMPLETION REQUIREMENT
This undergraduate certificate must be completed concurrently with the student’s undergraduate degree. Students cannot delay degree completion to complete the certificate.
- Understand the global burden of disease, threats to well-being, and the root causes of these conditions.
- Identify parallels between local, domestic, and international health issues.
- Become informed citizens in an increasingly interconnected world.
- Collaborate and communicate effectively with diverse colleagues and local partners.
- Respectfully engage with other cultures.
Advising
Students interested in the Certificate in Global Health can schedule an appointment with an advisor.
Advisors:
Last names A-K:
Todd Courtenay
todd.courtenay@wisc.edu
Link to schedule an appointment through Starfish
Last names L-P:
Katie Freeman
kmfreeman2@wisc.edu
Starfish appointment schedule link
Last names Q-Z:
Devika Suri
dsuri@wisc.edu
Starfish appointment schedule link
Careers
The knowledge and skills developed through the Certificate in Global Health prepare students for success in a range of career paths. Some graduates may use their global health education to go into a healthcare profession, while others may choose careers as researchers, policy-makers, administrators, non-profit workers, educators, data analysts, and communicators in fields related to public health, epidemiology, environmental health, or international development. The certificate supports students who intend to go directly into the workforce after graduation, as well as those who intend to further their education through graduate or professional programs.
Because an interest in global health can lead to many different careers, students are encouraged to begin the career exploration process early in their UW-Madison journey by working with advisors, faculty, and career resources on campus. These resources can help students reflect on their values and goals, identify career paths, and outline strategies for pursuing their goals. UW-Madison has a number of dedicated career resources for undergraduate students, including CALS Career Services, the Career Exploration Center, L&S SuccessWorks, and the Center for Pre-Health Advising.
Please see the Certificate in Global Health website for a list of certificate staff and ways to contact them.
A unique aspect of the certificate is the requirement of a field experience, which can take the form of a study abroad field course, an internship, or site visits right here in Wisconsin. You will have the opportunity to get out of the classroom and see the connections between human, animal, and environmental health while deepening your understanding of the social and cultural contexts that influence health and wellness. The experience also increases your comfort in working with a diversity of people and introduces you to many types of careers in global health.
Click here to learn more about our field experiences or set up an appointment to talk with an advisor.