New ASU degree offers leading analytical global health curriculum

Students in a classroom writing on a whiteboard.

The new Bachelor of Science in global health at ASU's School of Human Evolution and Social Change is set to offer courses that offer a more analytical approach to the study of the social, cultural and evolutionary aspects of diseases. Photo courtesy ASU

By Nicole Pomerantz |
July 21, 2023

The global health programs offered by the School of Human Evolution and Social Change at Arizona State University prepare students to think about the social, cultural and evolutionary aspects of diseases along with the physical ailments.

While the school already offered a Bachelor of Arts in global health, the curriculum for which focused on building community partnerships when tackling health issues, a new Bachelor of Science in global health is set to offer courses that focus more on using analytics and researching issues based on data.

The new degree will be offered to students both online and in person starting in the fall 2023 semester.

“I am so excited about the Bachelor of Science in global health degree because this program aligns with how our school has grown in recent years,” said Katie Hinde, an associate professor and head of the global health approach.

“Faculty at the School of Human Evolution and Social Change are unsurpassed in expertise where the life sciences meet the social sciences. That intersection of the life and social sciences is the only place to successfully transform human health now and into the future.”

Students who are interested in this new degree program can work in numerous careers within the health field, including government agencies, departments of health and universities.

“We are excited to launch this program for students interested in health inequities and researching effective solutions to understand the complexities of human health and behavior,” said Carita Harrell, associate director of academic services at the School of Human Evolution and Social Change. “The degree program provides students another option when considering potential career choices within health.”

The program courses will be taught by ASU faculty members who are world-renowned experts in health stigma, maternal and child health, epidemiology, global nutrition and mental health. Unique courses offered to students in this program include ASB 494: Ethnic Disparities and Health, and ASM 403: Evolutionary Medicine and Global Health.