The annual USC Global Health Case Competition brings together teams of students from all disciplines, and from across the university, to tackle a critical global health challenge. This year, the competition will take place virtually on March 6, 2026.
Learn more about the USC Global Health Case Competition
Winning teams receive prizes!
- 1st Place Team: $500
- 2nd Place Team: $250
- 3rd Place Team: $100
The 1st place winning team will also be funded to represent USC at the virtual Emory Morningside Global Health Case Competition. The USC team will compete against other universities from around the world for a chance to win the cash grand prize!
Important Dates:
- Virtual Mixer for all interested individuals: 12:00 PM PST Tuesday, February 3, 2026,
- Team Registration Deadline: 11:59 PM PST Friday, February 13, 2026
- Case Distribution: 9:00 AM PST Friday, February 20, 2026
- Teams Prepare Presentations: Friday, February 20 – Friday, March 6, 2026
- USC Global Health Case Competition: Friday, March 6, 2026
- Emory Morningside Global Health Case Competition: March 18-27, 2026 (Competition Dates) and March 27, 2026 (Final Round Presentations)
Additional Information:
- Individuals who are interested should attend the Virtual Mixer.
- Teams must register to compete in the USC Global Health Case Competition with the names and school affiliations of each team member.
- Each team will have exactly two weeks to prepare their proposals and presentations.
- Teams will be asked to prepare a multi-disciplinary response to a hypothetical case on a pressing global health topic. All teams will present their proposals virtually to a panel of 3 or more expert judges from USC and other external organizations. Finalist teams will present a second time, with the chance of winning a reward payment.
- Your team must be available for the full competition day on March 6, 2026. The competition will run from 9:00am-3:00pm.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Please read through our FAQ to see if your question has been addressed. If you still have a question, please email both Caroline Diamond at cd24422@usc.edu and Kaitlin Cheng at kcheng25@usc.edu.
Eligibility
How do we meet the requirement of school representation?
- Teams must comprise five members from at least three USC schools. All graduate and undergraduate students, and both on-campus and online students, are eligible to participate in the case competition. To ensure multidisciplinary responses to global health problems, team composition is determined by major and by school. Many combinations are possible. For example, a team may be comprised of 3 students from Dornsife, 1 student from Keck, and 1 student from Viterbi. A minor cannot be considered an additional USC school. If you have questions about your team’s eligibility, contact Caroline Diamond at cd24422@usc.edu.
Can my minor count as representation from a different school?
- A minor cannot be considered an additional USC school. We encourage you to have as diverse a team as possible to be competitive and provide an interdisciplinary response and presentation for the Case Competition.
I have a double major and am affiliated with two different USC schools. Can I use either of them to count toward school representation?
- Yes, you can use either school to count toward school representation.
Is it possible to compete with less than five students?
- No, your team must have five members. If you are having difficulty recruiting members, please reach out to IIGH to connect you with other folks who may be looking for a team.
Can I participate if I’m not a student at USC?
- The USC Global Health Case Competition is open only to students currently registered at USC. Please be sure to register your team using your @usc.edu email.
Case
Can we consult professors about our case?
- Mentoring sessions with IIGH faculty are your primary opportunity to consult people external to your team, but you can of course consult with any faculty that you’d like. Please prioritize the expertise among your teammates and online/print sources available to you.
Can we refer to past cases as an example of what to expect?
- Our YouTube channel has recordings from past Case Competition finalist teams.
Competition Day
What time do we need to be available on the day? How much time should I block off?
- We ask students to set aside the time frame of 9:00 am to 3:00 pm for the Case Competition because students may be scheduled to log on to Zoom at varying points in the day.
I have a conflict on Friday, March 6. Could you schedule my team’s presentation for a time that works for my schedule?
- Due to the varying times in the Case Competition schedule, and the amount of student involvement (knowing that each student has their own schedule and commitments), IIGH cannot accommodate any particular individual’s schedule. We recommend blocking off from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm to ensure flexibility and availability for the event.
Emory Global Health Case Competition
For the team selected to participate in the virtual Emory Global Health Case Competition, which takes place from March 18 to March 27, when will that team be expected to attend?
- The competition runs from March 18-27, 2026, with teams managing their own work schedules during this period. Teams may dedicate as much time as they choose to developing their case solutions.
- During the competition week, each team will participate in a one-hour virtual session with a case advisor who will provide feedback on the team’s draft proposal. Student team members may also consult external experts for general input; however, all analysis, strategy development, and final recommendations must be generated independently by the student team.
- Learn more here: globalhealth.emory.edu/programs/case-competitions/international/index.html
Register for the Virtual Mixer: tinyurl.com/2026virtualmixer
Register your team for the USC Case Competition: tinyurl.com/2026USCGHCaseCompetition
Recap from 2025
The 2025 USC Global Health Case Competition first-place team, Students for a Better Tomorrow, represented USC at the annual Emory Morningside Global Health Case Competition, where they addressed a case titled “SHEROSE for a Cervical Cancer-Free Kenya: Eliminating Cervical Cancer as a Public Health Problem in Kenya.”
Watch the videos below to hear firsthand accounts from past participants as they share their experiences in recent USC Global Health Case Competitions.