The minor in health and the human condition is an interdisciplinary minor broadly focused on the intersection of the humanities (philosophy, ethics, history, and religion) and health sciences. Students who earn the minor gain an understanding of the medical field through three unique lenses: ethics and values, historical perspectives, and diversity/global perspectives.
The minor is administered by the Department of Classics and draws on courses from several units in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, including the departments of Anthropology, History, Philosophy, Religious Studies, and Health and Human Physiology as well as the Global Health Studies and Aging and Longevity Studies programs.
Learning Outcomes
Students are expected to demonstrate:
- comprehension of the history and philosophy behind modern medicine and the human body; and
- familiarity with multicultural and temporal perceptions of healing, aging, and approaches to medicine.
The undergraduate minor in health and the human condition requires a minimum of 15 s.h., including at least 12 s.h. in courses taken at the University of Iowa. Students must maintain a grade-point average of at least 2.00 in all courses for the minor and in all UI courses for the minor. Coursework in the minor may not be taken pass/nonpass.
A maximum of 3 s.h. of work for another University of Iowa major, minor, or certificate may be counted toward the minor.
The minor is interdisciplinary. It is administered by the Department of Classics and draws on courses from several units in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
The minor in health and the human condition requires the following coursework.
Ethics and Values
These courses focus on moral and ethical issues in the medical field and health care, such as bioethics, patient autonomy, and the role of the state.
Historical Approaches
These courses focus on the treatment and understanding of health and disease from the ancient world to the 20th century in order to contextualize students’ understanding of the medical field today.
Diversity and Global Perspectives
These courses invite students to consider the contemporary cross-cultural intersections of privilege and marginalization as related to health care. These include issues of gender, sexuality, race, disability, aging, colonialism, and social class.
