Health Advocacy and Humanitarian Systems

The health advocacy and humanitarian systems program deepens students’ understanding of health and social change. The program’s mission is to foster future community and organizational leaders, and to prepare them to shape the policies and systems that impact individual, community and global health outcomes. Salem offers a bachelor of arts in health advocacy and humanitarian systems as well as a minor in health advocacy and humanitarian systems.

Students in the health advocacy and humanitarian systems program evaluate the influence of history and political systems on the social determinants of health and  health-related policies, participate in issue advocacy campaigns and explore different pathways for impacting systems change. Students learn by doing in the program, which ensures that they evaluate history and theory in light of the real world. Through this work, they develop knowledge and skills focused on creating innovative policy solutions grounded in community experience, data analysis and strategies for advocating effectively for systems change.

• Students in the health advocacy and humanitarian systems program participate in semester long internships with organizations such as the Forsyth County Department of Public Health.
• The students’ Senior Capstone Project is a system change project focused on issues such as mental health access, sustainable public housing and health equity.

Program graduates become health advocates who use the prism of gender, race, and class to transform systems of care and strengthen communities. As such, they are well-equipped to excel in careers in a variety of settings including:

• Community health nonprofits
• Global humanitarian nonprofits
• Health Advocacy organizations
• Health Education organizations
• Healthcare think tanks and research organizations

In addition, graduates work to bring health advocacy perspectives to organizations outside traditional health fields.