CSB-SJU to Offer New Minor in Global Health

ST. JOSEPH/COLLEGEVILLE – The College of St. Benedict and St. John’s University have received a nearly $150,000 grant to help launch a new minor in global health.

CSB-SJU says the 20 to 22-credit interdisciplinary minor is geared toward students interested in public health, global health and medicine, and will offer courses and training to help students “analyze some of the most pressing problems that shape our world, preparing students for exciting careers in health care, public policy, international service and more.”

“The momentum for the global health minor has been apparent in recent years, as students have expressed growing interest in exploring global health challenges,” said Ellen Block, associate professor of sociology at CSB-SJU and grant director. “Even before COVID-19, global health has been on our students' radar - from Ebola to the Zika Virus to health disparities in our own communities, these are issues that impact everyone and that students care deeply about.”

The grant, totaling $143,563, is from the Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign Language Program through the U.S. Department of Education and covers half of the costs to establish the program. CSB-SJU is financing the other half.

The new minor will likely begin in fall semester of 2022, but CSB-SJU says classes could begin in the spring of 2021.