2016-2017 Undergraduate & Graduate Catalog
Certificate in Medical Humanities
Medical humanities is a multidisciplinary investigation of medical and health related topics. This certificate program allows students pursuing careers in health or health related majors, premedicine, nursing, athletic training, child life, and social work to broaden their understanding of medicine and health by incorporating the diverse perspectives of a variety of disciplines in the liberal arts and sciences. Students must earn a bachelor's degree to earn this certificate. Completion of courses in the student's plan of study will result in award of the certificate in medical humanities. This shall be noted on the student's official university transcript. Students must apply for an audit for a nonteaching certificate upon completion.
Requirements for a Certificate in Medical Humanities
The Medical Humanities requires 11-12 credits from the courses listed below. No more than two courses can have the same department prefix. Students can only apply two courses from the certificate toward a major and another two to a minor.
Certificate Core Course
Elective Courses
The additional 8-9 credits are to be completed by taking one course from each of the three course categories:
- Perspectives on Human Health and Development
- Perspectives Related to End of Life
- Ethics in Health and Medicine
Perspectives on Human Health and Development
- AHS 352 - Introduction to Holistic Health Care Credits: 3
- ANT 320 - Culture and Disease Credits: 3
- COM 209 - Health Communication Systems Credits: 3
- LIB 325 - LGBTQ Identities Credits: 3
- PED 206 - Self-Health and Wellness Credits: 2
- PSY 367 - Health Psychology Credits: 3
- SOC 286 - Sociology of Health Care Credits: 3
- WGS 335 - Women, Health and Environment Credits: 3
Perspectives Related to End of Life
- ANT 316 - Death, Burial, and Culture Credits: 3
- ENG 386 - Literary Responses to Death and Dying Credits: 3
- LIB 314 - Life Journeys Credits: 3
- NUR 344 - Healthy Aging: A Lifelong Journey Credits: 3
- NUR 354 - Living with Life-Limiting Illness Credits: 3
- PHI 341 - Philosophy of Death and Dying Credits: 3
- SOC 386 - Death and Dying Credits: 3
- SOC 388 - Middle Age and Aging Credits: 3
Ethics in Health and Medicine
- BIO 328 - Biomedical Ethics Credits: 3
- BMS 222 - Introduction to Public Health Credits: 3 OR BMS 223 - Public Health Concepts (3 credits)
- COM 438 - Communication Ethics Credits: 3
- PHI 325 - Ethics in Professional Life Credits: 3
- PLS 310 - Politics and Health Policy Credits: 3
With permission, additional special topics courses can be counted toward the medical humanities certificate.
Transfer Students
A maximum of two courses can be credited by transfer toward completion of the medical humanities certificate. Students must complete at least two of the courses for the certificate at GVSU.