The Advanced Certificate in Health Humanities
The Advanced Certificate in Health Humanities
Program Mission
The Advanced Certificate in Health Humanities with the Department of Health Humanities and Bioethics provides an interdisciplinary introduction to the content, methods, and purposes of the health humanities.
The certificate program builds on the principles of the biopsychosocial (BPS) model of medicine, using the humanities to explore the material realities, social implications, and cultural meanings of health and healthcare. Admitted students will learn to apply skills including close reading, visual analysis, synthesis, and textual research to a range of sources. Students will choose and take four courses across the following subject areas: History of Medicine, Narrative and Health, and Culture and the Body.
Program Description
This part-time program prepares graduate students and clinicians to use the humanities to explore the material realities, social implications, and cultural meanings of health and healthcare. Instructors are faculty from the Department of Health Humanities & Bioethics.
Educational Objectives
Graduates of the Advanced Certificate in Health Humanities program will be able to 1) Evaluate the social, cultural, historical, and ethical aspects of health and healthcare and reflect on their implications for clinical practice; 2) Apply humanistic methods – especially close reading, visual analysis, textual research, and synthesis – to study the ways health and healthcare impact communities, including patients and medical practitioners; 3) Explain the foundational works, concepts, and history of the health humanities as a field. 4) Produce critical and reflective writing using approaches from the health humanities; 5) Communicate effectively using speech, writing, and visual arts to prepare for interactions with coworkers, researchers, and patients.
Students in the Advanced Certificate in Health Humanities program must complete four courses across three broad subject areas: History of Medicine, Narrative and Health, and Culture and the Body. Students have two options to complete the certificate program:
- Take at least one course from each of the three subject areas.
- Take MHB 412: Introduction to the Health Humanities and three other courses from any combination of subject areas.
- Three other courses from any combination of subject areas. See Curriculum Details
Students will choose their courses in consultation with the program director and – if applicable – academic advisors from their own departments. Students may complete the certificate program at their own pace, but are strongly advised to do so within three years of admission. Please note that all certificate courses are held in-person at the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) and that some courses fall under two subject areas
How To Apply
We are currently accepting applications and admitting new students to the program once a year. Review the Application Timeline and the table below* to ensure your application and all supporting materials are submitted prior to the deadline. Early applications are strongly encouraged.
*Note: this may be subject to change, and dates are approximate
Applications Open | January 15th |
Applications Close | June 15th |
Interviews | Rolling basis, usually March through June |
Letters of offer/admission sent | July 1st |
Deadline to accept/decline offer | July 15th |
Orientation and Welcome | The week before the official start of the semester |
Classes Begin | Last week of August or the first week of September |
Eligibility
This program is open to all students with a four-year undergraduate credential, including faculty and staff at the University of Rochester Medical Center and graduate students at the University of Rochester School of Arts and Sciences, Eastman School of Music, and Warner School of Education and Human development. The program director will review any cases where applicants who have not completed an undergraduate credential seek admission to the program. Rare exceptions may be made based on highly-promising transcripts, personal statements, writing samples, etc.
The certificate program welcomes students from all personal and professional backgrounds. The health humanities are deeply invested in the experiences of underrepresented groups, and this program makes those experiences central to course offerings including the Disabled Body in Medicine and Culture, History of Modern Medicine, and Stories in Healthcare. We not only intend to bring humanists into the educational and research work of the Medical Center but also to train clinicians in humanistic methods.
Application Requirements
It is expected that all application materials (with the exception of official score reports) be scanned and uploaded to your online application. Please note that the University of Rochester reserves the right to verify the accuracy of all transcripts and to require submission of official documentation at any point in the admissions review process.
- Online Application (recommended browser is Google Chrome)
- Statement of Purpose
- Uploaded copy of transcript(s) to online application. Please do not mail a hard copy at this time.
- CV or resume
- Payment of the $60.00 application fee
- One Letter of recommendation
It is expected that all application materials be scanned and uploaded to your online application. Please do not include secondary school documentation, financial documentation, etc., as these are not utilized during the admissions process.
Financial Information
Tuition Fees
- $1,970 per credit hour ($5,910 per course). University of Rochester employee tuition benefits apply.
Contact
Alexander Parry, PhD
Director, Advanced Certificate in Health Humanities
Phone: (585) 275-5800
Olivia Harrington
Department Program Specialist
Phone: ( 585) 276-6687
More information can be found at the Office of University Engagement and Enrichment website.