The Liberal Arts Perspectives on Culture and Health is a 15-credit program focused on equipping students with the tools to understand health and healing from multiple perspectives and the ability to understand and communicate with diverse communities.
You will participate in an engaged experience that enables you to demonstrate your ability to interact and communicate with people from different cultures. Students with an interest in cultural issues around health, and those who plan to pursue a career in health, counseling, and human or social services will benefit most from pursuing this minor.
As part of the urban research and health campus, the IU School of Liberal Arts at IUPUI is committed to preparing students to serve an increasingly global and multicultural populace. In particular, the School of Liberal Arts has identified health and medicine as an area of excellence with a deep well of faculty expertise. This minor will help students improve the knowledge and skills to work with people from different cultures with the goal of enhancing the health and well-being of individuals and communities.
Prerequisites and Required Courses
Required courses (with minimum grades required)
With a minimum grade of C, students will complete 15 credit hours of approved Pathway Minors courses, including 9 credit hours of:
- two foundational courses: ENG-W131 or ENG-W140 and COMM-R110 in which students in the Pathway Minor program will be required to complete modules and signature assignments designed to introduce them to Pathway Minor themes
- one introductory Thematic Concentration course: MHHS-M 201 Introduction to Medical Humanities
Elective courses for the minor (with minimum grades required)
With a minimum grade of C, students will also complete elective courses including 6 additional credit hours of approved courses from the intermediate Thematic Concentration and advanced Engaged Learning Experience categories.
To ensure a robust interdisciplinary experience, students should not take more than two courses from any one department/program as part of the 15-credit pathway minor.
Approved Courses
Intermediate Thematic Concentration (3 credits)
- ANTH-E 445 Medical Anthropology
- COMM-G 391 Global Health
- EALC-E 397 Traditional Chinese Medicine Culture
- ECON-E 307/E387 Health Economics
- FREN-F 334 French for the Medical & Technical World
- GEOG-G 410 Medical Geography
- MHHS-M 492 Ethics and Policy in Organ Transplantation
- REL-R 300 Yoga, Health, and Mindfulness
- SOC-R 381 Social Factors in Health & Illness
Advanced Engaged Learning Experiences (3 credits)
- COMM-C 482 Intercultural Communication (Health-Focused) (Study Abroad-Poland)
- EALC-E 351 Intercultural Understanding across the Health Care Disciplines (Study Abroad-Japan)
- ENG-L 478 Illness Narrative (Faculty-Lead Research/Artistic Work)
- HIST-H 418 History of International Humanitarian Assistance (Faculty-Lead Research)
- REL-R 384 Religion, Ethics, and Health (Service Learning)
- SOC-R 385 AIDS and Society (Service Learning)
Other requirements and options:
- Students must take a minimum of 3 credit hours of Thematic Concentration courses at the 300-level or
- Students may opt to complete two courses from the intermediate Thematic Concentration list in lieu of the introductory Thematic Concentration
- Students are required to take 3 credits from the approved list of Engaged Learning Experience courses, which will be 300- or 400-level and feature a high impact practice (internship, service learning, research intensive, collaborative project, study abroad, e-portfolio).
- Students who opt not to apply foundational courses to fulfill their 15 credits towards their minor must still complete a Pathway Minor module.
Additional Information
Students may petition to have any 300-/400-level Liberal Arts elective with a RISE designation and health focus count toward their engaged experience. For example, a student may complete an internship, individual research project, service learning project, or study abroad with a health focus.
Students may petition, either before or after taking a course, to count one course toward the minor. Students will petition the Director of the Liberal Arts Pathways Minors Examples of courses outside the School of Liberal Arts that could be petitioned to count include: HLSC-H 250 Health & Rehabilitation Systems Across World; HLSC-H 264 Disability & Society; PBHL-S 120 Introduction to Community Health; PBHL S315 Community Health; PBHL S340 Cultural Competency in the Promotion of Health
To learn more details, go to Liberal Arts Perspectives on Culture and Health Pathway Minor in the IUPUI Campus Bulletin.
Advising
Schedule your in-person or online appointment using the Student Appointment Scheduler or by calling 317-274-3976. Online appointments are available via Zoom and your advisor will provide you with the Zoom link via email prior to your appointment.
