Global Health is the study and practice of improving health and achieving health equity for all people worldwide. The program addresses transnational health issues and the structures that shape our capability to live healthy lives, locally and globally. With a multi-disciplinary focus that provides exposure to healthcare, public health, social determinants of health, and planetary health, students learn to approach the complexity of health in a way that makes Global Health an ideal degree for students interested in entering the health profession, especially medicine and public health. As the first undergraduate global health program in Canada, Maclean’s magazine listed it as one of York’s “stand out” programs.

The COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, and growing rates of obesity and diabetes are examples of global health challenges that do not recognize borders. Our health and that of the rest of the world’s population is intertwined with broader issues, including population growth and migration, wealth disparity, environmental degradation, corporate activity, and government policy. Health not only involves the absence of disease, but also the promotion of physical, mental, and social well-being – with keen attention to how the conditions that ensure health and health equity require positive health practices on both an individual and societal level.

Tomorrow’s health professionals, both clinical (e.g., physician, nurse, physician’s assistant, respiratory therapist) and non-clinical (e.g. healthcare managers, NGO leaders, health data analysts, policy researchers, pharmaceutical representatives), will need to understand the global structures and processes that impact individual and population health in Canada and around the world. York’s School of Global Health prepares you to be one of these professionals through a comprehensive education that encompasses the biomedical sciences, social sciences, and humanities, looking at topics such as infectious disease, chronic disease, anatomy and physiology, epidemiology, health promotion, health policy, health ethics, and health law. Students in the Global Health program also benefit from small class sizes and research opportunities where they enjoy direct interaction with fellow students and with professors who are experts and professionals in their fields.

Scholarships & Awards

The following is a list of available scholarships, awards, and prizes offered by the School of Global Health, Faculty of Health, and York University, including their descriptions, criteria, value, and stage of awarding. Some scholarships, awards, and prizes require an application, while others will be awarded automatically without application based on data the University already collects. Please check all requirements, eligibility, and deadlines.

• York Global Health Entrance Scholarship ($5000 x 4 scholarships)
• Global Health Prizes
• York Global Health Travel Award
• President’s International Scholarship of Excellence
• Tentanda Via Award – International
• Merit-Based and Characteristic-Based Scholarships
• Gold Medal for Academic Excellence & Outstanding Leadership
• Silver Medal for Outstanding Leadership
• President Emeritus Mamdouh Shoukri International Award for Global Health

Global Health Courses

All students, whether in the BA or BSc options, take the same core courses that explore the major issues at the forefront of global health including:

• Global Health Governance and Leadership
• Global Health Policy, Power and Politics
• Determinants of Health: Local to Global
• Agents of Change in a Global World (strongly recommended as an elective course)
• Methods and Approaches in Global Health Research
• Global Health and Epidemiology
• Chronic Diseases and Care
• Health and Human Rights
• Healthcare Planning for Communities
• Global Health Ethics
• Communicable Diseases and Care
• Global Environmental Health
• Global Health and Humanitarianism

Pathway to Medical, Professional Schools & Post-Graduate Training

In addition to providing the anatomy and physiology prerequisites for medical school, the Global Health degree also prepares students for professional schools (e.g., law, teaching), graduate school, and post-graduate training in various health professions (e.g., public health, nursing, health management and administration) or to directly enter the workforce. Medical schools are increasingly looking for candidates who have the kind of comprehensive education and who demonstrate social responsibility along with the teamwork and leadership skills provided by York’s Global Health program.

Real World Experience

All Global Health students have an opportunity to gain valuable, hands-on, real-world experience tackling global health issues. Specialized honours students will have the opportunity to work in an organization locally or internationally. Examples of organizations where students can be placed include the Hospital for Sick Children, Black Creek Community Health Centre, Doctors Without Borders, the University of Health and Allied Sciences in Ghana, the Ontario HIV Treatment Network, the Caribbean Public Health Agency in Trinidad & Tobago, and YorkU’s EcoCampus in Costa Rica.

Careers in Global Health

• Global Health Policy Analyst/Advisor/Researcher
• Health Systems Planner (with further postgraduate training)
• Clinic Director
• Physician (with further postgraduate training)
• Health Educator/Health Promoter
• Healthcare Manager 
• Health Data Analyst
• NGO leader
• Nurse (with further postgraduate training)
• Community Health Worker
• Community Development (environmental health, sustainable water, housing)
• Communications Specialist
• Lawyer (with further postgraduate training)
• Teacher (with further postgraduate training)
• Systems Integration Specialist

You may also be interested in Health Studies.