Faculty Approve Health Studies Minor
“[Health studies] has been done, and done very well, but in pockets,” Detweiler-Bedell said in an interview with the Pioneer Log, referring to existing coursework and groups like the Prehealth Professions Club. “We built on strengths that we already have, but with the goal of better coordinating them.”
The multidisciplinary health studies minor will consist of three core courses (12 credits) and three elective courses (12 credits) organized into three categories: mechanisms of wellness and disease; psychological and narrative representations of wellness and disease; and global and cultural approaches to wellness and disease.
Students will be able to fulfill their core course requirements by selecting from courses in departments such as psychology, mathematical sciences, and economics. Examples of electives that fulfill the minor’s requirements include Introduction to Neuroscience, Neurochemistry, Physiology, Health Narratives, Religion and Medicine, Drugs and Behavior, and Global Health Economics.
Leveraging Lewis & Clark’s renowned overseas and off-campus programs, students may apply up to 12 credits toward the minor from an approved Lewis & Clark College overseas study program focused on public health. These credits could potentially include elective courses and the internship capstone. Possible locations for overseas study focused on public health currently include Ireland, Mexico, and Ecuador.
“Global approaches and interdisciplinary studies are central to Lewis & Clark’s strategic plan and identity. The new health studies minor is a valuable new part of this, said Bruce Suttmeier, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “I’m excited to see this program flourish as faculty and students shape creative, distinctive approaches to health studies at Lewis & Clark.”
