Introduction to Global Health Online Course

This course is designed to provide students with the basic knowledge of major determinants, health indicators, and trends of global health.

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About Introduction to Global Health

This online course places a strong emphasis on helping you understand human diversity and considering the multiplicity of differing worldviews. Doing so occurs through studying the values, perspectives, traditions, and beliefs of a particular group or groups.

The course will help you recognize the existence of cultural differences and the complexity of social identities, understand that our worldviews are constructed through our identities and cultures, and give you defined opportunities to reflect on your own identity, culture, and worldview.

Students will focus on collecting and analyzing information to reach conclusions based on evidence. More specifically, inquiry should be thought of as a systematic process of exploring issues, objects, or works through the collection and analysis of evidence that results in informed conclusions or judgments.  Analysis is the process of breaking complex topics or issues into parts to gain a better understanding.  You should expect to focus on these intellectual skills as part of this course. 

Students have 3 to 9 months to complete this course from the time of enrollment. You may work at your own pace and complete lessons on your own schedule, submitting up to three items per week for grading. After successfully completing this course, students should be able to:

• Analyze the impact of culture, the environment, the economy, and nutrition on global health
• Identify, describe, and analyze the magnitude of health indicators, trends, and determinants of global public health problems by selecting and interpreting measures of disease frequency, distribution, and risk factors
• Access, examine, and effectively evaluate relevant sources of global public health information (literature review)
• Collect, organize, and analyze, and present information needed to assess the health status of any population
• Recognize and analyze the impact of social, cultural, and ethical factors, health policy and law, environment, and health care systems in global health
• Recognize, judge, and address the burden of disease in the world’s most vulnerable populations
• Compare and evaluate the characteristics, applications, advantages, and disadvantages of different types of health systems

This course contains 15 lessons, including 2 proctored exams.  There are a series of assignments and assessments designed to assist you in achieving the course learning objectives/outcomes. Lesson topics include:

• Global Health: An Overview
• Health Determinants, Measures, and Trends
• Health Education, Poverty, and the Economy
• Ethical and Human Rights Concerns in Global Health
• Global Health Systems
• Impact of Culture on Health
• Environmental Considerations in Global Health
• Global Nutrition
• Global Health and Women’s Rights
• Child and Adolescent Health
• Communicable Diseases
• Noncommunicable Diseases

Required Textbook

Skolnik, R. (2021). Global Health 101: Essential Public Health Series (4^th ed.). Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Inc.  ISBN: 9781284145380.

How will the course appear on my transcript?

You may enroll at any time and have up to 9 months to complete this online course. The credits earned will be recorded on your UND transcript based on the date you registered for the course. It will appear on your transcript in the same way as a course taken during a regular semester. There is no indication that the course was taken online or that you completed it at your own pace. 

Why Take Online Classes at UND?

Here are a few reasons why you should take an online enroll anytime course at UND:

• Great customer service – Our registration team is ready to answer questions quickly so you can focus on your coursework.
• Affordable – UND's enroll anytime courses are priced at North Dakota's affordable, in-state tuition rate.
• Accredited – UND is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
• Easily transfer credits – Transferring credits is always at the discretion of the institution to which the credits are being transferred. In general, credits from schools/universities that are regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission transfer to other regionally accredited institutions. UND's online courses appear on your UND transcript in the same way as other courses.

Flexible 100% Online Course

You'll take this online course at your own pace. Some students thrive in this environment, while other students may struggle with setting their own deadlines. If you have successfully taken an independent study or correspondence course previously, UND’s enroll anytime courses may be right for you. Still not sure? Take our online quiz to help determine if online enroll anytime courses are right for you.

Course information including tuition, technology requirements, textbooks, lessons and exams is subject to change without notice.