Global health is an area of study, research, and practice that emphasizes achieving health equity for all people worldwide. Global health involves myriad disciplines, incorporates population-based approaches and individual level clinical care, promotes interdisciplinary collaboration, and emphasizes transnational health issues and determinants. The Program in Global Health incorporates knowledge from academic disciplines—within the sciences, social sciences and humanities—to best address the complexity of global health challenges.

The mission of the global health major is to educate the next generation of scholars and leaders whose efforts will improve health and help achieve health equity for all people worldwide. Accordingly, the global health major teaches students to approach global health challenges using both disciplinary and interdisciplinary perspectives. The global health major is offered only as part of a double major program of study, meaning students must complete the global health major requirements along with the requirements of any other undergraduate major at Duke. The global health major is composed of six components—core, foundations, statistics, electives, experiential learning, and a senior seminar. Students must complete eleven courses and an experiential learning requirement, in addition to their co-major requirements, as outlined below.

Graduation with Distinction

The Graduation with Distinction program recognizes students who successfully complete a substantive written project evaluated by a committee of three faculty members. Students majoring in global health may pursue the following tracks leading to Graduation with Distinction:

  • Graduation with distinction in global health

  • Graduation with distinction in global health and the non-global health major through a double honors thesis

  • Graduation with distinction in the non-global health major

Students interested in graduating with distinction in global health are encouraged to pursue a double honors thesis, in order to integrate what they have learned in the two majors. Students must complete their thesis under the mentorship of a Duke Global Health Institute (DGHI) faculty member or affiliate who has experience guiding undergraduate student research. Students who meet the eligibility requirements must submit an application form by the last day of Drop/Add of the fall semester of their senior year.

Website: globalhealth.duke.edu/programs/undergraduate-programs