About Health & Society

Health and Society is a multidisciplinary program of study consisting of courses from several disciplines. Designed as a part of liberal education, students considering careers in health care administration, health policy and planning, or social services will find it an appropriate major. Health and Society majors planning careers in medicine should consult with a Health Professions Adviser about pre-medical requirements.

Thinking of Majoring in Health & Society?


  • Tips for Health and Society Majors:
  • Take HLS 116, "Introduction to Community Medicine," as soon as possible. It will give you a good overview of Health and Society and enable you to make an informed decision about the major.
  • Make it a point to experience the diversity of the major. Even though you have a strong interest in a related area such as Psychology or Political Science, sample as many other disciplines as possible.
  • Take some Economics courses. Some knowledge of fundamental concepts in Economics is highly desirable as background for upper-level Health and Society courses, graduate study and employment. If you don't want to take Economics courses as part of your Health and Society major, you're free to take advantage of the S/F option.
  • Monitor your progress in the major. Because Health and Society is not a highly-structured concentration, it's easy to be sidetracked by other academic pursuits (premed requirements, certificate requirements, second major or minor). You may find yourself scrambling in senior year to finish on time unless your schedule each semester includes an appropriate number and type (core, methods, electives) of Health and Society courses. Check in once or twice a semester with your Health and Society adviser to make sure you're on track.
  • Take advantage of internships and Career Source, the Career Center's alumni/ae database, to learn about career paths. Career counseling is available to those who need assistance in narrowing down their choices.
  • Start thinking about graduate school options. Advisers and the Program Director can provide valuable general guidance and give you tips about specific programs.
  • Consider writing a senior honors thesis. It's a great opportunity to explore a topic of interest in depth while refining your writing skills and enhancing your preparation for work or graduate study. Two of our six 1999 honors graduates were selected to present their work at the 1999 National Conference on Undergraduate Research.