Global health is about improving health for everyone while considering the connections among people, animals, plants, and the planet. Students explore how human health intersects with economic development, healthcare access, food systems, environmental health, and climate change in order to address the root causes of disease around the world. The program helps students develop broad public health and planetary-scale perspectives that can be applied to community, state, national, and international health challenges.
Students in the Global Health Major study human health and well-being with an emphasis on empathy, cultural awareness, and collaborative approaches. The major combines bioscience and social science to provide students with foundational knowledge in disease biology, epidemiology, food systems, environmental health, and public health. Majors are encouraged to pursue their own areas of interest through coursework and by participating in field experiences, laboratory research, internships, and volunteer work.
The Global Health Major prepares students for a wide variety of careers. Students can become healthcare professionals well-informed about the systems that impact patient health. They can become epidemiologists or research scientists in academia or with government agencies, or community health professionals working on policy, education, or communication for governmental agencies or non-governmental organizations anywhere in the world. The program supports students who intend to go directly into the workforce after graduation, as well as those who plan to further their education through graduate or professional programs.
Learn through hands-on, real-world experiences
Students can apply their course learning to real life by participating in global health field experiences, which provide opportunities to study and help mitigate real-world health challenges. Additionally, students gain experience through laboratory courses and through independent study in research labs that focus on health-related issues such as infectious diseases, environmental health, sustainable agriculture, and community engagement. Campus internship programs through the Wisconsin Area Health Education Centers, Center for Patient Partnerships, and Study Abroad are also options for global health majors.
Build community and networks
Many advanced courses enroll 15-50 students allowing students to get to know faculty and instructors personally. Students also have opportunities to connect with other global health major and certificate students through classes, events, field experiences, and student organizations.
Customize a path of study
In addition to a set of core courses, students are encouraged to take classes to explore and identify their particular areas of interest within the broader field of global health. Students also tailor their major and Wisconsin Experience through global health field programs, laboratory research, capstone courses, internships, and volunteer work.
Make a strong start
A number of first-year seminar courses are available to help new students understand academic programs, access student services, and develop time management and study skills.
Gain global perspective
Global health students learn to take a broad, planetary-scale perspective, and apply it to challenges at community, state, national, and international levels. This big-picture perspective is interwoven through nearly all aspects of the Global Health Major, including classes, capstone experiences, lab opportunities, and internships. Global health field experiences, which range from one week to a full semester, expose students first-hand to complex global health challenges in diverse settings and give them the opportunity to learn from community members and practitioners who are working to address these issues. Students can explore studying abroad as a Global Health major by utilizing the Global Health Major Advising Page. Students work with their advisor and the CALS Study Abroad Office to identify appropriate programs.
How to Get in
| Requirements | Details |
|---|---|
| How to get in | No application required. All students who meet the requirements listed below are eligible to declare. For information on how to declare, visit Advising & Careers. |
| Courses required to get in | None |
| GPA requirements to get in | None |
| Credits required to get in | Must have fewer than 86 credits. |
| Other | Students who do not meet the requirements above or are not in good academic standing should schedule a meeting with CALS Dean on Call (https://go.wisc.edu/g85h79) to discuss exceptions. |
Prospective UW-Madison Students
All prospective UW–Madison students must apply through the Office of Admissions and Recruitment.
Students interested in this major should select it as the first choice major on their UW–Madison application. Admitted students who enroll at UW-Madison and attend Student Orientation, Advising, and Registration (SOAR) with the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences have the option to declare this major at SOAR.
Students cannot earn both the Global Health certificate and the Global Health major. Additionally, students declared in the Global Health major cannot earn the Health and the Humanities certificate.
Additional Major in Global Health
Current UW-Madison students in other schools and colleges interested in completing an additional (“double”) major in Global Health should consult with a global health advisor. Advisor contact information is found on the advising and careers tab.
University Requirements
All undergraduate students must complete both the following Core General Education (Core GenEd) and University Degree and Quality of Work requirements. The requirements below apply to students whose first term at UW-Madison or whose earliest post-high school college attendance at any institution is Summer 2026 or later.
Students whose first term at UW-Madison or whose earliest post-high school college attendance at any institution occurred before Summer 2026 should refer to the archived Guide for the requirements that apply to them.
Core General Education (Core GenEd) Requirements
| Civics & Perspectives | 3 credits of Civics & Perspectives coursework. |
| Communication & Literacy | 6 credits of Communication & Literacy coursework. This requirement may be partially satisfied by a qualifying placement test score. For more information see this tiny url: https://go.wisc.edu/qualifyingenglishplacement |
| Humanities & Arts | 6 credits of Humanities & Arts coursework. |
| Mathematics & Quantitative Reasoning | 6 credits of Mathematics & Quantitative Reasoning coursework. This requirement may be partially satisfied by a qualifying placement test score. For more information see this tiny url: https://go.wisc.edu/qualifyingmathplacement |
| Natural Science & Wellness | Complete both:
|
| Social & Behavioral Science | 3 credits of Social & Behavioral Science coursework. |
| Total Credits | 30 credits. |
For more information see the policy.
University Degree and Quality of Work Requirements
All undergraduate degree recipients must complete the following minimum requirements. Requirements for some programs will exceed these requirements; see program requirements for additional information.
| Total Degree | 120 degree credits. |
| Residency | Complete 30 credits in residence. A course is considered “in residence” if it is taken when in undergraduate degree-seeking status and:
|
| Quality of Work | Achieve at least the minimum grade point average specified by the school, college, and/or academic program. |
| Math | Demonstrate minimal mathematics competence by: |
| English Language | If required to take the UW-Madison English as a Second Language Assessment Test (MSN-ESLAT), demonstrate minimal English language competence by:
|
| Language | Complete one:
|
| Major Declaration | Declare and complete the requirements for at least one major. |
College of Agricultural and Life Sciences Requirements
CALS Graduation Requirements
| Cumulative Credits |
|
| Quality of Work | Students must maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.000 to remain in good standing and be eligible for graduation. |
| Residency | Students must complete 30 degree credits in residence at UW–Madison after earning 86 credits toward their undergraduate degree. |
In addition to the university's general requirements, all undergraduate students in CALS must satisfy a set of college and major requirements. Courses may not double count within university requirements, CALS college requirements, or major requirements. A course may count toward university requirements and a college and/or a major requirement; similarly, a course counted toward college requirements may also be used to satisfy a university and/or a major requirement.
CALS College Requirements
| CALS First-Year Seminar | 1 credit. See the full list of eligible courses below or use this link: https://go.wisc.edu/calsfirstyearseminars |
| Ethnic Studies | 3 credits with the Ethnic Studies designation. |
| Communication A | Complete either:
|
| Quantitative Reasoning A | Complete either:
|
| Introductory Chemistry | Complete one: |
| CALS International Comparisons | 3 credits. See the full list of eligible courses below or use this link: https://go.wisc.edu/calsinternationalcomparisons |
| Communication B | 1 course with the Communication B designation. |
| Quantitative Reasoning B | 1 course with the Quantitative Reasoning B designation. |
| Biological Science | 5 credits with the Biological Science designation. |
| Additional Science | 3 credits with the Biological, Physical, or Natural Science designations. |
| Science Breadth | 3 credits with the Biological, Physical, Natural, or Social Science designations. |
| Humanities | 6 credits with the Humanities or Literature designation. |
| Social Sciences | 3 credits with the Social Sciences designation. |
| Capstone Learning Experience | Each major articulates the required capstone learning experience. |
CALS First-Year Seminars
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| AN SCI 135 | Grand Challenges and Career Opportunities in Animal and Dairy Sciences | 1 |
| BIOCHEM 100 | Biochemistry First-Year Seminar | 1 |
| COUN PSY 125 | The Wisconsin Experience Seminar | 1 |
| F&W ECOL 101 | Orientation to Wildlife Ecology | 1 |
| F&W ECOL 105 | Environment, Pollutants, and You | 3 |
| GENETICS 155 | Freshman Seminar in Genetics | 1 |
| INTEGSCI 100 | Exploring Biology | 2 |
| INTEGSCI 140 | Exploring Service in STEM | 1 |
| INTER-AG 155 | Issues in Agriculture, Environment, and Life Sciences | 1 |
| LSC 155 | First-Year Seminar in Science Communication | 1 |
| MICROBIO 150 | Microbiomes and Microbiology - First-Year Seminar | 1 |
| PLANTSCI/AGROECOL 100 | First-Year Seminar in Agroecology and Plant Science | 1 |
| PL PATH 155 | Food Frontlines: Security, Sustainability, and Survival | 1 |
| SOIL SCI 155 | First-year Seminar in Soil and Environmental Sciences | 1 |
| Learning Community/Student Group Courses | ||
| The following learning community/student group courses are approved as CALS First-Year Seminars. | ||
| COUN PSY 117 | PEOPLE First Year Seminar | 1 |
| INTEGSCI 110 | BioHouse Seminar: Biology for the 21st Century | 1 |
| INTER-AG 117 | GreenHouse Roots Seminar | 1 |
| INTER-AG 140 | CALS QuickStart: Foundations | 1 |
| INTER-AG 175 | WISE Seminar | 1 |
CALS International Comparisons
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| The 3 credit requirement may be fulfilled as either a stand-alone 3 credit course or as a set of courses as listed below. | ||
| A A E/ENVIR ST 244 | The Environment and the Global Economy | 4 |
| A A E 319 | The International Agricultural Economy | 3 |
| A A E/NUTR SCI 350 | World Hunger and Malnutrition | 3 |
| A A E 352 | Global Health: Economics, Natural Systems, and Policy (approved for enrollments Summer 2021 and later) | 4 |
| A A E/INTL ST 373 | Globalization, Poverty and Development | 3 |
| A A E/INTL ST 374 | The Growth and Development of Nations in the Global Economy | 3 |
| A A E/ECON 473 | Economic Growth and Development in Southeast Asia | 3 |
| A A E/ECON 474 | Economic Problems of Developing Areas | 3 |
| A A E/ECON/INTL BUS 462 | Latin American Economic Development | 3 |
| A A E/ECON 477 | Agricultural and Economic Development in Africa | 3 |
| AGROECOL 377 | Global Food Production and Health | 3 |
| AN SCI/DY SCI 370 | Livestock Production and Health in Agricultural Development | 3 |
| ASIAN/HISTORY/POLI SCI 255 | Introduction to East Asian Civilizations (approved for enrollments Summer 2021 and later) | 3-4 |
| C&E SOC/SOC 341 | Labor in Global Food Systems (approved for enrollments Summer 2020 and later) | 3 |
| C&E SOC/ENVIR ST/SOC 540 | Sociology of International Development, Environment, and Sustainability | 3 |
| CSCS 500 | Global Health and Communities: From Research to Praxis | 3 |
| DY SCI 471 | Food Production Systems and Sustainability | 3 |
| ENTOM/ENVIR ST 201 | Insects and Human Culture-a Survey Course in Entomology | 3 |
| ENTOM/ENVIR ST 205 | Our Planet, Our Health (approved for enrollments Fall 2026 and later) | 3 |
| ENTOM/ZOOLOGY 371 | Medical Entomology: Biology of Vector and Vector-borne Diseases | 3 |
| F&W ECOL/ENVIR ST 100 | Forests of the World (approved for enrollments Summer 2020 and later) | 3 |
| F&W ECOL/ENVIR ST/ZOOLOGY 360 | Extinction of Species | 3 |
| LSC 251 | Science, Media and Society (approved for enrollments Summer 2020 and later) | 3 |
| PL PATH/BOTANY 123 | Plants, Parasites, and People | 3 |
| PL PATH 311 | Global Food Security | 3 |
| PLANTSCI 370 | World Vegetable Crops | 3 |
| The following study abroad courses fulfill the CALS International Comparisons requirement. Only the specific course numbers and titles listed, including Topics titles (in parentheses), are approved to meet the CALS International Comparisons requirement. | ||
| BIOCHEM 307 | Study Abroad: Introduction to Biological Sciences Research in Japan (approved for enrollments Fall 2026 and later) | 3 |
| NUTR SCI/INTER-AG 421 | Global Health Field Experience (UW Mobile Clinics and Health Care in Uganda) | 3 |
| INTER-AG 321 & INTER-AG/NUTR SCI 421 | Study Abroad Pre-Departure Seminar and Global Health Field Experience (UW Global Health Community Health and Asset-Based Community Development in Sri Lanka) | 3 |
| INTER-AG 321 & INTER-AG/NUTR SCI 421 | Study Abroad Pre-Departure Seminar and Global Health Field Experience (UW Agriculture, Health and Nutrition in Uganda) | 3 |
| INTER-AG/NUTR SCI 421 | Global Health Field Experience (UW Health, Education and Tanzanian Culture) | 3 |
Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Major Requirements Overview | ||
| Fundamental Courses | 29 | |
| Core Courses | 15 | |
| Depth Courses | 15 | |
| Capstone | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 62 | |
Fundamental Courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Fundamental Course Requirements | ||
| Mathematics: complete one sequence (or satisfy through placement exam) | 5-6 | |
| College Algebra and Trigonometry | ||
| Precalculus | ||
| Statistics: complete one course | 3 | |
| Introductory Applied Statistics for the Life Sciences | ||
| Data Science Modeling I | ||
| Introduction to Statistical Methods | ||
| General Chemistry: complete one sequence | 5-10 | |
| General Chemistry I and General Chemistry II | ||
| Advanced General Chemistry | ||
| Chemical Principles I and Chemical Principles II | ||
| Introductory Biology: complete one sequence | 10 | |
| Introductory Biology and Introductory Biology | ||
| Animal Biology and Animal Biology Laboratory and General Botany | ||
| Evolution, Ecology, and Genetics and Evolution, Ecology, and Genetics Laboratory and Cellular Biology and Cellular Biology Laboratory | ||
| Global Health Introductory Social Sciences | 6-8 | |
Group A: complete one course (see list below) | ||
Group B: complete one course (see list below) | ||
| Total Credits | 29-37 | |
Social Science Group A
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| AFROAMER 151 | Introduction to Contemporary African American Society | 3 |
| AMER IND 100 | Introduction to American Indian Studies | 3 |
| ANTHRO 265 | Introduction to Culture and Health | 3 |
| GEN&WS 102 | Gender, Women, and Society in Global Perspective | 3 |
| GEN&WS 103 | Gender, Women, Bodies, and Health | 3 |
| GEN&WS 104 | Gender, Sexuality, and Global Health | 3 |
| GEN&WS/SOC 200 | Introduction to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer+ Studies | 3-4 |
| SOC 134 | Sociology of Race & Ethnicity in the United States | 3-4 |
| SOC 170 | Population Problems | 3-4 |
Social Science Group B
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| A A E 101 | Introduction to Agricultural and Applied Economics | 4 |
| A A E/ENVIR ST 244 | The Environment and the Global Economy | 4 |
| AGROECOL/C&E SOC/ENTOM/ENVIR ST 103 | Agroecology: An Introduction to the Ecology of Food and Agriculture | 3 |
| C&E SOC/SOC 140 | Introduction to Community and Environmental Sociology | 4 |
| C&E SOC/F&W ECOL/SOC 248 | Environment, Natural Resources, and Society | 3 |
| GEOG 101 | Human Geography: Space, Place, Society, and Politics | 4 |
| GEOG/ENVIR ST 139 | Global Environmental Issues | 3 |
| INTL ST 101 | Introduction to International Studies | 3-4 |
| LSC 212 | Introduction to Scientific Communication | 3 |
| LSC 251 | Science, Media and Society | 3 |
| MED HIST/ANTHRO 231 | Introduction to Social Medicine | 3 |
| PHILOS 241 | Introductory Ethics | 3-4 |
| POLI SCI 272 | Introduction to Public Policy | 3-4 |
| RELIG ST 102 | Exploring Religion in Sickness and Health | 3 |
Core Courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Global Health Core Course Requirements | ||
| Gateway Core Requirement: complete one course | 3 | |
| Our Planet, Our Health | ||
| Public Health Core Requirement: complete one course | 3 | |
| Introduction to Public Health | ||
| Food Systems and Health Core Requirement: complete one course | 3 | |
| Global Food Production and Health | ||
| Global Food Security | ||
| Environmental Health Core Requirement: complete one course | 3-4 | |
| Global Health: Economics, Natural Systems, and Policy | ||
| Global Environmental Health: An Interdisciplinary Introduction | ||
| Global Disease Biology and Epidemiology Core Requirement: complete one course | 3 | |
| Introduction to Disease Biology | ||
| Introduction to Epidemiology | ||
| Total Credits | 15-16 | |
Depth Courses
Complete a minimum of 15 credits of depth courses, with at least 9 credits from one category and at least 6 credits from the other categories. NUTR SCI/INTER-AG 421 Global Health Field Experience can count for a maximum of 3 credits in the additional 6 credits from this requirement. Note: Courses used as Depth courses cannot double count as either core or capstone courses.
Public Health, Policy, and Development Depth Electives
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ANTHRO 365 | Medical Anthropology | 3 |
| A A E/INTL ST 373 | Globalization, Poverty and Development | 3 |
| C&E SOC/SOC 533 | Public Health in Rural & Urban Communities | 3 |
| COM ARTS 317 | Rhetoric and Health | 3 |
| CSCS 410 | Human Trafficking: Global and Local Perspectives | 3 |
| CSCS 470 | The Human Rights of Children and Youth: Global and Local Perspectives | 3 |
| CSCS 500 | Global Health and Communities: From Research to Praxis | 3 |
| DS 521 | Environments of Crisis & Design | 3 |
| ECON/POP HLTH/PUB AFFR 548 | The Economics of Health Care | 3-4 |
| FRENCH 288 | Doctors without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières) | 3 |
| GEN&WS 525 | Gender and Global Health in Critical Perspective | 3 |
| GEN&WS 534 | Gender, Sexuality, and Reproduction: Public Health Perspectives | 3 |
| GEN&WS/INTL ST 535 | Women's Global Health and Human Rights | 3 |
| GEN&WS/HIST SCI 537 | Childbirth in the United States | 3 |
| GEOG 307 | International Migration, Health, and Human Rights | 3 |
| HISTORY/INTL ST 330 | Global History of Humanitarianism | 3-4 |
| HIST SCI 360 | Health Inequalities in the Long 20th Century | 3 |
| INTER-AG 473 | Health Impacts of Unmet Social Needs | 3 |
| I SY E 417 | Health Systems Engineering | 3 |
| LSC/COM ARTS/JOURN 617 | Health Communication in the Information Age | 3 |
| LSC 625 | Risk Communication | 3 |
| MED HIST/PHILOS 505 | Justice and Health Care | 3 |
| MED HIST/HIST SCI 509 | The Development of Public Health in America | 3 |
| MED HIST/PHILOS 515 | Public Health Ethics | 3 |
| MED HIST/AFROAMER/HIST SCI 523 | Race, American Medicine and Public Health | 3 |
| MED HIST/PHILOS 558 | Ethical Issues in Health Care | 3 |
| MED HIST/HIST SCI/HISTORY 564 | Disease, Medicine and Public Health in the History of Latin America and the Caribbean | 3 |
| NUTR SCI 379 | Introduction to Epidemiology | 3 |
| POP HLTH/C&E SOC 370 | Introduction to Public Health | 3 |
| POP HLTH/HIST SCI/MED HIST 553 | International Health and Global Society | 3 |
| PUB AFFR 520 | Inequality, Race and Public Policy | 3 |
| RELIG ST 475 | Religion, Global and Public Health | 3 |
| SOC/C&E SOC 343 | Sociology of Health and Medicine | 3 |
| SOC/AMER IND/C&E SOC 578 | Poverty and Place | 3 |
| SOC/C&E SOC 630 | Sociology of Developing Societies/Third World | 3 |
Food Systems and Nutrition Depth Electives
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| A A E 319 | The International Agricultural Economy | 3 |
| A A E/ECON 477 | Agricultural and Economic Development in Africa | 3 |
| AGROECOL 377 | Global Food Production and Health | 3 |
| AN SCI/DY SCI 370 | Livestock Production and Health in Agricultural Development | 3 |
| BIOCHEM/NUTR SCI 510 | Nutritional Biochemistry and Metabolism | 3 |
| BOTANY/AMER IND/ANTHRO 474 | Ethnobotany | 3-4 |
| C&E SOC/A A E/SOC 340 | Issues in Food Systems | 3-4 |
| C&E SOC/SOC 341 | Labor in Global Food Systems | 3 |
| DY SCI 471 | Food Production Systems and Sustainability | 3 |
| DY SCI/AN SCI/FOOD SCI/SOIL SCI 472 | Animal Agriculture and Global Sustainable Development | 1 |
| GEOG/ENVIR ST 309 | People, Land and Food: Comparative Study of Agriculture Systems | 3 |
| MED HIST/C&E SOC/PHILOS 565 | The Ethics of Modern Biotechnology | 3 |
| MICROBIO/FOOD SCI 325 | Food Microbiology | 3 |
| NUTR SCI 332 | Human Nutritional Needs | 3 |
| NUTR SCI/A A E 350 | World Hunger and Malnutrition | 3 |
| NUTR SCI 377 | Cultural Aspects of Food and Nutrition | 3 |
| NUTR SCI 431 | Nutrition in the Life Span | 3 |
| PL PATH 311 | Global Food Security | 3 |
| PLANTSCI 338 | Plant Breeding and Biotechnology | 3 |
| PLANTSCI 350 | Plants and Human Wellbeing | 2 |
| PLANTSCI 360 | Genetically Modified Crops: Science, Regulation & Controversy | 2 |
| PLANTSCI 378 | Study Abroad: Tropical Horticultural Systems International Field Study | 2 |
| PLANTSCI 380 | Indigenous Foodways: Food and Seed Sovereignty | 2 |
| SOIL SCI 301 | General Soil Science | 3 |
Ecosystem Sustainability and Planetary Health Depth Electives
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| A A E/ECON/ENVIR ST 343 | Environmental Economics | 3-4 |
| A A E 352 | Global Health: Economics, Natural Systems, and Policy | 4 |
| AGROECOL 370 | Grassland Ecology | 3 |
| ATM OCN/ENVIR ST 355 | Introduction to Air Quality | 3 |
| BOTANY/ZOOLOGY 460 | General Ecology | 4 |
| BOTANY/ENVIR ST/F&W ECOL/ZOOLOGY 516 | Conservation Biology | 3 |
| CIV ENGR/G L E 421 | Environmental Sustainability Engineering | 3 |
| CIV ENGR 423 | Air Pollution Effects, Measurement and Control | 3 |
| C&E SOC/ENVIR ST/SOC 540 | Sociology of International Development, Environment, and Sustainability | 3 |
| C&E SOC/SOC 541 | Environmental Stewardship and Social Justice | 3 |
| ENTOM 490 | Biodiversity and Global Change | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/AMER IND 306 | Indigenous Peoples and the Environment | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/PHILOS 441 | Environmental Ethics | 3-4 |
| ENVIR ST/HISTORY 465 | Global Environmental History | 3-4 |
| F&W ECOL/ENVIR ST/ZOOLOGY 360 | Extinction of Species | 3 |
| GEOG/ATM OCN/ENVIR ST 332 | Global Warming: Science and Impacts | 3 |
| GEOG/ENVIR ST 337 | Nature, Power and Society | 3 |
| GEOG/ENVIR ST 339 | Conservation and Climate Change - Local to International Strategies | 4 |
| GEOG/ENVIR ST/G L E/GEOSCI/LAND ARC 371 | Introduction to Environmental Remote Sensing | 3 |
| GEOG/CIV ENGR/ENVIR ST 377 | An Introduction to Geographic Information Systems | 4 |
| GEOG/SOIL SCI 526 | Human Transformations of Earth Surface Processes | 3 |
| KINES 513 | Climate Change and Health Disparities | 3 |
| LAND ARC 360 | Earth Partnership Restoration Education: Indigenous Arts & Sciences | 1 |
| LAND ARC 363 | Earth Partnership: Restoration Education for Equity and Resilience | 3 |
| M&ENVTOX/CIV ENGR/SOIL SCI 631 | Toxicants in the Environment: Sources, Distribution, Fate, & Effects | 3 |
| MICROBIO/SOIL SCI 425 | Environmental Microbiology | 3 |
| POP HLTH/ENVIR ST 471 | Introduction to Environmental Health | 3 |
| POP HLTH/ENVIR ST 502 | Air Pollution and Human Health | 3 |
| SOIL SCI 323 | Soil Biology | 3 |
| SOIL SCI/ENVIR ST 324 | Soils and Environmental Quality | 3 |
| SOIL SCI 430 | Soil Pollution and Human Health | 3 |
| URB R PL 550 | Transportation and the Built Environment | 3 |
Disease Biology Depth Electives
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ANAT&PHY 335 | Physiology | 5 |
| ANAT&PHY 435 | Fundamentals of Human Physiology | 5 |
| AN SCI/DY SCI 320 | Animal Health and Disease | 3 |
| BIOCHEM 301 | Survey of Biochemistry | 3 |
| BIOCHEM 501 | Introduction to Biochemistry | 3 |
| BIOCORE 485 | Principles of Physiology | 3 |
| BIOCHEM/NUTR SCI 560 | Principles of Human Disease and Biotechnology | 2 |
| BIOCORE 486 | Principles of Physiology Laboratory | 2 |
| BIOCORE 587 | Biological Interactions | 3 |
| ENTOM/ZOOLOGY 371 | Medical Entomology: Biology of Vector and Vector-borne Diseases | 3 |
| GENETICS 466 | Principles of Genetics | 3 |
| GENETICS 548 | The Genomic Revolution | 3 |
| GENETICS/MD GENET 565 | Human Genetics | 3 |
| GENETICS 588 | Immunogenetics | 3 |
| GENETICS/MD GENET 662 | Cancer Genetics | 3 |
| M M & I 301 | Pathogenic Bacteriology | 2 |
| M M & I 341 | Immunology | 3 |
| M M & I/PATH-BIO 528 | Immunology | 3 |
| M M & I 554 | Emerging Infectious Diseases and Bioterrorism | 2 |
| M M & I/BIOCHEM 575 | Biology of Viruses | 2 |
| MICROBIO 303 | Biology of Microorganisms | 3 |
| MICROBIO 304 | Biology of Microorganisms Laboratory | 2 |
| MICROBIO/BOTANY 335 | The Microbiome of Plants, Animals, and Humans | 3 |
| MICROBIO 345 | Introduction to Disease Biology | 3 |
| M&ENVTOX/ONCOLOGY/PHM SCI/PHMCOL-M/POP HLTH 625 | Toxicology I | 3 |
| M&ENVTOX/PATH/PHM SCI/PHMCOL-M/POP HLTH 626 | Toxicology II | 3 |
| PATH 404 | Pathophysiologic Principles of Human Diseases | 3 |
| PATH 501 | Topics in Environmental Viral Pathogen Surveillance | 3 |
| PATH-BIO 307 | Superbugs, Sex, & Drugs: Why Modern Medicine Needs Evolutionary Biology | 2 |
| PATH-BIO/ENTOM/M M & I/ZOOLOGY 350 | Parasitology | 3 |
| SURG SCI/F&W ECOL 548 | Diseases of Wildlife | 3 |
Capstone
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Global Health Capstone Requirement (complete one option) | 3 | |
| Systems Thinking in Global Health | ||
| Biological Interactions | ||
| Public Health in Rural & Urban Communities | ||
| The Human Rights of Children and Youth: Global and Local Perspectives | ||
| Global Health and Communities: From Research to Praxis | ||
| Food Production Systems and Sustainability | ||
| Women's Global Health and Human Rights | ||
Learning Outcomes
- Describe the current status of health, well-being and sustainability for humans and all life, the environment, and the planet.
- Compare and contrast health and environmental conditions in the context of local settings and our state with national, international and global settings.
- Quantify health challenges in terms of the global burden of disease, the human development index, and the metrics associated with the sustainable development goals and the planetary health boundaries.
- Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of contemporary initiatives and programs to improve global public health and sustainable systems.
- Use socioeconomic and political frameworks to characterize health challenges and demonstrate social awareness.
- Demonstrate interpersonal and communication skills necessary for teamwork and leadership, ethical conduct, cross-cultural collaboration and civic engagement.
- Use a systems approach to analyze complex relationships related to creating conditions for healthy life, sustainability and survival and describe the challenges and opportunities related to sustainable systems and survival.
Four-Year Plan
Sample Global Health Four-Year Plan
Students must complete at least 120 total credits to be eligible for graduation.
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| Global Health Core Course | 3 | Global Health Core Course | 3 |
| CHEM 103 | 4 | CHEM 104 | 5 |
| MATH 113 | 3 | LSC 100 | 3 |
| CALS First Year Seminar | 1 | Social Science Category A or B | 3-4 |
| Elective | 2 | Elective | 1 |
| 13 | 15-16 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| Global Health Core Course | 3 | Global Health Core Course | 3 |
| BIOLOGY/BOTANY/ZOOLOGY 151 | 5 | BIOLOGY/BOTANY/ZOOLOGY 152 | 5 |
| STAT 371 | 3 | Social Science Category A or B | 3-4 |
| General Education | 3 | Electives | 4 |
| 14 | 15-16 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| Global Health Core Course | 3 | Global Health Depth Courses | 6 |
| Global Health Depth Course | 3 | General Education | 3 |
| Electives | 10 | Electives | 6 |
| 16 | 15 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| Global Health Depth Course | 3 | Global Health Depth Course | 3 |
| Global Health Capstone | 3 | General Education | 3 |
| Electives | 10 | Electives | 9 |
| 16 | 15 | ||
| Total Credits 119-121 | |||
Advising and Careers
Advising
Each student is assigned an academic advisor who works to understand student goals and helps each student shape their unique Wisconsin Experience and make the most of their time at UW–Madison. Advisors also provide students career advising, as well as resources and guidance on planning for post-college activities such as graduate/professional school and “gap year” experiences.
Connect with Global Health Advisors
Career opportunities
The knowledge and skills developed through the Global Health Major prepare students for success in a wide range of careers. Global health students are prepared to become physicians, nurses, researchers, public health officials, policy makers, data analysts, administrators, non-profit employees, educators, and communications specialists in fields related to public health, epidemiology, environmental health, and international development.
Examples of employers seeking individuals with global health training include international agencies (such as the World Health Organization); federal agencies (such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention); state and county health departments (such as the Wisconsin Department of Health Services); non-profit organizations (such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation), hospitals; universities; research centers; and biotech companies.
Wisconsin Experience
Field Experiences
Issues related to global health occur everywhere — at community, state, national, and international levels — and global health majors are strongly encouraged to participate in one of many field experience options to learn about and help mitigate these challenges. Field experiences can take place locally or internationally, and they range in length from one week to an entire semester. All options emphasize human health and sustainable systems and help provide students a more personal connection to what they are learning.
Community Engagement and Volunteering
Students have numerous volunteer activities to choose from related to health improvement. The Morgridge Center for Public Service provides resources to help students connect with volunteer opportunities based on their interests and goals.
Research Experience
Global health majors are encouraged to join research teams and laboratories, where they can get involved in health-related research on infectious diseases, environmental health, sustainable agriculture, and community engagement. Many students take advantage of such research opportunities, receiving direct mentorship from professors, scientists, and graduate students.
Student Organizations
There are numerous campus student organizations that global health majors can join to connect with students with similar interests. A full list of organizations is available on the Wisconsin Involvement Network website.
Internships
A number of campus internship programs are available that are a good fit for global health majors, including opportunities through the Wisconsin Area Health Education Centers, Center for Patient Partnerships, and Study Abroad.
Resources and Scholarships
Students in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences receive more than $1.25 million in scholarships annually, including funding to help support Global Health Majors who participate in field experiences and study abroad. Students apply for these scholarships through a single application in the Wisconsin Scholarship Hub (WiSH). To learn more about college scholarships, please visit the CALS scholarship website.