PROGRAM IN GLOBAL HEALTH STUDIES

Adjunct Major Requirements

The adjunct major in Global Health Studies must be accompanied by a primary, stand-alone major.

To earn an adjunct major in Global Health Studies, students must:

• Complete eleven courses, including four core courses, three additional Global Health Studies courses, and four elective courses.
  • Courses for the adjunct major may not be double-counted with any major.
• Study abroad on a public health-focused program. Two of the elective courses can be completed on a  study abroad program.

Course requirements

Four GBL_HLTH core courses

• GBL_HLTH 301 Introduction to International Public Health
• GBL_HLTH 302 Global Bioethics
• GBL_HLTH 320 Qualitative Research Methods 
  • or GBL_HLTH 390 Methods in Anthropology/Global Health 
  • or GBL_HLTH 390 Community Based Participatory Research
• Either GBL_HLTH 322 Social Determinants of Health 
  • or GBL_HLTH 309 Biomedicine and World History

Three additional GBL_HLTH courses

• Select courses listed on our Course Descriptions page.
• All GBL_HLTH courses count, except for GBL_HLTH 399 and courses taught abroad (GBL_HLTH 3XX-SA).

Four elective courses

• Up to two elective courses are taken abroad.
• Approved elective courses offered by a wide variety of departments are also listed on our Course Descriptions page.
• Additional 300-level courses may also be considered as electives with approval from the Global Health Studies program.
• Please note that double-counting classes within Weinberg is not permitted. 

Study abroad requirement

You must participate in a substantial public health experience abroad. Most students complete one of Northwestern's public health programs, offered in China, France, Mexico, Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, and South Africa. Two of your Global Health Studies elective requirements can be completed on a public health study abroad program. Students who elect to study abroad more than once may earn more elective credits.

You may also participate in a non-Northwestern public health program (either affiliated with the university or not). Click here for more information on these options.

Senior Honors Theses

At this time, there is not an opportunity for adjunct majors to complete a senior honors thesis within Global Health Studies. Interested students should pursue a senior honors thesis within their other major.