Global Health Immersion Experience Digital Badge

Contact Information

The Global Health Immersion Experience digital badge is a competency-based microcredential offered through the Department of Health Professions. Earning this badge demonstrates participation in integrative health study abroad experiences that are hands-on, interdisciplinary, and globally relevant in the understanding of healthcare. Students are invited to explore cultural perspectives on health, examine historical influences on healthcare, strengthen analytical and research skills on healthcare-related topics, and communicate collaboratively on global health issues.

Earning Criteria

Participants earning this badge are required to take part in an integrative health study abroad experience where they will integrate interdisciplinary healthcare perspectives, provide historical and cultural analyses, and join in experiential learning through study abroad. Students will synthesize global health knowledge, interdisciplinary research and real-world insights through the development and presentation of a culminating assignment on a historic health or healthcare topic connected to their study abroad experience.

Competencies Demonstrated

1. Analyze historical and cultural influences on healthcare, examining how past events, traditions, and societal norms have shaped healthcare systems in both the host country and the United States.
2. Compare and contrast healthcare systems by evaluating structural, policy, and cultural differences in the approaches to health, medicine, and wellness between the host country and the U.S.
3. Examine integrative and interdisciplinary healthcare approaches, identifying how traditional, complementary, and modern medical practices interact in the host country.
4. Demonstrate research proficiency by locating and utilizing credible primary and secondary sources to support their analysis.
5. Evaluate the authenticity, validity, and reliability of sources, ensuring that the information applied is accurate, unbiased, and relevant to global health perspectives.
6. Communicate findings effectively, using clear, structured, and professional language suitable for an academic and global audience.
7. Apply critical thinking to healthcare topics, making evidence-based arguments and drawing meaningful conclusions from historical and cultural contexts.
8. Incorporate personal reflections and experiences, using anecdotes, images, and travel journal entries to connect academic learning with firsthand observations.