308.860.98
SS/R: Introduction to Misinformation and Disinformation
Location
Barcelona, Spain
Term
2nd Term
Department
Health Policy and Management
Credit(s)
3
Academic Year
2025 - 2026
Instruction Method
In-person
Start Date
Monday, November 24, 2025
End Date
Wednesday, November 26, 2025
M, Tu, W, 8:30am - 6:00pm
Auditors Allowed
No
Available to Undergraduate
No
Grading Restriction
Letter Grade or Pass/Fail
Course Instructor(s)
Contact Name
Frequency Schedule
One Year Only
Resources
Prerequisite
No prerequisites for this course.
Enrollment Restriction
This course is not restricted.
The next pandemic isn’t just viral, it’s informational. Misinformation now shapes everything from public health to politics to climate action. This course gives students the frameworks and critical thinking tools they need to understand the infodemic as well strategies to push back. Learn to decode why misinformation spreads, who it harms, and what we can do about it in an era where facts alone aren't enough.
Explores the scope, sources, and systems that allows misinformation to flourish, with particular attention to its psychological, technological, and political foundations. Examines cross-cutting case studies including vaccine hesitancy, climate denialism, and political disinformation, to understand how misinformation operates across domains, how it is measured (often poorly), and what makes certain communities more vulnerable to its harms. Takes a systems-level view: how misinformation moves through algorithms, narratives, and power structures, and how public health professionals can respond, rather than focusing solely on communication tactics.
Learning Objectives
Upon successfully completing this course, students will be able to:
- Analyze the cognitive, social, structural mechanisms that drive misinformation, using historical and current case studies.
- Identify key vulnerabilities in public health systems and audiences that allow misinformation to persist.
Upon successfully completing this course, students will be able to:
Methods of Assessment
This course is evaluated as follows:
- 20% Participation
- 25% Reflection
- 25% Group Presentation
- 30% Final Paper
This course will be offered over 3 days onsite in Barcelona Spain. Students must travel to Spain to participate. No online or virtual options are available. Some readings required in advance of the first class session.