Purpose

The certificate provides students with an in-depth exposure to social science approaches to health and health behavior. Students obtain basic training in social science, research methods, and statistics, and foster an interdisciplinary perspective in health that prepares them for the modern world of medicine, nursing, and health policy.

Requirements

The certificate requires 24 credit hours of social research and methodology coursework related to health and medicine. At least 9 credit hours must be completed on the Bloomington campus. In fulfilling these requirements, students must meet all other College requirements for certificates.

1. Choose two basic social science courses (6 cr.) from the following:
   
   • SOC-S 100 Introduction to Sociology
   • SOC-S 101 Social Problems and Policies (Approved topic: Medicine in America)
   • PSY-P 101 Introductory Psychology I
   • ANTH-E 260 Culture, Health and Illness
2. SOC-S 370 (3 cr.) and one statistics course (3 cr.) from the following:
   • SOC-S 110 Charts, Graphs, and Tables
   • SOC-S 371 Statistics in Sociology
   • PSY-K 300 Statistical Techniques
   • ECON-E 370 Statistical Analysis for Business and Economics
   • ECON-S 370 Statistical Analysis for Business and Economics, Honors
   • STAT-K 310 Statistical Techniques
   • MATH-K 310 Statistical Techniques
3. Choose three courses (9 cr.) from advanced study in social science and health courses, such as
   
   • ANTH B 260 Biocultural Medical Anthropology
   • ANTH-B 312 Evolutionary Medicine
   • ANTH-B 340 Hormones and Human Behavior
   • ANTH-B 480 Human Growth and Development
   • PSY-P 303 Health Psychology
   • PSY-P 315 Developmental Psychology
   • PSY-P 324 Abnormal Psychology
   • SOC-S 305 Population
   • SOC-S 324 Mental Illness
   • SOC-S 358 Social Issues in Health and Medicine
   • SOC-S 365 Social Foundations of Behavior: Applications for Health Settings
   • SPEA-H 322 Principles of Epidemiology
   • SPEA-H 324 Health Policy
   • SPEA-H 354 Health Economics
   • SPEA-H 411 Chronic and Long-Term Care Administration
   • SPH-B 310 Health Care in Diverse Communities
   • SPH-H 311 Human Diseases and Epidemiology
4. One capstone course (3 cr.) chosen from
   
   • SOC-S 410 Topics in Social Organization (with health-related focus), or
   • SOC-S 431 Topics in Social Psychology (with health-related focus), or
   • SOC-S 498 Honors Thesis Seminar I, or
   • SOC-S 499 Honors Thesis Seminar II, or
   • Another comparable course with a medical focus in a social science discipline.