Course Descriptions

HEG 200 - Multicultural and Diversity Influences in Health and Wellness
This course will allow students to develop an understanding of the historical and contemporary societal factors that impact individual and group identity in healthcare and wellness, examining inequality in health care systems and society, considering the dimensions of race, class, and gender. Students will develop critical knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to recognize and understand the diversity of perspectives, needs, expectations, and behaviors impacting health and wellness in multicultural populations. The class will explore strategies that promote policy change and systemic equity through self-examination, social analysis, case studies, and competency building techniques. Students will use evidence-based strategies to propose future policy changes that promote equity-based healthcare. 3 Credits.

HEG 211 - Black Women's Mental Health and Wellness
Black women have disproportionately higher rates of many illness including hypertension, breast cancer, diabetes, lupus, heart disease, HIV, depression and so much more. This course will explore the socio-historical and cultural factors that impact the determinants of health for Black Women as compared to other populations. The intersectionality of Black Women’s lives and the impact on their mental, emotional, physical, social and spiritual wellbeing will be examined. This course will analyze the roles and identities of Black Women, their perception of health, wellness and illness and how these factors influence self-care practices. 3 Credits.

HEG 215 - Global Health and Culture
Global Health is emerging as a critical driver of world change and global sustainable development. This course explores the biosocial theoretical concepts and the historical contexts that are contributors to this shift and are influencing the establishment of global health as a stand alone discipline of study. This course encourages cultural sensitivity and global citizenship. It focuses on challenging embedded assumptions about what actually supports good health and humane healthcare and what actually causes poor health and disease in various cultures around the world. Topics include: history of 19th and 20th century medicine, population health, racism, WHO global regions, UN Sustainable Goals, Global Burden of Disease, health disparities, mental health, indigenous cultures, cultural healing practices and beliefs, contagious diseases, obesity, human rights, natural and complex human disasters 3 Credits.