Master of Science in Global Health, MScGH

The mission of the Master of Science in Global Health (MScGH) program is to prepare professionals to apply public health frameworks, systems approaches, traditional medicine philosophy and cultural humility to improve the health and well-being of diverse populations worldwide through practice, research and policy.

The MScGH degree program is designed for students who desire to understand the complexity of global health challenges and contribute to solutions in a meaningful way. The world has become smaller through the ease of international travel and technology, yet the disparity in health outcomes between countries has never been greater. Many low-resource settings lack the means to implement a biomedical approach to health and wellness, thus these are places where public health and integrative, traditional medical strategies can thrive.

Students are required to travel as part of their global health training; first with a global health experience course on a guided trip to one of several destinations in the U.S. or abroad and, second, after finishing all foundational coursework, students plan and implement a supervised fieldwork project in a practice-based setting. This fieldwork course allows students to obtain real-world experience with current challenges and opportunities in global health. At least one of these courses must include travel outside of the U.S

Program Outcomes and Competencies

Upon graduation from the MScGH program, students are equipped with the knowledge and skills to work within diverse cultural and multidisciplinary environments in local, national and global health settings.

Students in the MScGH program will be prepared to meet the following program outcomes and competencies:

1. Traditional, Complementary/Alternative, and Integrative Health and Medicine Philosophies: Understand the use and role of traditional, complementary/alternative, and integrative health and medicine practices and philosophies in local, national and global health systems.
   1. Outline the history of traditional, complementary/alternative, and integrative health and medicine practices in local, national and global settings.
   2. Describe the culturally specific health-related knowledge and practices (“traditional knowledge”) used in diverse communities worldwide.
   3. Incorporate traditional, complementary/alternative, and integrative health and medicine approaches into public health solutions, when appropriate, to address health-related problems in local, national and global settings.
2. Systems Thinking: Analyze the role of multiple complex, changing systems in both causing and solving health problems in local, national and global settings.
   1. Apply systems thinking tools to a public health issue of global importance.
3. Evidence-Based Approaches to Public Health: Identify and apply evidence-based approaches to public health and medical research and practice in local, national and global settings.
   1. Apply epidemiological and other, relevant scientific methods to the breadth of settings and situations in health-related practice.
   2. Select quantitative and qualitative data collection methods appropriate for a given global health context.
   3. Analyze quantitative and qualitative data using biostatistics, informatics, and computer-based programming and software, as appropriate.
   4. Interpret results of data analysis for public health research, policy or practice.
4. Public Health and Healthcare Systems: Evaluate the role of public health and healthcare systems in determining individual and population health outcomes in local, national and global settings.
   1. Compare the organization, structure and function of health care, public health and regulatory systems across local, national and global settings.
   2. Discuss the means by which structural bias, social and economic inequities, and racism undermine health and create challenges to achieving health equity at organizational, community and societal levels.
   3. Identify the culturally specific beliefs, behaviors and preferences that influence public health and healthcare service utilization in diverse settings.
5. Planning and Management to Promote Health: Use scientific evidence and community input to design, implement, manage and evaluate culturally appropriate and sustainable health-related policies, programs, projects and/or interventions.
   1. Assess population needs, assets and capacities that affect communities’ health.
   2. Apply awareness of cultural values and practices, and social justice and human rights principles, to the design and/or implementation of public health policies, programs, projects and/or interventions.
   3. Design a population-based policy, program, project or intervention.
   4. Explain basic principles and tools of budget and resource management.
   5. Select methods to evaluate public health programs and assure their sustainability.
6. Policy in Public Health: Distinguish the impact of health and social policies on individual and population health in local, national and global settings.
   1. Discuss multiple dimensions of the policy-making process, including the roles of ethics and evidence.
   2. Propose strategies to identify stakeholders and build coalitions and partnerships for influencing public health and medical outcomes in local, national and global settings.
   3. Advocate for political, social or economic policies and programs that will improve health in diverse populations.
   4. Evaluate policies for their impact on public health and health equity.
7. Communication: Demonstrate effective skills for communicating with different audiences and culturally diverse stakeholders.
   1. Select communication strategies for different audiences and sectors.
   2. Communicate audience-appropriate health content, both in writing and through oral presentation.
   3. Describe the importance of cultural sensitivity (competence) in communicating health-related content.
8. Leadership and Ethical Practice: Create and demonstrate the leadership knowledge and skills necessary to effectively and ethically address and manage health problems in diverse settings.
   1. Apply principles of leadership, governance and management, which include creating a vision, empowering others, fostering collaboration, and guiding decision-making.
   2. Use negotiation and mediation skills to address organizational or community challenges.
   3. Incorporate ethical standards of practice (e.g., Public Health Code of Ethics) into all interactions with individuals, communities and organizations/agencies.
9. Interprofessional Practice: Engage and collaborate with professionals outside of common public health disciplines, such as legislators and transportation officials, to improve health outcomes in diverse settings.
   1. Perform effectively on interprofessional teams/partnerships.
   2. Demonstrate the importance of including representatives of diverse constituencies in teams/partnerships and in decision-making practices.

Elective Courses

Global health students are required to complete 12 elective credits for the purpose of enhancing the breadth of their education. In addition to global health electives, students may also take graduate-level elective courses through the College of Naturopathic Medicine, College of Classical Chinese Medicine, and School of Undergraduate and Graduate Studies (if course prerequisites are met).

Students enrolled in concurrent programs are required to complete the number of elective credit hours of the program that has the greater number of electives between the two programs. 

Program Track

The two-year track is the standard program track for the MScGH program. This 62-credit curriculum allows many opportunities for students to learn essential global health skills through the core curriculum, take a broad range of elective courses, participate in one or more global health experience trips (one trip is required), and complete a 200-hour fieldwork project. Students are required to travel outside of the United States for either their required global health experience trip or fieldwork project.

Concurrent Program Option

Students can combine the MScGH degree program with any other graduate program offered at NUNM. Concurrent tracks may require additional time for completion.