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Faculty and students examine health, healing, liberal arts and health care in this innovative program.
Health and Society (HSOC) is an interdisciplinary cross-college program offering a B.A. and a minor that brings together an array of social science approaches to address critical questions concerning health, healing, and health care in human populations. Program faculty and students examine the many ways in which human health, healing, and health care are defined, perceived, and enacted, and in which access to health and health care are distributed, within and across populations.
Injecting Global Health Perspectives into the Medical School Curriculum
Megan Holt ‘22 and Lauren Maus ’20 completed a service learning project for their ANTH 2170: Culture, Health and Healing class, examining the benefits of injecting global health perspectives into the medical school curriculum. In response to the executive summary they generated for Larner College of Medicine's (LCOM) Global Health Program, the pair were invited to present their research results to LCOM faculty and students. “There’s a lot of hard science students have to do in med school,” notes Holt, a biology major planning on a medical career. “We found that global health—actually experiencing what it means to deliver medical care in developing countries—gives students a more holistic view of medicine.”
One major, many perspectives
Take a close look at course offerings in UVM's health and society major and you'll notice classes in anthropology, sociology, economics, psychology, political science, philosophy, health sciences, environmental studies, and more. A truly broad academic experience that crosses the boundaries of many different disciplines is part of what makes our program so distinctive. You'll learn about issues in health and society from multiple viewpoints and perspectives. We believe this approach exposes you to many different avenues of exploration during your UVM career and after you graduate.
Developing a skill set in high demand
A degree in health and society can take you many places. Our students go into a variety of fields because a liberal arts degree equips them to do research, write and read critically and analytically so they can be trained for many different kinds of work. Students enrolled in the major or minor may go on to pursue careers in public health, global health, health care management, research, education, policy, advocacy, law, nonprofits, social entrepreneurship, industry, or other career areas. Faculty mentors provide expert guidance to help you find your niche in this promising field.
Beyond the classroom
The education you pursue here has real purpose. Close collaboration with faculty on research projects and presentations is a big part of the health and society experience. We help students find ways to apply their skills in service learning projects, internships and study abroad opportunities.