The Graduate Certificate in Global Health is a transdisciplinary program designed for students who seek a broad and flexible set of skills for understanding contemporary health challenges and thinking about how they might best be solved to improve health and health equity worldwide.The curriculum emphasizes the development of core skills in critical thinking, problem-solving and the importance of direct experience (research, study abroad, service learning and advocacy).

  • Mari, MPH
  • Deandra
  • Leahgrace, MPH
  • Jessica, MPH
  • Anna, MPH MSW
  • Ashritha
  • Kwaku, Vision Science
  • Kaylynn, MPH
  • Pandora, MPH
  • Lyndsey, Nursing
  • Dajah, MPH Health Behavior
  • Haley, MPH Epi
  • Serra, Med Soc
  • Andrew, MEng
  • Mari, MPH

    ""I chose to pursue the GHS certificate because I wanted to continue pursuing my interest in global health. Through this program, I was able to understand the impact of individual health and health care deliveries. I hope to work with organizations in the US and abroad."

    Mari Yukawa
    MPH, Health Behavior
  • Deandra

    "Initially I chose to pursue a Global Health Certificate because I loved traveling, understanding health concerns on a global scale, and I thought it was a great way to diversify my academic background. However, enrolling in Critical Issues in Global Maternal and Child Health (GHS 606) was the catalyst for establishing the trajectory of my entire career path. I was able to sit down with staff and really discuss my interests. My professor took time with me, and through those conversations I was exposed to the need for African American birth doulas, African American lactation consultants, our then partnership with Eve for Life in Kingston, Jamaica, and Peace Corps. I went on to become a trained Birth Doula in 2016, serve as an international volunteer with Eve for Life, and serve as a Maternal and Child Health Peace Corps Volunteer (Rwanda 2017-2019). I am so thankful for the things I have learned..

    DeAndra Brown-Tuyishime
    MAEd, Community Health
  • Leahgrace, MPH

    "Coming from a multicultural background, I have always been interested in learning more of how culture and identity influences health. The certificate has given me more insight to the realities of working in global health"

    Leahgrace Simons
    MPH, Epidemiology
  • Jessica, MPH

    "I chose to pursue the GHS certificate because I wanted to gain a more thorough knowledge on public health crises in other parts of the world besides the United States. The most useful lesion that I have learned in the GHS program has been that communities have the power to create change."

    Jessica Morgan
    MPH, Health Behavior
  • Anna, MPH MSW

    "I am interested in sustainable food & water systems to improve health. My class by far was the SIFAT Field Course! The course is highly practice, informative, and relevant."

    Anna Layton
    coordinated MPH/MSW
  • Ashritha

    "My favorite class in the certificate was about maternal and child health. This class has given me a deep insight into the real world problems women in the communities face. It talked about issues like female genital mutilation, domestic violence, teenage pregnancy, complications in pregnancy, lack of healthcare systems in the rural areas across the world and so on. I had the opportunity to see the interviews about these issues given by various healthcare workers in different parts of the world like Kenya and Jamaica. I like how they have explained the strategies they use for bringing better opportunities for the women in their communities."

    Ashritha Reddy
    MPH, Epidemiology
  • Kwaku, Vision Science

    "The most useful lesson I learned in the program is the management of NGOs. My NGO just got established in my home country, Ghana"

    Kwaku Osei
    PhD, Vision Science
  • Kaylynn, MPH

    "My degree in Public Health and certificate in Global Health mean everything. I am the first person in my family to get my Master's, which is such an accomplishment. But really this degree is a stepping stone to improve health outcomes for homeless folks, disabled folks, and those who have been ignored because they were not deemed important enough. The most useful lesson I learned from the GHS certificate is definitely to embrace being uncomfortable and embrace not knowing something. It is so important to not shy away because of things that are different than ourselves, but rather to take the opportunity to learn from these areas and be better."

    KayLynn Gesner
    MPH, Population Health
  • Pandora, MPH

    "I have participated in lots of opportunities both in the USA and abroad. However, I had never understood what it meant to be in global health. I feel like I had a narrow view of the world and the GHS certificate helped me expand my horizons.

    Pandora White
    MPH, Epidemiology
  • Lyndsey, Nursing

    "Through global health coursework I learned that it takes planning, negotiating, relationships, and a good dose of reality to create a program that truly meets the needs of the people"

    Lyndsey Robinson
    MSN, Family Nurse Practicioner
  • Dajah, MPH Health Behavior

    "I chose to complete the GHS certificate program because in the future, I would like to work with organizations in both the U.S. and abroad."

    Dajah Swinton
    MPH, Health Behavior
  • Haley, MPH Epi

    "The MPH program in conjunction with the GHS certificate opened my eyes to issues of infectious diseases that I can pursue both domestically and internationally"

    Haley Greene
    MPH, Epidemiology
  • Serra, Med Soc

    "My favorite class was about refugee health. It's very important to have difference perspectives in order to understand global problems and produce policies related to global crises."

    Serra Hatipoglu
    PhD, Medical Sociology
  • Andrew, MEng

    "I am most interested in how global and public health align with creating resilient, sustainable communities. The global approach of this program really drives home the inequities in healthcare around the world. The program also highlights the amazing (successful) strategies used by various governments, NGOs, and community leaders to tackle the innumerable healthcare access issues faced by the lowest income communities."

    Andrew Vine
    MEng, Sustainable Smart Cities

This 15-hour certificate program offers UAB graduate students (and selected undergraduate students) the opportunity to gain knowledge in the ways that global processes (like globalization, climate change, and global migration) converge on local communities to impact individual health and health care delivery. Core courses will provide certificate students with the foundations and theories needed to apply global health frameworks in different settings and cultures. 

Elective courses will offer the opportunity for application through projects working with international partners and global health scholars to cultivate the capacity to deal with any complex global health problem: how to identify the critical issues, ask the right questions, and create solutions that are meaningful and effective in the local and global context.

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How to enroll

If you have questions about the program prior to enrolling, please reach out to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Graduate students
Current UAB Graduate Students:
Any currently enrolled UAB graduate student can enroll in the graduate certificate alongside their other degree program by submitting the form linked below. Once you submit the form, you'll receive a confirmation email prompting you to schedule your first GHS advising appointment.

Requirements for admission include a Bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution, a Statement of Purpose, and a 3.0 GPA.

Depending on your program of study, GHS classes may be able to count toward the degree you are already pursuing. Consult with your degree's program coordinator for details.

Apply

Undergraduate students
Current UAB Undergraduate Students:
Undergraduate students from any major are eligible to apply to the Graduate Certificate program, providing the following criteria are met at the time of application:
  • Completed between 60 and 90 hours of undergraduate coursework (minimum of 36 hours must be completed at UAB).
  • A minimum institutional GPA of 3.5.
To be considered for the certificate program, undergraduate students should fill out the form and submit all required materials, including a career statement, a one-page resume, a copy of your transcript, and the name and email of an acadmic advisor and instructor who can serve as references.

Apply

Prospective students
Prospective Students:
Professionals, UAB employees, and other community members interested in enrolling in the program can apply through the UAB Graduate school.

The graduate certificate in global can be pursued on its own, alongside another graduate program, or as part of UAB's new Interdisciplinary Graduate Studies degree where you can combine two certificate programs to create your MA or MS degree.

Requirements for admission include a Bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution, a Statement of Purpose, and a 3.0 GPA.

See application & deadline information on the UAB Graduate School website.

Apply