Hubert Department of Global Health
The Hubert Department of Global Health (HDGH) seeks to understand and reduce global inequities in health and well-being and to strengthen the capacities of families, communities, societies, and governments. Inquiry-driven and ethically engaged, the department seeks to improve health status and delivery systems around the world through teaching, multidisciplinary research, program design and evaluation, service, and inspiring public-private and civic sector engagement in social action.
The HDGH at Rollins is uniquely situated to enable students to participate in both local and global partnerships that increase the capacity of students, fellows, researchers, policy makers and program managers to take on increasing responsibility for global health leadership. This capacity is only strengthened by a connection with the academic study of bioethics, which can enhance the perspectives of those interested in problems of health care access or delivery around the globe. Consider issues in maternal morbidity and mortality: any efforts to reduce these phenomena necessarily involve discussions of family planning, an important source for bioethical issues. A classic debate within bioethics involves the legitimacy of conducting clinical trials in a population that either may not ever receive the benefits of the tested product, or else may be willing to test a product with a relatively high level of risk because of a lack of alternative resources. Ethical issues are essential to these considerations, and therefore students considering ways to address public health issues from the global perspective must be prepared to address the ethical issues that these circumstances raise. Completing the MA in Bioethics alongside the MPH in Global Health will enable students to do just that.
Visit the Hubert Department of Global Health website
Proposed Curriculum
As GH has several educational partnerships already, their curriculum for students who pursue dual degrees is established. Students will complete their first year of coursework at Rollins and their second year at the Center for Ethics.
Students will be challenged to consider continually how the information and methodology from one discipline intersects with the other. Through conversations in class and careful selection of class projects, dual degree students will enhance their capacities for interdisciplinary work by ensuring a rigorous evaluation of the intersection of these two disciplines. In fact, it is possible that students will return to the site of their MPH practicum to complete their MA-Bioethics practicum, the second time approaching the relevant issues or program from the perspective of bioethics instead of public health policy or practice. Regardless, the connections for students will be deep and lasting for students in the GH program.
All students in the dual MA-Bioethics/MPH Program are automatically put on the examination track for the MA-Bioethics culminating experience unless prearrangements are made otherwise.
A typical student course would resemble what is listed in Table 8.
| Enrollment | GH classes | BIOETH classes | Credit Hours | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
* Indicates students may take this in the fall or in the spring ^ Indicates students may take an Elective at the Center for Ethics in the summer in between degree programs; however, if the student prefers to spend that summer completing the MPH practicum, the student may instead add an elective to any other semester of the MA-Bioethics program | ||||
| Fall 1 | Rollins |
| 17-19 | |
| Spring 1 | Rollins |
| 16 | |
| Summer 1 | Laney |
|
| 3 |
| Fall 2 | Laney |
|
| 13 |
| Spring 2 | Laney |
|
| 11 |
| Summer 2 | Laney |
|
| 3 |
As Table 8 demonstrates, students are expected to be able to complete this dual degree program in 2 calendar years. Regardless, students will have a maximum of 5 years to complete both programs, consistent with the Laney Graduate School Graduate Handbook.