Minor in Medical Humanities
Program Learning Outcomes for the Minor in Medical Humanities
Upon completing the minor in Medical Humanities, students will be able to:
- Describe the historical, literary, artistic, and ethical domains of medicine.
- Analyze and evaluate complex texts relating to the social and cultural aspects of medicine through close reading and critical interpretation of arguments, metaphors, and images.
- Explain the history of racism and anti-racism in health and medicine.
- Explain how disability shapes the healthcare experience for patients.
- Conduct independent research and communicate their own arguments about medical humanities in research papers, class presentations, and discussions.
Requirements for the Minor in Medical Humanities
Students pursuing the minor in Medical Humanities must complete:
- A minimum of 6-7 courses (18-21 credit hours), depending on course selection, to satisfy minor requirements.
- A minimum of 3 courses (9 credit hours) taken at the 300-level or above.
- A maximum of 2 courses (6 credit hours) from study abroad or transfer credit. For additional program guidelines regarding transfer credit, see the Policies tab.
The courses in the Medical Humanities program examine the social, cultural, ethical, and aesthetic dimensions of medicine in contemporary and historical contexts, and are open to all undergraduate students at Rice from all backgrounds.
The courses listed below satisfy the requirements for this minor. In certain instances, courses not on this official list may be substituted upon approval of the minor’s academic advisor or, where applicable, the Program Director. (Course substitutions must be formally applied and entered into Degree Works by the minor's Official Certifier). Students and their academic advisors should identify and clearly document the courses to be taken.
Summary
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Total Credit Hours Required for the Minor in Medical Humanities | 18-21 | |
Minor Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Requirement | ||
| MDHM 201 | INTRODUCTION TO MEDICAL HUMANITIES 1 | 3 |
| Elective Requirements | ||
| Select 4 courses from the Electives list below 2 | 12 | |
| Practicum 1 | ||
| Select 1 from the following: | 3-6 | |
| HEALTH, HUMANISM AND SOCIETY SCHOLARS MEDICAL HUMANITIES PRACTICUM 1 (1 YR SEQUENCE) and HEALTH, HUMANISM AND SOCIETY SCHOLARS MEDICAL HUMANITIES PRACTICUM 2 (1 YR SEQUENCE) | ||
| MEDICAL HUMANITIES SPANISH PRACTICUM ABROAD 3 | ||
| MEDICAL HUMANITIES CHINESE PRACTICUM ABROAD | ||
| HEALTH, HUMANISM AND SOCIETY SCHOLARS MEDICAL HUMANITIES PRACTICUM (ONE SEMESTER) | ||
| TOPICS IN APPLIED MEDICAL HUMANITIES RESEARCH | ||
| ENGAGED LEARNING AND RESEARCH IN MEDICAL HUMANITIES | ||
| SPANISH PROFESSIONAL PRACTICUM I 4 | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 18-21 | |
Footnotes and Additional Information
| 1 | Students must complete the core course before they complete the practicum. The core course and the practicum may not be taken concurrently. MDHM 402 and MDHM 403 are a two-semester sequence and may not be taken individually. MDHM 430 is repeatable 3 times for credit, but only 3 credit hours may count towards the minor. If students are part of a rotation program in a Texas Medical Center Institution, this does not automatically count towards the minor. Students must enroll in the affiliated practicum course and complete all course requirements for the rotation to count towards the minor. For more information on the practicum courses, please refer to https://medicalhumanities.rice.edu/ or consult a minor advisor on this point. |
| 2 | Up to 4 courses (12 credit hours) may be selected from the departmental (MDHM) course offerings. A maximum of 2 elective courses (6 credit hours) may be selected from any single subject code outside MDHM to fulfill Elective Requirements. Of the 4 courses (12 credit hours) of Elective Requirements, at least 2 courses (6 credit hours) must be taken at the 300-level or above. A maximum of 1 course (3 credit hours) at the 100-level may count towards the minor. |
| 3 | Rice in Country, offered by the Center for Languages and Intercultural Communication (CLIC), offers six-week Rice faculty-led summer study abroad programs in Pamplona, Spain (Rice in Spain), Taipei, Taiwan (Rice in Taiwan) designed for students interested in pursuing a career in medicine or health-related professions. (See the Opportunities tab for more information, or visit https://clic.rice.edu/study-abroad/spain/ or https://clic.rice.edu/studyabroad/taiwan/ for details and to apply.) |
| 4 | Students may take SPAN 323 as either an elective or the practicum, but it will not count toward both requirements. SPAN 323 is offered in many course sections, and only those sections designated as Spanish for Medical Professionals track count towards the Medical Humanities minor. See https://courses.rice.edu/ for the course schedule and section details. If SPAN 323 fulfills the Elective Requirement, a maximum of 1 additional course (3 credit hours) may be selected from SPAN course offerings to fulfill Elective Requirements. If SPAN 323 fulfills the Practicum, a maximum of 2 courses (6 credit hours) may be selected from SPAN course offerings to fulfill Elective Requirements. With any questions, students should consult a minor advisor regarding this point. |
Elective Requirements
To fulfill the Elective Requirements for the Medical Humanities minor, students must complete a total of 4 courses (12 credit hours) from the following Rice departmental course offerings. Up to 4 courses (12 credit hours) may be selected from the departmental (MDHM) course offerings. A maximum of 2 elective courses (6 credit hours) may be selected from any single subject code outside MDHM to fulfill Elective Requirements. Students must take a minimum of 2 courses (6 credit hours) at the 300-level or above; a maximum of 1 course (3 credit hours) at the 100-level may count towards the minor.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Elective Requirements | ||
| Select 4 courses from the following: | 12 | |
| African and African American Studies | ||
| RACE, MEDICINE, AND MASS INCARCERATION IN THE UNITED STATES | ||
| SPIRITS, SCIENCE, AND MENTAL HEALTH IN AFRICA | ||
| Anthropology | ||
| PLAGUES AND PEOPLE | ||
| ILLNESS NARRATIVES: RE-WRITING HEALTH INEQUALITIES | ||
| SOCIAL LIFE OF DNA | ||
| ETHNOGRAPHIES OF CARE | ||
| ILLNESS, DISABILITY, AND THE GENDERED BODY | ||
| GLOBAL HEALTH JUSTICE: HEALTHCARE INEQUALITIES IN CONFLICTS | ||
| MEDICAL ANTHROPOLOGY | ||
| ANTHROPOLOGY OF REPRODUCTION | ||
| BLACK FEMINIST SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY STUDIES | ||
| ANTHROPOLOGY OF RACE, ETHNICITY AND HEALTH | ||
| SPECIAL TOPICS 1 | ||
| Art History | ||
| REPRESENTATIONS OF DISABILITY | ||
| Asian Studies | ||
| QUACKS AND WONDER DRUGS: A HISTORY OF MEDICINE IN CHINA | ||
| MEDICINE AND EMPIRE IN ASIA | ||
| GENOMIC GOVERNANCE IN ASIA | ||
| Biosciences | ||
| CONCEIVING AND MISCONCEIVING THE MONSTROUS IN FICTION AND IN ART, IN MEDICINE AND IN BIOSCIENCE | ||
| CURRENT BIOSCIENCES AND HEALTH POLICY TOPICS | ||
| EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY AND THE FUTURE OF MEDICINE | ||
| Chinese | ||
| SPECIAL TOPICS: ADVANCED CHINESE I 1 | ||
| English | ||
| LITERATURE AND MEDICINE | ||
| MEDICINE AND MEDIA | ||
| MEDICAL MEDIA ARTS LAB | ||
| TRANSLATIONAL HUMANITIES METHODS: MEDICINE, ENVIRONMENT, RACE, TECHNOLOGY | ||
| Environmental Studies | ||
| JUSTICE IN THE FOOD SYSTEM | ||
| CULTURES AND MEDIA OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH | ||
| ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH | ||
| German Studies | ||
| GERMAN FILM (IN ENGLISH) | ||
| POLITICS OF THE FLESH IN GERMAN LITERATURE, THOUGHT AND FILM | ||
| SPECIAL TOPICS 1 | ||
| Health Sciences | ||
| CONSUMER HEALTH AND THE MEDIA | ||
| PRINCIPLES OF PUBLIC AND COMMUNITY HEALTH | ||
| UNDERSTANDING CANCER | ||
| VIOLENCE IN AMERICA: A PUBLIC HEALTH PERSPECTIVE | ||
| DISPARITIES IN HEALTH IN AMERICA | ||
| History | ||
| RACE AND MEDICINE IN AMERICAN HISTORY | ||
| THE BODY IN GLOBAL HISTORIES OF MEDICINE | ||
| ENVIRONMENT, MEDICINE AND PUBLIC HEALTH IN LATIN AMERICA | ||
| HISTORY OF SENSATION | ||
| DISABILITY AND U.S. LAW | ||
| HISTORIES OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN ASIA | ||
| HISTORY OF MEDICINE: FROM ART TO SCIENCE | ||
| Humanities | ||
| WHAT IS AN (AB)NORMAL BODY? | ||
| Latin American and Latinx Studies | ||
| WRITING TO HEAL: U.S. LATINE NARRATIVES ON MENTAL HEALTH | ||
| Medical Humanities | ||
| SPECIAL TOPICS 1 | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO DISABILITY STUDIES | ||
| CREATIVE WRITING AND MEDICAL HUMANITIES | ||
| TOPICS IN HEALTH INEQUITIES | ||
| MEDICAL HORROR IN FILM AND LITERATURE | ||
| IMMUNITY IN MEDIA, SCIENCE, AND CULTURE | ||
| PERSPECTIVES IN HEALTH AND HUMANITIES | ||
| TOPICS ON EXPERIENCES OF HEALTH AND ILLNESS | ||
| ETHICAL DEBATES IN MEDICINE: DIGNITY AND WELFARE | ||
| TECHNOLOGIES OF HEALTH | ||
| GLOBAL HEALTH HUMANITIES | ||
| RESPONSIBLE AI FOR HEALTH | ||
| TOPICS IN MENTAL HEALTH | ||
| ETHICS AND THE HUMAN BODY | ||
| UNMASKING MADNESS | ||
| SPECIAL TOPICS 1 | ||
| Philosophy | ||
| ETHICS IN PANDEMICS | ||
| DEATH AND DYING: METAPHYSICS AND ETHICS | ||
| MEDICAL ETHICS | ||
| PHILOSOPHY OF SEX AND LOVE | ||
| THE PHILOSOPHY OF MEDICINE | ||
| ADVANCED TOPICS IN ETHICS 1 | ||
| Religion | ||
| THE COLORS OF LIFE AND THE END OF LIFE | ||
| SACRED BIRTH | ||
| KNOWING BODY/GLOWING MIND: BUDDHIST ARTS OF CONTEMPLATION AND ANALYSIS | ||
| MEDICINE AND THE MUSEUM: CLINICAL AESTHETICS AND THE MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS, HOUSTON | ||
| SEMINAR ON THE END OF LIFE | ||
| DEMONS, MENTAL ILLNESS AND MEDICINE | ||
| THE HUMANITIES OF CARE & END OF LIFE | ||
| RELIGION AND SCIENCE | ||
| Sociology | ||
| RELIGION, SCIENCE, AND HEALTH: A SOCIOLOGICAL APPROACH | ||
| SOCIOLOGY OF MENTAL HEALTH | ||
| MEDICAL SOCIOLOGY | ||
| REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AND SOCIETY | ||
| HEALTH DISPARITIES IN THE UNITED STATES | ||
| SOCIAL AUTOPSIES: HOW SOCIETY KILLS US | ||
| GENDER AND HEALTH | ||
| Spanish | ||
| SPECIAL TOPICS: ADVANCED SPANISH II 1 | ||
| SPANISH PROFESSIONAL PRACTICUM I 2 | ||
| CURRENT HEALTHCARE ISSUES IN LATINE COMMUNITIES | ||
| DISABLED BODIES: ILLNESS AND LITERATURE IN LATIN AMERICA | ||
| REPRODUCTIVE AND MATERNAL HEALTH IN LATIN AMERICA | ||
| SPECIAL TOPICS 1 | ||
| Study of Women, Gender, and Sexuality | ||
| GENDER AND SCIENCE | ||
Footnotes and Additional Information
| 1 | ANTH 477, CHIN 319, GERM 477, MDHM 238, MDHM 477, PHIL 460, SPAN 322, and SPAN 477 are special topics courses, and not all sections are eligible to be applied towards the minor Elective Requirements. Please see a minor advisor for more information. If a specific instance of these courses is approved to fulfill minor requirements, the approval must be formally applied and entered into Degree Works by the minor's Official Certifier. |
| 2 | Students may take SPAN 323 as either an elective or the practicum, but it will not count toward both requirements. SPAN 323 is offered in many course sections, and only those sections designated as Spanish for Medical Professionals track count towards the Medical Humanities minor. See https://courses.rice.edu/ for the course schedule and section details. If SPAN 323 fulfills the Elective Requirement, a maximum of 1 additional course (3 credit hours) may be selected from SPAN course offerings to fulfill Elective Requirements. If SPAN 323 fulfills the Practicum, a maximum of 2 courses (6 credit hours) may be selected from SPAN course offerings to fulfill Elective Requirements. With any questions, students should consult a minor advisor regarding this point. |
Policies for the Minor in Medical Humanities
Program Restrictions and Exclusions
Students pursuing the minor in Medical Humanities should be aware of the following program restriction:
- As noted in Majors, Minors, and Certificates, i.) students may declare their intent to pursue a minor only after they have first declared a major, and ii.) students may not major and minor in the same subject.
Transfer Credit
For Rice University’s policy regarding transfer credit, see Transfer Credit. Some departments and programs have additional restrictions on transfer credit. Requests for transfer credit must be approved for Rice equivalency by the designated transfer credit advisor for the appropriate academic department offering the Rice equivalent course (corresponding to the subject code of the course content). The Office of Academic Advising maintains the university’s official list of transfer credit advisors on their website: https://oaa.rice.edu. Students are encouraged to meet with the applicable transfer credit advisor as well as their academic program director when considering transfer credit possibilities.
Program Transfer Credit Guidelines
Students pursuing the minor in Medical Humanities should be aware of the following program-specific transfer credit guidelines:
- No more than 2 courses (6 credit hours) of transfer credit from U.S. or international universities of similar standing may apply towards the minor.
- Transfer credit received via the articulation of approved exam credit, such as Advanced Placement (AP) credit, International Baccalaureate (IB) credit, or A-level credit will not be considered towards minor requirements.
Distribution Credit Information
The determination of distribution credit eligibility is done initially as part of the new course creation process. Additionally, as part of an annual roll call coordinated each Spring by the Office of the Registrar, course distribution credit eligibility is routinely reviewed and reaffirmed by the Dean’s Offices of each of the academic schools.
Faculty and leadership in the academic schools are responsible for ensuring that the courses identified as distribution-credit-eligible meet the criteria as set in the General Announcements. Students are responsible for ensuring that they meet graduation requirements by completing coursework designated as distribution-credit-eligible at the time of course registration.
Additional Information
For additional information, please see the Medical Humanities website: https://medicalhumanities.rice.edu/.
Opportunities for the Minor in Medical Humanities
Academic Honors
The university recognizes academic excellence achieved over an undergraduate’s academic history at Rice. For information on university honors, please see Latin Honors (summa cum laude, magna cum laude, and cum laude) and Distinction in Research and Creative Work. Some departments have department-specific Honors awards or designations.
Distinction in Research and Creative Work
Students completing the minor in Medical Humanities are eligible to apply for the university honor Distinction in Research and Creative Work. If awarded, Distinction will be noted on the student's transcript upon graduation and on commencement materials. All applications for Distinction will be judged by a committee of faculty affiliated with the program in Medical Humanities. Work deemed to be "above and beyond" expectation will be considered for Distinction..
- Applications for Distinction, including faculty letters of support, must be submitted on or before the last day of classes in the spring semester by 5:00 pm.
- As part of the application for Distinction, students must submit a single-authored research or creative work, created for a Medical Humanities class, that represents the substantive output of a semester's work (length will vary by discipline).
- A typical assignment completed for a class will not be competitive for graduation with Distinction. Work that represents at least one semester of rigorous work will be eligible. Only work determined to be of extraordinary quality (and work that goes beyond requirements) will receive Distinction. Portfolios of work are not eligible.
- An interpretive humanistic element must be central to the project.
- The student's project does not have to be completed, nor in its final format for a class, but only work that is submitted by the deadline will be evaluated for Distinction. Students are welcome to revise work that has already been completed for a class.
- Applications must include a 1-page letter of support from a sponsoring faculty advisor that speaks to the interpretive humanistic element of the project and indicates why the projects should be considered for Distinction. Faculty should submit their brief letter of support, indicating the students' name and title of their work, to the program administrator. Students may submit an additional letter from a non-Rice faculty member, but it is not required.
- Applications and eligibility guidelines are available on the Medical Humanities website at: https://medicalhumanities.rice.edu/distinction-research-and-creative-work.
Annual Best Essay and Creative Work Competition
Students who take any approved Medical Humanities core course or elective course may submit an entry to the annual Best Essay and Creative Work competition. For details, see: https://medicalhumanities.rice.edu/annual-essay-competition.
Experiential Learning
Advanced students in the Medical Humanities minor have the opportunity to conduct experiential learning and research in our practica and enroll in internships at Houston-area hospitals, archives, and community partner institutions when offered.
Study Abroad
Rice in Country, offered by the Center for Languages and Intercultural Communication (CLIC), offers six-week Rice faculty-led summer study abroad programs for 6 credit hours in Pamplona, Spain (Rice in Spain) and Taipei, Taiwan (Rice in Taiwan), designed for students interested in pursuing a career in medicine or health-related professions.
Through Rice in Spain, students complete a total of 6 credit hours, either SPAN 322 and SPAN 324 or SPAN 324 and MDHM 420. SPAN 322 counts as an Elective toward the Medical Humanities minor, and MDHM 420 counts as a Practicum toward the Medical Humanities minor. (Note: SPAN 324 does not count towards minor requirements.)
Through Rice in Taiwan, students complete a total of 6 credit hours, either CHIN 307 and CLIC 369 or MDHM 421 and CLIC 369. MDHM 421 counts as a Practicum toward the Medical Humanities minor. (Note: CHIN 307 and CLIC 369 do not count towards minor requirements.)
Admission to the programs are subject to proficiency requirements, prerequisite coursework, and/or interview.
For more information, please see the Rice in Spain website: https://clic.rice.edu/study-abroad/spain/ or the Rice in Taiwan website: https://clic.rice.edu/study-abroad/taiwan/.
Additional Information
For additional information, please see the Medical Humanities website: https://medicalhumanities.rice.edu/.