Elms College Adds Certificate Program in Global Health

CHICOPEE — To prepare professionals in a variety of fields to manage culturally complex healthcare issues, Elms College has established a new certificate in global health program to launch this September. Using global health as a critical lens, students in this certificate program will study how the global burden of disease affects populations locally, nationally, and abroad.

Led by faculty in biology, nursing, psychology, and social work, the certificate program emphasizes diverse frameworks for identifying, understanding, and developing interventions for global health issues. Students will focus on developing an adaptable, interdisciplinary skill set that can be applied to multiple contexts, including clinical nursing, healthcare administration, social work, community activism, education, and mental health.

Coursework will challenge students to engage with global-health case studies, using epidemiological analysis, biostatistics, social determinants of health, and healthcare-management strategies to deepen their expertise and knowledge of the health continuum. 

Establishing a strong foundation in the principles of global health can pave the way for many career paths, including community health program coordinator, health researcher, nurse educator specializing in population health or public health, manager of health promotion and disease-prevention programs, or manager of international healthcare planning and delivery programs.

The certificate in global health includes 12 academic credits, made up of four courses from four majors at Elms: social work, biomedical studies, psychology, and nursing healthcare management. A final capstone project gives students the opportunity to synthesize the coursework and reflect on how they will apply global-health principles to their careers.

With the asynchronous online format, the certificate program can be completed in as little as four 11-week semesters, taking place over one academic year. The online course structure also gives students the option to complete the program at their own pace. The program can be started in either the fall or spring semester. 

Prospective students are encouraged to contact Cynthia Dakin, director of MSN programs at Elms, at (413) 265-2455 or dakinc@elms.edu for more information.