Speciality Area in Multicultural Health
Continuing wide discrepancies by ethnicity in health and access to health care in the United States pose dramatic challenges to the field of public health. These problems range from high infant mortality rates in many communities of color to large gaps in morbidity and mortality among adults. Such differentials present major challenges to virtually every discipline within public health, from environmental and occupational health to epidemiology, health education, and health policy and administration.
As the composition of the U.S. population becomes increasingly multicultural, it is critical that schools of public health address these issues through multiple means. The Specialty Area in Multicultural Health at UC Berkeley's School of Public Health is one of these avenues.
Requirements for this specialty area consist of 9 units consisting of a required course, PH 202B, Ethnic and Cultural Diversity in Social Behavior, and 6 additional units. It is strongly recommended that one of the student's additional elective courses be taken outside the School of Public Health.
Required Course
- PH 202B Ethnic and Cultural Diversity in Health Status and Behavior
The required core course for this specialty area focuses on ethnic and cultural diversity in health behavior as a basis for public health programs. Consideration is given to both U.S. ethnic minority groups and cultural groups in non-Western societies, with health status and behavior examined within the context of relevant social and anthropological theory.
Electives
- PH 201 Cultural Theory in Public Health
- PH204E Multicultural Competence
- PH212C Health and Social Policy in Mexico and Latin America
- PH130AC Aging, Health, and Diversity
- PH131AC Race, Ethnicity, and Health in America
- PH221A New Paradigms: The City and Health
- Social Work 274 Immigrants and Refugees in the United States
- Social Work 238E Social Policies Affecting American Indian Children, Families, and Communities
- Social Work 276 Minority Families
- Public Policy 180 AIDS and American Cultures
- Psychology 231D Culture, Ethnicity, and Mental Health
- Natural Resources 190 Race, Poverty, and the Environment
- Education 283 The School in the Urban Environment
At the time of graduation, each student will receive a letter signed by the chair of the Faculty Committee on Aging and Public Health certifying the student's completion of requirements in this area.
Students interested in pursuing course work and/or research in multicultural health should apply to any of the regular academic programs of the School of Public Health.
For further information about the Specialty Area in Multicultural Health, contact Prof. Meredith Minkler at (510) 642-4397 or mink@berkeley.edu, or Prof. Denise Herd at (510) 642-4842 or tiara@berkeley.edu.