IFSA/Alliance Global and Public Health
English, Hindi
None
- Fall: April 15
- Spring: November 1
About Global and Public Health
Five miles from the Arabian Sea lies the college town of Manipal, an ideal location from which to study India's public health challenges and rich cultural heritage. Build a strong foundation in the health sciences alongside Indian peers, and visit local clinics at the forefront of health promotion, disease prevention, and even Ayurvedic medicine.
Global and Public Health Benefits
- Enroll directly in classes at premier Manipal University where you learn firsthand how to navigate the Indian higher education system
- Study in a similar setup to an American university – but in an Indian setting – with state-of-the-art academic, sport and exercise facilities
- Gain a 360-degree understanding of the India’s health system through weekly hands-on exposure at the village, town and district level
- Boost your resume by participating in a Directed Research project focused on a relevant topic of interest within the social or health sciences
- Live in the same housing as Indian students and select the roommate option to make fast friends and connections on campus
The IFSA-Butler Difference
Academics at Global and Public Health
REQUIRED COURSE
Contemporary Indian Culture (3 U.S. semester credit hours) This core course provides a political, historical, religious, philosophical, and social overview of contemporary Indian society and creates a shared intellectual context that promotes the integration of coursework with students' personal observations.
ELECTIVE COURSES: Some courses are designed especially for international students, while others may be integrated with Manipal University students. Not all electives may be offered in a given semester depending on enrollment and faculty availability. All are worth 3 U.S. semester credit hours.
Global and Public Health
These courses include weekly field-based practicums alongside other Manipal and international students drawn to the globally-ranked health sciences programs at one of India’s top private universities.
- Ayurveda and Indian Traditions of Healing
- Environment and Occupational Health (fall semester only)
- Maternal and Child Health
- Global Health Problems (spring semester only)
- Surveillance of Infectious Diseases
- Epidemiology in Developing Countries
- Public Health System and National Health Policies, Systems and Programs (fall semester only)
- Basic Epidemiology
Indian Studies
The following courses provides a multi-disciplinary look at India's past, present, and future. The university has drawn its most talented faculty from geopolitics, philosophy, European studies, and communications to teach specially-designed courses focusing on India and South Asia.
- Indian Classical Dance: This course focuses on basic disciplines and performance of Bharatanatyam, which originated many centuries ago in the temples of Tamil Nadu. Known for its strong lines and signature turn-out position, Bharatanatyam is embellished with intricately expressive hand gestures and elaborate facial expressions that lend to the story-telling aspect of this style.
- Directed Research: Students may conduct research with local organizations in the areas of international relations, public health, and the humanities. Guided readings and one-on-one meetings with faculty guides provide instruction pertaining to the development of articulate and comprehensive research that remains respectful to the sensitivities of local culture. The course culminates a specific pilot study in the field.
- Evolution of Cinema in India (fall semester only): Best known through the powerhouses of Bollywood, Indian films are produced in over 17 languages with a wide and diverse range of subjects and genres. Students become familiar with the basic elements of cinema and film appreciation, the origins of Indian cinema, influential Indian film directors, and the corporatization of the film industry.
- Beginning Hindi: With a focus on practical application of Hindi language, this course emphasizes speaking proficiency and listening comprehension, as well as elementary reading and writing of the Devanagari script.
- Regional Security Scenario in South Asia: In today's world, the strategic implications and inter-related security issues involved with current problems of communications and information must be dealt with in a holistic sense. Students examine the salient features and relevance of the complex issues affecting regional security in South Asia.
- Strategy and Practice of Indian Foreign Policy (fall semester only): The history and changing nature of India's foreign policy continues to inform the strategy and choices that India weighs while formulating its policies in dealing with foreign nations. This course is geared toward students who have a limited background in the strategy and practice of foreign policy in the Indian context.
- India's World View (fall semester only): This course addresses the views of the world on India and the reciprocal Indian view of the world. The uniqueness of conceptualizing and constructing a world view of India is essential in the context of India's rising power and how the traditional and stagnant views of India have been transforming and reconstructed in the light of India's rise.
- Environment and Development Communication: The course hopes to introduce students to the basics of environmentalism, ecosystem, threats to biodiversity and resources, international legal framework, movements and issues such as climate change and ozone layer depletion. Later, the course seeks to connect it with development models such as dominant and alternative paradigms. The students are introduce to different forms of media communication with reference to environment and development in the global context.
- Exploring Community & Culture in a Global Context: In addition to required and elective courses, Alliance students may participate in an exciting online course with a global cohort from IFSA locations around the world. Enrolling in this course brings your course load to, or above, 18 U.S. semester credit hours and requires approval from your study abroad advisor. Through a creative 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 cover topics such as intercultural communication skills, intercultural learning theories, tools for intercultural analysis and the development of personal strategies for engaging with differences of any kind following the study abroad experience. This course is ideal for students who seek transferable skills and specific competencies for successful work in the global marketplace. The asynchronous course format allows you to take part in online discussions, post responses, review peer contributions, submit your assignments, read materials and watch instructor videos at the time of day (or night) that best suits your personal schedule.
Every Friday, a public health professor from Manipal University leads IFSA/Alliance students on field visits that are directly linked to the curriculum. This hands-on exposure to India's system at the village, town, and district level helps them gain a 360-degree understanding of the successes and challenges of global public health.
- Seeing firsthand the issues of the Maternal and Child Healthcare at the Anganwadi in Malpe, a public health initiative which combines education and a nutritional program for children ages 3-6 years old.
- Learning about India's national Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme at the Udupi District Surveillance Unit, where infectious diseases are monitored.
- Comprehending the complexities of Tuberculosis treatment in India at the DOTS (Directly Observed Treatment, Short-Course) Center at Udupi.
- Visiting a Leprosy Hospital and its associated leprosy colony to meet with some of the last people affected by this disease.
- Observing the process that milk goes through from cow to lassi at a milk pasteurization plant.
DIRECTED RESEARCH
Students who choose to pursue directed research as an elective are paired with a faculty member appropriate to their academic area of interest, such as international relations, public health or the humanities, and are expected to produce a formal research paper. Research students have regular meetings with faculty guides in their subject area to discuss the formation and execution of their research plans. All directed research projects are subject to the interest and availability of faculty and may require prior relevant coursework. Browse a list of sample directed research projects. For more information, consult the Directed Research in International Relations, Public Health and Humanities syllabus. Browse a list of sample directed research projects.
- Dr. Sanjay M. Pattanshetty – MPH Program Coordinator, Department of Public Health
- Dr. Shah Hossain / Dr. Navya Vyas (Global Health Problems)
- Dr. Rajesh Kamath (Surveillance of Infectious Diseases)
- Dr. Arati Rao / Dr. Navya Vyas (Maternal and Child Health)
- Dr. Kumar Sumit (Public Health Systems and National Health Policies, Systems and Programs)
- Dr. Kumar Sumit / Dr. Prakash Narayanan Vasudevan Potty (Basic Epidemiology)
- Dr. Kumar Sumit (Environment and Occupational Health)
- Dr. K. J. Malagi – Head, Department of Ayurveda
- Dr. Anupama Nayak (Ayurveda and Indian Traditions of Healing)
- Dr. Nanda Kishor (Contemporary Indian Culture)
- Dr. Arvind Kumar (Directed Research)
- Prof. Thiru Jeevarathinam (Beginning Hindi)
Housing & Meals
The IFSA-Butler Team
IFSA-Butler has a dedicated team and staff who are here to help every student prepare and be ready to achieve their goals at every step of the way.
Program Advisor

Kerry Uniyal
Program Advisor, Australia, China, India, Israel
317-940-4248 kuniyal@ifsa-butler.org Read Full Bio Schedule Time to TalkFinance Advisor
Resident Director
Academic Affairs Director