Global Health, Medicine and Society Certificate

This certificate program equips students with a strong foundation for admission to medical, healthcare, and other professional or graduate programs by developing knowledge and skills that are highly valued in these fields. The curriculum introduces students to the social, biological, and environmental factors that shape health outcomes, preparing them to think critically about patient care and health systems in a range of settings.

Drawing on the medical humanities and the bio-social sciences, students build strengths in systems thinking, communication, cultural competency, and ethical reasoning while examining how health practices and systems of care operate in different cultural and institutional contexts.

The certificate brings together courses from across the university, allowing students to tailor their studies to their interests while demonstrating intellectual breadth, practical insight, and a commitment to understanding the complexities of health—qualities that strengthen applications for careers in medicine, nursing, public health, health care administration, and related fields.

Declare Your Certificate

To enroll, fill out this form.

Requirements

The certificate requires a minimum of 15 hours (at least 9 credits must be taken at the 300 level or above) that are passed with a cumulative certificate GPA of 2.5 or higher.

Except in exceptional cases, courses cannot be taken pass/fail.

Students must complete a minimum of 5 different courses from two categories: core and electives. Electives must be taken in at least two different academic programs to ensure some disciplinary breadth.

Core Courses (3 credits required)

Students must take one of the following two courses focused on global health for three credits.

Electives

Notes:

*** Topics classes with a strong social scientific or humanistic take on health/medicine from any department can be considered for inclusion in a student’s certificate program on a case-by-case basis. The topics classes listed above are grandfathered in.

Total credit hours required: 15

 

Faculty & Staff


Advisor

Gabriel Bachura, SASW Advisor, gbachura@ksu.edu

Coordinating Faculty

Marta Alfonso-Durruty, Associate Professor of Anthropology, alfonsod@ksu.edu [currently on leave]

Trevor Durbin, Associate Professor of Anthropology, tdurbin@ksu.edu [currently on sabbatical]

Jessica Falcone, Professor of Anthropology, jfalcone@ksu.edu