Designing Global Health Experiences within a CEPH-accredited Master of Public Health Program at Pennsylvania State University

The Pennsylvania State University Master of Public Health (MPH) program within the Department of Public Health Sciences is developing a global health program for MPH students. Penn State Public Health Sciences is well positioned in the Penn State College of Medicine to foster discovery and growth in the areas of education, research, and practice. Our newly established global health program is designed to adopt these institutional principles. Through our global health efforts, our graduate program has cultivated university-wide and international collaborations in education and practice.  One outcome of our international partnerships in Eastern Europe, Africa, and Asia is our International Health Exchange Program (IHEP). IHEP creates opportunities for our graduate program to send Penn State MPH students and receive international students for a short summer training program.  Penn State MPH students travel abroad to learn the public health challenges and solutions firsthand, as well as work on a collaborative project involving a critical public health issue with partners on the ground. Similarly, international students travel to Hershey, PA to learn from Penn State faculty, as well as Pennsylvania and United States government officials about the current critical health issues facing local and national populations. IHEP will be a catalyst for our international engagement in education and research, such as the development of larger educational programs and research projects.