The Global Health WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) Certificate is a project that Drexel implemented in partnership with the Desert Research Institute of the University of Nevada, Reno and the non-governmental aid organization World Vision International to build the capacity of field staff working in the WASH sector in low-income countries.

The partnership, launched in 2015, combines online courses, face-to-face instruction and field and laboratory work in Africa, and complements the Dornsife Global Development Scholars program that places Drexel students in World Vision country offices to support research and implementation of WASH and related activities.

World Vision WASH staff enroll in an 18-credit certificate at Drexel that includes coursework on the following subjects:

1. Monitoring and Evaluation
2. Hygiene Promotion
3. WASH-Related Behavior Change
4. Global Issues in Sanitation

The courses emphasize the cross-cutting aspects of implementing WASH programs, and require an understanding of engineering, environmental science, public health, communications, social work and advocacy.

The program ends with a capstone research project, where students apply their coursework to a research question related to their professional interests and responsibilities.

The program is designed to foster collaboration, with students from different World Vision offices sharing their experiences and learning through hands-on instruction to fully understand the interconnections between the components of WASH, the environment and public health challenges.

The program also draws upon faculty from African universities and government officials who are engaged as guest lecturers with the objective of strengthening local partnerships between higher education institutions, government, and international aid programs.

To date, Drexel has enrolled over 200 World Vision staff from over 30 countries in the program.

For more information visit the Desert Research Institute.