Global health isn’t only for doctors and nurses. The work of improving health at home and around the world takes passionate practitioners across fields – economics, education, engineering, languages, and others. Want to learn more about how global health intersects with your degree and your career aspirations? Consider the Graduate Certificate in Global Health!
This interdisciplinary graduate-level certificate program promotes joint training opportunities in global health across departments and schools at Vanderbilt. Students earning this certificate learn basic global health knowledge and skills that will help them make positive contributions in communities at home and across the globe.
The certificate is open to students in all Vanderbilt graduate and professional degree programs who receive the approval of their academic advisor and fulfill the certificate requirements eligible for the certificate. Students must
- Submit the Enrollment form upon their decision to pursue the certificate
- Complete 12 credit hours of global health coursework
- Submit the Certificate Verification form at least two months prior to graduation
Please note: Only Vanderbilt University degree-seeking graduate-level students are eligible for this certificate.
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Be equipped with analytic and problem-solving skills that can be applied to current and emerging global health challenges.
Be prepared for internationally-focused careers in academia, government agencies, non-governmental organizations, immigrant health agencies, philanthropic foundations, and industry.
Be able to assess public health challenges within international cultural and socioeconomic contexts.
Understand fundamental principles of research, planning, and management methodology in resource-constrained settings.
Be able to synthesize and analyze global health data from existing and de novo sources.
Have mastery of core competencies in global health care and prevention, including the mastery of a basic vocabulary in these disciplines.
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The graduate Certificate in Global Health requires 12 formal, didactic credit hours of global health coursework, including the specific requirements below. No more than 6 credit hours may be transferred from the primary degree to the certificate.
Core course: Complete one of the following 3-credit-hour global health courses
- Foundations of Global Health (MHS 7305 / PUBH 5542)
- Fundamentals of Global Health (NURS 8072)
- Essential Skills in Global Health (MHS 7306 / PUBH 5541)
- MD students may take ISC Global Health (IDIS 5618) or AE Global Telehealth (IDIS 5955)
- Nursing students may take Community Health with Global Health focus (NURS 5105)
Elective courses: Complete at least 9 credit hours of additional global health courses
If more than one "core" course is taken, additional courses will count as electives
Other elective course options:
MHS 5010 Global Health Principles and Practice
MHS 5410 HIV/AIDS in the Global Community
MHS 5420 Economic Demography and Global Health
MHS 6010 Psychiatry, Culture, and Globalization
PUBH 5550 Global Health Politics and Policy
IEPM 6110 International Organizations and Economic Development
(MD students only) MED 6010 Research Immersion
(MD students only) MED 7200 AE: Global Health
(MD students only) MED 5450 AE: Ecology and Health: Climate, Food, and Justice
(MD students only) MED 5700 ACE: Shade Tree Clinical Service Learning
(MD students only) PED 5760 ACE: Spanish Language Pediatric Clinic
- Students may individually tailor and/or design elective courses in consultation with faculty mentors
- Other elective courses may be approved on a case-by-case basis. All elective courses must relate to health, low-resource settings, foreign-born populations, community development, and similar topics to be considered for certificate credit and you should focus your main projects/assignments global health. If you are interested in taking another course, please contact the Certificate Director and/or complete the course proposal form.
All courses for the Certificate must be taken for graduate credit (i.e., course code is 5000+) and involve global health content
For Students Interested in Multiple Graduate Certificates:
VIGH encourages students to consider the many Certificate opportunities available to Vanderbilt graduate students through the Graduate School and the School of Medicine. Note that students pursuing multiple Graduate Certificates may ‘double count’ (i.e. apply the same course[s] to more than one Certificate) up to 3 credit hours.
For example, a medical student pursuing Graduate Certificates in both Global Health and Health Equity might take the ACE: Spanish Language Peds as an elective for both certificates; a student pursuing Graduate Certificates in both Global Health and Latin American Studies might apply a credit-bearing health education practicum experience in Guatemala towards both certificates. For specific questions about Graduate Certificate requirements and course selection, please contact Certificate Program directors.
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To be considered for the Graduate Certificate in Global Health, complete and submit the Certificate Verification form. Students may initiate the form at any time during their graduate program to track their progress toward the certificates using the “Save and Return Later” feature. The form must be completed and submitted at least two months prior to graduation.
Deadlines for submission (approximately two months before your graduation date):
- May graduates: March 1
- August graduates: June 1
- December graduates: October 1
The online application form requires students to provide the following:
- Information on global health coursework, including an unofficial transcript, detailed academic record, or courses report from YES.
- Information on global health field work and final product (if a field experience was completed).
- A short bio and professional headshot to be used on our alumni pages.
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Why should I get the Graduate Certificate in Global Health?
The certificate is specifically designed for students from across disciplines to gain knowledge and skills in Global Health work. The certificate is an additional confirmation of your skills and knowledge in Global Health, and demonstrates to peers, employers, and others that you have a sustained interest in and commitment to solving community challenges with global relevance.
I'm planning to work in the US - why is Global Health relevant to me?
“Global” not only refers to systems outside of the US, but also to health challenges that cross borders and span socioeconomic groups, including within our own country. If you work with diverse populations and believe in building strong and equitable communities, Global Health makes sense for your context!
I'm not a Vanderbilt student, what are my options?
Only individuals who are degree-seeking graduate students at Vanderbilt are eligible for the Certificate. If you are interested in earning credentials in global health, Unite for Sight's Global Health University has a variety of certificates available. Additionally, the Consortium of Universities for Global Health has educational resources on global health and Johns Hopkins School of Public Health has a wide range of open courseware available in public and global health topics.
Where can I find course descriptions?
Visit the course description page for general overviews. Log into YES for the most up-to-date information on faculty and times.
Do VIGH courses require faculty approval?
Due to limited class sizes, all students outside of the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine will require approval from VIGH and course faculty. Please contact the course professor prior to enrolling and explain that you are a candidate for the Graduate Certificate in Global Health and wish to enroll in the course as part of the certificate.
How does tuition work?
Students should discuss tuition concerns with their home departments. In general, courses that student take for the certificate fulfill core or elective requirements in the student's primary program, thus not incurring additional tuition costs.
Can I propose a course to count towards the certificate if the course does not have a health or global health focus?
Yes. Courses that are not listed as VIGH global health courses but do relate global health, low-resource settings, low- and middle-income countries, undeserved populations, economic development, and the like can be considered for certificate credit. Your final deliverable for the course must focus on an aspect of global health (ex: the course is about economic development in low- and middle-income countries and your final deliverable is a literature review on the long-term economic impact of child feeding programs). To have a non-listed global health course be reviewed and considered for the certificate requirements, please submit the course proposal form.
What if I have already taken a global health-related course and I would like it to count towards the certificate?
If the course relates global health, low-resource settings, low- and middle-income countries, undeserved populations, economic development, and the like, and your final deliverable focused on an aspect of global health, you may submit a course proposal for consideration. You will need to upload the course syllabus as well as your final product.
What if I cannot fit a global health core courses into my schedule?
Contact Sarah Crane to discuss other options.
Where can I find more information about Graduate Certificates at Vanderbilt?
More information can be found at https://gradschool.vanderbilt.edu/academics/certificate_program.php.
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For additional information on the Graduate Certificate in Global Health, please contact: Sarah Crane