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Public & Global Health Abroad

Are you ready to make a difference? You will find an opportunity for true global citizenry and cultural exchange in these life-changing programs. Work with children in Rio's favelas, study global health or sustainability in the deserts of Israel, and more.

​Explore featured programs in: 

Australia & Solomon Islands: Pacific Island Environmental & Community Health  
Engage firsthand with current development questions in two incredible centers of education: The University of Queensland and Solomon Islands National University. After 6 weeks in Queensland, Australia, move to the Solomon Islands for 5 weeks. Gain valuable field research methodologies and skills across diverse and fragile ecosystems, explore urban and rural development approaches, and see firsthand the impact on public health as you engage with local students and remote communities. In the last phase of the program, you will have an opportunity to develop and propose plans to address the challenges you observe. 
 
 

Botswana: University of Botswana
The capital of Gaborone is one of Africa’s fastest-growing cities where traditional culture and modern global influences intersect. A special track in community public health focuses on public and environmental health issues in Botswana, both within the classroom and in service to the local community. Analyze HIV/AIDS prevention, environmental issues, nursing, and more. Includes an internship in a local health clinic. Cultural activities and excursions include a week-long homestay in a rural village and trips to the Gaborone Game Reserve, National Museum, and Okavango Delta.
 

Brazil: Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro, called the “Marvelous City,” is a stunning world metropolis amid tropical beaches, sweeping mountains, and diverse Amazon ecosystems. At the highly-ranked PUC-Rio, you may pursue a number of unique opportunities for independent studies and volunteer service projects while taking courses in your major. A hands-on community development class will introduce you to a number of favelas where you may work with local youth teaching English or Spanish, research social topics, and/or gain career experience at a local NGO. See also student experiences in Rio [Video]. 
 

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Chile: Chilean Universities, Santiago
Santiago, Chile has for many years been an important center for public and private organizations devoted to health and development. Through UCEAP’s internship placements, you may work hands-on with women’s health organizations, indigenous health issues, construction of housing in underserved areas, environmental agencies, Christian social agencies, and many others as a complement to your courses in development studies, economics, social work, or other social sciences.
 

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Dominican Republic: Community Public Health, Santiago 
Experience seven life-changing weeks this summer in Santiago, a commercial and cultural hub about an hour from the coast. This is a unique opportunity to interact with local patients and medical professionals in a health practicum and clinical rotation, improve your Spanish language living with a Dominican family, and study pre-professional topics such as preventive medicine, development, and health management in the Spanish Caribbean.
Summer class studies and guided site visits are combined with rewarding experiences helping under-served communities.
 
 

Ghana: Summer in Ghana, Accra
Spend a summer abroad in Ghana and enrich your understanding of this unique African nation, its warm and welcoming people and artistic and colorful culture. This exciting new program combines intensive seminars with hand-on service projects. Choose a specialized track in Contemporary Public Health in Ghana or Gender and Development with a focus on Agriculture. Each track includes fieldwork in rural Ghanaian villages with the opportunity to provide basic health care and hygiene, develop sustainable agricultural practices, provide access to clean water, and promote empowerment and education.
 

Ghana: University of Ghana, Accra
Accra, rated a top destination in 2013 by the New York Times, is Ghana’s capital and home to Africa's fastest-growing economy. As you witness West Africa’s emerging dichotomies and progressive social agenda, you may pursue exceptional internships and community engagement projects with special opportunity to learn about development. Independent research projects are available in topics from public health to renewable energy, education, and women’s rights. Past participants have founded nonprofit organizations, published their research, and left a legacy of their contributions at NGOs.
 

Mexico: Field Research, UC Center Mexico City 
Get out of the classroom and conduct field research on a global or public health topic that interests you! You will begin in Mexico City taking a course on Mexican culture and society and Spanish language. During those first six weeks, you will draft your project proposal and meet with potential mentors who are knowledgeable scholars from various universities around Mexico. Based on your project, they will help you choose your next study destination: Mexico City, Yucatan, Chiapas, Oaxaca or Querétaro. For the remainder of the program, the mentor from your research location will guide your investigation as you immerse yourself in the local community and culture and learn how to conduct high-quality research. This program is a unique and unforgettable opportunity to learn and do academic research—a skill that will distinguish you from most other undergraduate students! 
 

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Mexico: Global Health in Mexico ​
Spend the summer in Oaxaca, a captivating and cultural city in southern Mexico. In Oaxaca, you will work with NGOs including Child Family Health International (CHFI) and see firsthand the social conditions that prevail in local communities and efforts to improve them. The opportunity to live with a host family will help you develop your Spanish skills and offer insight into the culture and daily life of each community.
 
 
Netherlands: Public Health & Pre-Med, Maastricht University
(Quarter & Semester)
Deepen your knowledge of public health concepts and applications in this program designed specifically for public health and pre-med majors. You can select from a menu of upper-division courses spanning topics such as pathobiology and disease, public health policymaking, and microbiology, among others. Courses are taught using Problem-Based Learning (PBL) which emphasizes solving real-world problems in small tutorial groups.
 
Designed for students with interests in pre-med, community studies and public health, this exciting new program combines language, culture, and health courses with fieldwork and lab-based activities. Two week-long excursions will take you to community health facilities at rural border sites between Thailand and Myanmar to observe firsthand medical services and challenges.
 
 
The interdisciplinary electives for the Arts and Sciences (BASc) program at UCL are designed to address some of UCL’s grand challenges, including global health, human wellbeing, cultural understanding, and sustainable cities. In addition to these electives, UCEAP students can take health-related courses in the departments of Global Health, Population Health, and Infection and Immunity.
 
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