Global Health Major | Luther College

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Learn how to recognize the challenges facing health systems on a global level. Understand ways to measure and address them. Identify resources to find solutions.

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Why Study Global Health?

Solving global health issues requires teams of informed and educated workers in areas like clinical medicine, anthropology, economics, epidemiology, biology, history, sociology and political science. Together, these teams form strategies to address health challenges across the world.

The US Commitment to Global Health predicts the global health industry will continue to grow. Participants are needed in both governmental and nongovernmental organizations.

In recognition of this demand, global health education is expanding. Rather than starting at the graduate or PhD level, global health education now begins with undergraduate programs.

Why Study Global Health at Luther?

Luther’s global health major prepares you to pursue careers in many areas of human health. You will learn to recognize global health challenges and how to measure them, address them with various kinds of interventions, and find solutions.

In addition, you’ll learn how to address issues of inequity in healthcare. You’ll study the political, socioeconomic, and environmental factors that shape a population’s health status and healthcare delivery models. You’ll also travel to domestic or international sites to be immersed in field experiences related to healthcare delivery.

Field Experience

A required immersion course places students in settings where they can directly experience challenges associated with factors of wellness and healthcare delivery. Settings include public health research and community health outreach in Rochester, Minn.; the Washington, D.C., semester; and outside agencies like Child and Family Health International.

Comprehensive Curriculum

The global health major provides a strong grounding in the interconnected factors that contribute to disease and wellness. Your courses will explore many aspects of global health.

Global Opportunities

Luther’s robust study away program has established host sites around the world to provide opportunities for immersion experiences for global health majors. January Term courses in Honduras and Nepal, for example, have focused on global health.

What You’ll Learn

You will have a great variety of courses, because global health is an interdisciplinary field of study. The global health curriculum includes a common core and four areas of specialization: global health policy and systems; society, culture, and human health; the science of disease and wellness; and foundations of public health.

Common Core

As a global health major, you’ll take 32 credits in the common core. Besides an introduction to global health, you’ll take a field experience and biosocial approach to global health. You’ll also learn about medical anthropology; the principles of biology; the history of medicine; global health politics and policies; and statistics in either biology, sociology, or psychology.

Areas of specialization

You’ll also take at least 16 credits from one area of specialization:

Science of disease and wellness
Global health policy and systems
Society, culture, and human health
Foundations of public health

These areas will deepen your knowledge. Depending on your area, you’ll add coursework drawn from data science, economics, environmental studies, English, health and exercise science, identity studies, social work, or Spanish.

Foundations of Public Health

This track in the global health major will prepare you to be accepted to the Master of Public Health (MPH) program at the University of Iowa during your junior year at Luther. Luther and the University of Iowa have a 4+1 articulation agreement, which allows Luther students to shorten their time to earning an MPH.

CURRICULUM DETAILS

My Luther education has been profoundly empowering. The liberal arts curriculum gave me the opportunity to go down 16 different paths and then eventually find which one I wanted to continue down. It’s gotten me where I am today.

Linnea Johnson Nordqvist ’24

global health major, identity studies minor

Read Linnea's Story

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Luther’s global health program provided the foundation and encouragement that ignited my passion for pursuing a career in public health. Upon graduating, I secured a position as a health equity coordinator for a non-profit organization serving immigrants and refugees across Iowa. I am directly contributing to improving health outcomes and advocating for the well-being of marginalized communities in the state of Iowa.

Samantha Dzangare ’23

Global health major

What has been most rewarding about studying global health has been the opportunity to engage in discussions aimed at improving awareness of the socioeconomic and political impacts on health.

Kelao Charmaine Neumbo '22

GLOBAL HEALTH MAJOR

Solutions to health crises must be looked at through a multidimensional, holistic lens. While working in the field postgraduation, we must keep in mind the social determinants of health (SDH), or non-medical factors that impact health, when planning treatment. The global health major at Luther has prepared me well for this.

Mara Wood '22

GLOBAL HEALTH MAJOR

4+1 Bachelor's to Master's Degree in Public Health with University of Iowa

Luther College and the University of Iowa College of Public Health have partnered to create a 4+1 Bachelor’s to Master’s Degree Program in public health. Students who take advantage of this program will be able to earn a bachelor’s degree plus a master’s degree in public health in five years.

Learn More About the Public Health Program

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Careers and Outcomes

Luther global health graduates are well prepared to go into the workforce or to graduate studies in public health, global health, or another health-related field.