Program Areas & Curriculum

Graduate students in GLOBES enroll in a home department in which they pursue their Ph.D. degrees. Participating Notre Dame departments include Biological Sciences, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Economics and Econometrics, Philosophy, History, History and Philosophy of Science, and Theology. The Department of Anthropology is also an active participant in GLOBES, but does not have a formal Ph.D. program. Students interested in anthropology can enroll in the Department of Biological Sciences and be co-advised by faculty from both Biology and Anthropology.

Morning Camp Site

In addition to taking elective courses in their home Ph.D. programs, GLOBES fellows participate in:

  1. Field research projects that group students and faculty into interdisciplinary research teams investigating issues concerning environmental health, infectious diseases, and invasive species on-site in North America, China, West Africa, Bali, and Haiti.
  2. A new series of cross-disciplinary gateway courses and seminars covering such topics as "Environment, Human Well-being and Governance," "Human Culture and Genes," "Disease Ecology," "Biodiversity and Law," and "Science, Technology and Values."
  3. Summer modules that provide practical, hands-on experience with techniques ranging from genomics to policy, economics, ethics, and risk assessment analysis.
  4. Training on campus and in Washington, D.C. to hone teaching, communication, policy, and leadership skills.
  5. Dr. Austin Demby at NDEERStudent-led seminars and symposia organized around seminal GLOBES topics dealing with issues in human and environmental health.

The GLOBES curriculum leads to a myriad of educational experiences and career opportunities for students. On the ground, with boots on, participants face the realities of addressing critical environmental and health problems. They acquire real-world knowledge and skills as well as a fluency in the languages of biology, the social sciences and the humanities. Armed with a global perspective and the ability to engage in meaningful dialogue at many levels, GLOBES students are well prepared to be tomorrow's leaders.