Global Public Health

older lady getting skeptical drinking water from bin

Certificate in Global Public Health (GPH)

As the world becomes more interconnected, our communities and populations face increasingly complex and global health challenges involving cultural and social factors, environmental and geographic influences, and economic and political dynamics. Addressing these global public health challenges requires innovative approaches from multiple disciplines.

Global Public Health is a track of the Public Health Certificate designed specifically for IAFS students. The Global Public Health track encourages IAFS students to extend the breadth of their undergraduate education to include elements of public health. A background in the sciences or an interest in medical careers is not required for participation in the certificate program. The certificate opens opportunities for graduate study and careers in fields of policy, health care, and development, and with government, NGOs, and non-profits.

The Certificate in Global Public Heath for IAFS majors requires a minimum of 21-24 credit hours* for completion. Please note that this is different from the Public Health Certificate credit hours due to the requirement of the public health focused Off-Campus Experience (OCE) for IAFS students. Click here for a full list of Certificate Requirements on the Public Health Certificate Program website.

Please review the website for specific courses which count towards these requirements.

*Credit hours will vary based on the new requirement of Introduction to Public Health.

General Certificate Requirements:

  • Biological Sciences: (Lower division) - 3 credits
  • Statistics: (Lower/upper division) - 3 credits
  • Introduction to Public Health (Lower division) - 3 credits
    • Please see website for specifics about this newer addition to the requirements.
  • Core Courses (Upper division) - 7 credits

Specific Requirements for the Certificate in Global Public Health for IAFS majors.

  • Elective Courses: Only from the Global, Population, and Environmental Health Category - 6 credits (at least 3 credits must be upper division)
  • Off Campus Experience – 3 credits
    • IAFS majors on the Global Public Health certificate track must focus their 3 required credits of Off-Campus Experience on some application of public health. This may include a CU ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ Study Abroad program course on some aspect of public health (e.g., the Costa Rica Global Seminar, IPHY 4890: Community-Based Primary Health Care, if not counted for requirement #4 above), the IAFS 4930 internship class with a placement at a public health agency or non-profit, or a relevant  CU in DC class or internship. 

Courses below count towards the Certificate in Global Public Health and towards the IAFS degree. This list is not exhaustive and is subject to change based on curriculum offerings. 

  • GEOG 3692 (4) Intro to Global Public Health
  • GEOG 3682 (3) Geography of International Development 
  • GEOG 4852 (3) Health and Medical Geography 
  • IAFS 3000 (3) Special Topics: Global Health Issues 
  • MUEL 3862 (3) Music and Global Health 
  • PSCI 4012 (3) Global Development 
  • SOCY 4052 (3) Social Inequalities in Health 
  • SOCY 4007 (3) Global Human Ecology 
  • WMST 3510 (3) Gender, Sexuality and Global Health 

To apply to the Global Public Health track of the Public Health Certificate, visit the public health enrollment webpage.

For more information, contact the Public Health Certificate Director, Colleen Reid at Colleen.Reid@Colorado.EDU.