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Global and Ecological Health Engineering (Certificate)

The Certificate in Global and Ecological Health Engineering trains engineers to become globally competent in either biomedical or environmental engineering. This four-quarter program is run concurrently with the existing biomedical and environmental engineering master’s programs with one additional quarter, and includes a summer research project in Cape Town, South Africa; Jodhpur, India; Chicago, Illinois, or other locations.

The purpose of the certificate is to expand areas of expertise and broaden career opportunities for graduate students who want to work in positions beyond the borders of the United States and beyond the traditional borders of industry in the fields of biomedical or environmental engineering.

Graduates may expect to seek employment with consulting companies, industrial firms, civil society organizations, government service delivery programs and intergovernmental organizations. The flexibility of this certificate encourages the students to tailor their studies and open new horizons to address global health engineering.

The Certificate in Global and Ecological Health Engineering is offered in conjunction with the Masters Programs in either Biomedical Engineering or Environmental Engineering, two existing programs with a strong record in global health engineering and public health.

How to apply

Enrolled PhD students in The Graduate School may pursue this certificate with the permission of their program. In order to petition to have a Graduate Certificate awarded and appear on the transcript, students must submit the Application for a Graduate Certificate  once all Graduate Certificate requirements have been completed, but no later than the time that the student files for graduation (in the final quarter of study). 

Who to contact

Please contact the program director, listed below, with questions about this program. Or, explore the Global and Ecological Health Engineering website for more information.

The following requirements are in addition to, or further elaborate upon, those requirements outlined in The Graduate School Policy Guide.

Five courses: Four courses to be taken over the four quarters, and an additional independent study course.

Three core courses

  • BMD_ENG 395-0 Topics in Biomedical Engineering (Global and Ecological Health Challenge)
  • CIV_ENV 368-0 Sustainability: The City
  • Plus 399 in the appropriate department

Two electives

Two electives requires from the following choices. By design, students will be encouraged to select courses from outside their MS discipline. Biomedical Engineering students should take electives from Environmental Engineering and Science.  Environmental Engineering and Science students should take electives from Biomedical Engineering.  Both groups may take Global Health electives.

Biomedical electives

  • BMD_ENG 304-0 Quantitative Systems Physiology
  • BMD_ENG 353-0 Bioelectronics
  • BMD_ENG 306-0 Quantitative Systems Physiology
  • BMD_ENG 317-0 Biochemical Sensors
  • BMD_ENG 343-0 Biomaterials and Medical Devices
  • BMD_ENG 495-0 Special Advanced Topics in Biomedical Engineering (Biointerfaces – Medical Devices)

Environmental Engineering electives

  • CIV_ENV 361-1 Environmental Microbiology
  • CIV_ENV 361-2 Public & Environmental Health
  • CIV_ENV 364-0 Sustainable Water Systems
  • CIV_ENV 365-0 Environmental Laboratory
  • CIV_ENV 398-1 Community-based Design 1
  • CIV_ENV 398-2 Community-based Design 2

Global Health electives

  • GBL_HLTH 390-0 Special Topics in Global Health (Achieving Global Impact through Local Engagement)
  • Health Technology Management (offered at University of Cape Town, South Africa)