SUMMER STUDY ABROAD PROGRAM

GLOBAL HEALTH (GHANA)


A 4-credit Global Field Engagement Course in Ghana

AT A GLANCE

  • Global Field Engagement Course
  • Disciplinary Track: Global Health
  • Study Abroad Destination: Ghana
  • 2026 Dates: June 6-26 (3 weeks)
  • Credit: 4 U.S. credit hours (~ 8 ECTS credits) for eligible university students
  • Eligibility: Any field and level of study

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PROGRAM OVERVIEW

Engage with global health challenges in Ghana
Global health challenges are increasingly shaped by global interdependence - yet they are always experienced locally. This Global Field Experience in Ghana invites students to explore how health systems, social determinants, and cultural contexts intersect in a dynamic West African setting. Through a combination of academic coursework, field-based learning, and guided reflection, students examine pressing global health issues while developing the competencies needed to engage ethically and effectively across cultures.

Built around GEI’s Global Health curriculum, the program integrates six core thematic modules - including the global burden of disease, health systems and governance, infectious and non-communicable diseases, mental health, maternal and child health, and migration. Students complement classroom learning with community-engaged experiences alongside local partners, gaining grounded insight into how global health principles are applied in practice within Ghana’s health landscape.
Program Highlights
  • A 3-week, credit-bearing Global Field Engagement course
  • Coursework grounded in global health theory, ethics, and systems thinking
  • Community-engaged learning with local health-related organizations
  • Exposure to both urban and community-level health contexts
  • Guided reflection focused on cultural intelligence and ethical engagement
  • Instruction by GEI faculty and local experts with regional experience
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ACADEMICS

Program Structure
The Global Field Engagement Course in Global Health is an intensive, 4-credit program spanning three weeks plus pre-program eLearning. Students undergo a transformative learning journey, engaging with critical global issues through an interdisciplinary approach. The program is delivered in a sequence that builds from theoretical understanding to practical, hands-on experience. This progression ensures that students not only learn about global issues but also apply their knowledge in real-world settings.
Learning Outcomes
By program's end, students will:
  • Analyze global health systems and challenges using Ghana as a case study
  • Conduct field-based inquiry in collaboration with peers and local stakeholders
  • Apply theoretical frameworks to real-world health issues in cross-cultural contexts
  • Reflect on personal and professional growth through critical dialogue
  • Synthesize learning in a digital portfolio that demonstrates key competencies
Further Details
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YOUR DESTINATION: GHANA

Ghana is a dynamic West African country known for its political stability, rich cultural heritage, and strong tradition of civic engagement. Shaped by regional leadership and global connections, the country offers a compelling context for experiential learning across disciplines, where tradition and innovation coexist. For GEI participants, Ghana provides an opportunity to engage thoughtfully with local communities and institutions, gaining insight into how global systems intersect with everyday life in a contemporary African setting.

UNIQUE EXPERIENCES

A defining feature of the Global Health program in Ghana is its emphasis on learning with communities rather than observing from a distance. Students engage with local organizations, health practitioners, and community partners to better understand how health challenges are identified, prioritized, and addressed within specific cultural and institutional contexts. These engagements are designed collaboratively, ensuring reciprocity and alignment with local needs and expertise.

The program's community-engaged learning project allows students to apply global health frameworks in real-world settings. Working in teams and under guidance from GEI faculty and local partners, students contribute to ongoing initiatives related to health education, service delivery, or systems analysis. The focus is not on "solving" problems, but on learning how ethical, sustainable health interventions are designed and implemented in practice.
Throughout the program, students participate in structured reflection and cultural intelligence training, examining questions of ethics, power, and positionality in global health work. These reflective components are integrated into coursework and field activities, helping students critically assess their assumptions and better understand their role as emerging global health professionals.

Finally, Ghana's rich cultural heritage and contemporary social landscape provide an essential backdrop for learning beyond the classroom. Through site visits, local interactions, and facilitated discussions, students gain a deeper appreciation for how history, culture, and community shape health outcomes - reinforcing the program's core commitment to contextualized, transformative learning.
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HOUSING & MEALS

The program includes 3 weeks in Ghana. For this time, GEI Ghana offers different housing options that students can choose from, pending availability. These include:
  • Homestays: Typically single rooms, with shared bathroom, and access to a kitchen and living room
  • Serviced apartments: Single or shared double rooms, with shared bathroom, and access to a kitchen and living room
  • University residence halls at our local partner universities: Shared double rooms, with shared bathroom and no kitchen facilities
  • Simple guesthouses: Shared double rooms, with shared bathroom and no kitchen facilities


Homestay host families typically provide breakfast and dinner. Students in serviced apartments, university residence halls, or guesthouses are usually responsible for all meals outside of core course meals.

You can find additional information in the following blog post: Accommodation – What to expect.

DATES, FEES, AND SCHOLARSHIPS

Program Dates

Application Due Date

Fees

Summer 2026 (3 weeks): June 6-26

April 1, 2026

Summer 2026: US $3,650 (3 weeks)

At GEI, we strongly believe in equal access to academic opportunities in study abroad. In order to help eliminate financial barriers, we offer a variety of merit scholarships, trailblazer scholarships, and opportunity scholarships and grants, ranging from $500 to full tuition awards. Each year, GEI is awarding several hundred thousand dollars in scholarships. You can find further information as well as additional resources for external funding opportunities in the following blog post: Scholarships & Grants.

GHANA

STAFF

All of our staff are highly experienced and resourceful professionals.
Henry Azanu, BA
Center Director
Michael Williams, PhD
Aya Centre

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