Global Health with International Field Experience

Examine the healthcare systems, public health initiatives, emergency response capabilities, and other factors that influence access to care for the Dominican Republic's population.

Highlights

• Travel to the Dominican Republic during Spring Break and visit rural communities to explore how cultural dynamics and available resources affect access to and strategies for delivering health care services.
• Visit medical facilities, emergency response organizations, and schools to meet with local healthcare providers, first responders, educators, and children from both Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
• Meet with students at English language schools to learn more about each other’s cultures and deliver educational public health lessons.
• Explore the natural beauty and history of the Dominican Republic, including the famous white sand and turquoise waters of Eagle's Bay Beach - considered one of the most beautiful beaches in the world and historic Santo Domingo.
  
  No Spanish language is required - the program is taught in English.

This program examines various aspects of public health and healthcare systems. You will explore the role that culture, traditions, religious beliefs, available resources, and other social determinants of health play in disease and injury prevention strategies and access to healthcare services. Throughout the course, you will research public health efforts and healthcare systems in the Dominican Republic, culminating in a spring break trip to the Dominican Republic for an immersive educational and research experience. Students will record daily video journals during their time in the Dominican Republic, create research posters, and deliver a PowerPoint presentation to summarize their research findings and overall experience on the trip.

Students will stay in shared hotel rooms while in the Dominican Republic.

Course Term: Spring course at RIT, travel to the Dominican Republic over Spring Break
Travel Dates: March 7-14, 2026
Credits: 3

Course Details:

• GLPH-455: Global Healthcare Delivery with International Field Experience

Students will be enrolled in a spring course at RIT and will travel to the Dominican Republic over spring break. Course may count as a major elective, Global Public Health minor credit, perspective, or free elective.

Pre-requisites: GLPH-101: Intro to Public Health and/or MEDS/GLPH-355: Intro to Global Health.

Open to all undergraduate majors (who meet pre-req), all year levels, and graduate students (2.5 cumulative GPA or above).

Application deadline: October 19, 2025

Program Cost & Financial Aid

Program Cost: Student budget worksheet - Global Health Dominican Republic Spring/Spring Break 2026 - outlines all program costs.

Financial Aid:
Financial aid may cover some program costs. As you review the budget worksheet, please remember that it does not include your RIT financial aid or scholarships, which may cover some of the program costs. The purpose of the budget worksheet is to show all the costs associated with your study abroad program, which will help your RIT Financial Aid Assistant Director determine how your aid and scholarships may be applied. 

To understand how your financial aid and scholarships may apply to your program costs:

• Download a copy of the budget worksheet (link above)
• Make an appointment with your financial aid assistant director (call Financial Aid at 585-475-2186) and mention that you are calling for a study abroad appointment
• Upload a copy of your budget worksheet(s) via the Financial Aid upload portal at https://join.rit.edu/register/FA_upload (at least 48 hours prior to your scheduled meeting, so they have time to prepare). For the type of document you are providing, select “Other Financial Aid Forms and Documentation” in the Financial Aid portal.
  • Please rename the file name of your budget worksheet before uploading it to the Financial Aid portal based on the instructions provided in the portal (adding your name and student ID)

To find out the name of your financial aid assistant director for your degree program visit: https://www.rit.edu/admissions/aid/contact#counseling-team

We recommend you meet with Financial Aid before the application deadline so you understand how your aid will apply. The RIT financial aid office is located in Bausch and Lomb Center (Bldg. 77), 2nd floor, 2125.

Scholarships:

• RIT Education Abroad Travel Grants ($500-$1,000)
  All students with pending applications in the RIT Study Abroad Compass for this program will be automatically considered for an RIT Education Abroad Travel Grant. You will be informed of your scholarship status shortly after the application deadline. Scholarships are awarded based on financial need, as determined by financial aid and your FAFSA on file.

• Additional Scholarships
  RIT scholarships and national scholarships for study abroad are good options to explore for scholarship funding. Make sure you are checking scholarship eligibility requirements and take note of scholarship deadlines. 

To Apply

Applications are currently closed (application deadline has been reached)

Watch this video, which goes over all important application steps for RIT Faculty-Led Programs. Use the faculty-led application checklist to make sure you are completing all application steps.

Contact

John Oliphant
Instructional Faculty and Program Director Global Public Health
College of Health Sciences and Technology
jboscl@rit.edu

Jallah Kennedy
Adjunct Faculty
College of Health Sciences and Technology
jmkgph@rit.edu