Major Mondays: Global Health
Major: The Bachelor of Science (BS) in Global Health is one of two undergraduate programs housed under the Department of Preventative Medicine in the Keck School of Medicine at USC. The program is open to applying first-year and transfer students.
Overview: The Bachelor of Science in Global Health is a multidisciplinary program that provides students with insight and knowledge about public health in a global context. With a focus on policy and global health issues, students take courses within Health Promotion and Disease Prevention studies and International Relations. Students are able to take the knowledge and background gained through this program and apply it not only globally, but locally as well. This is a great program for students interested in medicine, pharmacy, public health, epidemiology, international relations, and other health careers.
Students can also take advantage of the Progressive Degree Program (PDP) at USC, allowing undergraduates to complete their master’s degree simultaneously. Undergraduate students studying within the Department of Preventative Medicine have the opportunity to pursue graduate degrees in:
Master of Public Health
Master of Science in Applied Biostatistics and Epidemiology
Master of Science in Global Medicine
Master of Science in Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine
Master of Health Administration (partnered with the USC Price School of Public Policy)
Research: The program provides students with the opportunity to work alongside their professors and gain research skills through the “Directed Research” course requirement, HP490. Although only required for one semester, it is very common for students to partake in multiple directed research projects. Research topics include, but are not limited to: maternal and child health, diabetes, HIV, global epidemiologic research, and more.
Alumni/Faculty: Laura Ferguson, PhD, SM, MA is an assistant professor as well as the program director of Global Health and Human Rights at USC. Her research is focused on societal factors and their effect on health, as well as the importance of human rights for better health outcomes. She has collaborated with the United Nations, non-government organizations, and universities world–wide and has spent a large portion of her career working in under-resourced countries, including sub-Saharan Africa.
Claradina Soto, PhD, MPH (Navajo/Jemez Pueblo) is an assistant professor in the Institute for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Research at USC. Her work has focused on reducing and preventing mental health disparities, cancer prevalence, and substance use and opioid use disorders. She has worked with urban and Tribal communities in California as well as with American Indian and Alaska Native populations for over twenty years.
Want to Learn More? The USC Global Health Travel Blog has great blogs about the different opportunities and experiences students within the program have had.
The Keck Student Ambassadors are a group of student representatives majoring in Global Health and Health Promotion and Disease Prevention. They provide great insight and support regarding these two majors at USC.
Interested in learning more about the Progressive Degrees available to students through the Keck School of Medicine? Make sure to visit the Progressive Degree Program website!
Written by: Jennifer Donis Gonzalez, Assistant Director - USC Office of Admission
Edited by: Eric Lopez, Assistant Director - USC Office of Admission