Frequently Asked Questions
Global Health
Minor Requirements
Elective Courses
Questions, Help, Forms
Study Abroad
Global Health
What is global health?
Jeffrey Koplan, former Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and current Vice President for Global Health at Emory and Director of the Emory Global Health Initiative, defines global health as:
"...Global health is an area for study, research, and practice that places a priority on improving health and achieving equity in health for all people worldwide. Global health emphasizes transnational health issues, determinants,and solutions; involves many disciplines within and beyond the health sciences and promotes interdisciplinary collaboration; and is a synthesis of population-based prevention with individual-level clinical care" (Koplan et al 2009: 1995).
Minor Requirements
What are the basic requirements for the GHCS minor?
A minor in Global Health, Culture and Society requires at total of six courses: two core courses -- GHCS 102: Introduction to Global Health and GHCS 300: Core Issues in Global Health, and four approved elective courses. GHCS 102 Introduction to Global Health is a prerequisite for GHCS 300 Core Issues in Global Health. The four approved elective courses must be taken in at least two different departments. Only one of the electives can be double-counted for your major and the GHCS minor. See the Anthropology Department website for a list of approved elective courses for a given semester. Other courses taken at Emory or abroad or internships with an academic component may be considered GHCS electives, by petition, if a substantial portion of the course content centers on global health issues. Please see the Anthropology Department for the Petition for Substitution form.
Minor tracking sheets are available in the Anthropology Department Office, and all minors are encouraged to keep track of their progress toward the minor by updating the sheet regularly (kept in their minor folder in the Anthropology Office).
What courses count as elective courses for the GHCS minor?
Elective courses vary by semester, based on what courses are being offered in different departments and the global health component of the courses. GHCS approved elective courses will be listed on the Anthropology Department website along with the course schedule for a given semester.
When the committee looks at the course atlas descriptions each semester to identify GHCS elective courses, they are looking for courses with one or more of the following: 1) Substantial health components on specific health problems, preferably in a comparative context; 2) Substantial components on issues of economic development and social change, preferably including discussions of health ramifications; 3) A focus on a certain part of the world, preferably in a low income area and including discussion of health and development issues that may be useful for a student in global health.
When and how often are the core courses (GHCS 102 and GHCS 300) taught?
GHCS 102 is taught once a year, usually in the Fall semester. Usually, several sections of GHCS 300 are offered each semester; topics in GHCS 300 vary.
Do you have any suggestions for course planning in order to finish my minor on time?
GHCS 102 is considered a prerequisite for any GHCS 300 section, although exceptions are sometimes made. It is not a good idea to take the two courses in the same semester. We make every effort to offer enough sections of GHCS 300 to accommodate all of our minors – sometimes that means that we add additional seminars after the first listing is made for preregistration. GHCS minors are informed of these additions.
In regard to course planning, it is best to take GHCS 102 as early as possible. It is also advisable to take GHCS 300 before the last semester of your senior year to ensure your ability to enroll in a section. Only some sections of GHCS 300 may be offered as a writing requirement, so minors should not depend on finishing a WR in that course.
What does the “R” tag after a GHCS 300 course listing courses mean?
An “R” designation means that the course is repeatable. “Special topics” courses like the 300 Core Issues courses are repeatable, meaning a student may take several different GHCS 300 courses.
Can I apply a 300 course to my elective courses?
Yes, as long as you have taken a different 300 course to fulfill the core course requirement.
Elective Courses
I feel strongly that a course should count as an elective for the GHCS minor and the course was not listed on the elective list for the semester in which I took the course. What can I do?
If you are confident a course has a substantial global health component, you may petition for it to count as a GHCS elective for the minor. Keep in mind that elective courses must have a major focus on social, economic, environmental or other aspects of global health.
If you would like to petition for a course to count as an elective, you should fill out a “Petition for Clarification and Exceptions for GHCS Minors” form in the Anthropology Department Office. The form asks you basic questions about the course substitution, reason for the request, and the global health component of the course. It works in your favor to attach a course syllabus or course description – the more information you are able to provide about the course, the better able the Director will be to assess the global health component of the course. Petitions should be turned in to Whitney Easton in Anthropology 207 and she will pass them along to Dr. Brown and the GHCS faculty committee for approval. The committee uses Koplan's definition of global health in making petition determinations.
Whitney will notify you by email once a decision is made and your petition form will be kept in your minor file.
Am I allowed to count my GHCS electives toward my major?
Only one course counting toward your major may be applied toward the GHCS minor electives. This is a strict limit, and there is not a process for petitioning for exceptions. Please keep this in mind as you schedule your courses and track your degree progress.
If a course is crossed-listed (i.e. GHCS 300) but I enrolled in the other section of it (i.e. ANT 385), will it count for the GHCS minor?
Yes. Many course are cross-listed between departments. You may enroll through either section and still receive minor credit for the course. You should be sure to note the cross-listed course on your minor tracking sheet (since cross-listed sections do not appear on transcripts).
Questions, Help, and Forms
Who should I contact if I have questions about the GHCS minor or GHCS courses?
You should first contact Whitney Easton, Anthropology Undergraduate Program Coordinator, by email (weaston@emory.edu) or phone (404-727-4123). If she is unable to answer your question, she will pass your inquiry along to Dr. Peter Brown, Director of the Global Health Minor. It is also fine to copy (cc) Dr. Brown on email inquiries to Whitney. All forms relevant to the GHCS Minor are available in the Anthropology Department Office (Anthropology Room 207).
Study Abroad
I want to study abroad or am currently abroad – what is the process for having courses approved for GHCS credit?
If you are considering study abroad, we urge you to discuss the programs with your advisor. To ensure acceptability of credit toward the GHCS minor, courses should receive approval prior to departure. Please contact the CIPA office about deadlines for obtaining course equivalencies prior to study abroad and allow plenty of time for processing. Please note that GHCS will not actually grant transfer course approvals for study abroad. All courses must first be approved for a course equivalency by the relevant academic department. Then, they may be approved to be counted toward the GHCS Minor.
To have specific study abroad courses evaluated, please obtain a study abroad course equivalence form from the CIPA office (Trimble Hall) and see the relevant academic department to have courses reviewed. Once you have course equivalencies, bring the form to the Anthropology Department Office (207 Anthropology Building) along with detailed course descriptions for all courses you would like to have reviewed for credit toward the GHCS minor. The Director of the GHCS Minor Program will review the materials and make a determination. When the evaluation is completed, you will be notified by email and you will be able to pick up your form. The evaluation process is usually completed in 1-2 days.
If you are currently abroad and wish to have a course reviewed for minor eligibility, contact Whitney Easton in the Anthropology Department by email at weaston@emory.edu. Please include a course description and syllabus, if possible. Be sure to include the actual course description or syllabus in the email or as an attachment (please do not send links to materials on the school’s website). Again, you must see an academic department to receive a course equivalency first.
The limit for courses taken off campus (including study abroad) to be counted toward the minor is 2 courses or 8 credit hours.