About Public Health Policy and Practice in China

The Public Health Policy and Practice program invites you to examine how public health policy is shaped by social, economic, and political currents and ultimately put into practice in the world's most populous country. Maximize your learning by tailoring classes to your academic focus, enrolling in the required core class and three to four elective classes, including an internship opportunity.

CORE COURSE

• Public Health Policy and Practice in China (3 U.S. semester credit hours) Public health policy in China has been shaped by rapid and profound economic, social, and political currents. This course examines those developments and their implications for public health practice. Contemporary issues in health policy at national and local levels will be explored within the context of the health system. Topics include the former One Child Policy and family planning, caring for an aging population, child and maternal health, health literacy, and regional and urban/rural variations in health.

LANGUAGE COURSES
Developing skills in a foreign language can profoundly impact your life personally and professionally. Though language study (other than Essential Chinese) is not required, students frequently report their Chinese language class as one of their favorites and the one they applied most outside of the classroom.

• Essential Chinese (1 U.S. semester credit hours) If you've never studied Chinese before, and you decide not to take an elective language class, you'll take this introductory seminar to contemporary Chinese language and culture taught intensively during the first weeks of the program. By introducing key words and phrases and venturing out into the city to practice them, you'll gain essential skills to communicate effectively and navigate in a new culture.

• Chinese Language (6 U.S. semester credit hours): No prior language study is required. A placement exam during on-site orientation determines each student's appropriate language level.
  • Beginning Chinese I
  • Beginning Chinese II
  • Intermediate Chinese I
  • Intermediate Chinese II
  • Advanced Chinese I
  • Advanced Chinese II
  • Advanced Chinese III
  • Advanced Chinese IV
  • Advanced Readings in Chinese
• Business Chinese I or Business Chinese II (3 U.S. semester credit hours) You must have completed three semesters of Chinese language prior to taking this course. You will develop specialized skills in business-related Chinese communication in both oral and written form.

ELECTIVE COURSES
Customize your semester based on your personal interests and degree requirements, choosing from electives on the Public Health program as well as our 21st Century City and International Business offerings. All electives are taught in English. Not all electives may be offered in a given semester depending on enrollment and faculty availability.

• Internship and Methodology Seminar: Interns are placed in Chinese or international non-profits, corporations, consulting firms, or think-tanks focused on promoting public and environmental health. Placements are highly competitive, and other foreign languages and professional skills assist in the placement process as well. Interns spend approximately 10 hours per week at the internship site and complete a final academic paper with an accompanying oral presentation. Internships are supervised by a faculty advisor who meets with students both individually and as a group throughout the term.
• Environmental Health: Environmental health concerns in China, particularly surrounding air and water pollution, are well documented and widely acknowledged on the international stage. Rapid growth in China's industry and economy have led to increasing health hazards for Chinese people in their communities, homes, schools, and even workplaces. In this course, students explore the various issues policy makers consider when undertaking risk assessment and developing regulatory policies to reduce these negative impacts while maintaining a trajectory of economic growth.
• Nutrition, Food Safety and Security: With the recent development of the China Food and Drug Administration, as well as public demand for improvement in the management of food safety risks, issues of nutrition and food security permeate many Chinese policy agendas. China's cultural and political landscapes provide an ideal context for exploring these complex and interconnected topics. This course allows students to examine how China's regional diversity, uneven economic development, and varied dietary consumption patterns impact policy decisions and regulatory standards.
• Traditional Chinese Medicine: Over 3,000 years, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has formed a unique system for diagnosing and treating disease as well as cultivating life-long health. A combination of classroom sessions and hands-on TCM practica provides a lens through which students can better understand the Chinese cultural context in which today's public health policy is implemented. This course introduces basic TCM theories, useful daily diagnostics, and treatment methods including acupressure, Chinese herbs, dietary adjustments, cupping, reflexology, acupuncture, and exercises such as tai chi.
• Exploring Community & Culture in a Global Context: Through a creative asynchronous online format, this course facilitates active engagement with your host community, exploration of cultural identity and examination of diversity in the context of political, economic and sociocultural structures. Students develop personal strategies for engaging with differences of any kind following the study abroad experience, making it an ideal course for those seeking transferable skills and competencies for success in the global marketingplace. Home institution approval is required for enrollment.

Or, choose from our International Business and 21st Century City elective classes at the IFSA Shanghai Global Flagship.