This study abroad program will provide an educational and cultural opportunity for up to 15 graduate and undergraduate students interested in global public health. The goals of the study abroad program are to examine the similarities and differences between the US and Brazil. The program will include instruction about current public health topics, field trips to cultural and public health sites, cross-cultural lectures, Portuguese language instruction, and a homestay with a Brazilian family. The program focuses on the ideas of collective health, race, and culture in Salvador, Brazil. The course will foster critical thinking and learning about tools and approaches to public health research.

The field study seeks to provide undergraduate and graduate students of the Georgia State University (GSU) with an opportunity to learn first-hand about three leading contemporary and emerging global public health issues in Ghana (a developing country), and how these issues, though universal, are influenced by global disparities in wealth, differences in cultural norms and practices, gender inequity, and the general lack of access to basic resources. The study also offers students the opportunity to do a comparative analysis of the magnitude, nature, and effects of the select public health issues in Ghana, with what pertains in the United States and to come up with strategies for addressing them.

Storytelling is a powerful tool for public health and related social sciences to connect data with human experiences. Social innovators have used storytelling to illuminate pathways to transformation, build relationships and empathy among diverse groups, and shape personal, cultural, and mythic narratives. South Africa is an excellent base to explore storytelling while learning about the country's modern history and public health context. We will travel to Johannesburg and Cape Town, which provide different cultural and natural landscapes to apply course concepts through daily interactions with communities and partners, excursions, photo safaris, and field work that will build to your creation of a personal digital story.

This two-week international field study will introduce students to urban public health issues using the diverse city of Manchester as a living laboratory. In partnership with The University of Manchester, the program will provide will provide classroom-based and experiential activities to introduce students to epidemiological research methods that can be used to examine urban health challenges. Through mentoring, a challenging overseas study abroad program and hands-on activities students will gain invaluable knowledge and skills that will augment their academic preparation here at GSU. Course content will be customized to meet the required academic rigor for both undergraduate and graduate coursework.