Over the past year, we’ve seen how crucial holistic and equitable public health strategies can be. After all, in our interdependent world, everything is connected to everything else—and in a global pandemic, no one can go it alone. At NYU, Global Public Health (GPH) majors take these lessons to heart, immersing themselves in the study of health across boundaries. By taking an interdisciplinary approach to public health challenges, GPH gives students the tools to make an impact while charting their own course of study.
In fact, all GPH students select one of 13 complementary subject areas for a combined GPH major. As a result, they pursue an academic path that appeals to their unique interests and professional goals while gaining a broad liberal arts education. “When I was applying to colleges, I thought that my passion for people’s health meant that I should pursue pre-med. However, it seemed strange that the standard pre-med curriculum didn’t include coursework on the sociocultural aspects of practicing medicine,” says Tasfia Bashar, GPH/Sociology 2022. “When I saw NYU’s combined public health majors, I felt like they provided the best of both worlds: a strong health education and the flexibility of interdisciplinary study. And I’ve never regretted that choice! I can’t stress enough that GPH programming really helps you make the most out of the undergraduate public health experience.”
Find the Right Combination
From doctors to social workers, dieticians to speech pathologists, there’s a GPH path for every student. Below, learn how NYU’s 13 GPH combined majors are leading the way to a healthier world in extraordinary times.
“My first GPH class, Health & Society, taught me how different diseases and health systems oppress different groups of people. As a BIPOC person, it really hit home; my family and I all got COVID because we had no space to quarantine. I realized that I had to do my part to change our system and advocate for preventative care. I only wish I’d known about GPH sooner! If you’re a person with many passions who wants to work in health, social work, or even law, I encourage you to explore GPH. It has so many different tracks at different schools, so it really makes you a well-rounded person.”
– Jailee Marie Mendo, GPH/Sociology with minor in CAMS (Childhood Adolescent Mental Health Studies)
GPH/Applied Psychology
Mental health is just as vital as physical health. Improve health for whole populations through addressing behavioral health issues with NYU’s high-tech patient simulators and partnerships with top-rated local hospitals.
GPH/Food Studies
With COVID disrupting food systems across the globe, explore the role of food and nutrition in public health issues—and take hands-on cooking courses.
GPH/Nutrition and Dietetics
As borders reopen, spend a semester at NYU Accra and explore firsthand the effects of globalization on nutrition from an African perspective.
GPH/Sociology
Examine the conditions that lead to large-scale public health issues and explore sociology courses abroad at one of NYU’s academic centers in London, Berlin, Buenos Aires, or Florence.
“The GPH/Sociology major helps students to recognize the gaps in our current healthcare system and brainstorm strategies to resolve them. Therefore, a major theme in NYU’s public health curriculum is the significance of social determinants of health. Paired with sociology’s emphasis on the implications of race, gender, and class, the GPH/Sociology major feels especially pertinent given the events of the past 18 months, which cemented racism as a public health crisis. It’s shown me that a person’s health does not exist in a vacuum and is shaped by every aspect of their daily lives.”
– Tasfia Bashar, GPH/Sociology
GPH/History
From the 1918 influenza pandemic to COVID-19, gain a holistic understanding of current public health challenges by studying the health of populations over time and around the world.
GPH/Communicative Sciences and Disorders
Connect health issues and outcomes with the study and treatment of speech, language, and voice disorders to improve communication worldwide.
Even More Ways to Study
GPH/Anthropology
Behind every statistic is a story. Take a people-centric view to public health by bridging the gap between health, culture, and society.
GPH/Nursing
Make a difference with hands-on experience at the hospital and at the lab. Treat patients and conducting groundbreaking research to advance quality healthcare for patients everywhere.
GPH/Biology
How did we get where we are today? Explore how recent scientific advances can help address the world’s most pressing and complex health challenges.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally altered the way in which people understand public health and perceive its importance. While I intend to become a physician, I believe that my public health background at NYU will help me to better navigate the broad perspectives and policy-related challenges doctors face on a day-to-day basis when offering care.”
– Maya Navarro, GPH/Biology with Child and Adolescent Mental Health Studies minor
GPH/Chemistry
Apply principles of physics and mathematics in service of the greater good by solving critical public health issues.
GPH/Global Liberal Studies
Explore a wide range of topics that focus on public health issues and the liberal arts, with a focus on how these discussions resonate with other areas of inquiry and human experience.
GPH/Media, Culture, and Communication
COVID-19 has forever changed how we communicate and consume media. Bridge the study of media with public health to develop strategies for improving global population conditions.
GPH/Social Work
As marginalized groups bear the brunt of the pandemic, address pressing health problems in vulnerable communities with empathy and knowledge.
Related
Understanding Global Public Health Undergraduate Majors
If you’re interested in global public health, you’re not alone in being a bit confused by it. I hope this article will help answer some of your questions.
A Social Research and Public Policy Major Studies How We Learn
Atoka Jo, a Social Research and Public Policy major at NYU Abu Dhabi, studies how education works around the world.