2019-2020 Undergraduate & Graduate Catalog
Certificate in Medical and Health Humanities
Medical and health 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 be degree-seeking students to receive the certificate. The certificate will be awarded at the same time as the degree is awarded. All undergraduate certificates have received Higher Learning Commission approval, and students are eligible for financial aid because they are seeking a degree. 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. Visit this webpage for the certificate request form: www.gvsu.edu/s/Ml/.
Requirements for a Certificate in Medical and Health Humanities
The medical and humanities certificate requires 11 to 12 credits from the courses listed as follows. 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.
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.
Certificate Core Course
- HST 370 - History of Medicine and Health Credits: 3 (I-H, SWS)
Elective Courses
The additional eight to nine 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
I = Issues courses: I-H = Humanities, I-I = Identity, I-HR = Human Rights, I-S = Sustainability
Certificate Checklist (11 to 12 Credits):
______ Core Course: HST 370 - History of Medicine and Health
______ Perspectives on Human Health and Development course: _____________
______ Perspectives Related to End of Life course: _____________
______ Ethics in Health and Medicine course: _____________
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 Identity (I-I)
- PED 206 - Self-Health and Wellness Credits: 2
- PSY 364 - Life Span Developmental Psychology Credits: 3
- PSY 367 - Health Psychology Credits: 3 Health (I-H)
- SOC 286 - Sociology of Health Care Credits: 3
- WGS 335 - Women, Health and Environment Credits: 3 Sustainability (I-S)
Perspectives Related to End of Life
- ENG 386 - Literary Responses to Death and Dying Credits: 3
- HNR 280 - Honors Special Topics Credits: 1 to 3 (evaluated case by case; HNR 280 may only be used once in the certificate program)
- LIB 314 - Life Journeys Credits: 3 Identity (I-I)
- NUR 344 - Healthy Aging: A Lifelong Journey Credits: 3
- NUR 354 - Living with Life-Limiting Illness Credits: 3 Health (I-H)
- 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
- AHS 321 - Ethical and Legal Responsibilities in Health Care Credits: 3
- BIO 328 - Biomedical Ethics Credits: 3 Health (I-H)
- COM 438 - Communication Ethics Credits: 3 Identity (I-I)
- HNR 280 - Honors Special Topics Credits: 1 to 3 (evaluated case by case; HNR 280 may only be used once in the certificate program)
- HNR 312 - Honors Junior Seminar Credits: 3
- PH 222 - Public Health Concepts Credits: 3
- OR BMS 223 - Infectious Human Diseases; Prevention and Control (3 credits)
- PHI 202 - Ethics of Health Credits: 3
- PHI 325 - Ethics in Professional Life Credits: 3 Human Rights (I-HR)
- PLS 310 - Politics and Health Policy Credits: 3
With permission, additional special topics courses can be counted toward the medical humanities certificate.
Honors Students
Some HNR 280 courses can be used to fulfill the certificate requirements. Signoff will be handled on a case-to-case basis. HNR 280 can only be used to fulfill ONE of the elective categories. Examples:
Ethics:
HNR 280 - Food for Thought (semester 2)
End-of-Life Perspectives:
HNR 280 - Live, Learn, Lead: Saging and Aging