
Public health issues pose some of the greatest challenges of our time — from combating the rising heroin epidemic and modernizing our mental health system to ensuring children are immunized.
Public health issues pose some of the greatest challenges of our time — from combating the rising heroin epidemic and modernizing our mental health system to ensuring children are immunized.
The minor in global public health provides an interdisciplinary focus of study that enables you to understand and promote individual and population health throughout the world. This is accomplished via a range of courses that provide relevant and rigorous intellectual learning, community and international education and a capstone course in the senior year.
This minor is suitable for students with a wide range of interests in the humanities, business and the arts and the sciences, as each of these disciplines addresses the diversity and complexity of global public health issues. Students are encouraged to explore the variety of course offerings to enrich their academic experience. Each student is assigned a faculty adviser who provides guidance as they complete the required components.
Students are eligible to apply for the minor beginning in the fall semester of their sophomore year. Accepted students are notified in October and officially enroll in the minor the following spring. The minor requires a substantial level of commitment from students, so applicants should consider carefully whether they can meet the expectations of course study, community and international education, and a capstone experience.
The minor’s interdisciplinary approach allows you to explore a wide selection of subjects, such as anthropology, politics, biomedical science and psychology. The service requirement offers you the opportunity to assist underserved populations, both in the U.S. and overseas. To satisfy the 4-week international component of the service requirement, students have traveled to Barbados to work with the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the Diabetes Center; to Kenya to work with the Nanyuki District Hospital as well as the Mukogodo Girls Empowerment Program; to the Dominican Republic with a focus on community, child and maternal health with our partner, Good Samaritan Hospital; to Haiti to address physical and occupational therapy education and program development; and to Uganda, where our focus has been on maternal health and HIV outreach; and there are other destinations.
You’ll also complete a local community service program that will span at least two semesters at organizations such as the Ronald McDonald House, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society or the Special Olympics.
For their community service, students can choose to work in more than 60 sites in the greater New Haven region. Some of the most frequently selected are Columbus House, serving the homeless in New Haven; Elim Park, a retirement community in Cheshire; Connecticut Food Bank, the state’s largest food provider for people in need; Yale New Haven Hospital; and New Haven’s Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Service in New Haven (IRIS), which welcomes and resettles immigrants coming to the southern Connecticut region.
When Danielle Marcone ’21 enrolled at Quinnipiac, she didn’t know which major she’d choose, but she knew it would involve a blend of health and sciences. Marcone eventually realized the best way to pursue both passions was with a bachelor’s degree in biology, which enabled her to keep her career path options open.
During her coursework, she enjoyed delving into topics such as disease ecology and vector-borne diseases. Her Infections of Leisure class with Lisa Cuchara, professor of biological sciences, allowed Marcone to combine health sciences with infectious disease, another area she’s passionate about.
“This class gave me the chance to explore diseases that may not be very common and understand the underlying risks,” Marcone said.
Marcone also mentioned Christian Eggers, professor of biomedical sciences, when discussing her favorite classes. She took microbiology and its lab course with Eggers.
In addition to her coursework and hands-on labs, Marcone served as a researcher at Western Connecticut State University. She spent three summers focusing on disease ecology, specifically the Backyard Integrated Tick Management Study. That experience positioned Marcone for graduate school and beyond. She’s currently pursuing a master of science in public health microbiology and emerging infectious diseases at George Washington University’s Milken Institute School of Public Health.
“Quinnipiac gave me the resources to be a well-rounded student who is comfortable speaking in a crowd and not afraid to advocate for myself and my education,” Marcone said.
Thinking past graduate school, Marcone envisions a career in preventive disease ecology, citing her summers researching ticks as a major reason.
“I took a chance on something I was unfamiliar with — ticks and entomology — and found my true passion,” Marcone said. “I was able to discover the importance of prevention measures in the public health field, whether it be preventive medicine, vector control, or even disaster planning.”
Whether on campus or half a world away, Marisa Otis ’17, embraced all that Quinnipiac University had to offer as an undergraduate student. After earning her bachelor’s degree in health science studies with minors in Spanish and global public health, she went on to earn a master’s in public health at Boston University, where she co-authored two scientific journal articles, a white paper and a chapter for the dean’s textbook, “Urban Health.”
“My Quinnipiac global public health foundation made me a strong applicant in the master’s program because I had already spent four years studying public health, which was not yet common at the undergraduate level,” said Otis. “The GPH program provided a strong support network from the staff to fellow students, and its interdisciplinary nature allowed me to take courses from many different schools and subject areas. In addition, my minor introduced core public health concepts and pushed me to think about health through a different lens.”
Marisa took advantage of Quinnipiac’s global learning opportunities as well, with a study abroad semester in Costa Rica and a GPH international experience in Nicaragua. As a sophomore, she studied the rights-based approach to health care in Latin America and while in Leon, Nicaragua, she interned with Alianza Americana working alongside medical staff in rural health posts, community centers and a local hospital.
I felt well-prepared for my international experiences, particularly because of my GPH core classes. Studying and experiencing universal healthcare systems firsthand was enlightening,” said Otis. “It pushed me to think critically about the U.S. healthcare system, which undervalues public health and preventative care while prioritizing profits and top technological advances.”
Graduates with a GPH minor have gone on to postgraduate studies in many areas including nursing, physical therapy and medical school, and have been accepted to prestigious institutions including Yale University, University of South Florida, Boston University, Quinnipiac's Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine and University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine.
Students must complete 18 total credits (usually six courses). GPH 201 and GPH 301 are required courses.
Community and International Education: There are two distinct requirements. Students must complete a Quinnipiac-approved four-week international academic experience, typically in a low-income country. With approval, students could complete this requirement by traveling to an under-served area of the United States. Financial support is given for the international experience. Students also are required to engage in community education with a community health organization for at least two semesters. With prior approval, one semester of this requirement can be integrated into a Quinnipiac service learning course.
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
Required Courses | ||
GPH 201 | Introduction to Global Public Health | 3 |
GPH 301 | Capstone in Global Public Health | 3 |
Select four courses in consultation with your adviser. | 12 | |
Total Credits | 18 |
Students are eligible to apply for the minor beginning in the fall semester of their sophomore year. To receive the application, please email gphminor@qu.edu.
Our undergraduate admissions counselors are here to answer any questions you may have and help you navigate the application process.