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Interdisciplinary Programs

Major

Willow Munson looks at a blood sample through a microscope
Willow Munson '23 looks at a blood sample from a patient who has been diagnosed with malaria at the Zion Medical Clinic in Uganda.

Overview

The Bachelor of Arts in Health, Medicine and Society requires a minimum of 30-32 credits completed in the following categories.

Foundational Core Courses (12 credits)

Students choose one course from each of the three core categories.

  • Core course in Health Humanities (Choose 1 of the following)
    • HMS 116: Bioethics
    • HMS 170: Medical Humanities
  • Core course in Social Science Approaches to Health (Choose 1 of the following)
    • HMS 130: Introduction to Health Psychology
    • HMS 160: Medicine and Society
    • HMS 180: Introduction to Public Health
  • Core course in Research Methods in Health (Choose 1 of the following)
    • HMS 120: Ethics & Values of Community-Engaged Research
    • HMS 349: Participatory Action Research
    • HMS 375: Community-Based Participatory Research

Depth Concentration (11-12 credits)

Students choose one of the following concentrations.

  • Health Humanities: Students choosing a Health Humanities concentration take 12 credits of HMS courses that have a Humanities (HU) designation. Possible courses that fit this concentration are found in departments such as English, Religion Studies, Philosophy, and History.
  • Social Science Approaches to Health: Students choosing a Social Science concentration take 12 credits of HMS courses that have a Social Science (SS) designation. Possible courses that fit this concentration are found in departments such as Psychology, Sociology/Anthropology, Journalism, and Economics.

Additional HMS Coursework (6-8 credits)

Students take 4 credits of HMS coursework that has an attribution (HU, SS, or NS) that does not match their concentration. Students take 4 more credits of HMS coursework in any designation.

Ready to Declare?

Students who wish to major in Health, Medicine, and Society should fill out the Major Declaration Form.

Click Here

Additional Requirements for Completing the HMS Major

  • The HMS major requires students to declare a second major outside of HMS. The second major can be from any department or program at Lehigh.
  • No more than 2 courses in the Depth Concentration and Additional HMS Coursework can be cross-listed with the home department/program of a student’s second major.
  • At least 3 courses in the Depth Concentration and Additional HMS Coursework must be taken at the 300-level.
  • There is no sequencing in the HMS major, meaning students can take the needed coursework in any order.

Resources

Explore the Course Catalogue
catalog.lehigh.edu…
Course Map: A Helpful Guide
programs.casdev.lehigh.edu/files…