COURSE INFORMATION: Students take the following 7 credits: HEAL 230: Global Health (3 cr.) - This course provides an overview of the determinants that impact health outcomes around the globe. Special attention will be given to continents economically disadvantaged and currently suffering from major pandemics such as HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria, and from other emerging and re-emerging diseases. HEAL 325: Health Promotion (3 cr.) - The educational, organizational, economical, and environmental supports for behaviors conducive to health will be examined in the public and private sector. Health promotion will include the assessment, prescription, implementation, and evaluation of programs. HEAL 325L: Field Experience in Health Promotion (1 cr.) - Students will be places within a variety of public health/health promotion settings, including worksite, profit, and non-profit agencies. The theoretical, educational, organizational, economical and environmental supports for behaviors conducive to health in these public and private settings will be examined. Please contact the Program Directors, Dr. DeMaria and Ms. Demarest (contact info below), if you have questions about the feasibility in enrolling in less than 7 credits. PROGRAM INFORMATION: This study abroad program is located in historic and picturesque Florence, Italy and will provide students with an interdisciplinary learning experience. This program is the first of its kind for the College of Charleston Public Health program. Students will have an opportunity to 1) explore global health issues in a city famous for its trade and finance; 2) engage in community-based projects in the birthplace of the Renaissance; and 3) discover individual passions for Public Health issues through interactive, project-based courses instructed by College of Charleston Public Health faculty members. Included in the program is a weekend trip to Rome, which will allow students to learn about Public Health issues impacting Italy’s capital city. Also included in the program are day trips to Bologna (for hands-on learning in the Medical Museum) and Siena (for cultural and economic learning opportunities). Italy, especially Florence, is known for its tourism and hospitality—students will have the opportunity to visit many historic monuments and museums, participate in cultural activities, and grow academically, professionally, and personally. Another unique feature of the program is that students will engage in a mandatory four-hour training prior to study abroad program. This training will include etiquette and protocol training tailored to the study abroad location before being on site. Students will also engage in a brief language training session to build basic Italian conversational skills. This program feature ensures that students will be culturally informed while traveling overseas and interacting with the local community. PROGRAM DIRECTORS: Dr. Andrea DeMaria Department of Health and Human Performance demariaa@cofc.edu 843-953-1035 Dr. DeMaria is Assistant Professor at the College of Charleston and Co-Director of the Women's Health Research Team (WHRT) where she investigates health issues specific to women and adolescent girls, promotes interdisciplinary research collaborations, and communicates research findings and health-related information to empower women and girls in our community, South Carolina, and beyond. She also serves as the Interim Associate Director of the Women's and Gender Studies Program, and instructs undergraduate courses in the Interdisciplinary Public Health Program at CofC. As an undergraduate student, Dr. DeMaria engaged in a six-week study abroad program in Florence, Italy sponsored by her academic institution, Purdue University. In addition to her study abroad experience, Dr. DeMaria has had the opportunity to present her research in Prague, Czech Republic and Vienna, Austria, and has spent time engaging in personal travels throughout other areas of the world, including many regions in Italy. Ms. Chelsea Demarest, M.P.H. Department of Health and Human Performance demarestcl@cofc.edu 843-953-6094 Ms. Demarest is a Visiting Instructor within the Interdisciplinary Public Health Program at CofC. She has instructed various courses including HEAL 230 (Global Health) and HEAL 325L (Health Promotion Lab). Ms. Demarest is also an etiquette and protocol consultant licensed through the Protocol School of Washington, and will provide students with etiquette and protocol information tailored to the study abroad location. Ms. Demarest has had the opportunity to visit Scotland, Ireland, France, England, Singapore, Malaysia, and Spain, and incorporates her personal experiences as well as first-hand public health examples into her teaching.
Quick Facts
Population: 61261254 Capital: Rome Per-capita GDP: $ 30900 Size: 301340 km2 Time Zone: (GMT + 01:00 hour) Brussels, Copenhagen, Madrid, Paris
US State Department
Travel Warning: YES See : Country Specific Info.