Nov 09, 2024  
2024-2025 Undergraduate Bulletin 
    
2024-2025 Undergraduate Bulletin

Sociomedical Sciences, B.A.


Sociomedical Sciences

Jennifer Guzman, Coordinator 

This major offers students the opportunity to acquire interdisciplinary knowledge on topics and issues related to health, disease, illness, and medicine, as well as analytical and practical skills that will benefit them in post-graduate education and careers in medicine, public health and other health services. Sociomedical Sciences focus on the social determinants of disease and health and examine the correlation between trends in health and its social causes, including social inequality and structural inequity.

 

Program Learning Outcomes


In completing the Sociomedical Sciences program, the successful student will be able to:  

1.  Demonstrate understanding of concepts and theoretical principles central to the sociomedical sciences, including but not limited to: 

  • social, economic, political, environmental, cultural and biological determinants of health  
  • intersectionality
  • structural inequities and social inequality 
  • health disparities, inequality and inequity 
  • cross-cultural conceptions of and practices associated with illness, health, and healing
  • complementary and alternative medicine and integrative medicine 
  • cultural and structural competence
  • biopower and biopolitics.

2.  Demonstrate the following critical thinking, written and oral communication skills:

  • Ability to read and understand published scholarship in allied subfields of sociomedical sciences, including medical anthropology, medical sociology, public health, epidemiology, biology, geography, psychology, and political science.
  • Ability to synthesize, analyze and discuss scholarship in both writing and speech.
  • Ability to argue and support a thesis in writing.

3.  Engage in integrative inquiry, application of knowledge and skills and reflection, including:

  • Asking meaningful questions about and synthesizing multiple bodies of knowledge on local and global problems and issues.
  • Adapting and applying theories, skills, and methods to examine and address local and global problems and issues.
  • Reflecting upon changes in learning and outlook over time and to make personal, professional, and civic plans based on that self-reflection.

General Education Requirements (30-40 Credits)


Prerequisite coursework may be required to satisfy certain General Education courses and will count as elective credit.

Total Credits Required to Complete Major: 45


Basic Requirements: (37 Credits)


One Capstone Course in Sociomedical Sciences


Exploratory Learning Electives:


Take 21 elective credits with at least three different prefixes from lists A (at least 15 credits) and B (at least 3 credits), at least 9 credits must be at the 300-level or above

A. Core Courses (Complete at least 15 credits)

B. Complementary Courses: (Complete at least 3 credits)

Footnotes:


*Students need to complete pre/co-requisites for these courses. 

Minimum Competence Requirement


A grade of C- or better is required for all courses used in fulfillment of the Sociomedical Sciences Major.

Department Writing Requirement


Courses offered in the Sociomedical Sciences at the 200 level or above require significant writing assignments. Successful completion of ANTH 402  fulfills the writing requirement.

Sample Course Map


For students who matriculated prior to Fall 2022: please select the bulletin year in which you entered the college (matriculated) at the top right of this page.

Curriculum Map  

 

Total Credit Hours: 120


Note: Variation in the order of courses is possible, depending upon prerequisites. Consult course information in the bulletin or your academic advisor to customize your eight semester plan.  

KEY - Participation in a Global Society (PGS)


Attributes:

Sub Areas

Abbreviation Definition
DPP Diversity, Pluralism, Power
WCV World Cultures & Values
CGC Contemporary Global Challenges
CAI Creativity & Innovation
SST Sustainability

Learning Areas

Abbreviation Definition
ARTS Arts
HUMA Humanities
SOSC Social Science