“If I have seen further it is only by standing on the shoulders of Giants”. Sir Isaac Newton, 15 February 1676. As public health professionals, we stand on the shoulders of giants. This course has two major goals --- to welcome incoming the MPH class into membership in the professional social movement called public health and to expose you to the rich historical tradition of the profession you have chosen. We will introduce you to the history of public health and connect those historical events to current global health practice and issues. Using selected public health case studies and through a review of selected leaders and heroes/heroines we will highlight a selection of extraordinary individuals and events. These case studies will examine the complexities and the importance of heroes/heroines and mentors. We will ensure that all the incoming MPH students have a functional literacy of the current global health architecture and understand the politics of priority-setting and decision-making. The course will address issues of human rights, individual rights, population rights and ethics. Intended for new International Health concentrators or students interested in International Health; not for students who have completed IH700 or PH511 or IH771 in fall 2008.

Note that this information may change at any time. Please visit the Student Link for the most up-to-date course information.