Humanities Track

This is a stock photo. A Quechua family sitting on a ledge looking out. This is a stock photo. A Quechua family sitting on a ledge looking out.
The University of Miami College of Arts and Sciences is proud to introduce its newest undergraduate program.

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Global Health Studies

As the world deals with the aftermath of COVID-19, the Global Health Studies (GHS) program prepares students to work, learn, and lead in a recovering post-pandemic society.

The undergraduate major in Global Health Studies offers a truly interdisciplinary academic experience. Coursework for this major includes local and global aspects of health: medicine, prevention, policy, faith, environment, culture, society, and research. Students have multiple pathways available to craft a unique course of study that prepares them for any number of opportunities after graduation, including medical or nursing school, doctoral study, or employment in the non-profit, government, or private sectors.

Please note: Courses may not be double-counted. For example, a course that you take to satisfy the Methods requirement may not also count towards your Elective count.

Track In Humanities

The Humanities Track provides students with insight into the human condition, including how we experience health, illness, medical care, and death. Doctors and nurses look to the humanities for foundations in ethical treatment, compassionate care, and patient narratives. Those outside the healthcare field need to understand connections between the historical aspects of health and medicine and the modern-day practices we face in a post-pandemic society: faith, loss, healing, and recovery.

Students in this track dive deeply into the historical and cultural significance of health and medicine, through the lenses of religion, philosophy, ethics, gender, history, literature, art, and music.

Senior Thesis (Undergraduate)

Undergraduate students looking to complete a senior thesis should register for GHS 499 Senior Thesis (3 credits) with the approval of the GHS Director. Click here to download the syllabus for GHS 499. Also, please download the Independent Study timeline to ensure you are following the appropriate processes. Because the GHS program is an interdisciplinary program, students should seek faculty senior thesis advisors/mentors based on their GHS track (humanities, social science, or policy).

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  • Required Core Course

    GHS 201 - Introduction to Global Health

  • Methods Course (Choose 1)

    GHS 310 - Hospital Ethnography

    PSY 292 - Introduction to Biobehavioral Statistics for Non-Majors

    GEG 306 - Geographic Research Methods

    SOC 210 - Introduction to Social Research

  • Policy Course (Choose 1)

    INS 201 - Globalization and Change in World Politics

    INS 572 - Global Health Policy and Ethics

    SOC 321 - Applied Health Policy

  • Track Required Courses (6-9 Credits)

    CLA 233 - Ancient Medicine

    PHI 334 - Biomedical Ethics

    REL 161 - Religions and Medicine: Healthcare as a Spiritual Practice

    REL 360 - Religion and Bioethics

  • Track Elective Courses (9-12 Credits)

    APY 421 - Interpreting Bodies

    CLA 222 - Sexuality and Gender in the Ancient World

    CLA 225 - Magic and the Occult in Antiquity

    CLA 231 - Sciences in Ancient Greek and Rome

    CLA 233 - Ancient Medicine*

    ENG 240 - Literature and Medicine

    GSS 201 - Introduction to Gender and Sexuality Studies

    GSS 315 - Gender, Race, and Class

    GSS 347 - Issues in Reproductive Medicine

    GSS 348 - Mental Illness, Gender, and Psychiatry

    HIS 223 - Medicine and Society: From the Ancient World to the 21st Century

    HIS 330 - Scientific Revolution

    HIS 351 - Science and Society

    MCY 538 - Music, Gender, and Sexuality

    MLL 330 - Comparative Topics in Gender and Sexuality

    PHI 334 - Biomedical Ethics*

    PHY 546 - Evidence and Knowledge in Medicine

    PSY 445 - Cultural Values, Religiosity, and Mental Illness (prerequisite PSY 292)

    REL 161 - Religion and Medicine*

    REL 252 - Religion and Human Sexuality

    REL 351 - Religious Issues in Death and Dying

    REL 352 - Religion and Science

    REL 360 - Religion and Bioethics

    REL 451 - Ethics and Genetics

    THA 108 - Intro to Standardized Patient Simulation

  • Capstone Experience (3 Credits)

    The capstone experience must focus on issues/experiences related to global or planetary health. Students will be able to choose between the following capstone experiences:

    • Senior Thesis
    • Internship