Preparing Global Health Leaders: Programs & Study Abroad Opportunities

At the School of Nursing and Health Sciences, our goal is to prepare students for the global health landscape, equipping them to address pressing issues like health disparities. Through global education, future nurses, hospital administrators, and policymakers gain critical knowledge, skills, and a broad perspective essential for thriving in today’s interconnected world. These experiences foster adaptability, collaboration, and a commitment to social justice and health equity, nurturing the next generation of compassionate health leaders.

Spanish Minor for Health Professions

In collaboration with the Department of World Languages and Cultures, we offer a Spanish Minor tailored for students in health-related fields, including nursing, biology, and social work. Combining language study with practical, community-based experience, this minor immerses students in settings where they engage directly with patients and healthcare professionals. The program’s transformative impact extends beyond the classroom, benefiting the patients, families, and communities they will serve.

Sample courses include:

SPN 110 – Elementary Spanish Health Professions  
SPN 111 – Intermediate Spanish Health Professional
SPN 214 – Intercultural Communication Spanish Speaking Worlds

Study Away Programs

For years, Health Policy and Management majors have participated in diverse global education opportunities. With the addition of nursing and health sciences majors, we are expanding our program offerings in collaboration with the Center for Global Education. These new, short-term programs are designed to offer meaningful cultural immersion and language development, meeting the unique scheduling needs of nursing students.

Global Health Summer in London
In May 2023, SNHS launched an immersive six-week summer program in partnership with CEA CAPA Education Abroad, allowing students to explore healthcare from a global perspective. In addition to comparing healthcare systems between the U.S. and U.K., students examine universal health care and issues of access and inequality. Classroom studies are complemented by hospital visits, seminars with healthcare professionals, and collaborative projects. An optional internship course provides hands-on global health experience.

Students also enjoy structured excursions around London and nearby destinations, curated by CEA CAPA.

Study at the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico

Studying in Puerto Rico was a deeply enriching and transformative experience. Our students learned that when care is delivered with warmth and a sense of family, it not only uplifts patients but also shields healthcare workers from the toll of burnout.

Jessica mulligan, ph.d. | Professor of Health Sciences

The School of Nursing and Health Sciences has partnered with the Department of World Languages and Cultures to offer a three-week cultural immersion experience in Puerto Rico during the College’s May-mester term. This program is interdisciplinary in nature and aims to foster cultural immersion for Spanish language learners and heritage speakers as well as enhancing their cultural and structural competencies of nursing and health sciences. Housed on the campus of the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico, the program incorporates visits to health centers in rural and urban areas in which students will conduct clinical observations by shadowing medical personnel. The mission of the University celebrates and promotes the life and dignity of the human person according to the values of the Gospel and is also the home to the oldest nursing school in Puerto Rico. This 6-credit course also includes opportunities to learn about the rich history, culture and artistic traditions of Puerto Rico as they reflect on the history of the Dominican order in Latin America.

The first cohort participated in 2024, with plans to run the program again in 2026.