Duke students may have the option to major in global health as soon as next year.
A proposal to make the major available to undergraduate students is currently being considered by the faculty Curriculum Committee in the Trinity College of Arts and Sciences Council, said Gary Bennett, director of undergraduate studies for the Duke Global Health Institute. The proposal, which includes outlines for both a global health major and minor, would replace the global health certificate program currently offered.
“This will show Duke’s seriousness in global health, its independence and its ability to be flexible,” said Steve Nowicki, dean and vice provost of undergraduate education.
With about 100 students currently enrolled, the global health certificate is one of the largest certificate programs offered. This popularity was one of the reasons for proposing the new major, said Lee Baker, dean of academic affairs and associate vice provost of undergraduate education.
“A lot of students are interested and should be,” Nowicki said. “Duke has the resources to make this happen.”
The proposal was written by a team of faculty who spent many months planning and consulting with both faculty and students, Bennett wrote in an email Friday. If approved by the committee, the proposal will be presented to the Arts and Sciences Council to make a formal recommendation to faculty members. Following committee approval, the new major needs to be approved by the council and Trinity Dean Laurie Patton.
“The proposal is moving along very well. I expect it to be approved this year,” Nowicki said.
Upperclassmen who have already completed some requirements for the global health certificate would be able to convert those credits towards the global health major, Baker said. Students close to completing the certificate would be allowed to finish even after the major was implemented.
Nowicki compared the proposal to that of the neuroscience major three years ago. A significant number of students were enrolled in the neuroscience certificate program and were on track for the major—these students were easily able to convert to the major once it was introduced.
He also noted the similar interdisciplinary nature of both programs, which provides opportunities to collaborate with departments outside of Trinity. For the global health major, the department partner will be DGHI.
Because it would not be a traditional department, Trinity and DGHI will have to partner in funding the new major, Baker said.
Nowicki noted that the new proposal would allow Duke students to study global health in tandem with other disciplines such as biology or public policy. This flexibility distinguishes Duke from competing institutions, and could attract prospective students in the future.
Baker said the addition of the major could significantly change the way Duke undergraduate education is viewed.
He noted that the curriculum committee will be looking for funding to support models of the department in the next month.
“It’s a very compelling proposal,” Baker said. “Now we must find how we are going to pay for it.”
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