2025-2026 General Catalog
Source: https://catalog.ucdavis.edu/departments-programs-degrees/plant-pathology/global-disease-biology-bs/ Parent: https://catalog.ucdavis.edu/departments-programs-degrees/#programsanddegreestext
150 Hutchison Hall; 530-754-2281; gdb-advise@ucdavis.edu; Global Disease Biology
Advisor. Grace Gomez
Major Program
Approach
The Global Disease Biology (GDB) major offers students the opportunity to study disease and its relationship to the health of people, animals, plants, and the environment. The program uses an integrated approach to advance student understanding of the concept(s) of disease, the societal and personal impacts of past, present and future diseases, and the science behind disease discoveries, causes, evolution, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. The program recognizes the interconnectedness of people, animals, plants, and the environment and aims to identify and address the fundamental causes of poor health around the world. Managing global disease problems requires a multifaceted, holistic approach to address the full spectrum of human, animal, plant, and environmental health risks (also known as a One Health approach). Throughout a series of core courses, issues related to human, animal, and plant health, along with tools available to solve these problems, will be introduced to provide students with real-world scenarios in which they can apply and advance their creative and critical thinking skills. The major prepares graduates with the knowledge, leadership skills and experiences required to excel in professions associated with global health, the environment, food safety and security, biological safety and security, and health policy. For more information, see Global Disease Biology.
Program
The Global Disease Biology major provides students with broad preparatory scientific course work, global disease biology core classes, flexibility in upper division electives, and a strong research experience.
Global Disease Biology core classes are intended to be transdisciplinary and focus on concepts that cut across human, animal, and plant diseases offering a unifying ecological and quantitative perspective on disease.
Flexible upper division electives are known as Restricted Electives, which allow students to plan their chosen emphasis of study as part of a required discussion course (GDB 187) and in consultation with their advisor. Students will draw from many undergraduate courses currently offered on disease and health in a way that compliments the core courses required for the Global Disease Biology major. You can read more about these electives in the Guide to GBD Restricted Electives.
Strong research experience is acquired in a senior research project, called the GDB Practicum, which each student designs to bridge the disciplines of the major. You can learn more about the Practicum project requirement by reading the Guide to the GBD Practicum.
Internships & Careers
The program and interests of each student in solving societal problems guides students to a range of internship and career choices. On and off-campus internship opportunities are available in research laboratories, in field situations, with governmental agencies, with private industry, and in international programs. A degree in Global Disease Biology prepares graduates with the knowledge, leadership skills and experiences required to excel in a vast array of professions associated with areas such as healthcare, medicine, public health, health policy, food safety and security, and nature conservation, as each relates to disease and health of people, animals, plants and the environment in developing and developed countries.
Learn more about our alumni on our GDB Blog and Facebook page!
Faculty
Includes members of the Departments of Plant Pathology in the College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, and School of Medicine.
Lead Faculty Advisor
Johan H.J. Leveau, Ph.D., Professor (Plant Pathology)
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