THEO 3223 The Ethics of Global Public Health and the Common Good

Global public health is both an urgent good and a needed right that is integral to a vision of just society. The course studies, first, the ethical issues raised by global public health (from epidemics and pandemics to poverty and underdevelopment); second, the ethical approaches to address them (from rights to the common good); third, concrete solutions and praxes. International examples from Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas help to identify the ethical agenda and to implement it. The course's readings, analyses, and proposals engage: health sciences, anthropology, social sciences, philosophical and theological bioethical discourses, and social doctrine by considering, among others, Catholic and Protestant contributions.

Course overview

Department
Theology
School
Boston College
Credits
3
Level
Undergraduate
Offered
Periodically in the Spring

Requirements fulfilled

Requirement eligibility can vary by school, cohort, and section. Confirm the selected section in EagleApps or with an advisor.

Course evaluations

Response-weighted averages from Boston College’s official course evaluations (Avalanche/Blue).

Course rating
3.91 / 5 · Very Good
34 responses
Instructor rating
4.24 / 5 · Very Good
34 responses
Terms evaluated
1
Most recent: Spring 2022

Scales: overall ratings run from 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent); agreement questions from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree); weekly effort from 1 (up to 1 hour) to 5 (10 or more hours).

Evaluations by term and instructor
TermInstructorCourse overallInstructor overallWell organizedClear learning objectivesIntellectually challengingHelpful assignmentsApplicable beyond courseAttendance necessaryWeekly effortResponses
Spring 2022Andrea Vicini3.94.24.64.54.14.14.44.21–3 hrs/week34 of 49

Data freshness

Course and evaluation data last updated 2026-10-09. Source details and limitations are documented in Data Sources and Methodology.

Instructors

Sections

  • Section 01
    Spring 2027 · Andrea Vicini · Hayden Hall Room 229 Tu 04:30PM-06:50PM · Offered