Mar 29, 2024  
2021-2022 UMass Dartmouth Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2021-2022 UMass Dartmouth Undergraduate Catalog [Archived Catalog]

Health and Society


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Health and Society Program Goals:

Health and Society majors work with faculty from across the social sciences and humanities to develop a critical understanding of health-related inequalities along the lines of race, class, gender, and global location; explore the histories and cultures of health care practices; and actively engage with social change agendas aimed at improving the health and well-being of marginalized and underserved communities. The program encourages students to gain a deep understanding of the social, cultural, and political factors that shape human health and assess the potential of innovative “upstream” efforts to address systemic disparities in population health. Students in Health and Society connect classroom learning with a community-based internship and have the opportunity to incorporate experiential learning and independent research projects into their program.

This major prepares students for careers and graduate study in a wide range of health-related fields including: human services (eg. social worker, community health educator, patient advocate, medical interpreter, etc.); direct health care professions (eg. medical doctor, nurse, physicians’ assistant, doula, etc.); public health and health care policy; health care administration, and medical anthropology and sociology. Majors preparing for graduate work in health care fields are encouraged to complete the pre-health curriculum along with the Health and Society major. Double majors or the addition of minors in relevant fields such as Psychology, Crime and Justice Studies, Political Science/Public Administration, Sociology/Anthropology, Spanish, Economics/Health Care Administration, Urban Studies, and Women and Gender Studies are strongly encouraged.

Admission into the Major:

Students interested in majoring in Health and Society must schedule an interview with the Health and Society Program Director for permission to enter the program, to discuss the program requirements and to arrange for a permanent advisor. Students seeking admission to Health and Society must have a minimum overall GPA of 2.0.

Contributing Faculty are based in a wide range of departments including Sociology and Anthropology, Psychology, Crime and Justice Studies, Economics, Political Science, Philosophy, History, Spanish, and English/Communications.

Minimum Requirements for Graduation:

To successfully complete the program for graduation, all students must:

  • Maintain a minimum of a 2.75 GPA in the major.
  • Maintain a minimum of a 2.0 GPA overall.
  • Complete 30 credits at 300/400 level (including all courses in the major).
  • Complete a minimum of 120 credits with at least 45 at UMass Dartmouth
  • Complete the University Studies requirements.
  • Complete the distribution requirements of the College of Arts and Sciences.
  • Complete the HLT major requirements.
  • All courses counting for the HLT major must be passed with a minimum of a C-.

Learning Objectives:

  1. Demonstrate skill in applying perspectives of various disciplines from the social sciences and humanities to the analysis of the social, cultural, economic, political, and economic factors that impact the health status, needs, and behaviors of diverse populations;
  2. Demonstrate an understanding of how systemic inequalities along lines of class, race and ethnicity, gender, and geographic location affect health outcomes;
  3. Develop an understanding of how theoretical frameworks and research from multiple disciplines can be used to find innovative and practical solutions to health-related problems;
  4. Demonstrate a critical understanding of the organization and efficacy of health care systems and policies;
  5. Develop basic skills in qualitative and quantitative social scientific research methods and a critical understanding of knowledge production;
  6. Develop effective oral and written modes of communicating health-related issues to diverse audiences.

 

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