Dalla Lana School of Public Health

Global Migration and Health

Course Description

Over the past several decades, the reorganization of production and labour markets resulting from economic globalization, widening socio-economic inequities, conflict, natural disasters, environmental degradation and, more recently, climate change have combined to become increasingly significant forces shaping both internal and international migratory fluxes.

CHL5113H adopts an interdisciplinary approach, incorporating scholarly work from the fields of public health, the social sciences, history, law, and human rights, to introduce students to human migration as an increasingly significant global phenomenon and a major structural determinant of health. Impacted by and interacting with other structural determinants of health, migration influences the health status of those who move and of individuals, communities, and entire societies in countries of origin, transit, and resettlement.

NOTE: CHL5113H is cross-listed with the fourth-year undergraduate course HST405H1 – Global Migration and Health, which is part of the Health Studies Program at University College. While graduate and undergraduate students share time in the classrooms, CHL5113H is designed to be a relevant graduate course and the two courses have separate syllabi and different sets of assignments. When discrepancies occur, CHL5113H will follow the undergraduate schedule regarding the course start date and reading break.

Course Objectives

At the end of this course, you will be able to:

1. Define key terms, explain core concepts, and recognize the essential features of the human migration phenomenon
2. Recognize the role of migration as a structural determinant of health and its interactions with other determinants
3. Recall, summarize, and contrast some of the major alternative theories of migration
4. Apply critical, practical and creative thinking to the analysis of specific migration & health issues; and,
5. Locate and assess additional resources and identify further opportunities for personal and professional development in the migration & health field

Methods of Assessment

Active participation	20%
In-class mini essays (individual assignments)	30%
In-class presentation (group assignment)	20%
Final essay (group assignment)	30%