Medical Humanities Minor

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The minor is open without application to students across the College of Arts and Sciences, SFS, SOH, SON, and MSB, and is available (with instructor permission) to graduate and medical student auditors.

The interdisciplinary minor gives students the opportunity to examine the social, cultural, ethical, and historical facets of health and disease across areas such as history of medicine and public health, literature and medicine, bioethics, medical anthropology and sociology, science and technology studies, environmental health humanities, and visual and performing arts. In an era of global health challenges—from pandemics to health disparities—students develop critical frameworks to analyze how medicine and healthcare intersect with cultural contexts, historical grounding, and human experience. This interdisciplinary approach prepares future healthcare providers, researchers, and policymakers to address complex health challenges with both analytical rigor and human understanding.

Requirements for the Minor

The minor requires 18 total credits / six total courses (two core courses and four electives) and is designed to provide students with a firm foundation in the field while developing their capacity to conduct original research. Up to 3 credits can be fulfilled by 1-credit courses.

Course Offerings

Core Courses

• MHUM-1101: Introduction to Medical Humanities
• MHUM-4960: Senior Capstone Seminar in Medical Humanities

Elective Courses

Students must complete four electives, selecting from Medical Humanities courses or approved cross-listed courses from other departments. The list of approved courses is updated each semester.

This list is not meant to be exhaustive. If students identify other courses that provide significant opportunities to engage with the medical humanities, they should present them to the Director for approval.