The inaugural class of the Duke Master of Science in Global Health (MSc-GH) has been selected.  Sixteen students from Nigeria, Zimbabwe, China, Kenya and the United States will begin the new interdisciplinary program in Fall 2009.  Duke's program is one of only two Master of Science in Global Health programs in the US. The other is at the University of California-San Francisco.
 
More than 35 applications were received for the new program that was just approved by the Duke University Board of Trustees in December 2008.   
 
A guiding principle of the degree program is the recognition that a multidisciplinary and multi-sector approach to health is essential, as health is influenced by a multitude of factors. The 32-unit curriculum includes five core courses, one elective from each of four thematic blocks, a 10-week field experience to apply learned research methods, and a research-based scholarly thesis.
 
The program is designed to appeal to medical students, researchers, policy makers, managers, analysts, and clinical practitioners who desire a more complete understanding of the diverse causes of and solutions to health problems from an interdisciplinary global perspective.  Of the incoming students three are current Duke Global Health Residents, and others are researchers or currently working in nongovernmental agencies related to health and development.

 

"I applied for the MSc primarily for its interdisciplinary, hands-on approach toward addressing issues in global health," said Kristen Roehl, one of the students accepted into the program. "Coming from a 'carve your own path' mindset, I am excited to interact with students of various goals and academic backgrounds in order to create both a cooperative and a practical learning experience.  As I plan to go into the field of reproductive health, I am also looking forward to the unique women's health initiatives and opportunities that DGHI and its partners provide."

 

Another member of the class, Aaron Stoertz, also emphasized the interdisciplinary nature of the program as the reason for selecting Duke. 

 

"The focus on interdisciplinary collaboration in the MSc-GH is exciting to me," said Stoertz. "The DGHI is taking one of Duke's overall strengths and pushing it to the next level."
 
The MSc-GH is administered by the Duke Global Health Institute and led by DGHI Member Chris Woods, associate professor of medicine and pathology.  Core teaching faculty include Woods, Manoj Mohanan (Economics), Ross McKinney (Pediatrics, Molecular Genetics and Microbiology), Brian Pence (Community and Family Medicine), Jen'nan Read (Sociology), and Gopal Sreenivasan (Ethics and Philosophy).
 
The MSc-GH is supported in part by a Framework grant from the Fogarty International Center at the National Institutes of Health. 

For more information about the MSc-GH, click here.