The humanities are about the human experience, and this certificate will give you exposure to a range of historical, cultural, and philosophical reasons why people make decisions about their health care. Everyone who comes in contact with the health care system, from health care providers to patients, needs to understand more than just the biological aspects of medicine in order to support health and wellness.
Learning Goals
After completing the certificate, you will be able to:
- Identify major developments in the history of medicine and the medical profession
- Describe how the meaning of “health” has varied over time and space
- Comprehend and evaluate complex arguments about politics, values, healthcare, and health in contemporary society
- Understand health and illness as grounded in personal experience, develop empathy for others’ experiences, and use creative means to reflect on those experiences
- Display sensitivity for what health means among differently positioned people
To learn more about HatH-related resources, events, and opportunities on campus, visit our website.
Certificate Declaration Requirements
- Must be an enrolled in an undergraduate degree program at UW-Madison
- Attend a certificate information session.
- Complete one of these Core Courses with a grade of C or higher (see Requirements).
- Submit an application form and essay. Check our webpage for details about the next application cycle.
- If selected for the program, meet with the certificate advisor to declare the certificate and plan your coursework.
- Students who declare the Health and the Humanities certificate are not eligible to declare the Global Health major or the Global Health certificate.
Requirements for the Certificate
Complete at least 15 credits from the areas prescribed below.
Core Course
Complete one of the following:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ANTHRO 265 | Introduction to Culture and Health | 3 |
| ENGL 156 | Literature and Medicine | 3 |
| HIST SCI 133 | Biology and Society, 1950 - Today | 3 |
| HIST SCI/MED HIST 212 | Bodies, Diseases, and Healers: An Introduction to the History of Medicine | 3 |
| MED HIST/ANTHRO 231 | Introduction to Social Medicine | 3 |
| RELIG ST 102 | Exploring Religion in Sickness and Health | 3 |
Health and Illness in Social Context
Complete two courses with a specific focus on health and illness in social context: | Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| AMER IND/C&E SOC/SOC 578 | Poverty and Place | 3 |
| ANTHRO 365 | Medical Anthropology | 3 |
| COM ARTS 317 | Rhetoric and Health | 3 |
| ENGL/ASIAN AM/GEN&WS 463 | Race and Sexuality in American Literature | 3 |
| FRENCH 464 | Literature and Medicine in French-Speaking Cultures | 3 |
| GEN&WS 340 | Topics in LGBTQ Sexuality | 3 |
| GEN&WS 370 | Topics in Gender and Disability | 3 |
| GEN&WS 533 | Special Topics in Gender and Biology | 3 |
| GEN&WS/HIST SCI 537 | Childbirth in the United States | 3 |
| JOURN/COM ARTS/LSC 617 | Health Communication in the Information Age | 3 |
| MED HIST/PHILOS 505 | Justice and Health Care | 3 |
| MED HIST/HIST SCI/HISTORY 507 | Health, Disease and Healing I | 3-4 |
| MED HIST/HIST SCI/HISTORY 508 | Health, Disease and Healing II | 3-4 |
| MED HIST/HIST SCI 509 | The Development of Public Health in America | 3 |
| MED HIST/PHILOS 515 | Public Health Ethics | 3 |
| MED HIST/AFROAMER/HIST SCI 523 | Race, American Medicine and Public Health | 3 |
| MED HIST/GEN&WS/HIST SCI 531 | Women and Health in American History | 3 |
| MED HIST/HIST SCI/RELIG ST 331 | Science, Medicine and Religion | 3 |
| RELIG ST/JEWISH 340 | The American Jewish Life of DNA | 3 |
| RELIG ST/FOLKLORE 352 | Shamanism | 3 |
| MED HIST/GEN&WS/HIST SCI 532 | The History of the (American) Body | 3 |
| RELIG ST/ASIAN 505 | The Perfectible Body in Religions, Medicines, and Politics | 3 |
| HIST SCI 404 | A History of Disease | 3-4 |
| PHILOS/MED HIST 534 | Ethics and the Brain | 3 |
| S&A PHM/HIST SCI 401 | History of Pharmacy | 2 |
| MED HIST/PHILOS 558 | Ethical Issues in Health Care | 3 |
| MED HIST/HIST SCI/HISTORY 564 | Disease, Medicine and Public Health in the History of Latin America and the Caribbean | 3 |
| MED HIST/AGRONOMY/C&E SOC/PHILOS 565 | The Ethics of Modern Biotechnology | 3 |
| SOC/C&E SOC 532 | Health Care Issues for Individuals, Families and Society | 3 |
| SOC/C&E SOC 533 | Public Health in Rural & Urban Communities | 3 |
| SOC 575 | Sociological Perspectives on the Life Course and Aging | 3 |
Cultural Competency
Complete one course aimed at understanding the social, cultural, and linguistic needs of patients:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| AFRICAN 201 | Introduction to African Literature | 3 |
| AFRICAN 230 | Introduction to Yoruba Life and Culture | 3 |
| AFRICAN 231 | Introduction to Arabic Literary Culture | 3 |
| AFRICAN/AFROAMER/HISTORY/POLI SCI 297 | African and African-American Linkages: An Introduction | 4 |
| AFRICAN/ASIAN/RELIG ST 370 | Islam: Religion and Culture | 3-4 |
| AFRICAN 412 | Contemporary African Fiction | 3-4 |
| AFROAMER 151 | Introduction to Contemporary Afro-American Society | 3 |
| AFROAMER 155 | They: Race in American Literature | 3 |
| AFROAMER/GEN&WS 222 | Introduction to Black Women Writers | 3 |
| AFROAMER 225 | Introduction to African American Dramatic Literature | 3 |
| AFROAMER 227 | Masterpieces of African American Literature | 3 |
| AMER IND 100 | Introduction to American Indian Studies | 3 |
| ANTHRO 104 | Cultural Anthropology and Human Diversity | 3 |
| ASIAN AM 101 | Introduction to Asian American Studies | 3 |
| ASIAN AM/AFROAMER/AMER IND/CHICLA/FOLKLORE 102 | Introduction to Comparative US Ethnic and American Indian Studies | 3 |
| ASIAN AM 240 | Topics in Asian American Studies | 3 |
| CHICLA 201 | Introduction to Chicana/o and Latina/o Studies | 3 |
| CHICLA 210 | Chicana/o and Latina/o Cultural Studies | 3 |
| CHICLA/COM ARTS 347 | Race, Ethnicity, and Media | 3 |
| COM ARTS 565 | Communication and Interethnic Behavior | 3 |
| GEN&WS 101 | Gender, Women, and Cultural Representation | 3 |
| GEN&WS 102 | Gender, Women, and Society in Global Perspective | 3 |
| GEN&WS/HISTORY 315 | Gender, Race and Colonialism | 3 |
| GEN&WS/AFROAMER 323 | Gender, Race and Class: Women in U.S. History | 3 |
| GEN&WS/CHICLA 332 | Latinas: Self Identity and Social Change | 3 |
| RELIG ST 101 | Religion in Global Perspective | 3 |
| SOC 125 | American Society: How It Really Works | 3-4 |
| SOC 134 | Sociology of Race & Ethnicity in the United States | 3-4 |
| SOC 138 | The Sociology of Gender | 3-4 |
| SOC/GEN&WS 200 | Introduction to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer+ Studies | 3-4 |
| SOC/ASIAN AM 220 | Ethnic Movements in the United States | 3-4 |
| SOC/GEN&WS 611 | Gender, Science and Technology | 3 |
| SOC/C&E SOC/URB R PL 617 | Community Development | 3 |
| RELIG ST 311 | Sects and Cults | 3 |
| RELIG ST 406 | The Amish | 3 |
| RELIG ST/AFROAMER 404 | African American Religions | 3 |
Capstone
Complete one of the following health-focused service learning course:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| HIST SCI/ENGL/MED HIST 525 | Health and the Humanities | 3 |
| NURSING 511 | Community Supports for People with Dementia | 3 |
| RP & SE 300 | Individuals with Disabilities | 3 |
| DANCE 231 | Introduction to Dance/Movement Therapy | 2 |
| DANCE 232 | Introduction to Dynamics of Dance Therapy | 2 |
Elective (if needed)
Complete additional coursework to reach 15 credits from any of the courses listed above or ENGL/HIST SCI/MED HIST 599 Directed Study in Health and the Humanities
Residence and Quality of Work
- Minimum 2.000 GPA on all Certificate courses
- At least 8 Certificate credits in residence
Certificate Completion Requirement
This undergraduate certificate must be completed concurrently with the student’s undergraduate degree. Students cannot delay degree completion to complete the certificate.
- Identify major developments in the history of medicine and the medical profession.
- Describe how the meaning of “health” has varied over time and space.
- Comprehend and evaluate complex arguments about politics, values, healthcare, and health in contemporary society.
- Understand health and illness as grounded in personal experience, develop empathy for others’ experiences and use creative means to reflect on those experiences.
- Develop sensitivity for what health means among differently positioned people (e.g., with respect to race, class, gender, culture, disability, age).
To learn more about the HatH advisor or schedule an appointment, visit advising and careers on our website.
L&S career resources
Every L&S major opens a world of possibilities. SuccessWorks at the College of Letters & Science helps students turn the academic skills learned in their major, certificates, and other coursework into fulfilling lives after graduation, whether that means jobs, public service, graduate school or other career pursuits.
In addition to providing basic support like resume reviews and interview practice, SuccessWorks offers ways to explore interests and build career skills from their very first semester/term at UW all the way through graduation and beyond.
Students can explore careers in one-on-one advising, try out different career paths, complete internships, prepare for the job search and/or graduate school applications, and connect with supportive alumni and even employers in the fields that inspire them.
- SuccessWorks
- Set up a career advising appointment
- Enroll in a Career Course - a great idea for first- and second-year students:
- INTER-LS 210 L&S Career Development: Taking Initiative (1 credit)
- INTER-LS 215 Communicating About Careers (3 credits, fulfills Comm B General Education Requirement)
- Learn about internships and internship funding
- INTER-LS 260 Internship in the Liberal Arts and Sciences
- Activate your Handshake account to apply for jobs and internships from 200,000+ employers recruiting UW-Madison students
- Learn about the impact SuccessWorks has on students' lives
Certificate Director: Nicole C. Nelson, Medical History and Bioethics
Certificate Steering Committee:
- Monique Allewaert, English
- Lisa Bratzke, School of Nursing
- Anthony Cerulli, Asian Languages and Cultures
- Elizabeth Currier, Center for Pre-Health Advising
- Judy Houck, History
- Jenell Johnson, Communication Arts
- Neil Kodesh, History
- Rena Kornblum, Dance
- Susan Nelson, Gender and Women's Studies
- Corrie Norman, Religious Studies
- Lucas Richert, School of Pharmacy
- Jelena Todorvic, French and Italian
- Anne Vila, French and Italian
- Claire Wendland, Anthropology
- Sunny Yudkoff, Center for Jewish Studies
Advisor: hathadvisor@english.wisc.edu