Each summer, two School of Nursing faculty members (Drs. Lygia Holcomb and Jean Ivey) lead a 10-14 day Study Away course to Honduras.  The 3-credit course (NUR 442/642) is entitled “Health, Education & Social Welfare in a Global Community” and is open to undergraduate and graduate students, with priority given to students enrolled in the UAB School of Nursing.  The purpose of this course is to provide students with a cross-cultural experience in which they will spend time in a selected global community while learning about health, educational, and social welfare issues.  Students will participate in pre-trip study modules online prior to travel. The module(s) will focus on an overview of the course, a model for assessing culture, and an overview of selected global community’s culture.  Students will also participate in modules and seminars on a variety of health, education, and social welfare topics provided by the course instructor or by resource persons from the selected global community.  In addition, students will also observe a variety of health, social welfare, and educational programs.

The objectives of this course are to:

1. Describe selected demographic, social, educational, and cultural characteristics in the selected global community.
2. Identify the major ethnic groups in the selected global community.
3. Discuss the major health problems in the selected global community.
4. Describe the health care, education, and social welfare system in the selected global community.
5. Function in a participant-observer role in a health care setting in the selected global community.
6. Identify his/her personal reactions to participating in a cross-cultural experience.
7. Apply a model for cultural assessment in the analysis of a selected aspect of the selected global community’s culture.
8. Analyze the relationship between selected cultural factors, social welfare issues, education, and health in the selected global community.

Students will participate in online modules for a total of 30 hours prior to travel, and in observational experiences in Honduras for a total of 30 hours.  This is an elective course that can be taken for graduate or undergraduate credit, and is open to any student. For further information about this course, please contact Dr. Saenz at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or Dr. Holcomb at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , or visit the UAB Study Away Program Office website.

UAB Students at a clinic in Honduras