Certificate in Health and Medical Humanities
Only available to currently enrolled Drexel students.
About the Program
The certificate program in Health and Medical Humanities is designed for students majoring in any of the biological sciences and health professions including biomedical engineering, nursing, and public health as well as non-health-related majors such as those found in the humanities and the social sciences with the aim of promoting dialogue and mutual appreciation for various approaches to health-related issues.
The wide range of applicable courses within designated disciplines fosters an interdisciplinary context for investigating the many challenges within medicine and caregiving. This format, in turn, encourages students to explore illness, disability, dying, and healing as human experiences and to evaluate some of the limitations of an exclusively scientific perspective on medical practice and research.
The program director will help students choose courses best suited for their personal and professional interests. Note that most courses applicable to the program also fulfill humanities electives for other majors and that courses may change as departments offer more options. Students will receive periodic updates notifying them of additional course offerings.
Opportunities
Those students who successfully complete the program will receive a certificate in Health and Medical Humanities. This certificate highlights the student’s proficiency in an interdisciplinary approach to health-related issues not easily attainable through isolated courses. The series of courses that make up the certificate program are also helpful in preparing for the humanities sections of the MCAT.
Program Requirements
Required Courses | ||
ENGL 370 | Topics in Literature and Medicine | 3.0 |
ENGL 470 | Capstone Seminar in Health and Medical Humanities | 3.0 |
PHIL 355 | Philosophy of Medicine | 3.0 |
Select one of the following ethics courses: | 3.0 | |
Biomedical Ethics and Law | ||
Health-Care Ethics I | ||
Advanced Health-Care Ethics | ||
Health Technology and Ethical Responsibility | ||
Ethics in Health Care Research | ||
Public Health Ethics | ||
Ethics | ||
Biomedical Ethics | ||
Select two courses from the following: | 6.0 | |
Biotechnology | ||
Literature & Science | ||
Medicine Before Germs | ||
Technology in Historical Perspective | ||
Evolution of Health Care in the United States | ||
Health Care across Cultures | ||
Health and Vulnerable Populations | ||
Women and the Health Professions | ||
Health-Care Law | ||
Health, Illness, and the Arts | ||
Health and Illness in Film | ||
Public Health 101 | ||
Overview of Issues in Global Health | ||
Introduction to Health & Human Rights | ||
Health Inequality | ||
Philosophy of Sex & Love | ||
Philosophy of Science | ||
Cross-Cultural Psychology | ||
Death and Dying | ||
Health Psychology | ||
Women's Health Psychology | ||
Introduction to Science, Technology, and Society | ||
Sex and Society | ||
Sociology of Health and Illness | ||
Sociology of Aging | ||
Sociology of Global Health | ||
Social Networks and Health | ||
Story Medicine | ||
Life is Beautiful | ||
Total Credits | 18.0 |
Writing-Intensive Course Requirements
In order to graduate, all students must pass three writing-intensive courses after their freshman year. Two writing-intensive courses must be in a student's major. The third can be in any discipline. Students are advised to take one writing-intensive class each year, beginning with the sophomore year, and to avoid “clustering” these courses near the end of their matriculation. Transfer students need to meet with an academic advisor to review the number of writing-intensive courses required to graduate.
A "WI" next to a course in this catalog may indicate that this course can fulfill a writing-intensive requirement. For the most up-to-date list of writing-intensive courses being offered, students should check the Writing Intensive Course List at the University Writing Program. Students scheduling their courses can also conduct a search for courses with the attribute "WI" to bring up a list of all writing-intensive courses available that term.
Additional Information
For more information, contact the program director:
Stacey Ake, PhD (Biology), PhD (Philosophy)
Department of English and Philosophy
sea29@drexel.edu