Skip to main content
Undergraduate BA, Certificate, and Minor Programs

Summer Minor or Certificate in Global Public Health

The Global Public Health summer minor and certificate programs allow students to explore health-related issues affecting populations in the United States and worldwide. These programs enhance students’ preparation for careers in the dynamic, growing field of public health. By completing courses covering a range of disciplines relevant to promoting and protecting human health, students will learn strategies for addressing emerging population health issues both locally and globally.

The minor and certificate can serve as precursors to further study in public health, other health professions, or any fields in which the health of persons and populations is a relevant concern. The programs can augment and enhance many different undergraduate bachelor degree programs and prepare students for professional and academic careers. In addition, public health is of interest for its own sake, as a component of a rigorous liberal arts education.

Visitors are eligible for the certificate program. Students from all University of California, California State University and California community college campuses are encouraged to enroll in courses to complete the certificate, as well as students from public and private universities throughout the United States and worldwide. The certificate program is also open to professionals looking to expand their knowledge about global public health.

Individual courses can be taken even if the student does not want to complete the minor or certificate. UC Berkeley undergraduate public health majors and non-majors who want to access public health coursework in the summer are encouraged to participate. Students from other universities are also welcome to take individual courses.

Minor Declaration Timeline

Minors must be declared prior to the first day of classes of your Expected Graduation Term (EGT) per L&S Policy. If you have a summer EGT, the deadline to declare a minor is anytime prior to the first day of classes for summer session A.

For example, if you are graduating with an EGT of Summer 2055 then you must declare your minor by the first day of classes for summer session A. Similarly, if you are graduating with an EGT of Spring 2055 then you must declare your minor by first day of classes of Spring 2055.

This means that you must submit your Global Public Health Declaration form no later than two to three weeks prior to the first day of classes. This will assure that we will be able to declare your minor within the appropriate time.

For more information go to the Enrollment in the Undergraduate Summer Minor or Certificate in Global Public Health page.

Declaration and Enrollment Process

There is currently no application requirement for the Global Public Health Summer Minor/Certificate. However, there is a declaration form and completion form. Fill out the Declaration of the Minor/Certificate form before you begin your coursework. Fill out the Completion of Minor/Certificate form within the priority deadlines of August 1 and February 1. You may submit the Completion of Minor/Certificate form earlier as long as you are enrolled in your final course.

For Berkeley Summer Sessions class fees, dates, and information please visit the Summer Sessions website or Student Housing.

For more information go to the Enrollment in the Undergraduate Summer Minor or Certificate in Global Public Health page.

Curriculum

Both the Summer Minor in Global Public Health Program and Certificate in Global Public Health Program consist of five courses.

  • Non-Public Health Majors and Non-UCB Students: 3 core courses and 2 elective courses
  • Public Health Majors: 2 core courses and 3 elective courses

The expectation for the summer minor is that all courses must be taken during the summer. Some are only offered in the summer, or are restricted to or prioritized for public health majors during the academic year. While enrollment is guaranteed during the summer, we do not guarantee enrollment during the academic year.

All required courses must be completed with a minimum grade of C− to be eligible for the minor or certificate. Courses taken at other universities will not be applied towards Berkeley’s Global Public Health minor or certificate. Contact your home university to discuss the possibility of transferring or being credited for courses taken at UC Berkeley.

Courses taken at other universities will not be applied towards Berkeley’s Global Public Health minor or certificate. Contact your home university to discuss the possibility of transferring or being credited for courses taken at UC Berkeley.

Note: UC Berkeley students and visiting students who do not want to pursue a minor or receive a certificate – but who are interested in taking public health classes – may enroll in as many courses as they wish.

Core Courses

The three courses below are required to complete the summer minor/certificate.

Note: If you are a Public Health major pursuing this minor, you will need to only take the following two core courses: PB HLTH 142 and PB HLTH N112/112.

  • PB HLTH N112/112: Global Health: A Multidisciplinary Approach

    (4 units) (Session A, p.m.)

    Good health at the individual and community level is central to human happiness, economic development and societal progress. Good health, which is not simply the absence of illness and injury, is the result of the complex interplay of many factors. Within the relevant legal, social, political and physical contexts, good health is contingent on economic forces, cultural beliefs, human behaviors and religion. Additional factors include the availability of affordable preventive measures, curative services, nutritious food, safe water, sanitation and other basic human needs. By definition, global health transcends geopolitical borders and standard academic disciplines, so a broad multidisciplinary approach to its study and understanding is required. Students will be expected to read, understand and use sometimes advanced materials from diverse disciplines. Case-based discussions will be included in the course.

  • PB HLTH N250A/250A: Epidemiologic Methods

    (3 units) (Session D, p.m.)

    This introductory course presents the principles and methods of epidemiology, including descriptive and analytic approaches to assessing the distributions of health, disease and injury in populations and factors that influence those distributions. The emphasis is on developing an understanding of concepts, rather than quantitative methods, although calculations are involved. Through the combination of lectures, readings, critical review of papers and problem sets, students without prior coursework in epidemiology will acquire core competencies in epidemiology expected of all public health professionals. Examples are drawn from national and international public health issues.

    Note for Enrollment: This is a graduate level course; therefore, you will need to obtain a permission number to enroll. Please email the professor asking for a permission number by simply stating you are looking to pursue the summer Global Public Health Minor/Certificate. Global Public Health minor students are expected to take this course over the summer since it is not available for undergraduate students during the Fall. If you have any questions email a program advisor.

  • PB HLTH 141/142: Introduction to Probability and Statistics in Biology and Public Health

    (4 units) (Session D, a.m.)

    This intensive introductory course covers statistical methods used in applied research with an emphasis on principles of statistical reasoning, underlying assumptions and careful interpretation of results. Topics covered include: descriptive statistics, graphical displays of data, introduction to probability, expectations and variance of random variables, confidence intervals and tests for means, differences of means, proportions, differences of proportions, chi-square tests for categorical variables, regression and multiple regression, an introduction to analysis of variance. R (programming language) will be used to supplement hand calculations.

    Note: PB HLTH 142 may be applied to the minor in place of PB HLTH 141. No substitutions can be made for other courses.

Elective Courses

Note: If you are a Public Health major pursuing this minor, you will need to select three of the following courses. These electives cannot double count for your Public Health major’s required ten elective units. You may not use PH 150B or PH 150D toward your Global Public Health Minor; if you choose to take these courses over the summer (and you can!) they will count toward your PH major only. You must use electives that are unique from your major electives. (i.e., you cannot use any minor electives toward your major electives). Refer to the table below.

Select two of the following courses:

  • PB HLTH 115: Introduction to Global Health Equity

    (3 units) (Session D, p.m.)

    Students will learn about the historical and theoretical underpinnings of global health, how social determinants affect medical outcomes and health policy, the principles of international law and health economics, and the structure of health delivery models. In the process, students will engage in topics related to social factors that impact health, including class, race, gender, and poverty. Class discussions will address contemporary global health priorities through the lens of human rights activism.

  • PB HLTH 118: Nutrition in Developing Countries

    (3 units) (Session A, a.m.)

    This course focuses on low- and middle-income countries and will cover: the effects of nutrition throughout the lifecycle in pregnancy, infancy, childhood and adulthood; nutrition broadly in terms of issues of undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies and obesity; and how to analyze and evaluate actions taken to ameliorate the major nutritional problems facing vulnerable populations. Students will learn about ways in which organizations and governments design and implement policies and programs that affect food production and access to safe, affordable and nutritionally adequate diets. The course will address how stakeholders in the food system—consumer, health, industry, government and other groups—interact with each other to affect policy design and implementation; the historical, social, economic, environmental and political factors that determine stakeholder positions on policy issues; and the ways in which these factors promote or act as barriers to achieving a functional and sustainable food system that promotes optimal food, nutrition and health.

  • PB HLTH N150B/150B: Human Health and the Environment in a Changing World

    (3 units) (Session A, p.m.)

    Note: Previously called PB HLTH 150B: Introduction to Environmental Health.

    This course presents the relationship between chemical, physical and biological hazards in the environment and their impact on human health. The course focuses on the core areas of environmental health sciences: toxicology, microbial ecology, exposure assessment, risk assessment, environmental epidemiology, regulations/policies and GIS/spatial analysis. It examines the science, health considerations and regulations of contaminants in air, water and food in the context of both developed and developing countries. Other key topics such as ethics, environmental justice and occupational health and safety are also discussed. Local, national and international case studies are used to provide real-world examples of important environmental health concepts.

    Note: If you are a Public Health major pursuing this minor, you may not use PH N150B/150B or PH 150D toward your Global Public Health Minor; if you choose to take these courses over the summer they will count toward your PH major only.

  • PB HLTH 150D: Introduction to Health Policy and Management

    (3 units) (Session A, a.m.)

    This course in health policy and management course will introduce students to health policy making and the organization of the United States healthcare system. Health policy and management applies concepts from economics, organizational behavior and political science to the structure, financing and regulation of the public health and health care delivery systems. Students will also learn about current issues in U.S. health policy and contemporary organizational challenges experienced by the U.S. healthcare system.

    Note: If you are a Public Health major pursuing this minor, you may not use PH 150B or PH 150D toward your Global Public Health Minor; if you choose to take these courses over the summer they will count toward your PH major only.

  • PB HLTH 155B/W108: Women's Global Health and Empowerment*

    (3 units) (Session D)*

    This course aims to expand students’ understanding of the interconnected factors that influence women’s global health and empowerment. Using an interdisciplinary approach, it will draw from many fields such as global health and development, medical and reproductive sciences, epidemiology, demography, law, sociology, economy, political science, advocacy and community health sciences. The curriculum follows a life course framework and includes the following topics: foundations of sexual and reproductive health for girls, adolescents and women throughout the life cycle; basic principles of gender and empowerment theory; historic paradigm shifts in political frameworks, health policies and global reproductive rights; demographic and societal changes and their impact on health, education, economic development and environmental resources; as well as the role of men and boys as allies for gender equity and women’s empowerment in different cultural, regional and global contexts. The course will be taught in a highly interactive format with discussions, group projects and case studies and will draw from the experiences of the students.

    *Note: PB HLTH 155B previously had the course number PB HLTH 196: Women’s Global Health and Empowerment. If you have taken PB HLTH 196: Women’s Global Health and Empowerment before Summer 2020, it will still count for the minor. PH W108 is a course only offered over the academic year. PH W108 will also count for the minor.

  • PB HLTH 155C: War and Public health*

    (3 units) (Session A, p.m.)*

    The course covers the global Public Health effects of war in the context of war’s destruction of the health care infrastructure and within the Social Ecological framework. Topics include war’s impact on infectious disease and as a barrier to the control of vaccine-preventable diseases; maternal child health; health of people displaced by war; and war’s psychosocial toll. The curriculum also includes modules focusing on the public health prevention approach to war and research methods for studying health outcomes in conflict zones.The curriculum also includes focusing on current global conflicts and the ramifications of the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Students will also have an opportunity to listen to and ask questions during two panel discussions featuring members of the community who have experienced war and its health effects first-hand —veterans and refugees.

    *Note: Please make sure to enroll in 3 units, not 1, 2, or 4 units.

  • PB HLTH 162A: Public Health Microbiology

    (4 units) (Session D, a.m.)

    This course presents the fundamentals of microbiology as it relates to the causes of disease and the promotion of health. The primary emphasis will be on infectious agents and the diseases that they produce in humans. To fully comprehend how these agents produce disease, we will learn their properties, how they are transmitted and what their effects are on humans. The course covers the host immune response to microbial infections as well as the prevention and treatment of infections. In addition, students will be introduced to microorganisms that usually do not cause disease but play indispensable and beneficial roles. Students will learn about the threat of infectious diseases nationally and globally.

  • PB HLTH 177: Applied GIS for Public Health

    (3 units) (Session C, p.m.)

    Geographic information systems (GIS) are increasingly central to public health practice. Therefore, the goal of this course is to familiarize students with the principles, methods, and techniques necessary to apply GIS in diverse public health settings. Through weekly readings and discussions, case studies will be presented to introduce the application of GIS technologies (including maps for visualizing clusters, mobile phone-Apps for data collection, and spatial analyses such as proximity analysis. The course will include assignments aimed and acquiring experience on the use of GIS for infectious disease control, disease cluster detection, environmental justice, health services data mapping, and spatial risk assessment among other applications. The culminating project is a Story Map in which students will use maps they’ve created as well as additional narrative text, images, and optional videos to tell a story that could be used for community health education or policy.

  • PH 197: Global Public Health Internship and Seminar

    (3 units) (P/NP) (Session D) Professor Lisa Barcellos

    You must follow the application steps in this PDF before enrolling:

    Summer Internship Application Process and Deliverables

    The internship elective is available only to UC Berkeley students. Students must secure a full-time public health related summer internship for a minimum of 8 consecutive weeks between June and August. Domestic and international internships are eligible and available. Students must also have an overall GPA of 3.0. Students wanting to apply for an internship would submit an application to the Undergraduate Public Health Program Director at UC Berkeley. The application will include: a one-page description of the internship scope and deliverables, a letter of commitment from the host organization, a resume, transcript and submit a 500-word statement describing why they want to pursue the internship.

    A seminar is included as part of this enrollment designed to help students get the most from their internship experience and strengthen their potential leadership and career development. Students will also be able to reflect on professional and leadership style and development. Students will assess their strengths, styles and preferences, as well as areas they need to grow. They will be challenged to use and reflect on the internship experience as an opportunity to develop key competencies and to critically explore organizational cultural dynamics, modes of conduct and values. Moreover, students will be provided with the opportunity to integrate classroom learning and practice in a public health work environment. Students will make important contributions to the host organization, the community they serve and to the solution of global public health problems while developing personal confidence and leadership skills as an emerging public health professional.

    Note: Non-UC Berkeley students are not eligible for the 8-week internship.

CourseNon-Public Health MajorsPublic Health Majors
PH N112/112*✓✓
PH N250A/250A*✓You will be taking PH 150A for your major – do not take PH 250A
PH 142*✓✓
Electives
PH 115✓✓
PH N150B/150B✓Cannot take for minor
PH 150D✓Cannot take for minor
PH 162A✓✓
PH 118✓✓
PH 155B/W108✓✓
PH 155C✓✓
PH 177✓✓
PH 196 (Power, Privilege, and Praxis: Advanced Topics in Global Health Equity)✓✓
PH 197 (Global Public Health Internship and Seminar)✓✓

Scholarships

A $1,500 scholarship is available to undergraduate students who are enrolled in a minor that is only available in the summer, including Summer Minor in Global Public Health. International students are eligible for this scholarship if they are enrolled full-time during the academic year.

Students do not have to apply to the scholarship; if you meet the eligibility requirements below then you will automatically be added to the scholarship list. There is no application. Please see Frequently Asked Questions at the bottom of this page for more information.

To be awarded the summer minor scholarship, you must:

  • Be currently enrolled as a UC Berkeley student,
  • Complete the academic requirements of the minor in one summer or during two consecutive summers,
  • Complete at least 4 of the 5 classes for the minor during the summer,
  • Complete all required courses with a minimum grade of C− to be eligible for the minor or certificate,
  • Complete all coursework with a letter grade prior to graduation and receive a minimum of a 2.0 grade point average (GPA) in courses used to satisfy the minor requirements; please note that a C− in all the classes would be a 1.70 GPA and a C in all the classes is a 2.0 GPA,
  • Fill out the Completion of Minor form within two weeks of the start of your final course or no later than two weeks prior to the completion of your final GPH Minor/Certificate Course. This is required to earn the scholarship.

This scholarship is only available to students enrolled in the Global Public Health Minor. It is not available for those earning the Global Public Health Certificate.

This scholarship will be credited to your CalCentral account in early December following your completion of the minor

If you are a senior taking your final class for the minor during the academic year and are graduating within that same academic year (Fall or Spring), it may affect your eligibility for the scholarship. Please see the FAQs below for more information.

Frequently Asked Questions – Minors

  • I’m a senior taking my final class during the academic year and am graduating that same Spring/Fall. Can I still earn the scholarship?

    Yes, but you will be awarded the scholarship after completion of your final course. Please note that the scholarship is awarded in early December after the summer that you are added to put on the scholarship list. You are not on the scholarship list until you have completed all components of the minor and scholarship requirements. It is acceptable for you to not enroll in the following summer, your CalCentral will still remain active. Calcentral is where Summer Sessions refunds the scholarship.

  • Is it possible to complete the GPH minor in one summer?

    Yes, students can complete the minor in one summer. This is a Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5 pm schedule and you will have limited options for electives. Most students will split up completing the minor between two summers.

  • Can I take any of these courses during the academic year?

    Yes, you can take courses over the academic year however it will be impossible to complete the summer minor without taking some summer courses. Not all courses are available during the academic year. If a course is offered over the academic year, they are usually offered one semester and not both semesters.

    Public Health is a High Demand Major so a lot of the classes are often impacted. Seats are not reserved for GPH Summer Minor students and you may find yourself on the waitlist for these courses. Please note PH 250A is only open to graduate students in the Fall semester.

  • If I am not planning to earn the scholarship, do I have to take all the courses during the summer?

    No. There are required courses that are offered only in the summer (For ex. PH N112/112), so you will be required to take those, but other than that you can complete the courses whenever you are able to. It is important to note that we are able to guarantee enrollment in the courses during the summer because it is not impacted. The academic year Public Health classes are often impacted, so you are responsible if you choose to take this risk as the public health department is not able to reserve seats for GPH minor students during the academic year. PH 250A is a graduate course and is reserved for MPH students only during the academic year. PH 196 courses are special topic courses and we will only accept the course with the same title as listed in the class options above so please make sure you are enrolling in the proper class (the PH 196 course for the summer minor is typically only offered in the summer). It is called a summer minor because it is meant to be just that, a summer minor.

  • If my plans change, do I have to re-submit my Declaration Form?

    No. Any changes that occurred in your plans will be reflected when you submit your Completion Form. The Declaration Form is meant to act as a “Four Year Plan”, but for the GPH minor. We want to make sure that you are planning to take the correct classes, have all the information you need, and are planning the timing of the courses appropriately. If we see that you have prepared well then we are able to declare you in the GPH minor.

    If your overlapping course between your major and GPH summer minor changes, it can be good practice to let your major advisor and minor advisor know.

  • It says I can’t enroll in PH 250A when I try to enroll over the summer, what do I do?

    Since this is a graduate course, you will have to email epi_div@berkeley.edu for a permission code. The program manager for PH 250A knows that undergraduates will request to enroll in the course to complete the minor.

  • What forms do I have to fill out to complete the minor/certificate? Where do I enroll in classes? How much are the classes?

    You would enroll in classes through Summer Sessions. Summer Sessions will have a Fees page where you can see the costs depending on how you are taking the courses (i.e. UCB student, summer visitor, etc). You would fill out the Declaration Form to be declared as a minor and/or to let us know you are pursuing the certificate. See Declaration and Enrollment Process section above for more information and links to the Declaration Form.

  • I’m not sure if I want to complete the minor/certificate, but I want to stay in the loop and hear of Public Health opportunities. Where can I get access to that?

    Scroll all the way to the bottom of this page to see how to add yourself to prospective_sphug@lists.berkeley.edu!

Frequently Asked Questions – Certificates

Employment

Students who complete the minor can enhance their preparation to pursue careers and jobs in public health departments, hospitals and health systems, health policy, community health settings, non-profit organizations, consulting firms and health related start-ups and private companies. The program can also strengthen student preparation for clinical careers, including medicine, nursing, pharmacy, optometry, physician assisting, and mental health and/or graduate degrees in public health, public policy, business, social work, law and city planning.

Even if not used directly in a professional setting or graduate program, the multidisciplinary approach of public health will provide students with a broader understanding of the world and tools to engage and influence their surroundings.

Visit Berkeley Career Engagement’s Career Exploration webpage and look for the pages for “What Can I Do With A Major In…” and “Where Do Cal Grads Go?”

Are you interested in making public health your major or minor? Subscribe to the Prospective student listserv (prospective_sphug@lists.berkeley.edu) to receive weekly Public Health Newsletters and one off announcements!

Please note the following to subscribe or unsubscribe yourself. You are responsible for unsubscribing yourself:

©2024 UC Regents; all rights reserved