PROGRAM IN GLOBAL HEALTH STUDIES

Summer 2026 Class Schedule

• Summer 2026 Class Schedule
• Summer 2026 Course Descriptions

summer 2026 class Schedule

Summer 2026 Electives

Visit the Summer Session website for course descriptions and the exact dates of each term.

summer 2026 course descriptions

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GBL_HLTH 390-0-1: Managing Global Health Challenges

Diseases like Bird Flu (H5N1), Marburg, COVID-19, Measles, Ebola and Diabetes know no borders. Both pathogens and lifestyles move around the world and the people of every country share the risks. The responsibility for ensuring the public health rests with governments at local, national and international levels. Public health interventions require cooperation and partnerships at each level and with civil society organizations, corporations, businesses and individuals. Advances in technology can significantly reduce the burden of disease and improve the quality of health and life. To effectively address global health challenges, technology must be integrated into health systems in ways that are both appropriate and sustainable. These interventions are affected by public policies, availability of resources and theories of public health and disease. Existing health organizations are increasingly challenged by the scope and magnitude of the current and future threats to public health such as the COVID-19 pandemic; the emergence of new and more virulent infectious diseases; the threats of bio-terrorism; growing resistance to antibiotics; lack of basic infrastructure of water, sanitation and inadequate access to drugs in developing countries; and overabundance of foods and complications from affluence, leading to health problems such as cardio-vascular disease and diabetes in higher income countries. This course will examine the global epidemiology of these diseases and threats to the populations of the world, and the current technological and organizational strategies that have been established to respond. A series of diseases and geographical regions will be analyzed to consider how the international community uses technology and organizes its response to current problems in global public health. Special attention will be given to examples of effective technologies and intervention strategies.

GBL_HLTH 390-0-3 Special Topics in Global Health: Disease Outbreak Investigation

This course provides an exploration of the methods utilized in investigating disease outbreaks. Students will examine the principles and practices of outbreak investigation, including the epidemiological and statistical techniques employed to detect, investigate, and mitigate outbreaks. Topics include public health surveillance, contact tracing, environmental health assessments, forensic epidemiology, and noninfectious disease investigations. Students will also learn to use tools such as geographic information systems (GIS), public health laboratory resources, and the incident command system.

Students will engage with case studies and simulations to understand the sequential steps of outbreak investigation:

1. Verifying diagnoses and confirming outbreaks.
2. Developing case definitions and conducting case finding.
3. Tabulating and analyzing descriptive data.
4. Implementing immediate control measures.
5. Formulating and testing hypotheses.
6. Conducting additional studies.
7. Evaluating control measures.
8. Communicating findings effectively.

By the end of this course, students will have the skills to manage real-world outbreak investigations.