The Specialized Honours degree options combine core, foundational courses that all students take covering the sciences, social sciences, and humanities approach to global health, including courses on human biology (e.g., anatomy and physiology), disease processes (communicable and chronic diseases), public health (e.g., epidemiology, health promotion), research and implementation (e.g., global health research, program evaluation, healthcare planning), health systems and policy (social determinants of health, politics of health, global health governance), and ethics and law (e.g., global health ethics, human rights law).
In addition to core courses, students in the Specialized Honours program take a minimum of 21 credits in electives from one of four areas of stream concentration shaped to their individual career interests: Global Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, Global Health Policy, Management and Systems, Global Health and the Environment, and Global E-Health. In their final term, students take a 250-hour Integrated Global Health Practicum course, working in the field with academic institutions, government, and non-governmental organizations in Canada or internationally. This is followed by a 2-week intensive research capstone course.
Global health focuses on all aspects of health healthcare, public health, and the social determinants of health which requires an in-depth understanding of the systems in place that structure, finance, manage, and deliver health services in these areas. The role of politics, law, governance, and management in promoting and protecting global health is a key determinant of health and health equity.
The Global Health Policy, Management and Systems Stream explores how we can better integrate health systems and develop policies in various sectors public, private-for-profit, and public-private partnerships to promote health and prevent disease. It focuses on how policymakers, administrators, and industry can design, implement, and evaluate policies/programs to improve the health status of populations, especially vulnerable and equity-seeking groups.
