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Medical Humanities and Social Sciences
Medical Humanities and Social Sciences
Navigate the ethical, cultural, legal, and social dimensions of health and wellbeing. Learn to respond ethically, compassionately, and thoughtfully to your patients and their communities.
Offering an interdisciplinary focus on cultural and social aspects of human health and wellbeing, SFU's Medical Humanities and Social Sciences (MHSS) program equips students with the holistic perspective required to thrive in healthcare professions. A perfect complement to health-related career training, the deep understanding of socio-cultural health factors students gain in this minor gives them a competitive edge in applications to job opportunities or postgraduate education.
Program Structure
Summary:
As part of the minor, students complete:
- a total of 26-28 units, including a minimum of 15 at the upper division
- core MHSS courses introducing concepts and methodologies that allow critical engagement with health topics in an interdisciplinary setting
- additional courses to augment their understanding of the interaction between both health and society and health and the body
Questions?
Contact an advisor at Arts Central.
Lower Division Requirements
Students complete all of:
- MHSS 100-3: Interdisciplinary Approaches to Health in the Humanities and Social Sciences
- FASS 223-1: Special Topics in the Arts and Social Sciences: Working with Others
- FASS 224-1: Understanding Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Arts and Social Sciences
And one of:
- COGS 100-3: Exploring the Mind or COGS 110-3: Learning in Everyday Life: The art and science of hacking your brain
- GSWS 103-3: Body Talk
- LING 190-3: The Science of Speech
- PSYC 100-3: Intro to Psychology I or PSYC 102-3: Intro to Psychology II
And one of:
- ENGL 111W-3: Literary Classics in English or ENGL 204-3: Reading Sexuality and Gender or ENGL 209-3: Race, Borders and Empire
- GERO 101-3: Aging and Society
- GSWS 101-3: Gender Talk or GSWS 100-3: Sex Talk
- INDG 101-3: Introduction to Indigenous Studies or INDG 211-3: Researching Residential Schools: An Analysis of RS in North America or INDG 286-3: Indigenous Peoples and British Columbia
- LBST 203-3: Work and Health
- PHIL 144-3: Introduction to the Philosophy of Science or PHIL 120W-3: Moral and Legal Problems or PHIL 221-3: Ethical Theory or PHIL 270-3: Data, Ethics and Society
- POL 150-3: Science, Technology and Innovation or POL 151-3: Justice and Law
- PLCY 200-3: Introduction to Public Policy
- SA 101-4: Introduction to Anthropology or SA 150-4: Introduction to Sociology or SA 218-3: Illness, Culture and Society
Upper Division Requirements
Students complete a minimum of 15 upper division units, including both of:
- MHSS 300-4: Medical Legal Studies
- MHSS 400-4: Medical Humanities and Social Sciences Capstone/Professional Colloquium
And one of:
- COGS 300-3: Selected Topics in Cognitive Science
- GERO 302-3: Health Promotion and Aging
- GSWS 316-4: Disciplining Sex: Feminist Science and Sociobiology
- INDG 329-3: Sexuality and Gender: Indigenous Perspectives
And one of:
- GA 301-3: Asia-Canada Identities: Experiences and Perspectives
- GERO 406-3: Death and Dying
- GERO 413-3: Sexuality and Aging
- GSWS 414-4: Dude, Where’s My Body?: Biopolitics, Biotechnologies, Bioecologies
- INDG 422-3: Special Topics in Indigenous Studies (when taught as Indigenous Health)
- IS 307-4: International Ethics: Poverty, Environmental Change & War
- PHIL 327-3: Global Health Ethics
- PLCY 300-4: Applied Public Policy Analysis
- SA 318-4: Technologies of Health and Expectation
- SA 418-4: Global Health: Humanitarian Encounters
- URB 463-4: Diversity and Equity in Cities
Program Facts
Anticipated completion time:
4-6 terms or 2 years
Locations:
Burnaby and Surrey campuses
Program participation:
Students will learn from the 15 participating departments and programs: →