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On ËÄ»¢Ó°Ôº Campus Spring Semester before departure in the fall. 

This pre-semester course will focus on providing you with an overview of the most important health challenges facing the world today, with particular attention to sub-Saharan Africa. You will gain insight into how these challenges have changed over time. You will also spend significant time exploring your own cultural ËÄ»¢Ó°Ôº and perspectives and how they inform your faith, scholarly work, and calling in the world.

Fall 2023 Cohort will not have a pre-departure intro class in Spring 2023.  An orientation session will be provided through the Global Education Office. For more information, ËÄ»¢Ó°Ôº ocp@westmont.edu.

Satisfies GE Communicating Cross-Culturally requirement.

Required on-site course. 

Faith & Action in the Ugandan Context combines a traditional classroom component (e.g., readings, discussion, small group processing, lecture) with a broad spectrum of experiential learning (e.g., living and studying with Ugandan students, home stays with Ugandan families, travel to various regions of Uganda & Rwanda, exposure to both missionaries and Ugandans involved in various social services). The course begins at orientation and continues through the final debrief retreat. Evaluation methods may include written assignments, verbal presentations, class participation, informal and formal debrief sessions, creative projects, journal entries, and one-on-one discussions.

Topics covered in Faith & Action reflect the students’ experience in Uganda, and throughout the semester students are encouraged to integrate the academic material with their experience of life in Uganda. After beginning with understanding and learning from cross-cultural experiences, we explore how exposure to traditional African beliefs challenges our own faith. We then look at issues related to the way Christians respond to poverty and suffering.  From this academic and experiential foundation we examine our own North American Christianity with particular emphasis on personal conviction and response.

Course provides students with the opportunity to enrich their understanding of culture as well as further develop and practice their own cultural competence through active service learning and participation and integration into a Ugandan community. Students will complete a minimum of 72 hours at an approved practicum site, interact with guest speakers, make site visits and travel in Uganda. (Cross-Cultural Internship/Practicum: 2-4 units of major credit in Kines or Bio.)

Upper-division elective credit for biology majors; all tracks (4 units)

This course introduces the basic methods for infectious disease epidemiology and public health case studies of important disease syndromes effecting Uganda and East Africa. Methods include epidemiology definitions and nomenclature, basic disease pathology, symptom presentation, laboratory findings, and the physiology behind basic treatment for the diseases causing most significant morbidity and mortality in East Africa. This course focuses on epidemiology with the combined learning outcomes of pathophysiology and public health for infectious diseases at individual, community and systems levels. This course must be taken concurrently with Cross-Cultural Practicum in Global Health where students gain applied field knowledge in 150 hour global health practicums with international clinicians and public health educators. This course includes case studies of: viral infections (Dengue fever, HIV/AIDS, WNV, Zika, etc), bacterial infections (Tuberculosis, Typhoid, and Diarrheal infections), and parasitic infections (Schistosomiasis, Trypanosomiasis, and Helminths).

Microbiology (with lab) in Global Health Context counts for either Microbiology credit OR upper-division elective credit (4 units)

This course covers general aspects of undergraduate microbiology with emphasis on endemic microorganisms and human interaction. Topics include introduction to microbiology, microbial taxonomy, methods of microbial identification, immunology and infection. This course includes microscopy, staining, and hospital based microbiology laboratory applications with over 60 laboratory hours at Mukono Church of Uganda Hospital.

Good nutrition is the foundation for a healthy body therefore this course unit will explore the basic concepts of human nutrition and food. Fundamental facts about food nutrients will be discussed with regard to their requirements, functions, effects of deficiency and excess. Key concepts of nutrition assessment and Nutrition throughout the lifecycle will be discussed with special attention on pregnancy, infancy, childhood, adolescence and aging stages of life. The overall aim of the course unit is to give the learner the introduction and overview into the area of Nutrition as an integral component of health.

To determine if eligible for major or minor credit, please ËÄ»¢Ó°Ôº your academic advisor.

The following elective courses are offered by different UCU departments and may be available to GHU/USP students. Because each department sets its own schedule just a few weeks before each semester, USP cannot absolutely guarantee that the following courses will fit into your schedule. If your participation in the USP depends on having any of these classes guaranteed, please email USP directly.

• GE Reading Imaginative Literature: African Literature (3 units)
• GE Understanding Society: East African Politics since Independence (3 units) 
• GE Modern Language:  
  • Luganda I (3 units)
  • Luganda I & II (6 units-can fit in one semester) 
  • Kiswahili I (3 units)  
  • Kiswahili I & II (6 units-can fit in one semester)
• GE Thinking Globally:  
  • Religions in Contemporary Uganda (3 units)
  • Understanding World views (3 units)
• Understanding Ethics from a Christian Perspective (3 units) - Elective Credit 
• Health & Wholeness (3 units) - Elective Credit

On ËÄ»¢Ó°Ôº Campus Spring Semester following semester abroad.

In this course, we will explore local responses to contemporary ecological and social issues in ways that take account of the integrated nature of local and global processes. Global concerns are important but so are our local ones. You will be asked to undertake a community-based research project that builds from your internship experience in Uganda and further expands your comparative perspective on health.