We attempt to keep these lists up-to-date, but it is possible that offerings may change.
Curriculum
HatH course offerings vary each term and new classes are continuously being added to the curriculum. Below you will find information about certificate structure, as well as a general list of courses. Note that many courses have prerequisites. If you have questions about course offerings please contact a certificate advisor.
To complete the certificate you will need courses in the following areas, totaling at least 15 credits:
1. Core course. One of the following introductory-level core courses:
- History of Science 133: Biology and Society, 1950-Today
- History of Science/Medical History and Bioethics 212: Bodies, Diseases, and Healers: An Introduction to the History of Medicine
- Medical History & Bioethics/Anthropology 231: Introduction to Social Medicine
- English 156: Literature and Medicine
- Religious Studies 102: Exploring Religion in Sickness and Health
- Anthropology 265: Introduction to Culture and Health
2. Health and illness in social context. Two intermediate or upper-level courses with a specific focus on health and illness in social context (see the Guide and semester-specifc course lists for eligible courses).
3. Cultural competency. One course aimed at understanding the social, cultural, and linguistic needs of patients. Courses in this category are focused on the experiences of at risk or underserved populations in American health care (such as racial/ethnic minorities, religious minorities, women, or LGBTQ people), but are not necessarily specifically on health and illness (see the Guide for eligible courses).
4. Capstone. You can fulfill the capstone requirement either by completing HistSci 525: Health and the Humanities, or by completing a health-focused service learning course.
Capstone course
HistSci 525: Health and the Humanities will bring your experiences in the certificate together with that of other Health and Humanities certificate students. In the capstone course, which will be run as a limited-enrollment seminar, you will have the opportunity to explore the role of language and culture in the creation and circulation of biomedical knowledge; our lived experiences with illness (physical and mental); the intricate intersections of race, gender, sexuality, disability and medicine; the political dimensions of diagnosis, disease, and epidemics, and the role that fiction, creative non-fiction, comics, and film play in shaping our experiences with health and medicine.
Service learning course
There are several health-focused service learning courses available that fulfill the capstone requirement. In these courses, you will directly apply course concepts as you work across disciplines with your assigned community partners. For example, in Nursing 511: Community Supports for People with Dementia, you will learn about concepts such as stigma and isolation, diversity, cultural competency, and personhood; and you will have the opportunity to use these concepts directly as you work with various community partners to improve the lives of people living with dementia and their caregivers. Service learning sites in Nursing 511 offer a range of experiences including planning of community events, training businesses how to become dementia friendly, and planning/executing cognitively stimulating programs for persons with dementia.
See the Guide for eligible courses.
Independent research option
You may also take an optional one credit course (HistSci 599) to conduct independent research with a faculty mentor that builds on work conducted or lessons learned as part of their capstone experience.
Additional Requirements
- You must earn at a 2.0 GPA on all coursework that you count towards the certificate
- At least half of the credits you count towards the certificate must be earned in residence (on the UW-Madison campus, study abroad, or distance courses)
We encourage you to use the university’s Degree Audit Reporting Service (DARS) as a tool to monitor your completion of the certificate. Basic information about DARS and instructions on how to run and interpret a DARS audit can be found here.