The Certificate in Medical Humanities provides students with an interdisciplinary understanding of health, illness, medicine, and healthcare through the perspectives of the humanities and social sciences. The certificate complements programs in the health professions and sciences by helping students develop the critical thinking, communication, ethical reasoning, and cultural awareness necessary for effective healthcare practice and informed engagement with health-related issues.
Students explore how individuals and societies experience health and illness through disciplines such as literature, communication, philosophy, history, psychology, sociology, and the arts. Coursework examines topics including patient-provider communication, medical ethics, health disparities, cultural perspectives on health, narratives of illness, and the social and historical contexts that shape healthcare systems and practices.
The certificate is designed for students pursuing careers in medicine, nursing, counseling, public health, healthcare administration, and related fields, as well as students interested in the human dimensions of health and healthcare. Through interdisciplinary study, students gain a deeper appreciation of the lived experiences of patients, families, and healthcare professionals while strengthening skills in empathy, reflection, ethical decision-making, and collaborative problem-solving.
| Select Four of the Following: | 12 | |
| The Humanity of Healthcare | ||
| Co-Creating Across Generations | ||
| Nutrition and Disease: Evolutionary and Cultural Perspectives | ||
| Literature and Medicine | ||
| Writing in the Health Professions | ||
| Art and Human Experience | ||
| Bioethics | ||
| Social Psychology | ||
| Medical Anthropology | ||
| Total Hours | 12 | |