BA in Health Humanities

Degree Program Description

Societies are increasingly confronted with an array of complex issues related to health, including medical privacy, rural healthcare, addiction, aging, disability access, and the ethics of new technologies and treatments. Health Humanities explores the cultural, historical, economic, and demographic factors that impact health, healthcare, and health policy. A broad, interdisciplinary field, Health Humanities unites practicing health professionals, traditional humanities scholars, artists, writers, and humanities and social science students, as well as pre-health and health professions students. This major focuses on health and healthcare delivery in their cultural, historical, aesthetic, and political contexts with the aim of developing clinical empathy skills necessary for patient-centered care; a holistic understanding of health issues and ethics; and culturally informed communication skills.

Health Humanities prepares students for health-oriented postgraduate programs as well as for diverse careers in healthcare delivery and leadership. This program prepares students for an array of roles in government, the healthcare industry (including marketing, sales, medical research, consulting, and insurance), civic engagement, and administration in the private and public sectors. The curriculum is designed to train students to meet emerging challenges in our healthcare system as well as changes in medical education. This program is dedicated to training the next generation of national and international health leaders—from doctors and health professionals to economists, technological designers, health journalists, and policymakers.

Major Program Requirements

In addition to University, general education, and College of Arts and Science requirements, students must also meet the following major program requirements. All major requirements in the College of Arts and Science must be completed with grades of C- or higher unless otherwise indicated. Students must take 21 of the required 30 credits in the College of Arts & Science.

Foundation Courses:18
Required Courses 12
HLTH_HUM 1000Introduction to Health Humanities3
COMMUN 4530Health Communication3
ENGLSH 2000Studies in English (Literature & Medicine)3
or PHIL 2440 Medical Ethics
P_HLTH 2200Introduction to Public Health and Health Promotion3
Creative Practice (choose one course for 3 credit hours) 3
ART_VS 1020Introduction to Visual Studies3
ART_VS 1050Drawing Materials and Methods3
ART_VS 1100Ceramics for Non-Majors3
ART_VS 2030Context and Culture3
ART_VS 2600Digital Photography3
ENGLSH 1500Creative Writing: Introduction to Creative Writing3
ENGLSH 2100Writing About Literature3
THEATR 1400Acting for Non-Majors3
THEATR 2220Immersive Theatre3
or DST_VS 2820 Immersive Storytelling
3000/4000-level approved writing intensive course3
Capstone:3
A 4000-level capstone experiential course requiring an academic or creative project or an experience that allows to integrate knowledge gained through prior coursework and learn professional skills (e.g. study abroad, service learning, or internship for a minimum of 3 credits.) Must be approved by the program director.
Concentration Areas:6
Choose at least 6 credit hours within one of the following four concentration areas.
Community Health and Society
ANTHRO 3560Plagues and Peoples3
GEOG 4450Health, Healthcare Access, and Geography3
HLTH_SCI 2400Contemporary Health Issues3
HLTH_SCI 3700Health Care in the United States3
HIST 3550Science and Medicine in Ancient and Medieval Europe3
H_D_FS 2300Multicultural Study of Children and Families3
POL_SC 4390United States Health Politics and Policy3
PUB_AF 4175Early Childhood Policy3
P_HLTH 3910WPublic Health Communication - Writing Intensive3
P_HLTH 3310Social and Behavioral Health Theory and Practice3
P_HLTH 3460Introduction to Public Health and Emergency Preparedness3
P_HLTH 3560Public Health and Environmental Justice 3
P_HLTH 3620Public Health Promotion and Program Planning3
P_HLTH 3960Public Health, Drugs and Policy3
P_HLTH 4420Gender, Culture, and Politics: Gender in the Heartland3
or WGST 4420 Gender, Culture, and Politics
P_HLTH 4620Climate Change and Human Health3
P_HLTH 4630Health and Human Migration 3
SOCIOL 3440Sociology of Health3
SOCIOL 4450Research Practicum in Health, Place, and Community 3
WGST 3850Gender and the Politics of Representation3
WGST 3960Strategies for Effective Peer Education1
or P_HLTH 3965 Strategies for Effective Peer Education in Public Health
Global Health
ANTHRO 3560Plagues and Peoples3
ANTHRO 4360Medical Anthropology3
HLTH_SCI 2400Contemporary Health Issues3
HLTH_SCI 3400Global Health Care Systems *3
or P_HLTH 3400 Global Public Health and Health Care Systems
HIST 2590Epidemics and Society3
P_HLTH 3960Public Health, Drugs and Policy3
P_HLTH 4620Climate Change and Human Health3
WGST 2050Gender and Public Health3
or P_HLTH 2050 Gender and Public Health
WGST 3960Strategies for Effective Peer Education (Gender in the Heartland)3
or P_HLTH 4420 Gender, Culture, and Politics: Gender in the Heartland
WGST 4420 Gender, Culture, and Politics3
or P_HLTH 4420 Gender, Culture, and Politics: Gender in the Heartland
History, Narrative and Ethics
ANTHRO 4580Evolutionary Medicine3
HLTH_SCI 2850Inclusion and Equity in Health Care3
HLTH_SCI 2900Health Care In Missouri3
HLTH_SCI 4410Humanism and Health Literacy3
HLTH_SCI 4420Health Literacy, Decision Making and Behavior Changes3
HLTH_SCI 4480Clinical Ethics3
PHIL 1150Introductory Bioethics3
PHIL 4400The Nature of Scientific Inquiry: An Introduction to Philosophy of Science3
POL_SC 4390United States Health Politics and Policy3
SOC_WK 4395Death, Grief and Loss (Disability and Sexuality in U.S. Culture)3
WGST 3850Gender and the Politics of Representation3
Identity and Health
ANTHRO 2580Evolution of Human Sexuality3
GEOG 4450Health, Healthcare Access, and Geography3
HLTH_SCI 2850Inclusion and Equity in Health Care3
HLTH_SCI 3400Global Health Care Systems *3
or P_HLTH 3400 Global Public Health and Health Care Systems
HLTH_SCI 4430Health Care Across the Lifespan3
P_HLTH 3860Autism Spectrum Disorder and Public Health 3
P_HLTH 4420Gender, Culture, and Politics: Gender in the Heartland3
or WGST 4420 Gender, Culture, and Politics
SOCIOL 3440Sociology of Health3
SOCIOL 4450Research Practicum in Health, Place, and Community 3
WGST 2050Gender and Public Health3
WGST 2960Sexual Health Education and Advocacy3
or P_HLTH 2050 Gender and Public Health
WGST 3850Gender and the Politics of Representation (Disability and Sexuality in U.S. Culture)3
WGST 3960Strategies for Effective Peer Education1
WGST 4600Women and Health1
or P_HLTH 3965 Strategies for Effective Peer Education in Public Health
WGST 4610Race, Gender, and Health: An Intersectional Examination of Health Inequalities3
or P_HLTH 4610 Race, Ethnicity, and Health: An Intersectional Examination of Health Inequalities
Electives:6
Choose 6 additional credit hours from any of the above concentration areas.
*

Between HLTH_SCI 3400 and P_HLTH 3400, only one may count in the concentration area and elective major requirements.

Semester Plan

Below is a sample plan of study, semester by semester. A student's actual plan may vary based on course choices where options are available.

First Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
ENGLSH 10003Behavioral Science, Arts and Science Diversity Intensive Requirement3
HLTH_HUM 10003Creative Practice from Arts and Science3
Biological, Physical, or Mathematical Science3Math and Quantitative Reasoning3
Humanities from Arts and Science3Missouri State Law Requirement: Social Science from Arts and Science3
Second major, minor, certificate, or elective3Second major, minor, certificate, or elective3
 15 15
Second Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
PHIL 24403Biological or Physical Science lab3
P_HLTH 22003First Writing Intensive3
Biological, Physical, or Mathematical Science3Health Humanities Concentration, 3000+ level3
Social Science 3Second Language 4
Second major, minor, certificate, or elective3Second major, minor, certificate, or elective3
 15 16
Third Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
COMMUN 45303Health Humanities Elective, 3000+ level3
Behavioral Science from Arts and Science, 3000+ level3Humanities 3
Health Humanities Concentration from Arts and Science, 3000+ level3Second Language4
Second Language 4Second major, minor, certificate, or elective3
Second major, minor, certificate, or elective3Second major, minor, certificate, or elective3
 16 16
Fourth Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
Health Humanities Elective from Arts and Science3Health Humanities Capstone from Arts and Science, 3000+ level3
Humanities, 3000+ level3Humanities3
Social Science3Social Science, 2000+ level3
Writing Intensive in major, 3000+ level3Second major, minor, certificate, or elective, 3000+ level3
Second major, minor, certificate, or elective, 3000+ level3 
 15 12
Total Credits: 120

Degree Audit

The degree audit is an automated report reflecting a student’s academic progress toward the completion of a degree. 

MU students can request a degree audit by logging in to myDegreePlanner. Students may also access myDegreePlanner via myZou, in the Student Center, click on the Academic Progress Tile, then select Request Degree Audit. The audit automatically pulls in the student’s MU course work, transfer courses and courses in progress. This is available to current students, admitted students, and those who last attended less than three terms ago.

Past MU students can request a degree audit by contacting the Academic Advising Unit of the division in which they were last enrolled at MU. For contact information, go to https://advising.missouri.edu/contact/.

Prospective students, can access a preliminary MU degree audit via https://www.transferology.com. Information on the college credits already earned will have to be manually entered before it can be evaluated against current degree requirements.

For additional details on degree audits, go to https://registrar.missouri.edu/degrees-audits/degree-audits/.

Major and Career Exploration

The University of Missouri has many resources to assist you in exploring majors and career possibilities. For guidance, visit the Majors and Careers website or view specific resources below.

  • If you are considering a change of major or are exploring multiple majors, schedule an appointment with an advisor in the Discovery Center by calling (573)884-9700 or through MU Connect Discovery Center service in you success network.

  • If you have decided on a major, visit an academic advisor in the School or College that you are interested in to discuss the process of declaring the major

  • If you would like to learn more about your career interests, abilities, values and talents, visit the MU Career Center. No Appointment is necessary to explore career options with one of our staff members.

For additional major and career exploration resources, visit Major & Career Exploration in the catalog.