A New Master's Degree in Global Health: Reflections on a 5-year Experience

Background: The University of California–San Francisco's (UCSF) Master of Science (MS) degree in <a title="Learn more about Global Health" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/global-health">global health</a> sciences, a 1-year degree...

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Autores principales:	Madhavi Dandu, Kimberly Baltzell, Karen Nelson, Shilpa Gulati, Haile T. Debas, John L. Ziegler
Formato:	article
Lenguaje:	EN
Publicado:	Ubiquity Press 2016
Materias:	education masters MS degree students fieldwork research Infectious and parasitic diseases RC109-216 Public aspects of medicine RA1-1270
Acceso en línea:	https://doaj.org/article/d251059bc39c482d83c9acb244489a80
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spelling	oai:doaj.org-article:d251059bc39c482d83c9acb244489a802021-12-02T05:30:09ZA New Master's Degree in Global Health: Reflections on a 5-year Experience2214-999610.1016/j.aogh.2015.10.006https://doaj.org/article/d251059bc39c482d83c9acb244489a802016-03-01T00:00:00Zhttps://annalsofglobalhealth.org/articles/1463https://doaj.org/toc/2214-9996Background: The University of California–San Francisco's (UCSF) Master of Science (MS) degree in <a title="Learn more about Global Health" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/global-health">global health</a> sciences, a 1-year degree program started in 2008, is the first accredited master's degree in global health in the country. Objective: The aim of this study was to review the genesis and structure of the MS degree program, and describe its progress over its first 5 years. Methods: We reviewed the program's teaching methods, academic curriculum, course evaluations, and backgrounds and outcomes of the first 127 graduates. Student opinions were gathered from anonymous course evaluations. Student outcome data and graduates' perspectives were gathered through a voluntary, anonymous, online survey. We reflect on student demand, program strengths and weaknesses, and future academic directions. Findings: The program's structure arose from three learning objectives identified by the Curriculum Committee: a multidisciplinary approach to the foundations of global health, an emphasis on research design and methods, and an application of theory to international fieldwork. The resulting broad curriculum has attracted students of diverse backgrounds, which has enriched classroom discussions. Over the first 5 years, the program revised its fieldwork project criteria to allow more flexibility in design, leading to a higher rate of publication and enabling students to graduate with an academic portfolio. Students have reported that the high faculty-to-student ratio has fostered strong mentorship relationships; this is vital as 66% of graduates work in academics. Graduates have reflected that group work in the program appropriately prepared them for their work environment. The program's experience has guided its response to: pressure to focus on medical aspects of global health; students' needs for career skill-building; financial challenges; and trends toward online didactics. Conclusions: The recent surge in interest in global health careers has created demand for academic programs. UCSF has designed the MS degree program to balance breadth and depth of learning in a multidisciplinary curriculum, and combine career preparation and theoretical learning in a one-year academic degree. The challenges of balancing breadth and depth of learning in a multidisciplinary program, and combining career preparation and theoretical learning in a one-year academic degree, have informed UCSF's MS program design.Madhavi DanduKimberly BaltzellKaren NelsonShilpa GulatiHaile T. DebasJohn L. ZieglerUbiquity PressarticleeducationmastersMSdegreestudentsfieldworkresearchInfectious and parasitic diseasesRC109-216Public aspects of medicineRA1-1270ENAnnals of Global Health, Vol 81, Iss 5, Pp 618-626 (2016)
institution	DOAJ
collection	DOAJ
language	EN
topic	education masters MS degree students fieldwork research Infectious and parasitic diseases RC109-216 Public aspects of medicine RA1-1270
spellingShingle	education masters MS degree students fieldwork research Infectious and parasitic diseases RC109-216 Public aspects of medicine RA1-1270 Madhavi Dandu Kimberly Baltzell Karen Nelson Shilpa Gulati Haile T. Debas John L. Ziegler A New Master's Degree in Global Health: Reflections on a 5-year Experience
description	Background: The University of California–San Francisco's (UCSF) Master of Science (MS) degree in <a title="Learn more about Global Health" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/global-health">global health</a> sciences, a 1-year degree program started in 2008, is the first accredited master's degree in global health in the country. Objective: The aim of this study was to review the genesis and structure of the MS degree program, and describe its progress over its first 5 years. Methods: We reviewed the program's teaching methods, academic curriculum, course evaluations, and backgrounds and outcomes of the first 127 graduates. Student opinions were gathered from anonymous course evaluations. Student outcome data and graduates' perspectives were gathered through a voluntary, anonymous, online survey. We reflect on student demand, program strengths and weaknesses, and future academic directions. Findings: The program's structure arose from three learning objectives identified by the Curriculum Committee: a multidisciplinary approach to the foundations of global health, an emphasis on research design and methods, and an application of theory to international fieldwork. The resulting broad curriculum has attracted students of diverse backgrounds, which has enriched classroom discussions. Over the first 5 years, the program revised its fieldwork project criteria to allow more flexibility in design, leading to a higher rate of publication and enabling students to graduate with an academic portfolio. Students have reported that the high faculty-to-student ratio has fostered strong mentorship relationships; this is vital as 66% of graduates work in academics. Graduates have reflected that group work in the program appropriately prepared them for their work environment. The program's experience has guided its response to: pressure to focus on medical aspects of global health; students' needs for career skill-building; financial challenges; and trends toward online didactics. Conclusions: The recent surge in interest in global health careers has created demand for academic programs. UCSF has designed the MS degree program to balance breadth and depth of learning in a multidisciplinary curriculum, and combine career preparation and theoretical learning in a one-year academic degree. The challenges of balancing breadth and depth of learning in a multidisciplinary program, and combining career preparation and theoretical learning in a one-year academic degree, have informed UCSF's MS program design.
format	article
author	Madhavi Dandu Kimberly Baltzell Karen Nelson Shilpa Gulati Haile T. Debas John L. Ziegler
author_facet	Madhavi Dandu Kimberly Baltzell Karen Nelson Shilpa Gulati Haile T. Debas John L. Ziegler
author_sort	Madhavi Dandu
title	A New Master's Degree in Global Health: Reflections on a 5-year Experience
title_short	A New Master's Degree in Global Health: Reflections on a 5-year Experience
title_full	A New Master's Degree in Global Health: Reflections on a 5-year Experience
title_fullStr	A New Master's Degree in Global Health: Reflections on a 5-year Experience
title_full_unstemmed	A New Master's Degree in Global Health: Reflections on a 5-year Experience
title_sort	new master's degree in global health: reflections on a 5-year experience
publisher	Ubiquity Press
publishDate	2016
url	https://doaj.org/article/d251059bc39c482d83c9acb244489a80
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A New Master's Degree in Global Health: Reflections on a 5-year Experience

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