Health Disparities in Society

Credits: 15, completed with minimum grades of C and no optional S-U

Housed in the Center for Women's Studies and Gender Research (CWSGR), health disparities studies the ways in which ethnicity, national identity, race, class, ability, gender, sexual orientation, geography, education and other factors create differential access to and quality of healthcare. Coursework will raise awareness among students about health disparities and establish a foundation for skill development and critical thinking about the assumptions that shape life science, medical research and clinical practice. The minor will provide a framework that teaches students to integrate concepts of culture and health disparities into their personal and professional development.

Eligibility for the Minor

• Students should apply to add the minor before they have earned 90 hours; students wishing to add the minor after 90 hours must appeal to the CWSGR for approval.
• Due to the potential for significant overlap in coursework, Women's Studies majors must appeal to the CWSGR for approval for the minor. Appeal forms are available in the department office in Ustler Hall.

Requirements for the Minor

• No more than three credits of independent study may count toward the minor.
• Students must complete a minimum of six credits of coursework exclusive to the minor that cannot count toward the major(s) or other minors.
• Sometimes, and with the approval of the undergraduate coordinator for Women’s Studies, students may petition to have other, relevant classes approved as substitutes within each category of electives within the minor. Such courses could include department special topics with numbers like 3930, 4930).

Each semester, courses offered for this minor are listed on the Women's Studies courses website.

Required Courses

Category 1: Health or Social Science of Minority/Cultural Groups in US

• ANT 4462 Culture and Medicine
• ASL 2510 Deaf Culture
• HSA 3111 U.S. Health Care System
• HSC 3502 Survey of Diseases and Disabilities 1
• HSC 4558 Survey of Diseases and Disabilities 2
• ISS 2160 Cultural Diversity in the U.S.
• PHC 3603 Critical Issues in Public Health
• PHC 4101 Public Health Concepts
• SYD 3700 Minorities in American Society
• SYD 3805 Gender and Health
• SYO 4400 Medical Sociology

Category 2: Social Inequality and Related Theory

• AMH 3340 History of Disability in America
• ANT 3451 Race and Racism
• HIS 3454 Racial Theories in Europe and the U.S.
• SYO 4530 Social Inequality
• WST 3603 Sexualities Studies
• WST 4641 Lesbian and Gay Studies

Category 3: International or Global Studies

• ABT 3500 Arabic Culture
• AFA 2000 Introduction to African American Studies
• AFS 4260 Africans Abroad
• ANT 2402 Anthropology of Sustainability
• CHT 3500 Chinese Culture
• GEO 2500 Global and Regional Economies
• HAT 3564 Haitian Culture and Society
• HIS 3495 Evolution of Infectious Diseases
• HSC 4624 Trends in International Health
• PHC 3440 Global Public Health
• SPT 3511 U.S. Hispanic/Latino Culture
• SYD 3630 Latin American Societies
• WST 3415 Transnational Feminism